US3811244A - Hose winding and packaging machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A wholly automated hose winding and packaging machine that severs a predetermined running length of elongate material into a neat package, ties the package and strips same from the machine proper.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Killen et a1.

1111 3,811,244 [45] May 21, 1974 1 HOSE WINDING AND PACKAGING MACHINE [75] Inventors: Richard J. Killen, Manchester, Mo.; Boyce Brandom, Ridgewood; Lyman S. Howard, Bergenfield, both of NJ.

[73] Assignee: Dart Industries Inc., Los Angeles,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Dec. 22, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 210,736

52 U.S. c1 531/116, 53/135, 53/198 R,'242/64, 242/719, 242/86, 242/158 R, 242/1102 51 1111.01... 13656 13/14, B65b 63/04, B65h 54/28 [58] Field of Search 53/14, 21 FW, 118, 119, 53/137, 116, 198 R, 34, 135; 206/59 B, 52

w; 242/64, 110.2, 86, 71.9, 25 A, 158 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,401,904 12/1921 Griffin 206/59 B 1,451,131 4/1923 Weber 242/1102 X JJJ I 322 I llgl 7 i i 1; x10 W 1 I I 22 '1 Raiche 53/118 X 1,958,068 5/1934 2,839,258 6/1958 Jacobson 242/110.2 2,924,921 2/1960 Wallace 53/198 R X 2,930,539 3/1960 Bremer 53/118 X 2,984,425 5/1961 Thayer 53/118 UX 3,069,822 12/1962 Macleod et a1. 53/118 X 3,152,768 l0/0964 AstriSm 242/25 A 3,251,294 5/1966 Hill et al. 53/198 R X 3,259,336 7/1966 Hibbard 242/159 R X 3,424,339 1/1969 Lyons 242/158 R X 3,489,076 l/1970 Countryman 53/198 R X 3,541,756 11/1970 Mateski 53/ l 37 X Primary ExaminerAndrew R. .Iuhasz Assistant Examiner1-lorace M. Culver Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Leigh B. Taylor 5 7 ABSTRACT A wholly automated hose winding and packaging ma- 19 Claims, 27 Drawing Figures PATENTEBmz: m4

SHEEI 01 0F 14 ma @R INVENTORS,

. zr/mn/ 5. Mow/W0 FATQNTEBIAYEI m4 sum vnu nr 14 IN VENTORS.

PATENTEnm 2 1 I974 SHEET 0801 14 ATTORNEY PAIENTEDIAYQI am 3.811.244 v sum us or 14] INVENTORS.

' P/m/mw .7. MllE/V Barr: BRA/V00 awn/v.5. Haw/P0 ATTORNEY PATENTEDIAY 2 1 I974 SHEET 11 HF 14 B Y 1 www .s. #awmo v ATTORNEY 1 HOSE WINDING AND PACKAGING MACHINE This invention relates to a winding and packaging machine adapted to assemble a coil length of elongate material. More particularly, this machine consists of a multi-station apparatus which is capable of coiling a predetermined length of hose or rope-like material and assembling same upon an advertising card with a plurality of tie strips which will firmly hold the assembled package together. It should be appreciated that this apparatus will fully automate a packaging technique which incorporates various measuring, winding, cutting and tying functions.

Prior art devices and techniques for packaging hose or rope-like materials provide only partial automation, and thus rely heavily on operators to clamp the hose to the winding spindle and after completion of the winding operation, to remove the coiled hose from the machine. Further, and even with such apparatus, it continues to be typical to complete the hose package by manually affixing ties to the coiled hose formation. Such technique, of course, is undesirable in that it necessitates the employment of numerous individuals to effectively and efficiently package hose, or similar elongate material as it is continuously formed on an extrusion line or as it may be fed from a suitable source of supply.

It should be appreciated that the problems encountered in the design and construction of such an automated device as is described herein are numerous. Among these is, of course, the necessity to accommodate various sizes of product, which may range from between A and 2 inches in outside diameter and in the case of hose may be it: and 1 inch in internal diameter, and which. of course. may be of varying wall thickness. Similarly, various lengths of material have to be accommodated and most importantly, have to be accommodated in such a fashion that a package produced has a neat appearance. a consistent coil height and diameter, and a consistent entry and exit position of the hose ends so that both are exposed at the bottom side of the package. Additionally, the association between thecoiled hose material and advertising card must be taken into account. Thus, a placement and retention of such a card in its proper position relative to the coiled product is a prime consideration. Such card placement also complicates the typing of the package in that it then becomes necessary not only to thread the tie material around the coiled hose, but also to thread the same material through a small opening in the advertising card. Therefore. package orientation at all stages of formation is a problem to be reckoned with.

