US2002225A - Serving head - Google Patents

Description

May 2l, 1935. c. B. FANTONE ET A1. 2,002,225

SERVING HEAD Filed July lo, 1954 Patented May 21, 1935 UNITED STATES 'SERVI-N G HEAD Charles B. Fantone, Lyndhurst, and Reuben M. Jameson, Teaneck, N. J., assignors to Syncro Machine Company, Arlington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 1.0, 1934, Serial No. 734,454

17 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in serving head such as are employed on machines for applying a strand or web in the form of a helical wrap around another strand.

More specifically the invention relates to improvements in serving heads as employed on machines for applying a helically wound insulating covering upon a conductor.

The basic object of this invention is to provide means whereby the tension on the covering, strand or web is maintained uniform and constant by compensating for the ls in weight and diameter of the cop or spool from which the Wrapping strip is supplied.

These and many other objects as will appear from the following disclosure are secured by means of this invention.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts, all as will be described in full detail in the following specification in conjunction with the attached drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view through the major portion of a serving head constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical, central, cross sectional detailed view.

As is well known in this art a serving head is a device by means of which one strand or web may be helically wound in adjacent or overlying layers around another strand, wirey or the like which is usually advanced longitudinally of its length during the Winding operation.

In the case of electrical conductors such serving heads operate to apply for example, a narrow strip and insulating material in the form of a helical wrap around the wire in overlapping turns to provide an insulating casing therefor. 'I'he insulating wrap is usually in the form of a narrow, extremely thin ribbon, which is wrapped around a longitudinally advancing conduct-or at a high rate of speed. In order to insure a perfectly finished product and to prevent breaking of the insulating web during wrapping, it is desirable to provide means to compensate for the loss in weight of the cop or spool and the reduction in diameter thereof as the insulating strip which is supplied therefrom is paid off. At high speeds the centrical forces involved impose strains on the insulating web which vary between rather wide limits as the cop loses weight and diameter.

The structure of this invention compensates at these high speeds for the loss in weight and diameter of the cop, thereby insuring a uniform tension on the insulating strip. This insures a uniform .product and minimizes the danger of breakage of the strip during its operation to the conductor.

The manner i-n which the objects of this invention are accomplished will now be fully discussed in connection with the drawing. The serving head comprises a vertical shaft or spindle I upon which the serving head parts are mounted and by means of which they are operated. This shaft is provided with a central, longitudinal bore `2 through which the wire or strand upon which the wrapping is applied longitudinally moves.

The spindle I is caused to revolve from any suitable power source such as by direct connection to an electrical motor. The wire advancing through the spindle I passes through the wire .guide nut 23, the nose piece 24 and the control nut II, all of which are well known in the art. Mounted upon the spindle I is the collar 5 to which the base plate 3 is secured which, in turn, supports the outer protecting casing Il. Within the casing 4 is another base plate 6 which is secured to the collar by means of machine screws as shown. TheV base plate E is likewise provided with an enclosing casing 8. The casings 4 and 8 are preferably of cylindrical cross section. Mounted upon the base plate 6 is the rotatable guide spindle 1. The features of ccnstruction thus far described are likewise old and well known in the art and by themselves form no part of this invention.

The present invention is concerned with the rotatable spindle and the mounting therefor upon which the supply cop is mounted. Slidable upon but keyed thereto for rotation with spindle I, is a cup shaped disc 9.v 'Ihe sliding action of the disc 9 is accomplished by the key I'I engaging with the key Way I8 in the spindle I. A plurality of coil springs I0 are interposed between the base plate 6 and the disc 9. These springs are distributed on a circle concentric with the shaft I and the disc 9. Mountedl within the flange of the disc 9 is an annular ring I5 having a semi-circula'r top edge as shown in Figure 1. This ring is preferably made of some suitable material such as for example any of the well known oilless bearing metals which are frequently made of bronze. This ring is secured to the disc 9 for rotation therewith. Likewise splined to the shaft I by means of the keys I2 and 2I respectively, are the ball bearing retainers or races II and 2G which are permitted sliding movement on the shaft I but are caused to revolve therewith. The keys I2 and ZI likewise operate in the key way I8 on the shaft I.

Secured to the lower end of the bearing member I I is a flange disc I3 which engages the upper end of the spring I 4 which encircles the shaft I and rests at its lower end on the disc 9. Rotatably supported upon the bearing members II and 2li by means of balls or rollers, is the cop spindle I9 which is mounted between these bearing members for movement therewith. The low-v er end of the cop spindle I9 encloses the bearing member II which is loosely retained therein by means of the threaded collar I6. The upper bearing member 20 is seated vwithin the upper end of the cop spindle I9 and loosely held therein by means of the threaded collar or ring 22. Threadedly mounted upon the upper end of spindie I is a nut 23 which is provided witha pair of diametrically opposed vvertical bores as is clear from Fig. 4, forming small cylinders for the pistons on the ends vof the plungers 25. These plungers project through the lower face of the nut 23 and have their rounded ends contacting with the upper surface of a ring 24 mounted upon 'the upper end of the cop spindle I9. This engagement is eifected by means of light springs 26 mounted in the chambers in nut 23 and held therein under adjustable tension by means of the screw plugs 21.

