GB2142941A - A method of further processing strand type material wound with the help of a flyer - Google Patents

Abstract

When a wire (or the like) is wound on to a spool or the like, using a flyer, the wire acquires a twist which is frequently undesirable during further processing, (e.g. stranding rope). It is now proposed that the wire (58) should be drawn in an axial direction from the spool (52) or a wire bundle in such a manner that a twist produced during winding is eliminated. This may be achieved by drawing the wire from the outer turns of the wire bundle in the direction opposite to the incoming direction or by drawing it from the inner turns of the bundle in the same direction as the incoming direction. In the latter case this could be achieved (as shown) by drawing it off in direction (59) i.e. the direction opposite incoming direction (3) and then guiding it through the spool (52) in a direction (171) in line with incoming direction (3). The spool may have a conical flange, with a guiding ring, to facilitate withdrawal. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A method of further processing strand type material wound with the help of a flyer The invention relates to a method for further processing strand type material wound with help of a flyer, the material being e.g. individual wires, multiple wires, cables, stranded wires, ropes, glass fibres or the like, hereinafter for simplicity called wire, the wire being drawn from or out of a bundle or spool or the like.

When wire is wound using a flyer, the wire runs into the winding device in the direction of the spool axis and is then guided by rollers so as to be laid tangentially on to the spool core. In the process the wire receives a twist of the order of 360 relative to a rotation of the flyer.

In the prior art, the wire is run tangentially to the spool and wound directly on to the core thereof. In these winding devices, the spool rotates. For further processing, the wire is drawn tangentially off the spool and is again set in motion. In this process the wire does not receive any twist.

A disadvantage, however, particularly in continuous operation during the further processing of the wire, where very large quantities of wire are frequently necessary, is that the process has to be interrupted when the supply of wire from one spool has run out. In such cases the end of the wire on the empty spool must be connected to the beginning of the wire on the next full spool. If it is desired to reduce the connecting work and the resulting loss of time, very long spools with very long wires are necessary, but are then very heavy and therefore difficult to handle. Since the spools also rotate when the wire is drawn off, special braking devices have to be provided for the spools, so that the load on the wire during drawing-off is kept constant.

These disadvantages when winding the wire on and off a spool are avoided if a flyer is used to wind the wire on to or off the spool or if the wire for further processing is drawn off axially, since in that case the spool remains stationary during winding on and winding off and the wire is subjected only to slight loads.

In addition, the end of the wire on one spoil can be connected to the beginning of the wire on a new full spoil without interrupting the further processing.

The same problem occurs if for example an underground cable has to be laid and is wound on to a spool using a flyer and when laid is drawn off axially from the spool or out of the bundle. When the cable is laid, it has a twist and inclines to form wavy lines in undesired manner. In Germany Offenlegungsschrift 31 02 101 it is proposed to obviate this problem by running the drawn-off cable through a guiding device which does not compensate the cable twist but straightens the wavy bending caused by the twist, so as to lay the cable straight.

The twist problem is particularly noticeable if for example a number of wires in a bundle are simultaneously wound on to the spool using a flyer c.g. four wires which are to be varnished and insulated after drawing off, in order subsequently to strand them, e.g. to form a telephone cable. In such cases the wires must be separated from one another after drawing off the spool, but this is impossible if the wires have already been "stranded" during the drawing-off process.

The invention seeks to provide a method by means of which a twisted wire or group of wires can be untwisted when drawn off.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of further processing strand type material, such as individual wires, multiple wires, cables, stranded wires, ropes, glass fibres and the like, wound with the help of a flyer, the strand type material being drawn in an upwards direction from or out of a bundle, spool or the like in such a manner that a twist produced during winding is eliminated.

If for example the wire is pulled upwards away from the outer turns, the wire is drawn off in a direction opposite to the original incoming direction. If the wire were to be drawn off in line with the original direction, the twist would increase.

If the wire is pulled out of the interior of the bundle, e.g. if the bundle has a conical cavity in its interior, the wire must be drawn off in line with the incoming direction, in order to compensate the induced twist.