It has also been common for packages of this type to include a washer for use with the female hose coupling. Thus. it is also incumbent upon the packager to provide an automated means by which a suitable washer may be secured to-the completed package. A satisfactory arrangement for attaching a .washer is to further thread the tie material through the washer opening but tying is even further complicated by this requirement.

The apparatus of this invention, as is more fully described hereinbelow, brings to the forefront, therefore, an automated machine capable of performing a multiplicity of I operative manipulative steps heretofore thought of as being segregated from one another. This multi-station, multi-purpose device thus integrates a packaging operation in toto, without the need of manual assistance. Such includes an indexing mechanism which not only pre-positions the apparatus prior to initiation of a cycle of operation, but also maintains a positive control of further indexing during that cycle of operation. Likewise, and in a somewhat broader sense, the invention contemplates a winding method and apparatus that in a step by step fashion lays an elongate material onto a mandrel in a uniform, closely formed and neat manner.

As should also be obvious from the above, the multistep operation of this apparatus contemplates the placement of an advertising card onto a winding mandrel, where it will be in proper position to become a part of the wound hose package. Thereafter, a length of hose material must be neatly and uniformly wound by the device and retained in such form until a plurality of ties are made therearound tosecure the package. Of course, subsequent to the tying action, the packaged material must be stripped from the machine for further processing and thereafter, the cycle of operation may be repeated. It is also apparent that each operation or processing step occurs concurrently with each of the other steps described. This construction, therefore, provides a packaging device having a versatility and speed which is presently and has before been unknown in the industry.

Further objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon close examination of the specification, claims and drawings and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a'top plan view of the hose winding and packaging machine illustrating the multi-station, multimandrel concept embodied'thereby;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a tie head incorporated in the hose winding machine for the purpose'of feeding the tie material around each package formed thereby;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partially in crosssection, of the level-wind mechanism used in conjunction with the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the card placing mechanism which inserts advertising cards into their proper position on the hose winding and packaging machine mandrel members;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the feeding and cutting assembly which propels hose lengths to the machine for coiling; a

FIG. 6 is an elevational view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 1 and illustrates two of the machine stations, those specifically being a typing station and the discharge station; 1

FIG. 7 is an elevational view in cross-section, taken along line 7 7 of FIG. 1, showing two additional stations of the apparatus, these being the winding station and the card placing station; 1

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the tie head shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the split tie guide ring device and washer feed mechanism which is positionable on the forward end of the tie head;

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the washer feed mechanism shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a top view of the-washer feed mechanism shown. in FIG. 10;

I FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the tie head mechanism with the bottom plate thereof removed;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 13-43 of FIG. 2, showing the feed roll assembly for the tie head mechanism;

FIG. 14 is a side view of the motor and control mechanism for the tie strand feed;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the twist tube used in the tie head assembly;

FIG. 16 is a top view of the twist tubeas is shown in FIG. 15, partly broken away, so as to only show the forward end thereof; I e

FIG. 17 is a front view of the twist tube as is shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a side view, partially in cross-section, showing the tie strand cutter, which is positioned on the tie head; i 1

7 FIG. 19 is a front cross-sectional view takenalong line 19l9 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a top view of the level wind assembly, hose guide mechanism and shot-pin assembly'with a portion of the change gear arrangement cut away for purposes of clarity; 7 FIG. 21 is a top view of the guide tube mechanism, which is positioned atop the level wind assembly;

FIG. 22 is a top view of the card placing device, showing-the transfer mechanism for moving an advertising card from the stacked position to the winding mandrel;

FIG. 23-is a rear view of the card placing mechanism, showing the actuator for the cardremoval device;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the collapsible segmented center core member of the mandrel assembly, including the 'bottom adjustable flange, which forms a part thereof;

FIG. 25 is a top view of the mandrel assembly, showing the collapsible center core member and the bottom adjustable flange partially broken away;

FIG. 26 is a left end view of the motor and mechanism shown in FIG. 14; and, FIG. 27 is a partial bottom view of the mandrel member shown in FIG. 24. i I

INTRODUCTION It will be appreciated from FIGS. 1, 6 and 7 that the hose winding and packagi'ng'machine of this invention is a five-station dial type apparatus. Such is adapted to control receive the hose product or elongate material from a continuously operating. extruder, or other suitable source which of course necessitates an efficient and effective operational technique. It should further be understood that two basic feeding mechanisms,'one of which is more fully described hereinbelow. are employed'in conjunction with this apparatus and are located between the source .of elongate material and the apparatus.

