US1989062A - Winding machine - Google Patents

Description

A. F. PYM

WINDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1929 Jan: 22, 1935.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 liuif.

@ 522, 193.5. 'A. F.-P YM 1,989,062

' 'WINDINGMACHI'NE I Filed Dec. 30; 1929. 2 Sheet-Sheet 2.

Patented Jan. 22, 1935- UNITED STATES j 1,989,062 PATENTQFFICE wmnmG momma Arthur F. Pym, Swampscott, Mass, assignor, by

direct and mesne assignments, to Sibley-Pym Corporation, Lynn, Mass a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 30, 1929, Serial No. 417,805

15 Claims. (01. 24

shape, balance and resiliency. The proper con-,

trol of the tension is essential in starting the winding operation upon the small core center or kemel of rubber which is commonly employed at the center of the core. usually yielding in consistency and if the tension is permitted to increase above a predetermined degree, the kernel is elongated or made egg-shaped and the resulting core is non-symmetrical and poorly balanced. During the winding operation it is important to maintain the tension uniform, because uneven tension in the different winding zones tends to distort the core and also because the volume of thread supplied to the core varies in accordance with the tension to which it is subjected,

that is to say, under high tension the cross sectional area of the thread is substantially reduced and more turns of thread must be supplied in producing acore of predetermined diameter. Finally, it is important to maintain the tension uniform in the outer windings of the core for the additional reason that otherwise a surface of confused and uneven appearance is produced.

In one aspect my invention'consists in novel mechanism for supplying an elastic thread continuously under a uniform degree of tension to a core or other body being wound. I am enabled to achieve the desired results by advancing the elastic cord to the winding mechanism at a predetermined uniform speed bearing a definite fractional ratio to the peripheral speed of the core being wound. An important feature of my invention consists in means for unwinding the elastic thread from the supply reel, constructed and arranged to maintain available a supply of unwound thread which is relieved substantially of all initial tension. It will be understood that where elastic thread is pulled directly from a supply reel, a variable tension results whichis often very considerable as, for example, when the threadis being unwound from either end of the reel where it may become jammed to some extent againstone head of the reel. In order to eliminate such initial tension, I contemplate the provision of driven means for rotating the supply reel at a uniform rate and for leading the unwound thread away from the reel so that it may be then handled in a uniform untensioned condition.

Another important feature of my invention consists in mechanism for engaging an elastic thread and advancing it or releasing it to the core being wound at a rate of linear speed hearing a fractional ratio to the circumferential or peripheral rate of speed of the core. For example, if the feeding mechanism is operated to advance the elastic threadat one-sixth the rate of the circumferential rate of speed of the core, each unit length of the thread is stretched to six times its untensioned length and is tensioned a definite amount corresponding to such elongation. As herein shown, the core is rotated by peripheral engagement with a driven roller so that the peripheral speed of the core is uniform-regardless of its diameter. The elastic thread is advanced to the winding point by a roller driven in definite speed ratio to the corerotating roller preferably, and as herein shown, from a common source of power.

In another aspect my invention consists in improvements in core winding mechanism of the general type disclosed in the pending application of Charles R. Sibley, Serial No. 404,299, filed November 21, 1929, now Patent 1,982,933, issued Dec. 4, 193-1. As in that machine, I propose to support and rotate the core by suitable rolls and to provide means for automatically detecting a'zone. of oversize diameter and keeping the core spheri-. cal by turning it to shift suh zone out of the winding plane, but whereas the detecting means of that machine comprises a sphere mounted for universal movement, I have discovered that satisfactoryresults may be attainedby the use of a roller having a curved periphery which makes substantially point contact with the core being, wound. tages of simplicityof construction and efilcacy in operation, and at the same time produces a core possessing the desirable characteristics required.

'As herein shown, the turning or twisting of the core to shift its winding zone is facilitated by mounting one of the core-supporting mils for free endwise movement in a direction at right angles to the winding plane. The employment of such a freely movable roll in combination with a member of any kindwhich reacts with.

the core to displace the winding zone is behaved to be broadly new and constitutes feature of the invention.