As `is clear from Figs. 3 and 4, the upper end of the bearing member 20 is provided on its outer circumference with a plurality of vertical grooves 29 which are engaged by the balls 30 which are diametricallyarrangedas shown in Fig. 3. This engagement is effected by means of springs 3| which are adjustably engaged by the screw plugs 3i?. By this construction the nut 23 may be adjusted up and down on the spindle I to vary the pressure which springs 26 exert upon the plungers 25 and they in turn exert on'the ring 24. This adjustment isrnot prevented by the spring pressed balls 32 whichare provided however to maintain the adjustment when it is made.V

It may also be noted that the device is practical and effective if the springs I Il are omitted althoughl these springs are preferably employed. The springs Ill are short, vrelatively rigid springs with respect to the longer, more iiexible spring YI d. The tension on the various springs IU, I 4 and 25 is adjusted so that when a loaded cop is placed upon the top spindle I9 the `flange on the lower end of that spindle will engage the rounded upper edge of the ring I5 under such tension that the web beingfed from the cop will be under Ythe correct tension for the particular operating speed of the machine. As is well known the strand is fed from the cop around the rotatable guide 'I and vthence up through the nose piece 28'where it is Wrapped around the conductor passing longitudinally therethrough as the serving head revolves. As the cop loses weight the pressure on spring I4 decreases with the result that this spring tends to raise the cop spindle away from the ring I5. The load on springs Iii is reduced in like amount with the result that they urge the disc 9 and the ring I 5 upwardly into contact with the flange of the cop spindle so that the frictional resistance to rotationthereof remains constant notwithstanding the loss in weight of the cop. This action is accomplished as stated before because of the difference in length and relative stiffness of the springs IIB and I4. Y

.As the cop continues to lose weight it is like- Wise losing diameter and the load on the springs IIJ and I I continuesr to decrease. The reduction in diameter is gradually tending to increase the tension on the strand (the pull on the strand being the only vforce that causes relative rotation of the cop spindle I9 on the main spindle I).

The continued decrease in weight causes further eXtension of the springs I I? and I4 so that the frictional engagement between the flange of the cop spindle and the ring I5 decreases which compensates for the increasing tension in the strand due to the reduction in diameter of the cop. Since the springs I Il are relatively short, their effect is gradually eliminated as the cop loses weight and they become extended with the result that the effective spring I I becomes increasingly more important and reduces the frictional engagement between the ring I5 and the cop spindle. As the cop approaches the empty condition and a condition of minimum diameter the pressurebetween the ring I5and the flange of the cop spindle I 9 becomes practically zero; the cop now being so light that the spring I4 has moved the cop spindle substantially out of engage-` ment with the ring I5.

From the above discussion the action of springs 25 has not been considered since they impose a very minute pressure on the ringr 2li and hence only slightly increase the effect of the weight of the cop. Howevenas the cop approachesminimum diameter, the plungers `25 acting on a smaller radius than the ring I5 offer a slight resistance to rotation of the cop spindle which is all that is necessary in View of the fact that the conditions of small diameters ,of the cop are supplying the tension in the'strand. The effect of the plungers 25 is therefore only present in an appreciable amount at the very finish of the operation of emptying the cop.

' From the above description it will be apparent that this invention resides in certain principles of construction and operation which may be embodied by those skilled in the art in other physical forms without departure from the scope of the invention. We do not, therefore, desire to be strictly limited to the disclosure as given for purposes of illustration'but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

What We seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is: 1. In aserving head asdescribed, a rotatable shaft, a cop spindle rotatably mounted on the shaft and spring pressed means acting on thecop spindle in opposition to subject it to substantially constant resistance to rotation on the shaft as the cop decreases in weight and diameter.

' 2. In a serving head as described, a rotatable shaft, a cop spindie journaled on the rotatable shaft and spring pressed members acting in opposition upon the ends of the cop spindlel to produce a constant resistance to rotation of the cop spindle on the rotatable shaft.

3. In a serving head as described the combination comprising a rotatable spindle, a pair of bearings slidably mounted on said spindle, a cop spindle journaled on said bearings, a spring pressed friction member bearing on one end of said cop spindle, and spring pressed means acting on the other end of the cop spindle whereby the cop spindle may move longitudinally on the rotatable spindle under the infiuence of said springs and be subject to constant resistance to rotation on the rotatable spindle as the weight and diameter of the cop decreases. Y

4. In a serving'head ,as described, a rotatable shaft, a cop spindle journaled on said shaft, resilient means coacting with one end of the cop spindle to form therewith afriction clutch, and a spring pressed means at the other end of the cop spindle whereby when the friction resistance to movement of the cop spindle on the rotatable shaft decreases with the decreasing weight of the cop, the spring pressed means at the other end of the cop spindle providing suflicient resistance to movement of the cop spindle on the rotatable shaft for the cop of reduced diameter.