In one specific embodiment, the first of these feeding mechanisms operates to pull the newly extruded hose througha cooling tray (not shown) and, of course, is continually operable to maintain a uniform. rate of movement of material through that tray. As should also suring mechanism which, after a predetermined amount of material is counted, will activate the cutter, thereby controlling the hose length which is coiled into package form. In addition, this second feeding device employs a dancer-roll mechanism which is an effective means to take up any slack in the hose line which results between these first and second feed roll mechanisms due to the intermittent operation of the second.

It should be understood, of course, that the particular feeding arrangement above discussed may be altered to accommodate the material source. In certain instances, therefore, only a single feed mechanism may be necessitated, and modification from that here described may also be appropriate to suit the situation.

Moving now to the winding and packaging machine itself, one will note that the initial package formation begins at the card placing station. It is at this station that the advertising card mentioned above is removed from a stack of similarly positioned cards and transferred to the mandrel assembly of the hose packaging apparatus. Thereafter, the main dial of the packaging apparatus is indexed to the second machine station, where'the hose is coiled or wound. It is, of course, at this station where the lead-endof the hose material is fed to the collapsible center core member of the mandrel by the intermittently operable feeding and cutting assembly. This hose end is, upon proper positioning, thereafter clamped to the mandrel and winding takes place under the guidance of the level wind mechanism which is a mainstay in the production of a neatly and uniformly wound package,

Subsequent to winding,'the main dial again indexes to a first tying station and then subsequently indexes to a second tying station which, together, place the necessary number of ties and the accompanying washer around the coiled hosepackage. These ties, as is readily known in the industry, are after insertion around the package, twistedto securely retain all of the elements in the final packed form. Then, to complete the machine operation, the apparatus is again indexed to a discharge station at which point the completed hose. pack age is raked or otherwise removed from the mandrel assembly and placed onto a discharge conveyor, from which it progresses to subsequent manufacturing operations. I

It should be readily apparent to the reader that the above described step-by-step operation of this assembly is concurrently being performed so that the speed of operation of the machine is greatly improved. It is anticipated that feeding speeds of up to at least 250 feet per minute may be accommodated. Such, of course, represents a distinct improvement over prior speeds which have been attainable and thereby creates .efficiencies before unknown in the trade. It is also presently envisioned that the apparatus herein described will be capable of accommodating and packaging hose or other rope-like materials of varying diameters and I lengths, so that all of those typical sizes now available in the market place may be neatly packaged in 25, 50, or ft. coils.

WINDING AND PACKAGING MACHINE MAIN FRAME machine base 12 and a secondary intermitter base 14,

both of which make up the main frame and stationary support means for the overall apparatus. Similarly, it should be obvious that the various operating stations, as mentioned above, are distributed around this main frame or stationary base, and that the main turret assembly 16 is mounted for a rotation on an intermitter assembly 18 about a principal axis 20. The intermitter 18 carries the main machine dial 22, as well as a bull gear 24, both of which are mounted on center shaft members 26 and 28, respectively. The bull gear 24 is therefore fixedly mounted to the intermitter base 14 through its shaft 28 and the main dial, 22, is rotationally mounted for movement therearound on its shaft 26.

As is indicated above, the main dial has mounted thereon turret 16, so that these members may move together around the principal axis 20. Such motion is achieved, of course, through a main driving motor 30 and suitable drive train means 32 which, of course, may include gearing, chain drives or any other suitable means to accomplish that end.

The turret l6 and dial 22 serve as the multi-station mandrel carriage means which, in its preferred form, includes five mandrel stations or members, generally designated by the numeral 34. It should also, at this point, be clarified that the drive motor and that the entire upper structure including the turret and dial may be indexed in an intermittent manner through a typical brake and clutch assembly not specifically shown. The mandrel members 34 constitute a rotatable assembly which is mounted to the periphery of the carriage means 16, 22. Each of these assemblies is suitably journaled to the turret l6, and a suitable brake mecha nism 36 is attached thereto, and extends to the underside of the main dial 22. Such assembly is further stabilized and mounted for rotational movement by a rotary shaft 38 and a stationary shaft 40 which are vertically positioned on the carriage 16, 22. These shafts carry a generally U-shaped frame member 42 best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, which is mounted for longitudinal and vertical movement along the shafts. Such vertical movement is attained through the employment of a double-acting piston and cylinder arrangement 44, which is mounted between shafts 38 and 40 and atop the turret 16. The piston rod of this assembly is, of course, interconnected with the U-shaped frame 42 and the desired motion is achieved through this connection.