These and other features of the inventionwill be best undef'stood and appreciated. from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposesof illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which This'construction presents the advani p t .Fig. 1 is a view of the entire machine in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a view mechanism;

in perspective of the winding Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the core in winding position upon its supporting rolls; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the tension mechanism.

i its lower end in which is iournaled Theroller48isintheformofa -pliedtothecoreinawinding a hub or weight 44 at its upper end, by the v the roller 48 is maintained at all times in yielding engagement with the core at the tapered roll 28. As thecore 48 reacts with this oversize As herein shown, the winding unit, the tension imit and the motor for driving these units are bolted to a base .plate 10. The winding mechanism is mounted an upright portion 14 having a boss 15 projecting from its rear face, in which is mounted a horizontally disposed stationary shaft 18. At' its outer end the shaft 16 carries a hand wheel 17 and a driving to be engaged through the medium of a clutch 20. The clutch is operated by a vertically'disposed shifting lever 21, having a latch piece 23 pivotally connected to its upper end by which the lever 21 may be latched in clutch-engaa'ing'position when it is desired to operate the winding mechanism continuously. The clutch may be of any commercial type and it is unnecessary, therefore, to describe I its details of construction.

Thecore to be wound is supported by a pair spaced rolls arranged to rotate about parallel rizontalaxes. One roll 28 is secured to a shaft 26 Journaled in the frame 14 and carrying at its rear end a pinion 24 arranged to mesh with the driven pinion 22. The roll 28 tapers inwardly from each end, as shown best in Fig. 3, tending to center the core symmetrically. The other roll '32 isiournaled upon a stationary shaft 30 ex tending through the frame and secured by a nut 36. At its outer end the shaft 30 is shouldered and provided with a nut 34, between which and a boss 88 on the frame is a space longer than the roll.32, so that the latter may rotate freely and also-move endwise within the limits determined by the boss and the nut 34. The shaft 26 and the roll 28 are driven in a counter clockwise direction,

as seen in Fig. 2, so that the core supported between the two rolls is rotated in a clockwise direction and the idle roll 32 is turned by its contact with the core in the, opposite direction.

In the upper part oi'the frame 141s formed boss having a vertical bore, in which is mounted a rod 42 having a forked member 46 at a roller 48. disk having a transversely curved or convex rim disposed parallel to the shafts 28 and 30 and symmetrically above them.v The rod 42 is freely movable in its bearings and provided with a action of which top of the windbe wound is supzone which corresponds to, the central vertical plane of the roller 48 and to the minimum diameter of the is wound, therefore, build up and form a the core. The roller zone in the core and causes the latter to turn and displace the windingzone, and this tuming' of the core out of the plane of the winding zone is facilitated by the endwise movement permitted in the idle roll 32.

Elastic thread is supplied to the winding mechanism from a reel 62 iournale'd upon a transverse shaft 64 mounted between vertical bra .ket arms 60, one of which is shown in Fig. 1. Beyond the supply reel 62 is a pair of'standards 82 in which is'iournaled a transverse shaft 80. An inwardly extending arm 74 is molmted to swing freely upon the shaft 80 and carrriesa drum which is arranged to run upon the body of the elastic thread wound upon the supply reel. The drum 70 is fast to a shaft 72 carried by the ing zone. The elastic thread to the elastic thread tends to zone of oversize diameter in in a frame having a base 12 and p 'Fig. 1, is mounted a motor having a shaft 52 with pulley l8 and these are arranged. to or disengaged from a pinion 22- and itsaxisis' a peripheral movement of driving pulley 84.

At the left end of the base plate, as seen in driving pulleys thereon. One of these pulleys is belted through a cross belt 50 to the driving pulley 18'of the winding mechanism, and the other pulley is connected through an open belt 54 to the pulley 84 on the rear end of the shaft 80. The shaft carries a small intermediate pulley which, in turn, is connected through a cross belt '78 to. the pulley 76 on the drum shaft 72.

