US2104656A - Wire tension controlling device - Google Patents

Description

' R.'F. KREJ'CI WIRE Tmsftm CONTROLLING DEVICE Jan. 4, 1938.

, Filed se t. 2a, 1934 Inventor: Robert F. Kre'c'l, by 1 His Attorney Patented Jan. 4,1938

WIRE TENSIOM CONTROLLING DEVICE Robert F. Kreici, clcvelandglleights, Ohio, as-

slgnor'uto General Electric a cor-' notation of New'York Application September 28, 1934, Serial No. 745,862

-1 Olaim. (01. 242-45) My invention relates to apparatus for control ling the tension of wire in wire-working and, treating machines, and more particularly to apparatus .for governing the amount of wire un-' reeled and the tension of said wire in said machines, Wire tension controlling means are particularly desirable in wire working and treating machines, especially when a line or coiled wire is being used, as more accurate control oi their operations is provided and less danger of deformation and injury is presented. Such means are necessary in the annealing of incandescent lamp filaments, the operation of which consists in drawing through an annealing furnace, from one spool to another, a mandrel having the'j'iilarnent coiled thereabout. flhe mandrel arid lfllament coil assembly is so line as to be easily distorted by the high annealing heat so that n'ieans are provided, in combination with tension-controlling apparatus of my invention, for winding and unwinding the wire assembly fromQthe: When winding and unwinding meansare provided, some means such as that of my inven-- tion is required to compensate for the change in rate of movement of the; wire with the --spools filled and nearly empty.

One object of my invention is to provide means for controlling the tension of wire in wire work ing and treating machines. Another object of my invention is to providewire tension controlling apparatus in combination with wire unreeling means. Another object o! my invention is to provide wire tension controlling apparatus capable of exerting a very small tension force and of such low inertia as to be very responsive.

In the drawing. Fi 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the apparatus of myinvention in com bination with a filament coil annealing machine; 7 Figs. 2 and 3 are end and sectional views or the switch assembly of the apparatus of my invention; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the switch used in said assembly.

In the machine shown, the wire I0, which is comprisedof a mandrel with the incandescent lamp filament coiled ther'earound; is unwound from spool II and passes over sheaves l2 and I4 and under sheave l3. From sheave H the wire passes through the annealing furnace l5 and then onto the spool It. All spools and sheaves are 50 mounted in a fixed position with respect to'the furnace l5 except for sheave II which tends to swing out of the direct path of the wire to take up the slack and produce the tension required. Both spools II and I6 are driven, the latter from shaft. 55 H which is turned by jack shaft to through gears .39 and .42 on the axis of rotation of the assem- I 92I, rod 2| and gears 22--23, and the former byshaft 24 which is turned by said jack shaft I 2 through two pairs of gears 25-26 and 21-28' at greater and less speed respectively than spool ii. The selection of the driving pair of gears 5 for the spool H is controlled by the vertical position of sheave H which causes the unreeling "speed to be increased and decreased when it reaches its upper and lower limits of movement respectively. The sheave I3 is mounted on arm 10 29 which extends from hub 32 of-the switch assembly pivotally mounted on the screws 31 and 32 of bracket 33. The hub 30 is provided with an arm-24 extending in the opposite direction to arm 29 on which a weight 35 is mounted which 15 partially counteracts the weight of arm 22 on sheave l3. Enclosed within the hub between the end'pieces'fl and 31 thereof is located the mercury switch 38 which is mounted in the gaskets bly. The mercury switch 38 is preferably of the type manufactured by the General Electric Vapor Lamp Company under the trade name Ken-nector and comprises a glass envelope 4! which is divided by the porcelain partition 42 into two 25 sections. Each section holds a pool of mercury 43 which contacts the inner end of an inlead 44. The function of the switch. is to make and break the electrical circuit between inleads 44=-44 by the mercury pools to flow together and now apart through an ofl'set hole 45 in the partition 42 as the switch is turned. As the upper limit or movement of sheave II is reached, they switch is turned so the pools oivmercury flow together through the hole in the partition 35 42 completing the circuit, and as the lower limit of movement of sheave I3 is reached, the switch is turned so they pools separate, breaking the circuit. In this application about 30 01' movement is "provided since the cohesion of the mer- 40 cury tends to keep the pools from flowing together and then after they are jolned, tends to keep them together.

During the period the circuit through theswitch is open, spool H and shaft 24 are driven by 45 gears 21 and 28 through the clutch 46 since the direction of motion is such as to wedge the rollers 41 between the cam 48 and the roll 49. This arrangement unreels the wire it from spool II at a slower rate than it is reeled up by spool It so 50 that sheave 13 will gradually raise until the. circuit through switch 38 is closed. The circuit through the switch includes the solenoid it which isoperated as the circuit is closed causing the armature ll thereof to be moved. The armature engagesarmitwhichturnsrod l3 causingarm II thereon to slide gear- I on shaft 24 so the dogs thereof engage the dogs of collar II. The gears 25 and II are constantly in mesh and are of such size as to turn shaft 24 more rapidly, causing the clutch 40 to be released since the rollers 41 thereof come below the more cut away portion of cam ll. The rate of rotation oi spool Ii is now slightly greater than that or spool vIt so the sheave It falls slightly. This method of operation takes care or the change inthe amount or wire wound and unwound from the spools when they are full and nearly empty. as well as all other discrepancies in feed. whatlclaimasnewanddesiretosecur'eby Letters Patent oi the United States is:

. In an apparatus of the type described, the

-- combination of an unwinding spool adapted to hold wire and a winding spool adapted to receive said wire, means for driving said winding spool, clutch means for driving said unwinding spool at a slower speed than said winding spool. an-

other clutch means for driving said unwinding spool at a higher speed than said winding spool, a sheave engaging said wire between said spools and movable in a substantially vertical plane ior taking up the slack in said wire, electro-magnetie means engaging said second-mentioned clutch means, an electric circuit including .said electromagnetic means and a switch means adapted to be closed by the upward movement of said sheave to actuate said electro-magnetic means and bring into engagement said second-mentioned clutch means to drive said unwinding spool at a higher speed than said winding spool, and said switch means being adapted to be opened by thedownward movement of said sheave to actuate said 'electro-magnetic means and cause said secondmentioned clutch means to be disengaged and bring into engagement said first-mentioned clutch means to drive said unwindingspool at a slower speed than said winding spool thereby 20 maintaining a uniform tension in said wire.

. ROBERT I". KREJC'I.

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