It is often advantageous for technical reasons to wind the wire on a vertical spool with a conical core, using a flyer, the larger diameter end of the core being uppermost when the wire is wound. It is therefore advantageous, after partly or completely removing the core, to draw off the wire from the interior through the other opening of the bundle, which is then on top, because the relatively heavy spool does not then have to be rotated during the process. In such cases, however, the wire retains its twist. According to another embodiment of the invention, however, the twist can be eliminated if, after drawing off, the wire is guided back downwards through the interior of the bundle, in which case the wire is as before free from twist when it leaves the bundle.

In order to produce a cavity of the aforementioned kind the wire can be wound, using a flyer, on to a known spool having a conical core, the core being subsequently removed in order to draw off the wire.

Drawing off upwards is particularly advantageous in tubular or carrriage stranding devices, in which a number of wire bundles or spools are placed one behind the other in the stranding direction, and in which the individual wires coming from the bundles or spools are brought together at the stranding point. In these devices, according to the invention, the spools can be placed in a stationary position so that, in contrast to the prior art, no large masses have to be moved during stranding.

The drawing-off direction for the wire can be parallel to the axis of rotation of the stranding device; alternatively it can be perpendicular thereto or at an angle to the stranding device.

There is no longer any need for expensive braking devices as used for the rotatable spools disposed in the device hitherto. It is only necessary to brake a guide roller associated with each wire, so that the wire is at the required tension when it arrives at the stranding point.

The invention has particularly advantageous application in a stranding machine. In such cases, a number of wires are wound in a number of layers around a core wire. The winding process must be carried out carefully.

More particularly the individual wires must not loop during stranding. Loops may occur if the stranding process is performed at high speed, since in that case the individually supplied wires frequently run at different speeds.

If the stranded wire is carelessly twisted, its electric quality is disadvantageously influenced along its length. In addition, carelessly stranded wires require more insulating material. Since insulating material is made from crude oil, careless stranding of wires will materially increase the cost of producing electric cables.

The aim therefore is to strand the individual wires rapidly and carefully.

To this end, according to the invention, the wires required for each layer or at least some of the wires required for each layer ae twisted and placed on a spool and, for the purpose of stranding, are drawn off the spool in such a manner that the wires become untwisted before being stranded. The wires in a layer cannot run at different speeds even if the wires are stranded very quickly, e.g. by using a rotating flyer. The flyer can rotate e.g. at 2000 rpm. In order to obtain a desired length of twist during stranding, the spool on which the strand is wound is allowed to rotate also, at a higher speed than the flyer, e.g. at an extra 100 to 150 rpm.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the process of winding a wire, using a flyer; Figure 2 shows the wire being drawn off a spool; Figure 3 shows a special spool construction; Figure 4 shows a variant embodiment; Figure 5 shows a variant embodiment; Figure 6 shows a variant embodiment; Figure 7 shows a section through a tubular stranding machine; Figure 8 shows a section through a carriage stranding machine; Figures 9 and 10 are a side view and plan view respectively of the process according to the invention when applied to a wire bundle wound on to a spool, in conjunction with a varnishing device; Figure 11 is a side view of a stranding machine; Figure 1 2 is a plan view of a variant of the machine in Figure 11;; Figure 1 3 shows a detail of the machine in Figure 11, and Figure 1 4 shows a variant embodiment.

As shown in Figure 1, a wire 4 entering in the direction of arrow 3 is wound on to the core 5 of a spool 6, using a flyer rotatable around an axis A-A. To this end, wire 4 is guided over rollers 7, 8 and 9 so as to be laid tangentially on to core 5. For the purpose of laying, flyer 2 reciprocates in the direction of arrow 10, so that the wire is laid between the spool flanges 11 and 1 2.

Rollers 8, 9 rotating around axis A-A in the direction of arrow 1 give wire 4 a twist in the direction of arrow 1 3. The wire has this twist when it is wound in layers on to core 5.

If, as shown in Figure 2, the wire is drawn for further processing from the outer layers in the direction of arrow 20, wire 4 retains its twist, though this is not always desirable during further processing.

If the wire 4 is drawn off from the exterior in the direction of the chain-dotted line 21, wire 4 is given an additional twist, as shown by the double arrow 22. In that case the drawing-off direction 21 is the same as the incoming direction 3.