It will be notedthat both the roll 28, which determines the peripheral speed of the core, and the drum 70 are driven from the shaft 52. Their relative speed is, therefore, fixed in definite ratio. Constructed in the proportions shown, the peripheral speed of the drum 70 is substantially one-sixth of the peripheral speed of the roll 28. The drum 70 .rests upon the body of elastic thread wound upon the reel 62 and by its rotation in a clockwise direction rotates the reel in anti-clockwise direction so as to unwind the clasticthread from the bottom thereof. The thread leaving the reel 82 is conducted away from it toward the right as shown in Fig. 1, and about an idle pulley 68- iournaled in the upper end of the bracket 66 secured to the base plate 10. From the pulley 88 the thread to the left and makes a complete turn about the drum 70 from which it passes to a guide roll 92 mounted in a bracket 90 adjacent tothe winding mechanism. After passing beneath the guide roll 92, the thread passes over the contracted waist of the roll 28 and about the core being wound. 7

The purpose of leading the thread away from the supply roll 62 is toclear the thread from the rotating reel, prevent back winding and maintain a supply of untensioned thread; In about the drum 70, a feeding relation is established which is practically positive as the frictional engagement of the elastic thread about the entire circumference of the. drum prevents the possibility of slippage. The drum 70, therefore, by its rotation advances the thread to the core at a definite rate of linear speed which, as

already stated, may be one-sixth of the periph-- eral speed of rotation of the core. It will thus be seen that the elastic thread is first unwound from the supply reel and relieved of initial tension and then advanced to the winding point at a predetermined rate. If the ratio is one to six, each unit length of threadwill be stretched to, six times its untensioned length in passing from the feed drum 70 to the core being wound and wfll be, accordingly, tensioned to a definite degree which, for convenience, may be expressed in terms of elongation. This method of handling the thread is represented diagrammatically in Fig.4, where A" of the drum 70 is shown as corresponding to a peripheral movement of .3" in the feed roll 28.

It will be apparent that the condition above outlined exists throughout the winding of the core and during its increase in diameter, and that the peripheral speed of the core is uniform regardless of its diameter and equal to the peripheral speed of the tapered feed roll 28. Similarly, the peripheral speed of the supply reel 62 is uniformregardless of its diameter and equal to the peripheral speed of the drum '70 which, by its weight, follows the body of thread upon the reel as the latter decreases in diameter. The const'ructionabove disclosed, therefore,

insuresa supply of elastic thread to the core being wound under a predetermined uniform degree of ten sionthroughout the winding operation. It will be apparent, moreover, that the degree of tension may be readily varied by changing the ratio of pulley diameters and elongation imposed upon the thread, corresponding to any desired degree of tension, or the same result may be secured by be noted that-before the machine of my invention was available, manufacturers have had no assurance in advance as to the grade ofthe cores being produced but have been obliged to subject them individually to a resiliency test. A core wound with high tension travels farthest in re-' sponse to severe blow and balls with'such'cores are desired by players of professional skill, whereas a ball having a core wound with a medium tension is much more satisfactory for the average player. By suitably controlling the rate at which the thread is released tothe core in the machine of my invention, it is possible to produce cores wound with a high tension, a medium tension or a low tension, as desiredby the requirements of the trade.

.In securing the improved resultsrendered pos-- sible for the first time by the use of my invention, a very important factor is the elimination of an uncertain and variable initial tension in the elastic thread. It will be understood that when a reel is rotated merely by the pull of the thread, the

tension required varies, not only on account of local irregularities, such as the thread beirk jammed against one end of the reel, but that as the size of the reel is reduced the moment arm ofthe effective pull is decreased so that an in creased tension is required to turn the reel, and alsoas the size of the reel decreases, it must be rotated at increasingly higher speed to supply the. same length of thread; All of these uncertain factors are eliminated in accordance with the construction of my invention by the provi- 'sion of the drum 10. whichacts to turn the reel at a uniform rate regardless of its size and of the position of the thread thereon. The thread fed from the reel 62 is removed therefrom and led through a predetermined path, wherein its initial tension may be controlled or reduced to a negligible quantity so that when it is again engaged by the feed drum "10 it arrives in a uniform condition in regard to its tension, The amoimt of winding tension is'thereupon determined by the relative speed of the drum '10 and the core rotating roller 28. The guide roll 92 is mounted to rotate freely in anti-friction bearings and, consequently, has no appreciable effect upon the .tension of the thread passing beneath it. While I have shown the thread as making a complete turn about the feed drum 70, it will beunderstood that any arrangement which enables this roll or equivalent mechanism to control the rate of feed of the thread would be within the scope of the invention. v