The generally U-shaped frame member 42 is adapted to carry the top movable flange of the assembly 46, which is also journaledtherein for rotation by means of gears 48, 50 and 52 (FIGS. 6 and 7). Such rotary movement. of course. is transmitted through the rotary shaft 38 by means of a sun gear 54, which is attached at the lower extremity thereof and is enmeshed'with bull gear 24. In addition. note that a clutch assembly 56 is positioned between the gear 54 and shaft 38 so that the rotation of shaft 38 may be controlled thereby. Shaft 38 and turret 16 also mount another gear train 58, 60 and 62, which transmits rotary motion to the'lower portion of mandrel assembly 34 from the bull gear 24, as the main machine dial 22 is rotated on axis 20. Thus. when clutch 56 is engaged and the turret member 16 is being indexed from one position to another, rotary motion will be transferred to all parts of the mandrel assembly 34 (top flange, center core, bottom flange), thus assuring the positive indexing thereof.

Referring in particular to FIG.'7, one will appreciate that the mandrel assembly 34, shown on the extreme right, illustrates such assembly in the winding position on the packaging machine. There can also be seen the main winddrive motor 64, which is engageable with the brake assembly 36, only at this position in the machine. Note also that the motor 64 is engageable with the mentioned shaft through a speed reducer 66 and a suitable clutch coupling 68. It will be appreciated that, when the mandrel assembly is in the wind position, clutch 56 and brake 36 are disengaged and motor 64 positively drives the entire mandrel assembly through elements 66, 68 and 62, respectively. Additionally, the top flange member is likewise driven through elements 60, 58, 38, 48, 50 and 52, respectively. Thus, a uniform motion is maintained in both the winding operation and in the indexing operation between respective stations.

ROTATABLE MANDREL ASSEMBLY As indicated, the rotatable mandrel assembly or member 34 specifically includes a bottom adjustableflange 70 and a top movable flange 46. It is between these members that the hose material is coiled around a collapsible segmented center core member 72. The inter-relationship of these members will become more readily apparent upon referenceto FIGS. 24 and 25 which more clearly illustrate these elements of the assembly. In particular, note that the bottom flange 70 is made up of a plurality of segments 74 which, through collar member 76, are attached to support shaft 78. Shaft 78 is similarly supported by a disc member 80, in such mariner that it is journaled to ,the carriage as is mentioned above. Also, as can thus be seen in FIGS. 24 and 25, the'collapsible center core member 72 is segmented and each such segment is suitably hinged to the base of shaft '78. V I A post 82 extends upwardly from shaft 78 and mounted thereon is a tapered expander plug 84 which is biased toward an uppermost cap screw 86 by means of spring member 88. Similarly, each segment 74 of the collapsible center core is spring-biased on its hinged mounts by spring means 90 towards the shaft 78. As will be appreciated when the top movable flange 46 is elevated above and out of contact with the top of the collapsible center core slegments'and the tapered plug 84, spring members 88 and 90,due to their resilient nature, will bias the plug upwardly and the segments inwardly. Similarly, when the top movable flange is lowered into an abutting position with plu'g 84, it will drive this member downwardly against the action of spring 88 and because of its tapered configuration, will similarly drive the core segments outwardly until the flange bottoms against the tops of segments 74.

The bottom flange 70, as is mentioned above, is adjustable and the range of such adjustment is illustrated by a dotted line showing in FIG. 24. This adjustment is, of course, effected by loosening the cap screw 92 (FIG. 25), in collar 76, so that the appropriate adjustment along shaft 78 may be made to the appropriate' position.

