US2248149A - Winding device - Google Patents

Description

July 8, 1941. 0, WILSON WINDING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 27. 1939 INVENTOR B4) 0. 144450 AOEY.

Patented July 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDING DEVICE Ray 0. Wilson, Los Angeies, Cali! assignor to Ralph D. Collins Application October 27, 1939, Serial No. 301.585

' 15 Claims.

My invention relates to a winding apparatus and has particular reference to an apparatus for rewinding a helically coiled member to reverse the pitch thereof.

In the manufacture of rubber insulated electrical conductors, such as extension cords and the like, it has been proposed to cure or vuicanize the rubber with the cord wound into an elongated helically coiled shape so that after curing and vulcanizing. the cord would tend to remain in this coiled shape. It has been suggested that cords formed in this iashion would have the advantage of always being automatically extensible and retractable so as to just reach between the devices to which the opposite e ds of the cord are attached. It is contended that the use of a cord of this type on an electric iron. for example, would provide for the cord extending between the electrical outlet and the iron without appreciable slack, thus permitting the iron to be moved to and fro while the cord extends and retracts to continuously take up the slack.

It has also been suggested that it would be very diillcult to so form a helix of rubber or similar resilient material as to cause the helix to return after extension to a form in which adiacent loops of the helix are in close contact with each other, and it has been proposed to reverse the pitch of the helix after the forming thereof to increase the available restoring force and thus cause the adjacent loops of the reversed helix to lie in the desired close contact with each other.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide an apparatus for reversing the pitch of a pre-formed helically coiled resilient member.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an apparatus for making an extension device by reversing the pitch of a pre-formed hellcally coiled resilient member.

It is an additional object of my invention to provide an apparatus for re-winding a helically coiled resilient member in a reversed direction to reverse the pitch of the helix.

It is a further object of mylnvention to provide an apparatus of the character set forth in the preceding paragraphs in which means is provided for cutting the resilient member at predetermined spaced points along its length to provide a plurality of relatively short rewound helices from a single relatively long pre-formed helix.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an apparatus of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph in which the cutting operation is performed without perceptibly interrupting the re-winding operation.

It is an additional object of my invention to provide an apparatus of the character set forth in the preceding paragraph in which means is provided for controlling the linear length of member included in each of the rewound helices.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide an apparatus of the character set forth in the preceding paragraphs in which a means is provided for preventing Jamming oi the member in the re-winding apparatus.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an apparatus of the character set forth in the preceding paragraphs which includes means for feeding the resilient member about a stationary mandrel, a means for guiding the movement of the member to form a helix of reversed pitch, and a means for moving the rewound helix axially along the stationary mandrel.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a study of the following specifications, read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one form of the re-winding apparatus of my invention and showing the manner in which the preformed helix is supported and the manner. in which the rewound helix is discharged from the machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus shown in Fig. l and illustrating details of construction, particularly as regards the manner in which the cut-oil tool is actuated;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view with parts shown in section, this view being taken substantially along the line III-III of Fig. 2 to illustrate the relative disposition of parts and the manner in which the resilient member is fed onto the forming mandrel; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line IVIV of Fig. 3 to illustrate additional details of construction of the feeding, guiding, forming and cutting apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated herein the form of the apparatus of my invention which is particularly adapted to the rewinding of a heiically coiled member in which the member comprises a rubber insulated electrical cord. As shown in Fig. 1 the apparatus may be supported at a convenient height above the floor or other working surface by means of a rack or framework I which includes a pair of spaced rails 2 and 3 carried upon a plurality of downwardly extending legs 4. Upon the rails 2 and 3 may be mounted a supporting plate -5 upon which is adapted to rest a re-winding apparatus 6 and a supporting device 1 upon which may be carried a resilient member 8 which has been wound into a helically coiled shape as indicated at 9.

In the manufacture of insulated electrical cords a relatively great length long cylindrical mandrel it prior to the curing or vulcanization of the raw rubber insulation which is placed about the electrical conductors.

helically wound rubber it is proposed to wind of the cord 8 about a It is proposed to thereupon cure or vulcanize the rubber so as to pre-form the member 8 into the helically coiled shape 8.

