Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Wound storage package – Housing or outer peripheral support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-29
2001-09-18
Mansen, Michael R. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Wound storage package
Housing or outer peripheral support
C242S471000, C242S472500, C242S532500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290156
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for winding elongate strand material and a resulting package formed by the method and apparatus for later dispensing the material from the package without twisting.
BACKGROUND
It is common practice to wind up hose and other similar strand materials such as wire and cable into a coil for compact storage. When the hose is later dispensed from the coil, a reel of some type is generally required to prevent twisting of the hose or other material as it is unwound.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,510 to Osborne describes a method and apparatus for handling and storing hose. The apparatus consists broadly of a pair of semi-circular reel bases which in the winding position of the device, may be laid out and spaced apart a short distance so that a strand may be laid or wound thereon in the form of a figure eight. The strand, starting with the last end laid in, may be drawn out linearly without kinks or any tendency to snarl.
Winding the hose onto the apparatus of Osborne however is awkward and time consuming as the hose must be laid out manually in the figure eight pattern. For later unwinding the hose, a frame is required to support the hose in the figure eight pattern such that a separate apparatus is required for each hose which requires dispensing when multiple lengths of hose are to be dispensed.
SUMMARY
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for winding an elongate strand of material into a coil, the apparatus comprising;
a drum supported for rotational movement, the drum having a peripheral surface with a first end, a second end opposite the first end and a crossover point on the peripheral surface spaced between the first and second ends; and
an indexer for dividing the peripheral surface into a first portion between the first end and the crossover point and a second portion between the second end and the crossover point, the indexer being open between the first and second portions at the crossover point.
The use of the drum allows hose to be wound into a coil quickly without requiring awkward manipulation of the hose. The resulting coil of hose is portable without the need of a carrier or frame for supporting the hose as the hose is wound tightly into an open core hose package. The hose is dispensed from the hose package from an inner end of the hose without twisting because the hose is alternately drawn from the first and second portions of the coil. In this arrangement, any twisting imposed on the hose from drawing it from the first portion of the coil is countered by twisting the hose in an opposite direction as it is subsequently drawn from the second portion of the coil. The resulting length of hose drawn from the hose package is thus substantially free of unwanted twists. The use of a drum and indexer also allows the apparatus to be easily mechanised.
The indexer may comprise a radially extending dividing member mounted centrally on the drum having a passage therein such that the strand of material may be fed onto the drum on alternating sides of the dividing member by periodically extending the strand through the passage for forming first and second portions of the coil adjacent the respective sides of the dividing member.
A clasp is preferably mounted on the dividing member arranged to secure an inner end of the strand thereon such that the inner end of the strand extends radially outward from the coil between the first and second portions of the coil past a periphery of the coil once the coil has been wound.
Preferably the dividing member is selectively separable from the drum such that removal of the dividing arm allows the coil to be removed from the drum by sliding the coil past one end of the drum in an axial direction.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for winding an elongate strand of material into a coil, the apparatus comprising;
a drum supported for rotational movement, the drum having a peripheral surface with a first end, a second end opposite the first end and a crossover point on the peripheral surface spaced between the first and second ends; and
indexer means for producing relative axial movement between the strand and the drum as the strand is wound onto the peripheral surface of the drum past the crossover point for dividing the strand into a first portion between the first end and the crossover point and a second portion between the second end and the crossover point.
The indexer means may comprise an oscillator connected to the drum for oscillating the drum in an axial direction as the drum is rotated.
There may be provided a guide member for feeding the strand of material to the drum member from a fixed location.
When the indexer means comprises an oscillator, there may be provided a motor connected to the oscillator for coordinating rotary and oscillatory motions of the drum such that the drum is axially displaced from a central position to one end position and back to the central position with each full rotation of the drum.
In a further arrangement the indexer means may comprise a shaft mounting the drum thereon for rotation about a longitudinal shaft axis, the drum being mounted about a longitudinal drum axis which is angularly offset from the longitudinal shaft axis such that the drum rotates in a wobbling pattern for forming first and second portions of the coil as the strand of material is wound onto the drum.
The indexer means may further comprise a guide member mounted for oscillating movement about a guide axis which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drum, the guide member being arranged to feed the strand of material to the drum at varying longitudinal positions along the drum as the drum is rotated.
Preferably there is provided an oscillator for oscillating the guide member as the drum rotates.
There may be provided drive means connected to the oscillator for coordinating rotary motion of the drum with oscillatory motion of the guide member such that the guide member is axially displaced from a central position to an end position in alignment with a corresponding end of the drum and back to the central position with each full rotation of the drum.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a coreless package of an elongate strand of material having an inner end and an outer end, the package comprising:
a plurality of sets of first loops of the strand of material forming a first coil, each set of first loops comprising at least one loop; and
a plurality of sets of second loops of the strand of material forming a second coil adjacent the first coil, each set of second loops comprising at least one loop, the strand of material passing between the first and second coils between the sets of loops such that the first and second coils are formed intermittently.
The inner end of the strand of material is preferably arranged to extend radially between the first and second coils such that the strand of material may be dispensed without twisting by pulling the inner end from the coils.
The strand of material is preferably formed into the first and second loops in an alternating arrangement such that the strand of material extends between the first and second coils after each loop at a crossover point between the coils. Preferably the number of first loops is substantially equal to the number of second loops. The first and second coils are preferably wound about respective axes, the axes being substantially co-linear.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of winding an elongate strand of material into a coiled package for later dispensing the strand without twisting of the strand, the method comprising:
A) forming at least one first loop of the strand into a first coil;
B) forming at least one second loop of the strand into a second coil adjacent the first coil;
C) repeating steps A and B until the strand of material is substantially completely wound; and
D) inserting an inner end of the strand between the first and se
Mansen Michael R.
Tarift Murray E.
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