Another importantfeature of the rotatable mandrel assembly is the clamp member 94, which is suitably attached to the hose clamp yoke 96. Yoke 96, in turn, is pivotally affixed to bottom adjustable flange so that it is movable therewith. Clamp 94 and yoke 96 are positively biased in. a downward direction bymeans of a spring member 98. Thus, the hose end, which is normally fed to the clamp 94, is positively grasped thereby during the majority of machine operations. In order to effect the entrance of such hose and the disengagement of same, camming means (not shown) may be employed to act against the underside of yoke 96, thereby compressing the spring 98 and releasing the clamp 94. A closer examination of FIGS. 24 and 25 will further illustrate the hinged attachments which are employed both with the clamp 94 and with the segmented core members 72.

Again referring to FIG. 1, the reader will note that each mandrel position 34 includes a guide roller system for retaining the coiled hose product firmly upon the mandrel subsequent to its being wound thereon. Such system includes rollers 100 which are mounted on arms 102 for pivotal movement into juxtaposition with the center core member. This positioning is indicated in the dotted lines shown at the card placement station in the noted Figure. As should be apparent, the rollers 100 are normally retained so as to engage the outermost layers of a wound package and are moved to an out-of-theway position only at the time of unloading. In this fashion, the packaged hose material is retained in a positive'manner so'that slippage between and over associated hose coils will not result.

It should be apparent from the foregoing description that it is imperative that each mandrel assembly be retained in a specific orientation during the indexingof the main dial 22. Further, it should be apparent that at the completion of the windingoperation, the mandrel assembly will be rotating at a substantial speed and, at this time,,it will benecessary not only to slow and stop the mandrel rotation, but alsojto accurately position same prior to indexing the apparatus to the next station. To achieve this positioning, the disc'80 (FIGS. 6 and 7), which is attached to the base of shaft 78, functions as an index plate due to the employment of a slotted or recessed area such as is illustrated by numeral 104 (FIG. 24). This recess is adapted-to receive an index pin 106, which is one of the principal parts of the index assembly 108, as is best seen in FIG. 20. This index pin assembly is attachedto the level wind mechanism at the winding station and is automatically activated at the completion of wind after the mandrel has been sufficiently slowed to prevent damage to the pin 106 when it seats in recess 104. Therefore, at the completion of wind and after the seating of pin 106, it

should be apparent that the mandrel assembly is positively positioned. Thereafter, and upon withdrawal of the pin 106, the mandrel position may be accurately controlled through the activation and deactivation of brake 36 and clutch 56. I

' LEV EL WIND ASSEMBLY As is indicated above. in order to complete the formation of a neat and acceptable package, the hose must be carefully guided on to mandrelassembly 34 in a fashion that not, only assures the proper stacking of coils on that mandrel, but also assures that the hose ends are disposed toward the open side of the package, i.e., proximate the bottom movable flange of the assembly. A level wind mechanism or assembly 110 is positioned on the machine base 12, at a position adjacent the wind station. This assembly is arranged to guide the hose into the mandrel mounted gripper and track it across the face of the mandrel in the manner described.

The positioning of the level wind mechanism on the machine base, is readily apparent on an examination of F IG. 1, and the details of this mechanism may be better understood upon reference to FIGS. 3, 20 and 21. The level wind mechanism is, of course, activated in conjunction with the mandrel assembly rotation and it is convenient therefore to power this mechanism with the wind motor 64. Motor 64 is interconnected with the assembly through a chain engagement with sprocket 112, which is mounted on drive shaft 114, that in turn are interconnected with a clutch assembly 116 and brake 117 by means'of a chain operating on sprockets 1 l8 and 120 and 122. The drive continues through gear train 124 to a roller gear assembly 126, that is commercially available from the Ferguson Machine Company, and whose functions are more fully described below, to an output shaft 128. From this point, the drive progresses through a change gear set 130, 132, 134, 136 to shaft 138, which in turn carries pinion 140. Pinion 140 engages the rack member 142 hereinbelow described in more detail, which effects the displacement of the traversing slide 144. The change gear set 130-136, of course, includes a plurality of interengaging driving elements, i.e., spur gears, which are interchangeable and interengageable, one with the other, to vary the speed and degree of traverse of slide 144. Similarly, because of the interengagement of gear pair 124 and the use of a clutch and brake assembly in conjunction with one member of this pair, it is simple to effect a reversal of rotary motion to the roller gear unit 126 simply by engaging and disengaging clutch member 116. Therefore the driving mechanism, as above described, presents an extremely versatile unit which can be suitably adjusted to accommodate various sizes of hose materials and package sizes that are common to the trade.