The supporting structure I may accordingly include a pair of uprights ll upon which is mounted bearings l2 and I! (see Figs. 3 and 4). Extended betwren these bearings and rotatably supported the: ein is a short sleeve l4 having an internal bore ll extending therethrough having a diameter such as to loosely and slidably receive the long mandrel III so that as one end l8 of the helically coiled member 8 is pulled from the mandrel It the mandrel and sleeve l4 may rotate within the bearings l2 and i8 while permitting the mandrel III to be progressively slid through the sleeve [4 to continuously dispose the feeding end of the helix 8 substantially adjacent the bearings l2. This accordingly Provides for the maintenance of the feeding end l8 of the member 8 in a substantially fixed location relative to the re-winding apparatus 8 which is also carried by the supporting plate 5.

The re-winding apparatus 8 may include a base portion l1 upon which is carried a cylindrical housing l8 having a boss l8 formed on the upper side thereof to define a mounting space for an electric motor 28 or other suitable source of power. The electric motor 28 may be drlvably connected to the re-winding apparatus by means of a belt 21 encircling a pulley 22 affixed to the shaft of the motor 28 and another pulley 23 secured to a drive shaft 24 which extends into the cylindrical housing I! in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof.

As is shown in Fig. 2, the drive shaft 24 is journaled within the housing I! as by means of bearings 25, a worm 28 being secured to the shaft 24 intermediately of the spaced bearings 25 and in a position to drivably engage a worm wheel 21. The worm wheel 21 is non-rotatably secured as by means of a pin 28 to a rotating sleeve '28 which is in turn iournaled for rotation about an axis disposed parallel to the axis of the cylindrical housing l8 by means of a suitable bearing 38. The bearing 88 may be conveniently carried in its proper position by insertion into an elongated boss 8| formed on a housing cover member 82 which may be secured to one end of the housing 18 as by means of bolts 83. The bearing 30 comprises substantially the only support for the sleeve 28 and is consequently made relatively long relative to the length of the sleeve 28 so as to effectively prevent, any transverse'loads which are imposed upon the sleeve from causing a mis-alignment between the sleeve and the bearing 80.

The sleeve 28 is preferably reduced in diameter at its outer end and threaded as indicated at 34 to receive anut 85 which may be screwed thereon to clamp a spur gear 88 between the nut and a flange 31 formed on the outer end of the sleeve 28. The spur gear 85 is intended to drive the feeding and winding apparatus which effects the re-winding operation on the resilient member 8. This apparatus may be carried on a bracket member 88 which may be secured to the housing cover 82 by means of bolts 38 passed through a flange portion 48 of the bracket 38 and threaded into bosses 4| formed on the outer surface of the cover 32.

As shown in Fig. 4 the bracket 38 is bored as indicated at 42 to rotatably receive a short shaft 48. Upon one end of the shaft 43 is aflixed a spur gear 44 of such size and disposed in such location as to mesh with the aforemention d guano spur gear 88 carried by the sleeve 28. Upon the opposite end of the shaft 48 is mounted a feeding wheel 45 which has a groove 44 formed a therein adapted to receive the resilient member 8. The bottom of the groove may be scored or otherwise suitably roughened as indicated at 41 to provide a substantial frictional contact between the ieeding wheel 45 and the resilient member 8. The resilient member 8 may be forced into firm engagement with the bottom of the groove 48 by means of a grooved idler wheel 48. This wheel maybe mounted for adjustable movement toward and away from the feed wheel 45 by means of an arm 48 which is pivotally secured as indicated at 58 to the bracket 38 and which rotatably supports upon the other end the idler wheel 48. .An adjusting screw 5| may be employed as desired to regulate the distance between the idler wheel 48 and the feed wheel 45.

It will be perceived that rotation of the electric motor 25 operates to likewise rotate the drive shaft 24 through the belted connection thereto and that rotation of the drive shaft 24 will be translated into rotation of the sleeve 28 within its bearing 38. The sleeve 29 being drivably engaged with the feeding wheel 45 through the spur gears 38 and 44 thus operates to rotate the feeding wheel 45. The direction of rotation of the motor 20 is so chosen as to cause the feeding wheel 45 to rotate in a direction to feed the length of resilient material 8 toward the center of the overhung bracket member 38.

Suitable alignment of the feeding end l8 of the resilient member 8, the feed wheel 45 and the idler wheel 48 may be insured by the employment of a guiding shoe 52. This shoe may, if desired, comprise a funnel-shaped member having a bore therethrough adapted to freely pass the resilient member 8 and is disposed in alignment with the groove 46 in the feeding wheel 45.