If however the wire is drawn off the spool from the exterior in the direction of arrow 23, the winding twist in the direction of arrow 1 3 is superposed by an unwinding twist in the direction of arrow 24. The two twists cancel out. Wire 4 therefore leaves spool 6 in direction 23 without a twist. In that case the drawing-off direction 21 must be opposite to the incoming direction 3.

The wire can be drawn off the spool by using specially designed drawing-off devices or e.g. by using a flyer-like system of rollers, which are rotated in the opposite direction from flyer 2 in Figure 1 and guide the wire in the appropriate direction.

It has been found advantageous to use a spool as shown in Figure 3. In this spool the core 30 is slightly conical, so that the wire layers 31 also lie conically on core 30. The top spool flange 32 is conical, so that when wire 33 is drawn off it can easily be pulled out over flange 32 from the corners between the flange and the core. In this embodiment the wire is drawn over the edge of flange 32, and accordingly edge 34 of flange 32 is constructed as a drawing-off ring.

The bottom spool flange 35 is at an obtuse angle to core 30, so that as before the wire can easily be pulled out from corner 36.

Spools as shown in Figure 3 can be made very large, and are therefore very heavy when loaded. During transport, the spool can run on rollers 37, 38 and 39.

Figure 4 shows a spool 40 having a much more steeply inclined conical core 42 on which, as before, the wire layers 45, 46 are disposed in corresponding conical manner.

The space 47 between flanges 41 and 43 is likewise occupied by conically disposed wire layers, except that here the layers are shorter so that the wire bundle retains an outer cylindrical shape. In this spool also the wire is wound on in the incoming direction 3, using flyer 2 of Figure 1.

If, for further processing, the wire is drawn off in the direction of arrow 48, it retains its twist. If it is drawn off by rollers 49, 50, 51 rotating in the direction of arrow 14, it is untwisted when it leaves the spool in the direction of arrow 52.

In Figure 5, the wire in the incoming direction 3 is wound in conical layers on to a spool 52 using a flyer as before (not shown) and by the same method as in Figure 4, i.e. the spool being disposed so that the larger diameter end of the core is lowermost. In order to draw off the wire the spool is turned round into the position in Figure 5, i.e. with the larger diameter end of the core uppermost. The spool flange (not shown) now on top is removed to draw off the wire. In this embodiment also core 53 is removable from the bundle of coiled wire in the direction of arrow 54, or at least is moved far enough in the direction of arrow 54, using bellows 55, for a gap 57 to be left between core 53 and the innermost wire layer 56. Next, the inner end 58 of the wire is drawn out from the interior of the bundle, through cavity 57 in the direction of arrow 59.As before, the drawing-off direction 59 is in space opposite to the incoming direction yet in line with the incoming direction relative to the spool and the wire is untwisted when it leaves the bundle.

Frequently it is desirable to avoid the trouble caused when the wire-bearing spool rotates. In that case the wire is wound directly on to a spool disposed as in Figure 5, i.e.

with the larger diameter end of the core uppermost. In order to draw the wire out of the interior of the bundle without a twist, the wire ought to be pulled downwards through the narrow opening in the bundle. This is undesirable, because there is then a risk that the turns of wire, at least in the innermost layer, will slide inside one another or be entrained downwards. First, as shown in Figure 14, the wire is pulled upwards out of the wide opening in the bundle and then conveyed over a roller 170, so that it leaves the bundle downwards in the direction of arrow 1 71. When drawn off in this manner, the wire is free from twist.

In order to prevent entraining the upper wire layers 60 when the wire is drawn out of the interior of the bundle as shown in Figures 5 and 14, the layers 60 are loaded by a plate 61.

As can be seen in the last-mentioned embodiment the end 62 of the wire remains stationary during the drawing-off process, so that the beginning 63 of a second wire bundle can be connected to end 62 at place 64 during the subsequent processing. There is thus no need to interrupt subsequent processing when the coil is empty.

Figure 6 shows two wire bundles 65, 66 disposed adjacent one another and having conical cores. The beginning 67 of wire bundle 65, which is in the interior of the bundle as a result of the winding process, is as before pulled out of bundle 65 for further processing the wire. The end 68 of bundle 65 is joined, as shown in Figure 5, to the beginning 69 of bundle 66, so that when all the wire has been drawn off bundle 65, the wire from bundle 66 will follow immediately. Other wire bundles can be disposed alongside bundle 66, the beginning and end of the bundles being connected.

