Textiles: spinning – twisting – and twining – Apparatus and processes – Covering or wrapping
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-01
2001-05-01
Worrell, Danny (Department: 3741)
Textiles: spinning, twisting, and twining
Apparatus and processes
Covering or wrapping
C057S013000, C057S017000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223511
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus of the type used for helically assembling filaments or elongated flexible elements together to form a cable or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,542 issued to Krafft on Dec. 1, 1987, discloses a stranding apparatus adapted to form stranded cables of infinite lengths.
More specifically, Krafft discloses a cable assembly apparatus having a rotating shaft which is provided with two integral supply reels which are respectively adapted to receive thereon a group of wire elements. The flyer assembly rotates around the supply reels for unwinding the groups of wire elements therefrom. The flyer assembly is rotated in the same direction as the two integral supply reels but at a speed which causes the wire elements to be unwound from the supply reels. A drive motor is directly connected to the rotating shaft for driving the integral supply reels. The flyer assembly is connected to the same drive motor but through a variable diameter pulley assembly so that the rotational speed of the flyer assembly is adjustable with respect to that of the integral supply reels. The apparatus further comprises a gathering assembly which is mounted for rotation with the flyer assembly for gathering and twisting the individual wire elements together or over a core element to form a cable. A take-up reel is disposed downstream from the gathering assembly to receive thereon the finished cable coming out from the center of the rotating shaft. A motor is coupled to the take-up reel to enable the same to be operated to draw the cable from the gathering assembly. The motor of the take-up reel may be adjusted to maintain a desired amount of tension in the cable to enhance the quality of the finished cable. However, it is the rates of rotation of the integral supply reels and of the flyer assembly which control the rate of production of the cable and thus the tension which is applied to the cable does not change the rate at which the cable is produced. Indeed, an increase of the rotational speed of the take-up reel does not change the rotational speed of the integral supply reels as the same are not allowed to freely rotate on the rotating shaft thereof. Accordingly, in order to obtain a desired length of twist per unit length of cable, the rotational speed of the flyer assembly must be adjusted relative to the rotational speed of the integral supply reels.
It is believed that the apparatus of the above described patent never gained commercial acceptance as the helical pitch of the final product and the amount of tension in each supply wire were overly difficult to control.
FIG. 8
illustrates a conventional apparatus
410
used in steel industries to helically assemble a plurality of individual strands together about a central core to form a steel cable.
The apparatus
410
generally comprises a rotatable tube
412
mounted to a frame structure
414
for rotation about a central axis, and a plurality of supply spools
416
,
418
,
420
and
422
mounted for rotation about respective transversal axes. The supply spools
416
,
418
,
420
and
422
have respective strands
424
,
426
,
428
and
430
wound thereon. A capstan
432
is disposed downstream of the tube
412
for pulling the strands
424
,
426
,
428
and
430
out of a matrice
434
provided at the downstream end of the tube
412
for helically assembling the individual strands
424
,
426
and
428
together about the central strand
430
. The spools
418
,
420
and
422
, which are disposed within the tube
412
, are supported by respective non-rotatable cradles
436
, whereas the spool
416
, which is disposed upstream of the tube
412
, may be supported by any suitable support structure (not shown). The tube
412
defines at an upstream end thereof a first central passage
438
for allowing the strand
424
of the supply spool
416
to access the interior of the tube
412
. Furthermore, the tube
412
defines at a downstream end thereof a second central passage
440
for allowing the strand
430
of the spool
422
to pass through the apparatus
410
along the central axis without being twisted to form the central core of the cable. Pulleys
442
connected to the tube
412
are provided between the spools
416
418
,
420
and
422
along the central axis for engaging the strands
424
,
426
and
428
before the same be directed to other pulleys
444
mounted to the external surface of the tube
412
.
In operation, the capstan
432
is activated to advance strands
424
,
426
,
428
and
430
through the apparatus
410
, while the tube
412
is driven in rotation to cause the strands
424
,
426
and
428
to rotate about the central strand
430
. It is noted that the strands
424
,
426
and
428
are twisted onto themselves as they engage respective pulleys
442
and are untwisted when they leave the tube
412
, i.e. when they pass over the last pulleys
444
disposed at the downstream end of the tube
412
, thereby ensuring that each individual strand be untwisted in the assembled product. Finally, the strands
424
,
426
and
428
are helically assembled together on the central strand
430
as they return to the central axis within the matrice
434
. As seen in
FIG. 8
, the assembled product may be wound on a take-up spool
446
disposed downstream of the capstan
432
.
Basically, the above stranding apparatus
410
is intended for producing steel cables formed of a plurality of strands helically assembled on a central core and is thus not well adapted for manufacturing twisted pair cables, such as those used for transmitting messages.
FIG. 9
illustrates a conventional apparatus
510
for manufacturing twisted pair cables, i.e. cables composed of two strands helically assembled together about a central axis. Such an apparatus generally comprises a main flyer
512
adapted to impart a double twist to a pair of strands
514
and
516
emanating from a matrice
518
. The two strands
514
and
516
are wound on respective supply spools
520
,
522
and directed onto two distinct rotating flyers
524
and
526
which are driven in rotation so as to suppress the twist which is imparted to the strands
514
and
516
in order to ensure that each strand
514
,
516
be not twisted onto itself in the assembled product. The assembled product may be received on a take-up spool
528
disposed inside of an envelope defined by the rotational movement of the main flyer
512
.
Although the above apparatus
510
performs satisfactorily in many applications, it has been found that there is a need for a simpler and less expensive apparatus which does not necessitate the utilisation of three flyers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide an apparatus for helically assembling filaments about a common axis or, alternatively, over a core element to produce a cable.
It is also an aim of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is adapted to hellically assemble a pair of filaments about a central axis.
It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is adapted to produce cables or the like having substantially uniform helical pitches throughout the length thereof.
It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is capable of adjusting an controlling the amount of tension in each individual filament passing through the apparatus.
It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is provided with removable supply spools.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a supply spool and flyer assembly for an apparatus adapted to hellically assemble a pair of filaments about a central axis as said filaments are passed through a gathering point, said supply spool and flyer assembly comprising first supply spooling means having a first filament wound thereon, flyer means disposed between said first supply spooling means and the gathering point, said
Lefebvre Frères Limitée
Sofia Michel
Swabey Ogilvy Renault
Worrell Danny
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