Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Loop forming – By orbital guide
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-08
2001-03-06
Matecki, Katherine A. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Loop forming
By orbital guide
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196486
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wire-coiling apparatus. More particularly this invention concerns a counterweighted wire-laying head for such an apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wire or rod (hereinafter termed “wire” only) is formed at high speed in a rolling or drawing mill and is delivered in straight condition to a coiler that forms it into a succession of large-diameter turns that it deposits on a surface, normally a conveyor of some type. Thence the coiled wire is moved through subsequent treatment steps such as heat treatment, descaling, pickling, or simply cooling. It is critical that the wire be deposited in uniformly shaped and spaced coils so that the subsequent treatment stage is effective.
The typical coiling system comprises a coiler head carrying a guide tube twisted in three dimensions and having an upstream end opening axially in line with an axis about which the head is rotated and a downstream end which opens at a location radially offset from the axis and directed generally tangentially. The straight wire is fed into the upstream end of the guide tube as the head is rotated about its axis so that as the wire passes through the tube it is bent into an arcuate shape and will fall in a coil when leaving the downstream end of the tube.
The guide tube is of uniform cross-section but starts at a location at the axis directed axially upstream and moves through a spiral to a location spaced well out from the axis and opening tangentially, so that it forms a complexly oriented offcenter mass between its ends. The tube is carried on the outer edge of a thin helical mounting plate having an inner edge secured on a helix on the support tube and an outer edge that diverges from the axis downstream and that is clipped to the guide tube. Obviously if the coil-laying head is rotated at high speed there will be considerable throw.
Accordingly it is standard practice to provide a plurality of counterweight blocks and/or several axially extending counterweight ribs on the support tube. Such arrangements make at best an approximation of uniform distribution of mass about the axis, creating some vibration at high speeds. Furthermore they are subject to deformation when in use and any offcenter problems are often aggravated.
In another known system a spiral rod mounted on a helical mounting plate is provided diametrally opposite the guide tube so as to offset its mass. Constructing such a counterweighted head is very difficult as the parts must be welded together and many of the seam areas are very difficult to get into. In addition this system is only partially effective since at high speeds the stiffening plates deform and allow their centers of mass to move somewhat, and the thermal expansion occurring during operation also causes deformations that displace the various centers of mass.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved coil-laying head for a wire-coiling apparatus.
Another object is the provision of such an improved coil-laying head for a wire-coiling apparatus which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which is perfectly balanced on axis and remains so even when operated at high speed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A coil-laying head for a wire-coiling apparatus has according to the invention a tubular body centered on and rotatable about an axis, a generally spiral guide tube having an inlet end at the axis and an outlet end opening generally tangentially of the axis at a radial spacing from the axis, and a helicoidal mounting plate having an inner edge fixed to the body and an outer edge secured to the tube. In accordance with the invention a helicoidal counterweight plate is fixed to the tubular body diametrally opposite the mounting plate and has radial and axial dimensions, at least one of which varies such that any section of the counterweight plate counterbalances a corresponding diametrally opposite section of the guide tube and mounting plate. This counterweight plate is substantially free of any other structure and can be built to exactly counterbalance the off center mass of the spiral guide tube, its mounting wall, and any attachment hardware between them.
Such a structure is extremely stable and will not vibrate at all when rotated. The counterweight plate is a relatively simple structure having substantially the same shape as the mounting plate, but somewhat thicker.
In accordance with the invention the counterweight plate has a resonance frequency and the body has a nominal maximum rotation speed that is less than the resonance frequency. Thus so long as the rotation rate of the head does not exceed its nominal rating, the counterweight plate will not vibrate and therefore will not need axial stiffening gussets.
At least two stiffening plates each lying in a plane including the axis each have an axially directed edge fixed to the mounting plate and a radially inwardly directed edge fixed to the body. Furthermore the counterweight plate is of uniform axial dimension and of varying radial height.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3039715 (1962-06-01), Caperton
patent: 3669377 (1972-06-01), Gilvar et al.
patent: 4189106 (1980-02-01), Weis
patent: 4242892 (1981-01-01), Wykes et al.
patent: 4432503 (1984-02-01), Wedler
patent: 4765556 (1988-08-01), Nasrah
patent: 5024390 (1991-06-01), Enderlin
patent: 5312065 (1994-05-01), Shore et al.
patent: 5911381 (1999-06-01), Wacinski et al.
David Siegfried
Keller Karl
Dubno Herbert
Matecki Katherine A.
SMS Schloemann-Siemag AG
Wilford Andrew
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