Figure 7 shows a tube stranding device in cross-section. Wire bundles 71, 72 and other wire bundles (not shown) are disposed one behind the other in a tube 70 rotatable around an axis B-B. All the bundles are disposed in a stationary position, i.e. they do not rotate with tube 70.

As before, the wire bundles have a conical core from which the wires are drawn off. The bundles are disposed so that the drawing-off direction for each bundle is opposite to the incoming direction during the winding process, so that the wires are free from twist when drawn off. Wires 73, 74 are guided through eyelets 75, 76, 77 so that they rotate with tube 70. They then run through a rotatable perforated disc 78 to the stranding point A where they are stranded. The wires are drawn off the bundles by means of a drawing roller 79, around which the stranded wires are guided. The thus-stranded wires can be supplied by guide rollers 80, 81, 82 to a spool 83 rotatable around axis D-D, so that the cable rope is wound on to core 84. Roller 82 can reciprocate in the direction of arrow 85 in order to lay the wire in the required manner during winding.When the tangentially incoming cable is tangentially wound in the af orementioned manner, the cable does not become twisted during winding. The rotatable spool 83 can be replaced as before by a flyer winding device as shown in Figure 1. When the cable is further processed, care must be taken that the cable is pulled of the spool without twisting, so that the cable is not wound or given an additional twist.

Figure 8 shows a carriage-stranding machine operating basically in the same manner as the tube stranding machine of Figure 7. As before wire bundles 90, 91 and 92 are disposed in a stationary position, i.e. they do not share the rotation. Interconnected curved members 86, 87, 88 surround the bundles and rotate around an axis G-G.

In the embodiment in Figure 8, the wires are wound on spools as shown in Figure 3, i.e. they are pulled directly upwards over a respective spool flange, i.e. as before in a direction such that the wires are free from twist. Each wire bundle is associated with guide rollers 93, 94. One roller in each pair is braked so that the wires are drawn together under the required tension at the stranding point.

In Figure 8, the wire bundles or coils 90, 91, 92 in the stranding device can be disposed in any desired direction. In order to show the various possibilities, bundle 90 is disposed with its axis H-H perpendicular to the stranding axis G-G. Bundle 91 is disposed with its axis I-I at an angle to the axis G-G, and bundle 92, as a further possibility, is disposed with its axis K-K coaxial with axis G G. The stranding process as such is the same as with the tubular stranding machine in Figure 7.

In Figures 9 and 10 a wire bundle 102 comprising four individual wires 111, 112, 113 and 114 is wound by a flyer on to a spool 100. Bundle 102 has a twist, i.e. the wires form a cable-like strand. Flyer rollers 103, 103' rotating around spool 100 in the direction of arrow 11 5 unwind bundle 102 so that it loses its twist, so that wires 111 to 114 individually leave the guide roller 104.

Wires 111 to 114 are supplied to an associated guide roller 106 which conveys them e.g. to a varnishing plant 105. After leaving the varnishing plant, rollers 107 supply the individual wires to a roller 108, which sends them on in a parallel bundle. A flyer 109 rotatable around axis K-K in the direction of arrow 11 6 again "strands" the wires and winds them on to a spool 120.

In the prior-art version of this process, the wires from the bundle are adjacent and paral lel to one another when wound on to spool 100. Spool 100 is rotatably mounted around axis A-A, so that the rollers 103, 103' (now stationary) supply the bundle to roller 104, after which the bundle is separated into individual wires.

In Figure 11, a core wire is drawn off a spool 1 30 and conveyed via rollers 1 34 and 1 36 to a perforated disc 1 38, having a central hole 1 50 through which the wire is converyed to a flyer 140.

A wire bundle, consisting e.g. of six wires, is drawn off a spool 1 31. The bundle is alreadly twisted, since it has been wound on spool 131 by a flyer, e.g. as in Figure 1. The bundle is drawn off spool 131 so that the wires lose their twist, so that after running over rolls 1 35 and 1 37 they can be brought separately to holes 151, which are concentrically disposed around hole 1 50 for the core wire. A bundle of e.g. twelve wires is drawn of spool 132; as before the wires have been twisted during the winding process.As before, the drawing-off direction is chosen so that the wires lose their twist when running over rollers 1 36 and 137, so that the wires can be drawn through holes 1 52 in the perforated disc, the holes being concentric with holes 151. The wires thus supplied to the flyer 140 are twisted in layers when the flyer rotates, so that the wires of spool 131 conveyed through holes 151 form a first layer around the core wire and the wires drawn off spool 1 32 and guided through holes 1 52 form a second layer.