As the end 86 of the resilient member 8 is fed toward the center of the overhung bracket 38 by the feeding wheel- 45 it is received in a helical channel 53 which is formed in the exterior of a plug member 54 received in an enlarged bore 55 provided in the overhung bracket 38. The bore 55 is preferably disposed in axial alignment with the sleeve 29. The channel 53 which is formed about the exterior of the plug member 54 preferably makes one full turn so as to guide the end It of the resilient member about one full helical turn in the desired direction of re-winding. The outermost end of the plug member 54 is reduced in diameter as indicated at 55 and threaded to receive a stationary mandrel 51. The mandrel 51 is provided with a diameter slightly smaller than the desired inside diameter of the helical shape into which the resilient member 8 is to be rewound.

I prefer to provide a means for reducing the friction between the resilient member 8 and the outer walls of the bore 55 during the time the resilient member 8 is beingfed around the helical groove 53. For this purpose a plurality of rollers 58 may be employed. The rollers 58 may be disposed in such locations as to define a circle having a diameter substantially equal to the desired exterior diameter of the helical coil to be formed by re-winding the resilient member 8. Each of these rollers is accordingly preferably rotatably supported upon a pin 59 which is threadedly engaged with the body portion of the overhung bracket 38.

It will be observed that as the length of the snares resilient material I is fed into the re-winding apparatus by the feeding wheel It an entering end thereof is guided about the first turn of the desired helical shape by means of the helical groove 83 and that continued operation of the feeding end thereof outwardly along the stationary mandrel l1.

It has been found that improved re-winding can be achieved byemploying a means which tends to also pull the resilient material along the helical path defined by the groove 53. For this P se I employ a rotating sleeve 60 which is mounted concentrically with the mandrel 81 and supported for rotation by means of pin bearings II carried in a carrier 62 which may in turn be secured to the outermost end of the bracket 38 as by means of through a flange portion 64 formed on the carrier 82. Rotation may be imparted to the sleeve it by forming gear teeth BI end thereof in a position to be drivably engaged with a spur gear 66 carried on the outermost end of the counter-shaft II.

The sleeve is provided with a here which the rewound coil of resilient material is passed. This bore may, if desired, be tapered so as to have that end which is located nearest the guiding slightly larger than the dimeter of the opposite end thereof. The gear the gear 68 and the gear formed ripheral speed of higher than the peripheral speed of the resilient material as it is fed along the mandrel 51.

Should the coils of the rewound material tend to expand sufllciently to bring the outermost surfaces thereof into contact with the walls of the sleeve 60, the frictional engagement between these through through the guiding channel but also to reduce the diameter of the coils to a point where they no longer engage the interior walls of the sleeve til. Onthe other hand, the pushing oi the material into the guide channel 53 by the feeding wheel 45 tends to increase the diameters of the coils to prevent their dragging against the exterior of the stationary mandrel 51. It will be seen that these two tendencies are automatically balanced in such manner as to provide for free and ready discharge of the helical coil from the machine as it is formed by the machine.

It is intended that the length of resilient material 8 which is included in each of the preformed helical coils 9 which are to be rewound by the previously described re-winding apparatus be as long as can be conveniently handled during the pre-forming operation. This length will, in most cases, be much greater than the desired length of material to be included in each of the rewound helical extension members and I, therefore, prefer to include in my apparatus a cutting device for cutting the resilient member 8 into such lengths as may be desired. This cutting operation may be readily performed by means of a 3 cutting knife 87 which is secured in one end of a slidable rod 68 as by means of a screw 8! threaded into the end of the receive the cutting blade II. The blade" may be secured in the slot formed in the screw 6! as by means of a pin 10. The slldable rod I is mounted for axial slidable movement by providing a bore II which may constitute anextension of the bore in which the mandrel i1 is threadedly received.

The plug member 84 is slotted as indicated at which defines a path of movement for the blade I! extending completely across one portion of the channel II so that movement of the blade I to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 blade to pass completely across that portion of the channel II and sever the resilient member at that point.

