US3239160A - Expansible-contractable mandrels - Google Patents

Description

' March 8, 1966 l J. M. cowLEs 3,239,160

EXPANSIBLE-CONTRACTABLE MANDRELS Filed April 14, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 8, 1966 J, M. com/LES 3,239,160

EXPANSIBLE-CONTRACTABLE MANDRELS Filed Apl 14, 1964 5 Sheets-'Sheet 2 A 7` TURA/E75 March 8, 1966 J. M. cowLEs EXPANSIBLE-CONTRACTABLE MANDRELS 3 Sheets-Sheet :5

Filed April 14, 1964 INVENTOR. dum@ MowLes United States atent nl ce 3,239,160 EXPANSIBLE-CONTRACTABLE MANDRELS .Iuiia M. Cowles, 8350 Fairhill Drive NE., Warren, Ohio Filed Apr. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 359,673 15 Claims. (Cl. 242-721) The present invention relates to expansible-contractable mandrels and the principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus of such character.

In many arts, particularly the electrical arts, it is necessary to wind wire or other tenuous material on a tubular member. For this purpose, the tubular member aforesaid is positioned over a contracted mandrel which is then expanded to gripping engagement with the interior f the tubular member. With the member securely mounted on the mandrel, such member may readily be supported in the desired position for winding, and thereafter rotated and/ or oscillated as required by winding exigences. After the winding operation is completed, the tubular member will be removed from the mandrel after first contracting the latter.

Prior art expansible-contractable mandrels have not been entirely satisfactory since most have a relatively narrow range of size adjustment. In those constructions which have more than limited adjustment, the design has been such that the mandrel is rather flimsy and not at all suited for heavy-duty use.

The present invention provides a simple, trouble-free, expansible-contractable mandrel of great rigidity and sturdiness for heavy-duty use and having a far wider range of size adjustment than mandrels heretofore known. These and other advantages will readily become apparent from a study of the following description and from the appended drawings.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application there is shown, for purpose of illustration, an embodiment which the invention may assume, and in these drawings:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of an expansiblecontractable mandrel constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal sectional view of the device seen in FIGURE l,

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational View generally corresponding to the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view generally corresponding to the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged, exploded perspcctive view of certain details seen in FIGURES 2 and 4.

With reference to FIGURES l, 2, and 4, the present mandrel comprises a shaft or spindle which is adapted to be rotatably supported in any suitable manner. By way of illustration, the left end of the spindle, as viewed in FIGURES l and 2, may be journaled in a support (not shown) in a conventional way, The right end of spindle 10 (FIGURE 2) is provided with an axially extending central bore 11 for receiving an actuating rod 12 whose purpose will later appear. Intersecting the bore 11 is a transversely extending, axially elongated slot 13 which closely but slidably receives a flat key 14 which passes through the actuating rod 12 and is suitably anchored therein.

Slidably carried by the spindle 10 is a sleeve 15 having teeth at each end formed on its outer periphery to provide gear-like portions 15.1, 15.2 which will later be described with greater particularlity. Intermediate the gear-like portions 15.1, 15.2, the sleeve 15 is slotted at 16 to closely receive the key 14, the latter being of sufficient length to extend from one side of the sleeve to the other. With the construction thus far described, it will be understood that since the key 14 connects the sleeve and the rod 12 together, axial movement of the latter will effect correspondagiata@ Patented Mar. 8, 1966 ing axial movement of the sleeve. Moreover, since the key 14 is closely received within the slot 13 of the spindle 10, the key prevents relative rotation between the sleeve and the spindle.

With particular reference to FIG'URE 2, end plates 17, 18 are keyed to respective, reduced diameter end portions of spindle 10. Extending between and rotatably carried by plates 17, 1S are a plurality of shafts 19 herein shown to be six in number as best illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4. Shafts 19 are spaced an equal amount radially outA wardly of the spindle axis and are evenly spaced circumferentially thereabout.

As best in FIGURES 2 and 4, the intermediate portion of each shaft 19 has a collar 20 keyed thereto for unitary rotation therewith and each collar has a radial enlargement 21 fora purpose to appear. Disposed at each end of respective collars 20 but spaced axially therefrom are supplemental collars 20.1, 20.2 which are identical in cross-section to collars 20. Supplemental collars 20.1, 20.2 which are identical in cross-section to collars 20. Supplemental collars 20.1, 20.2 are in alignment with respective collars 20 and are likewise keyed to respective shafts 19.

Still referring to FIGURE 4, a leaf member 22 is welded or otherwise secured to the radial enlargement 21 of respective collars 20 and their supplemental collars 20.1, 20.2. Each leaf member 22 is of a length to extend between the end plates 17, 18 and each has a rectilinear portion 22.1 secured to respective collars and supplemental collars, and an arcuate portion 22.2 which partially encircles the spindle. At the present time, each leaf member 22 extends approximately 180 degrees about the spindle, the leaves being interlaced with each other, as indicated, in the contracted position of the mandrel.