Having thus described ,gny invention, what I claim as new and desire-tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

v. 3' l.mawindingmachinc,meansforrotating a core at a predetermined rate of peripheral speed, and means for feeding an elastic thread theretoatarateoflinearspeedbearingapre determined fractional ratio to the periphe rate ofspeedofthecore. g

- 2. In awinding'machine, means for rotating a core at a predetermined. rate of'peripheral speed, and means located at-'a distance 7 from the corefor feeding an elastic thread thereto and having elements acting, to advance the thread at a predetermined and slower rate of linear'speedthantheperipheralspeedofthe 3. In a winding machine, means for rotating a core at a uniform peripheral speed, and feed ing mechanism foran elastic. thread, including a driven roll for advancing d to the core at a fl redrate of linear speed which is slower thanthe peripheral speed of the core.

In a. winding machine, means for rotating ,a core ,ata uniform peripheral speed regardless of its diameter, a supply jreel of-elastic thread, and driven feeding mechanism for; delivering thread from said reel without substantial initial tension and-for thereafter releasing it'to the core at a fixed rate of linear speed which is slower than the peripheral of the core. j

5. In a winding machin driven means for rotating a core at a uniformperlpheral speed, a supply of elastic thread, and a driven roller for turning'tbereel to unwind the thread upon it and iorpositively advancing the unwound threerl to the core at a predetermined fractionalrateof the speed at which the core is wound.

8. In a winding machine, mechanism for roing thread from the reel to relieve the thread of initial tension inchrding a feedroller for en-, gaging the unwound thread andadvancing it uniformly ata fractional rate of the at,

which the core is woundthereby a predetermined tension in the thread.

'7. In a winding machine, mechanism for rotating a core for winding the same at a uniform peripheral rate of speed, a' driven feed roller act'- ing to receivejelastic withputsubstan initial tension and beingidrlven t release it to the core at a fractional rate of the speed at which the coreisbeingwound.'

8. In a winding machine, a roller arranged. to support and rotate a core at a substantially miform peripheral rate of a feed roller arranged to receive elastic thread, a driven supply at a substantially uniform rate," the unwound.

thread thereafter making a complete turn about said driven roller and being released thereby to the core at a different rate-from that at which the core is rotated.

10. In a winding machine, a roller acting to rotate a core at predetermined rate of peripheral.

speed, a supply reel 01' elastic thread, a movable arm adiacent thereto, a driven roller car- 'tating a core at a uniform peripheral speed. a supply reei of elastic thread, means for-unwind machine, for ro v riedbythearmandarrangedtorunuponthe bodyotthethreadinthereeltounwindthe some, means for guiding the unwound thread awayiromthereelandthenbacktoandaboutsaid driven roller, and means for driving said rollers at different speeds to advance thread to the core under a predetermined degree of tension.

11. In a winding machine, a core rotating roller, means for driving the same at uniform speed, and mechanism for advancing an elastic thread thereto including a feed roller and means for driving it at a peripheral speed bearing a predetermined fractional .ratio to the peripheral speed of said core-rotating roller.

12. A winding machine comprising means for supporting and rotating ,a spherical core about a predetermined axis to receive an elastic thread and at vthe same time leaving the core free to 1 be anguiarly displaced, means for delivering thread in a definite winding zone, and a roll with a convex rim, Journaied to rotate about an axis extending at all times at right angles to the winding zone, contacting with the core in the winding zone and tending automatically by reacting with the wound thread to displace the core as the diameter of the winding zone innosaoea 13. A winding machine comprising means for rotating a spherical core about an axis at right angles to its winding plane to receive an elastic thread, and a roller with a transversely curved rim contacting with the core, the roller being conflnedtorotatewithitsriminsaidplaneand reacting with the most recently delivered turns oi'threadtodisplacethecoretoon'esideor other from the point of contact.

14; In a winding machine, means for rotating a core at a uniform rate of peripheral speed throughout the winding operation and about a predetermined axis to wind an-elastic thread thereomand means acting independently oi the 25 ARTHUR F. m. 5

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