The flyer rotates in the direction of arrow 141, e.g. at 2000 rpm. Spool 142 rotates in the direction of arrow 143, i.e. in the same direction as the flyer but at a speed of about 2118 rpm, so that this spool additionally pulls the wires in their direction of motion as they run over the flyer rollers or guides, and thus determines the length of twist. The running speed of spool 142 is also controlled so that the stranded wire continues to be wound at the same speed when spool 142 becomes full.

Figure 1 2 is a plan view of the machine corresponding to Figure 11. In Figure 1 2, however, there are six spools 160, 1 61, 162, 163, 164, 165. Wire bundles are drawn off each spool and then untwisted in order to be supplied to the perforated disc 1 38. One spool bears the core wire.

Claims (21)

1. A method of further processing strand type material, such as individual wires, multiple wires, cables, stranded wires, ropes, glass fibres and tne like, wound with the help of a flyer, the strand type material being drawn in a generally axial direction from or out of a bundle, spool or the like in such a manner that a twist produced during winding is eliminated.

2. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the strand type material is drawn from the outer turns of the bundle in a direction opposite to the original incoming direction.

3. A method according to Claim 2, wherein the strand type material runs over a drawingoff ring.

4. A method according to Claim 3, wherein the drawing-off ring is part of a flange of the spool.

5. A method according to Claim 1, wherein the strand type material is drawn from the inner turns of a bundle in the same direction as the original incoming direction in relation to the bundle.

6. A method according to Claim 5, wherein the wire is drawn off in a direction opposite to the original incoming direction and is then guided in the same direction as the incoming direction.

7. A method according to Claim 6, characterised in that the wire is guided through the interior of the bundle.

8. A method according to Claim 2 or 5, wherein the strand type material is guided through a brake device, and preferably runs over a braked roller.

9. A bundle for performing the method according to Claim 1, wherein the strand type material is disposed in conical layers in the bundle or on the spool.

10. A spool for performing the method according to Claim 1, characterised in that the spool has a conical core.

11. A spool according to Claim 10, wherein the spool core or the spool core and at least one spool flange comprise two oppositely conical parts which widen towards the coil flanges and/or partly themselves form the coil flange.

1 2. A spool according to Claim 11, wherein the spool flange on the draw-off side or the spool flange on the draw-off side and the spool core is/are removable.

1 3. A method according to Claim 1 when applied to a tube or carriage stranding device in which a number of wire bundles or wirebearing spools are disposed one behind the other in the stranding direction and the wires drawn off the bundles or spools are brought together at the stranding point, wherein the wire bundles or spools are disposed in a stationary position.

14. A method according to Claim 13, wherein the spools or bundles are disposed with their axes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the stranding device or inclined at an angle thereto.

1 5. A method according to Claim 13, wherein the stranded material is guided over at least one braked roller assigned to each bundle or to a spool.

16. A method according to Claim 1, in which a number of wires are wound in common on a spool or are contained in a wire bundle, characterised by applying the process for separating the wires in the bundle when drawn off.

1 7. A method according to Claim 16 and used to strand wires, wherein a number of wires are twisted and each wound on to a spool, the wires are drawn off the spools in such a manner that they lose their twist, and the individual wires are conveyed through the holes in a perforated disc and thence to a flyer which winds the twisted wires in a number of layers on to a further spool.

18. A method according to Claim 17, wherein the holes in the perforated disc are disposed in concentric circles around a central hole.

19. A method according to Claim 17, wherein the further spool rotates in the same direction as the flyer and at a greater speed than the flyer, adapted to the winding speed of the stranded wire.

20. A method according to Claim 17, wherein the flyer can be lifted or the further spool can be lowered sufficiently for the further spool to be laterally removable from the machine.

21. A method of further processing strand type material, as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.