.The traversing slide 144, as best seen in FIGS. 20 and 21, is mounted for vertical movement along guide posts 146, in conjunction with the movement of rack 142. Such slide assembly carries with it a guide tube assembly 148 that, in addition'to its vertical movement with the slide, is also pivotally mounted with one end tangent to the mandrel core, thus enabling it to traverse the height of the coil and swing inwardly and outwardly, in response to coil buildup The guide tube assembly 148 includes'a mounting plate 150 and forwardly extending spaced apart guide fingers 152, which together form a channel through, which the hose may pass on its way to the mandrel core. The channel is completed by a bridge and cover unit 154, the covered portion of which is swingable' to an out of-the-way 'position by means of a piston cylinder arrangement 156. In a similar manner, the piston cylinder arrangement 158, is interconnected, too, with the outboard one of guide fingers 152 and guide roller 160, and is operable-to pivot those members to an outof-the-way position also.

In addition to the guide channel above described, the traversing slide 144 and guide tube assembly 148 also include and mount the hose guide roller arrangement 160, which ispositioned at the exit end of the channel.

This guide roller maintains the hose product in close Again referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the traversing slide assembly 144 is mounted on a shaft 162 that is supported in a reciprocating shaft arrangement 164. This latter mentioned arrangement is rigidly attached to rack 142 and therefore moves therewith. Similarly, both the shaft 162 and shaft arrangement 164 are retained and adapted to reciprocate in cylinder member 166.Also rigidly affixed to the bottom end of shaft 162 is a piston 168 which is held in place against a shoulder 170 on the shaft by a nut 172. Therefore, the piston 168 is movable in like manner, with shaft 162 as the rack member 142 is moved by pinion 140. Also the position of shaft 162 and slide 144 are vertically adjustable by means of a screw 174, which is threaded through cap 176 of the cylinder 166, so that it abuts nut 172 and shaft 162. Thus, simply by rotating this adjusting screw, one may vary the vertical position of the traversing slide 144 with respect to the mandrel assembly 34.

Additional resilient means forming a safety device are provided adjacent to the upper andlower ends of shaft 162 in the form of secondary piston and cylinder arrangements 178. The upper such cylinder 180 is affixed to the shaft 162 and the lower such cylinder is formed by the piston element 168, which is also attached to shaft 162 as is mentioned above. Each of these respective cylinders retains a piston seal 182, which is movable with and along the shaft, depending upon the position thereof.

In operation, the level wind assembly depends primarily upon the functioning of roller gear assembly 126 which is an indexing mechanism that is commercially available from the Ferguson Machine Company. As-

sembly 126 in effect converts a constant rotary input motion to an intermittent output. Such alteration of conversion in movement, of course, is accomplished by means ofa cam and cam follower construction in which the cam design provides for alternate periods of dwell and rotation. This stepping motion, as indicated above, progresses through the change gear set 130, 132, 134, 136 to shaft 138 and pinion 140. The latter in conjunction with rack 142 then ultimately effects the displacement of slide 144.

Transferral of the noted intermittent stepping motion to slide 144 thus produces the incremental positioning thereof along the mandrel -axis approximately in response to each revolution of the mandrel. Each hose coil, therefore, is closely and neatly placed in juxtaposition with each other coil. Further, it should be apparent that when the slide is adjacent each of the mandrel flanges 46 and 70, a dwell time approximately twice the normal will be necessitated to lay two coil thicknesses at each such position. e. g., thelast coil turn of one layer and the firstcoil turn of the covering or succeeding layer.

At each of these mandrel flange positions this increased dwell time is provided for by roller. gear assembly 126. These dwells are obtained through the use of a dwell position in the assembly itself and the time of dwell is effectively doubled in operation as follows. At each flange the last sequence is to index adjacent to the flange, continue to drive in the same direction through the dwell, then reverse the roller gear direction of rotation through clutches 116 just at the end of geardwell. Thus, in the reversed direction the assembly first'comes back through the dwell periodbefore going on into an index in the opposite direction. Accordingly, dwell time for the gear assembly is doubled and a new coil layer can be built adjacent each flange.

The piston/cylinder override safety arrangements 178 are connected to regulate fluid sources providing, in the first instance, enough force to counter balance the weight of the level wind assembly and, in the second instance a force sufficient to form a firm connection between shaft arrangement 164 and shaft 162. Further, it should be apparent that other suitable mechanical arrangements, for example, barrel cam configurations or the like, might be employed in producing the intermittent indexing of the form described.