Means are provided for connecting the leaves 22 together for unitary movement and as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, each shaft 19 carries gears 23, 24 intermediate the collars 20 and the supplemental collars 20.1, 20.2. Gears 23, 24 are pinned or otherwise alixed to respective shafts for unitary rotation therewith and such gears are engaged with respective gear-like portions 15.1, 15.2 of the sleeve 15.

Turning now to FIGURE 5, it will be noted that the gear-like portion 15.2 of sleeve 15 and the gear 24 are provided with cooperable, spirally arranged teeth. Although not shown, gear-like, sleeve portion 15.1 and gear 23 are identical with portion 15.2 and gear 24, respectively. Now bearing in mind that sleeve 15 is held against rotation relative to the spindle 10 by means of the key 14, it will be understood that the shafts 19 and the attached leaves 22 will be held against rotation about the shaft axes 19, so long as the sleeve is not moved axially of the spindle, since the gears 23, 24 are intermeshed with the gearlike sleeve portions. If however, sleeve 15 is moved axially of the spindle 10 to the right as viewed in FIG- URES 2 and 5, by means to be described, each of the gears 23, 24 will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. Rotation of the gears in such counter-clockwise direction will cause movement of the leaves 22 from the contracted positions seen in FIGURES 4 and in full lines in FIGURE 3, toward the fully expanded positions seen in phantom lines in FIG- URE 3. Axial movement of sleeve 15 in the opposite direction, of course, will return the leaves to their fully contracted positions once again.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the gear-like sleeve portions 15.1, 15.2 thus function like a ca m to translate axial sleeve movement to rotational movement of the gears 23, 24 engaged therewith. In order to prevent unintentional axial movement of the sleeve 15, the helix angle of the sleeve teeth and that of the teeth of gears 23, 24 will be chosen for irreversability of driving forces. That is, while axial movement of the sleeve rotates the gears, an attempted rotation of the gears will not exert sufficient axial force on the sleeve to effect axial movement thereof.

As previously mentioned, key 14 is carried by a rod 12 within the spindle (FIGURE 2) and such rod presently extends beyond the right end of the spindle and is externally screw-threaded. A nut member 25 is threaded on rod 12, a thrust bearing 26 being interposed between the nut member and the adjoiningy spindle end. Nut member 25 carries a hand-wheel 27 for effecting rotation thereof and a retainer 28 is attached to the plate 18 and fits within an annular groove formed in the periphery of the nut member to prevent axial movement of the latter to the right without interfering with rotational movement thereof.

Clearly, rotation of the nut member 25 by the handwheel 27 will effect axial movement of the rod 12 relative to the spindle 10 and correspondingly axial movement of the sleeve 15. As previously described, axial movement of the sleeve will, through the gears 23, 24, effect rotation of the leaves 22 about the axes of their shafts 19.

In use and with the mandrel collapsed as shown in FIGURES l, 2, 3, (full lines) and 4, a tubular member S, such as shown in phantom in FIGURE 3, will be positioned over the mandrel. Hand-wheel 27 will then be rotated to shift the leaves 22 radially outwardly from the full-line positions seen in FIGURE 3 to the phantomline positions wherein such leaves grip the interior of the tubular member S. A tenuous member (not shown) may now be wound upon the tubular member S, the mandrel rotating as required in unison with the member S.

When sufficient material has been wound, it is only necessary to rotate the hand-wheel 27 in a direction to shift the leaves 22 radially inwardly toward their contracted positions thus freeing the tubular member S. Such member, with the tenuous material wound thereon, may then be removed from the mandrel and the operation again repeated with another empty tubular member.

It is an important feature of the present invention that the shape of the leaves are such that a curved surface is presented for engagement with the interior of the tubular member. Thus, maximum frictional engagement is provided between the mandrel and the member to reduce the possibility of slippage therebetween during the winding operation. Also, and although not shown, the mandrel can be expanded to grip tubular members of any internal size between the maximum size tubular member illustrated and one just barely large enough to slip over the collapsed mandrel. Finally, although a mandrel having six leaves 22 has herein been disclosed, a greater or lesser number of leaves could be employed when desired.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described; hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiment is illustrative only, and that rnyinvention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. An expansible-contractable mandrel comprising a spindle, a plurality of pivot shafts carried by said spindle and spaced radially outwardly thereof and circumferentially thereabout with their axes generally parallel to the axis of said spindle, leaf members pivotable about the axe-s of respective pivot shafts for movement radially inwardly and radially outwardly of said spindle to provide for contraction and expansion of said mandrel re- 4. spectively, gear means carried by and pivotable with respective leaf members, and means carried by said spindle for lmovement relative thereto and having driving engagement with said gear means to effect pivotal movement of the latter and consequent pivotal movement aforesaid of said leaf members.

2. The construction of claim 1 wherein said means lastmentioned is limited to movement axially of said spindle.

3. The construction of claim 2 wherein the axially movable means is provided with spirally arranged teeth engaged with said gear means.

4. The construction of claim 2 wherein means is provided for shifting the axially movable means to various position-s relative to -said spindle.

