GB2161506A

GB2161506A - Paying-off from reel

Info

Publication number: GB2161506A
Application number: GB08516364A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin Idris Watkins Bailey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-07-09
Filing date: 1985-06-28
Publication date: 1986-01-15
Also published as: GB2161506B; GB8516364D0

Abstract

An apparatus for paying-off wire or thread from a bobbin (10) comprises a spinner disc (12) mounted rotatively beyond one end of the bobbin, and a retarder unit which comprises a disc (14) of radiating bristles mounted non- rotatively on the axis of the bobbin, and an element (e.g. a disc or an arm) mounted rotatively on the bobbin axis, having a guide (e.g. a die 18) for the wire or thread being drawn from the bobbin and disposed radially outwards of the bristles, and the element having a projection which runs in the bristles as the element is rotated by the action of the wire being drawn from the bobbin. The element has holes (24, 26) for positioning one or more elements. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wire or thread paying-off apparatus The present invention relates to apparatus for paying-off wire, thread or other elongate flexible material from a reel or bobbin of such material. The paying-off apparatus may be used particularly, but not solely, in the wire and cable industry.

In a known paying-off apparatus, a reel or bobbin is wound with the elongate flexible material to be paid-off and is mounted nonrotatably and usually with the bobbin axis vertical. A spinner disc is mounted on the axis of the bobbin and beyond one end of the bobbin, in particular just above the bobbin when the latter is mounted vertically. The spinner disc is free to rotate. In use, the wire or thread to be paid-off is simply pulled from the bobbin, running over the edge of the spinner disc and then guided through a point disposed generally on the bobbin axis but some distance from the spinner disc. As the paying-off proceeds, the wire or thread slides around the circumference of the spinner disc, bringing the latter into rotation.A retarder is provided to act on the wire or thread, in its circumferential displacement, so as to impart a constant back tension to the paid-off wire or thread: a simple and reliable form of retarder comprises of radiating bristles mounted outwardly of the spinner disc and fixed against rotation. The wire or thread runs against these bristles to deflect the successive bristles and set up the required retarding.

However, with these so-called cat's whisker retarders, the bristles are susceptible to eventual fatigue, particularly as their deflection is both out of the plane of their disc and circumferentially, and to eventual wear if the wire or thread has an abrasive surface, as with e.g.

tinned or galvanished wire or certain manmade fibres. Also at high runing speeds the wire or thread can be thrown clear of the bristles, and then there is no longer an adequate retarding action nor is the tension in the paid-off wire or thread held constant.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for paying-off wire or thread or other elongate flexible material, comprising a spinner disc for mounting rotatively beyond one end of a fixedlymounted bobbin or reel wound with the wire or thread or other elongate flexible material to be paid-off, and a retarder unit comprising a disc of radiating bristles for mounting nonrotatively on the axis of the bobbin or reel and an element for mounting rotatively on the axis of the bobbin or reel, said element having a guide for the wire or thread being paid-off and disposed radially outwards of the bristles, and said element further having a projectin extending generally parallel to the bobbin axis and at a position to run through the bristles.

The wire or thread thus passes over the edge of the spinner disc as usual, and is guided on the subsequent rotating element witout itself touching the cat's whiskers. However, the rotating element which carries the guide interacts with the cat's whiskers by way of the projection which extends generally par allel to the bobbin axis. This projection is at a radius such that it runs in the cat's whiskers, but there is less fatigue on these bristles because the projection merely deflects them in the circumferential direction and not, at the same time, out of the plane of the disc of bristles. The tension imparted to the wire or thread being paid-off is much more constant because the projection always runs in the cat's whiskers at the same radius.The projection is made smooth so as to minimise the wear on the bristles, whilst the guide is preferably made of a hard wearing material. The guide is preferably a die through which the wire or thread passes: an increased speed of operation is available because the wire or thread is always guided at the same radius and there is therefore no risk that it will be thrown outwards at high speeds.

The element which carries the guide and projection may comprise an arm with the guide at one end, the projection at the other end and an appropriate bearing part-way along its length. The guide may simply comprise a radial surface on the element, against which the wire or thread presses.

Preferably however, the element may comprise basically a disc mounting a guide die at one point and the projection at a diametrically opposite point. Preferably the projection is made by a peg fitted into a hole in the disc: a number of holes may be provided at different radii, the retarding effect then being selectable by selecting which hole is to receive the peg. Preferably further, there are two or more sets of such holes so that two or more pegs can be applied at different angular positions, thus increasing the retarding effect. Thus the paying-off apparatus may achieve a wide range of adjustability.

An embodiment of this invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a paying-off apparatus in accordance with this invention; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view through that apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a bobbin or reel 10 which is wound with elongate flexible material to be paid-off, for example wire or thread. In the example shown, the bobbin is mounted with its axis vertical and of course is fixed against rotation.

A spinner disc 1 2 is mounted above the bobbin 10 and is freely rotatable. A cat's whisker retarder 1 4 is mounted above the spinner disc 12, and comprises a plurality of bristles radiating from a cental hub, which is fixed against rotation. An element 1 6 is rotatably mounted above the cat's whisker retarder 14; in the example shown this element 1 6 comprises a plastics disc. At one point, close to its edge, the element 1 6 mounts a guide die 18: at a diametrically opposite point, the element 1 6 mounts a projection 20 which extends parallel to the bobbin axis and projects into the bristles of the retarder 14.

Whilst the projection 20 is disposed at a radius smaller than the radius of the retarder 14, the guide die 1 8 is disposed at a radius greater than the radius of retarder 14, so that the wire or thread which passes through does not make any direct contact with the retarder bristles.

In the example shown, the projection 20 comprises a peg inserted into a selected one of a number of holes 22 in the disc 16. Two further sets of holes 24, 26 are provided and if required a further peg may be inserted into a selected hole of each set 24, 26 to run in the bristles at different angular positions from the peg 20.

The wire or thread passes from the bobbin, over the edge of the spinner disc, through the guide die 1 8 and to a die unit 28, downstream of which the drawing tension is applied.

It will be seen that the example shown provides all the benefits mentioned above.

As previously mentioned, in place of a guide die through which the wire or thread passes, the element 1 6 may simply be formed with a radial surface against which the wire or thread passes.

Claims

1. An apparatus for paying-off wire or thread or other elongate flexible material, comprising a spinner disc for mounting rotatively beyond one end of a fixedly-mounted bobbin or reel wound with the wire or thread or other elongate material to be paid-off, and a retarder unit comprising a disc of radiating bristles for mounting non-rotatively on the axis of the bobbin or reel and an element for mounting rotatively on the axis of the bobbin or reel, said element having a guide for the wire or thread being paid-off and disposed radially outwards of the bristles, and said element further having a projection extending generally parallel to the bobbin axis and at a position to run through the bristles.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, in which said element comprises an arm with the guide at one end and the projection at its other end and a bearing for its rotation partway along its length.

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the guide comprises a radial surface on said element, against which, in use, the wire or thread passes.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which said guide comprises a die through which, in use, the wire or thread passes.

5. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, in which said element comprises a disc mounting a guide die at one point and the projection at a diametrically opposite point.

6. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, in which the projection comprises a peg fitted into any one of a number of holes provided in the disc at different radii.

7. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, in which the disc is provided with two or more sets of said holes so that two or more pegs can be applied at different angular positions.

8. An apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings, for paying-off wire or thread or other elongage flexible material from a bobbin or reel.