FEEDING AND CUTTING ASSEMBLY As will be appreciated from the above, the elongate hose material is fed to the level wind assembly 110 by an intermittently operable feeding and cutting assembly 184 as is illustrated in FIG. 5. This feeding and cutting assembly can also be seen positioned adjacent the hose winding and packaging machine in FIG. 1. In such position, it is obvious that it isin close association with the level wind assembly, thereby minimizing the unrestricted area of travel of the hose material.

v The feeding and cutting assembly 184 is supported on a movable and adjustable stand 186. As is readily apparent in FIG. 5, the supporting legs 188 of this stand include jack screw portions 190 that can be suitably activated through any desired drive train means to either elevate or lower thestand. Such adjustability is, of course, necessitated due to the fact that various coil thicknesses will necessitate the change of position of the bottom mandrel flange 70. Thus, every time the bottom flange of the mandrel assembly on the hose winding and packaging machine is adjusted, it becomes imperative that the roll feed stand be adjusted similarly so that a uniform path of travel for the elongate hose material is assured. I i

The feeding and cutting assembly l84-mounted atop the stand 186 includes a separable, multi-functioning feed-roll arrangement 192, which is likewise multipositionable in either an open or closed position. In the closed position, it may be unpowered so that it is in contact with'the hose materialand clamps such material securely within the arrangement between the feed rollers or thefeed rollers may be activated by any suitable drive mechanism in such a fashion that the hose material is fed therebetween toward the hose winding and packaging apparatus. Just forward of the feed roll arrangement, one can find the counter and cutter assembly 194. This assembly may be preset to count a particular hose material footage and after such counting action, the cutter will be automatically triggered to sever that hose length.

It should be obvious that the intermittently operable feeding and cutting assembly must be integrated into the overall control circuitry of the hose winding and' packaging machine so that it operates in concert with the winding and tying operation. In operation, therefore, this assembly will first function to feed and stop the lead-end of the hose material adjacent the guide roller and thereafter feed same to the mandrel assembly where it can be clamped securely to that unit.

Subsequent to the start of the winding cycle, the feed rollers in unit 192 will separate and themandrelassembly itself will function to draw the hose material through the feedingand cutting arrangement 186. At such time that the predetermined and desired amount

Claims (19)

1. A winding and tying device adapted to accept elongate material from a source of supply and to package predetermined lengths thereof and comprising: an intermittently operable feeding and cutting assembly including a separable multi-functioning feed roll arrangement that in one position is adapted to clamp or feed the material and in another position is disassociated from said material, and a cutting means adapted to sever said material and responsive to the feeding of a predetermined length thereof during the cyclic operation of the winding and tying device; a multi-station mandrel carriage positionable about a principal axis of rotation and adapted to be moved from station-tostation responsive to the respective completion of winding and tying of the severed material at the several stations; a plurality of rotatable mandrel assemblies mounted upon said carriage for movement from station-to-station therewith, each of said assemblies, including a collapsible center core, a top movable flange and a bottom adjustable flange around and between which said material is wound into package form at one of the stations; a clamp associated with each mandrel assembly and positioned adjacent both said core and bottom adjustable flange so that it will accept a lead end of said material and will respond thereto to securely hold same in juxtaposition with said bottom adjustable flange as the material is wound upon the core; a level wind mechanism located adjacent each mandrel assembly at a first station of said carriage and through which said material is fed by the feeding and cutting assembly, said mechanism including a guide tube having one end tangent the mandrel core and supported on a traversing slide which moves across the face of said core under the influence of a drive means adjusted in accordance with the size of said material and package; and a plurality of tying heads positioned around said principal axis of rotation of the carriage and adjacent to at least one station other than that where the material is wound, said heads including a tie material feed and cutoff assembly mounted therewith that is adapted to feed a strand of tie material around the package, then tighten and sever said strand, said tying heads further being movable toward and away from the axis of each mandrel and including a rotatable clamp adapted to hold the strand ends and twist them together.

2. A winding and tying device according to claim 1 wherein there is included: a card placing device also positioned adjacent said carriage at another station of operation having a hopper arranged to hold a plurality of cards and a transfer mechanism for withdrawing a single card from the bottom of the stack and for moving it into position above the mandrel core so that it may be clamped thereto by the top movable flange, and, a stripper assembly, a portion of which is movable with the top movable flange so that the bound package is elevated to a point above the top of the mandrel core and another portion which, after such elevation, engages the package and rakes it onto an unloading area due to the relative movement of said carriage past the other portion.