5. An expansible-contractable mandrel comprising a spindle, a plurality of pivot shafts rotatably carried by said spindle and spaced radially outwardly thereof and circumferentally thereabout with their axes generally parallel to the axis of said spindle, leaf members carried by and pivotable with respective pivot shafts for movement radially inwardly and radially outwardly of said spindle to provide for contraction and expansion of said mandrel respectively, and means carried by said spindle for movement relative thereto and interconnected with respective pivot shafts to effect pivotal movement of the latter and consequent movement aforesaid of respecy tive leaf members carried thereby.

6. The construction of claim 5 wherein gear means are carried by and rotatable with respective pivot shafts and wherein said means movable relative to said spindle has driving engagement with said gear means for effecting movement aforesaid of respective leaf members.

7. The construction of claim 6 wherein said means movable axially of said spindle is limited to movement axially thereof and wherein such means has spirally arranged teeth engaged with said gear means.

8. An expansible-contractable -mandrel comprising a spindle in part providing a plurality of pivot axes which are spaced radially outwardly of said spindle and circumferentially thereabout and which extend generally parallel to the axis of said spindle, a plurality of members each projecting transversely of a respective pivot axis and each being swingable thereabout to effect movement of such members radially inwardly and radially outwardly of the axis of said spindle to provide for contraction and expansion of said mandrel respectively, and means for effecting simultaneous movement of said members in the same direction of rotation about respective pivot axes.

9. An expansible-contractable mandrel comprising a spindle in part providing a plurality of pivot axes which are spaced radially outwardly of said spindle and circumferentially thereabout and which extend generally parallel to the axis of said spindle, a plurality of members each projecting transversely of a respective pivot axis and each being swingable thereabout to effect movement of such members radially inwardly and radially outwardly of the axis of said spindle to provide for contraction and expansion of said mandrel respectively, and means connecting said members together and effecting simultaneous movement thereof in the same direction of rotation about respective pivot axes.

10. An expansible-contractable mandrel comprising a spindle in part providing a plurality of pivot axes which are spaced radially outwardly of said spindle and circumferentially thereabout and which extend generally parallel to the axis of said spindle, a plurality of members each projecting transversely of a respective pivot axis and each being swingable thereabout to effect movement of such members radially inwardly and radially outwardly of the axis of said spindle to provide for contraction and expansion of said mandrel respectively, in collapsed position of said members the latter extending from respective pivot axes in the same direction circumferentially of said spindle.

11. The construction of claim 10 wherein said members are arcuate to partially encircle said spindle in the position aforesaid.

12. The construction of claim 11 and further comprising means connecting said members together and effecting simultaneous movement thereof in the same direction of rotation about respective pivot axes.

13. An expansible-contractable mandrel comprising a spindle, a plurality of pivot shafts rotatably carried by said spindle and spaced radially outwardly thereof and circumferentially thereabout with their axes generally parallel to the axis of said spindle, a plurality of arcuate leaf members carried by and projecting transversely of respective pivot shafts and said leaf members being pivotable with respective pivot shafts for movement radially inwardly and radially outwardly of said spindle to provide for contraction and expansion of said mandrel respectively, in collapsed position of said leaf members the latter partially encircling said spindle and extending from respective pivot shafts in the same direction circumferentially of said spindle, gear means carried by and rotatable with respective pivot shafts, and means carried by said spindle for movement axially thereof and having driving engagement with said gear means to effect simultaneous rotation thereof and consequent simulianeous rotation of said pivot shafts in the same direction to thus cause leaf member movement aforesaid.

14. The construction of claim 13 wherein said means movable axially of said spindle comprises a sleeve, wherein said sleeve has spirally arranged teeth engaged with said gear means, and wherein said sleeve is limited to moveent relative to said spindle solely axially thereof.

The construction of claim 1.4 wherein a rod is disposed within an axially extending recess in said spindle, wherein transversely extending means connects said rod and said sleeve together for unitary axial movement, wherein said transversely extending means cooperates with defining walls of a slot formed in said spindle to limit said sleeve to movement relative to said spindle in a direction solely axially of the latter, and wherein means is engaged with said rod to effect axial movement thereof and consequent axial movement of said sleeve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 17,379 5/1857 Knauer 242-11().1 576,677 2/1897 Kenworthy 242-721 1,428,119 9/1922 Rogers 242-110.1 1,945,621 2/1934 Shaw 242-721 2,638,283 5/1953 Bebech 242-72 3,010,728 11/1961 iennings 242-72 X MERY/1N STEIN, Primary Examiner.

N. L. MINTZ, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 5. AN EXPANSIBLE-CONTRACTABLE MANDREL COMPRISING A SPINDLE, A PLURALITY OF PIVOT SHAFTS ROTATABLY CARRIED BY SAID SPINDLE AND SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREOF AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY THEREABOUT WITH THEIR AXES GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID SPINDLE, LEAF MEMBERS CARRIED BY AND PIVOTABLE WITH RESPECTIVE PIVOT SHAFTS FOR MOVEMENT RADIALLY INWARDLY AND RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID SPINDLE TO PROVIDE FOR CONTRACTION AND EXPANSION OF SAID MANDREL RESPECTIVELY, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID

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