5. In a serving head as described, a rotatable shaft, cop spindle rotatably and slidably mounted on said shaft, a friction member engaging one end of the cop spindle, springs for maintaining said engagement and a plurality of spring pressed members acting on the cop spindle in opposition to said spring whereby the resistance to rotation of the cop spindle on the rotatable shaft remains constant as the weight and diameter of the cop decreases.

6. In a serving head, the combination comprising a rotatable spindle, a base plate mounted on said spindle, a cop spindle rotatably and longitudinally movable on said spindle, a spring supported friction member mounted between the base plate and the spindle and resilient means for varying the pressure between the cop spindle and the friction member.

'7. A serving head as described comprising a rotatable spindle, a base plate secured to said spindle for rotation therewith, a cop spindle rotatably and slidably mounted on said spindle, and a spring supported annular member interposed between said cop spindle and said base plate, said member having a transversely curved edge of contact.

8. A serving head as described comprising a rotatable spindle, a base plate secured to said spindle for rotation therewith, a cop spindle rotatably and slidably mounted on said spindle, a spring supported contact member on said rotatable spindle engaging said cop spindle and a spring means engaging the cop spindle for varying the pressure between said spring supported contact member and said cop spindle.

9. A device as described comprising a rotatable spindle, a base plate secured thereto, a cop spindle rotatably and longitudinally movable on said spindle, a friction member slidably mounted on said spindle and mounted between the base plate and cop spindle; springs interposed between the friction member and the base plate and the friction member and the cop spindle and yielding means acting on the cop spindle to oppose the action of said springs.

l0. A device as described comprising arotatable spindle, a base plate secured thereto, a cop spindle rotatably and longitudinally movable on said spindle, a friction member slidably mounted on said spindle and mounted between the base plate and cop spindle, springs interposed between the base plate and the friction member and spring pressed plungers acting on said cop spindle for varying the pressure on said spring to Vary the frictional contact between the friction member and the cop spindle.

11. A device as described comprising a rotatable spindle, a base plate mounted on said spindle, a pair of opposed independent bearing members slidably mounted on said spindle, a cop spindle carried by said bearing members and rotatable thereon, spring means interposed between said base plate and cop spindle, said means frictionally engaging the cop spindle under constant pressure and resilient means for varying the pressure between said means and cop spindle,

said spindle being slidable towards said resilient means but resisted thereby.

12. A device as described comprising a rotatable spindle, a base plate secured to said spindle, a pair of bearing members keyed to said spindle and slidably mounted thereon, a cop spindle rotatably mounted on said bearing members, an annular member keyed to said first spindle and slidably mounted thereon, springs interposed between the annular member and the base plate and a spring interposed between the annular member and the cop spindle.

13. A device as described comprising a rotatable spindle, a base plate secured to said spindle, a pair of bearing members keyed to said spindle and slidably mounted thereon, a cop spindle rotatably mounted on said bearing members, an annular member keyed to said first spindle and slidably mounted thereon, springs interposed between the annular member and the base plate, a longitudinally adjustable nut on said first spindle and spring pressed means interposed between the nut and the cop spindle, to oppose the action of the springs interposed between the annular member and the base plate.

14. A device as described comprising a rotatable spindle, a pair of bearing members splined to said spindle, a cop spindle rotatably mounted on said bearing members, a base plate secured to said first mentioned spindle, an annular member splined to first mentioned spindle between the cop spindle and the base plate, a spring interposed between the base plate and said annular member, a spring interposed between said annular member and the adjacent splined bearing member and yielding means acting on the opposite end of said cop spindle.

15. In a serving head as described the combination comprising a rotatable shaft, a cop spindle slidably and rotatably mounted upon said shaft, a spring pressed friction member engaging the cop spindle at one end and a spring pressed member engaging the cop spindle at the other end whereby the resistance to rotation of the cop spindle on said shaft remains constant as the cop loses weight and diameter, whereby the spindle may move in a direction away from the friction member.

16. I n a serving head as described the combination comprising a rotatable shaft, a plate secured to said shaft with rotation therewith, a cop spindle rotatably and slidably mounted upon said shaft, a spring pressed member slidably mounted on said shaft and engaging one end of the cop spindle, a spring interposed between said member and said cop spindle and a spring pressed member engaging the opposite end of the cop spindle.

17. In a serving head as described the combination comprising a rotatable shaft, a plate secured to said shaft with rotation therewith, a cop spindle rotatably and slidably mounted upon said shaft, a spring pressed member slidably mounted on said shaft and engaging one end of the cop spindle, a spring interposed between said member and said cop spindle and a nut secured to said shaft adjacent the other end of the cop spindle and spring pressed members slidably mounted upon said nut and engaging the adjacent end of the cop spindle.

CHARLES B. FANTONE. REUBEN M. JAMESON.

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