3. A packaging machine adapted to coil predetermined lengths of an elongate material upon itself and including: a main frame; an indexing mechanism secured to said main frame for movement to a plurality of work stations about such frame in a repetitive cycle of operation and carrying therewith a plurality of mandrel members upon which said material is adapted to be packaged; motor means for interengaging and activating said mandrels at at least one of said work stations so that said material may be gathered upon the mandrel there positioned; and at least one tying device supported upon said main frame and positioned at another of said work stations, said device being movable toward and away from said indexing mechanism and including means for placing a tie strip around said package in such manner to secure the material in its packaged form.

4. A packaging machine according to claim 3 wherein a plurality of tying devices are positioned around said mechanism at at least two of said work stations and in which additional orientation means is provided on said indexing mechanism to move each mandrel with respect thereto as said mechanism moves to the at least two work stations.

5. A packaging machine according to claim 3 wherein a level wind device is positioned adjacent said mechanism at one of the work stations and which includes a guide movable both longitudinally and laterally of the mandrels so that the material is neatly and uniformly generated into package form thereon.

6. A packaging machine according to claim 3 wherein a card placing device is positioned adjacent said mechanism at another of the work stations which device includes a gripper means to remove cards from a hopper and transfer same to the mandrel.

7. A packaging machine according to claim 5 wherein a material feeding and cutting assembly is mounted in juxtaposition with said level wind device which assembly includes an intermittently operable feed roll arrangement adapted to feed, clamp or freely pass the material therebetween and a cutter movable at predetermined intervals to sever said material.

8. A packaging machine accordIng to claim 3 wherein each mandrel member incorporates a stripper unit that is movable longitudinally thereof to remove the packaged material therefrom.

9. A packaging machine according to claim 8 wherein a rake means is positioned adjacent the path of movement of said mandrels and in the path of movement of the package removed therefrom by said stripper unit so as to engage said package and remove it onto a discharge area as each mandrel passes said area with the indexing mechanism.

10. A winding and tying device according to claim 1 wherein separate motor means are provided to power said mandrel assemblies and said mandrel carriage.

11. A packaging machine according to claim 7 wherein a second feeding mechanism continuously discharges material to the feeding and cutting assembly and a dancer roll interposed therebetween and adapted to take up slack in the material when said assembly is clampingly disposed.

12. A packaging machine according to claim 1 wherein a second feeding mechanism continuously discharges material to the feeding and cutting assembly and a dancer roll interposed therebetween and adapted to take up slack in the material when said assembly is clampingly disposed.

13. A packaging machine adapted to withdraw elongate material from a source of supply and coil predetermined lengths thereof and including: a mandrel carriage moveable to a plurality of work stations; a drive means interconnected to said carriage and intermittently engageable therewith to index the carriage to said work stations; a stationary support means onto which said carriage is journaled for movement and including a bull gear rigidly attached thereto; a plurality of mandrel assemblies positioned on the periphery of said carriage including a core member and at least one support shaft each separately journaled to said carriage for rotational movement with respect thereto, and a drive train between said shaft and core which is selectively interengageable with said bull gear such that the movement of said carriage on said support means will selectively index said mandrel as it moves from work station to work station.

14. A packaging machine according to claim 13 wherein said mandrel also includes a bottom flange adjustable along said core member and a top flange rotationally mounted on a slide so that it also is rotatable with said core and is longitudinally movable with said slide along the axis of the core toward and away therefrom.

15. A packaging machine according to claim 14 wherein a clamp is fitted to said bottom flange adjacent the core, which clamp is movably mounted so as to grip and release said material during the cycle of operation of the machine.

16. A packaging machine according to claim 13 wherein said core member includes an integral indexing plate having a recess therein for acceptance of an index pin and an extensible index pin assembly positioned on said stationary support adjacent one of said work stations for moving said pin into the indexing plate recess to accurately position the mandrel for receipt of said material.

17. A packaging machine according to claim 13 wherein said mandrel core member is segmented, each segment being pivoted from and biased towards a principal axle and an actuator means extending from said axle which engages the core segments and controls their position with respect to said axle.

18. A packaging machine according to claim 13 wherein a guide roller system is movable attached to said carriage adjacent each mandrel for holding the trailing material end on the package surface.

19. A packaging machine according to claim 14 wherein a clamp is positioned adjacent said bottom flange and core, which clamp is movably mounted so as to grip and release said material during the cycle of operation of the machine.

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