The slidable rod II is supported for axial slidmeans of the aforementioned able movement by H and also by means of a coaxial bore II securing the cup leather body Ti is preferably provided with a tail-piece which passes through a bore ll formed in a cylinder head portion Ila of the cylinder block '15 and serves as a guide for guiding the movement of the piston and the rod to which it is attached. The tail-piece 80 may be threaded as indicated at 82 and a nut and washer arrangement 8384 may be employed to clamp the cup leather 19 against the inward face of the piston body 11.

with the resilient member I may be caused by admitting a pneumatic fluid under pressure (for example, compressed air) into the space between the piston 1i and the cylinder head Ila. I accordingly provide an air passage II which communicates between the cylinder It and a control valve indicated generally at ll. The control valve may include an air supply port which extends into communication'with a valve chamber 9!, the valve chamber 8i and the supply port 90 being formed in a valve 92. The air passage 88 is also extended into co the left from vbe controlled by means of whichisadaptedtobepressed tionship with the endof the ber 03 and carries which one end of the spring 04 may bear, the other end of the spring plished by V disposed shaft munication with the compressedairslmpiiedthroughthesunn yn ilmaybeconductcdthroughthepassageltto eflect the desired sliding movement of the piston 16. n

of the air into the passage 08 ma a valve member 9;

into scaling relasupply passage 00 by means of a compression spring 04 disposed in encircling relationship with a valve stem 05. The valve stem 00 is secured to the valve mema flange portion 90 against 04 bearing against a bored plug member 01 threadedly engaged with a bore 00 formed in a boss 00 and adapted to receive the spring ll.

It will be seen that should the valve stem 95 be retracted against the restoring force of the spring 0| so as to place the supply passage 90 into communication with the air passage 00, the flow ofpneumatic fluid under pressure into the space between the piston I0 and cylinder head he would operate to move the piston to the left as viewed in Fig. 2 and effect a cutting operation of the resilient member 0. This retraction of the valve member it may be accomcoupling a solenoid" I00 to the protruding end of the valve stem 05.

Actuation of the solenoid at the properly timed intervals to cut the resilient member 0 into the desired lengths may be accomplished by interposing in the electrical circuit for the solenoid I00 a control switch IOI which is adapted to be closed at intervals the length of which are in turn controlled by the amount of resilient member I which has been fed past the cutting member 01.

Such a'control of the switch III may be delived by means of a switch actuating mechanism which includes a counter-shaft I02 extending transversely into the main housing Ill. The counter-shaft I02 is Journaled for rotation within a boss portion I03 .of the housing I0 and carries on its inward end a bevel gear I04 drivably engaged with a similar bevel gear I00 which may be secured to the aforementioned worm wheel 21 by means of the pin 20. The exterior end of the counter-shaft I02 is provided with a worm I06 adapted to drive a enacting worm wheel I01.

Theworm wheel I01 is secured to a vertically I00 which is iournaled for rotation in a bearing bracket I00 carried by the boss I00. Upon the upper end of the shaft I00 is afflxed a thrust collar I I0 adapted to prevent downward movement of the shaft I00 through its bearing I00. The thrust collar IIO may be secured to the shaft III as by means of a pin III which may also serve as a switch actuating means having an outer end III thereof disposed in a position to momentarily close the switch IOI once each revolution of the shaft I00 by engaging a switch trig er III.

It will be observed that the amount of resilient material 0 which is fed past the cutter 61 for each revolution of the switch actuating means Iii is dependent upon the gear ratios embodied in the bevel gears Ill-I00 and the worm drive I00-401. According y. the amount of material to be included in each cut length can be readily controlled by adjusting the gear ratio of the worm drive I00-I01 and for.this purpose I prefer to'mount the switch iflllupon an extension Ill of the bearing bracket I00 and in turn slidvalve chamber 0| so that ably secure the extension Ill to the boss I02 so that the spacing between the shaft I00 and the shaft I02 may be altered at will to accommodate different sizes of worm wheels I01.

It will be" observed that whenever suflicient material has been rewound into the desired helical shape to cause the switch actuating device III to operate the control switch i0I to complete the circuit to the solenoid I00, air under pressure will be admitted to the cylinder It and cause the cutter 61 to be rapidly moved across the path of the resilient material 8 and sever this material.

' The piston 10 and the cutter shaft 00 secured thereto may be retracted from this position by means of a compression spring H5 which is disposed ln encircling relationship with the cutter shaft 60 and adapted to extend between the sleeve 29 and the piston I6. I accordingly provide an extension IIS on the sleeve 20, this extension having a smaller exterior diameter at this point so as to provide a shoulder II'I against which one end of the compression, spring IIi may bear. Since the compression spring H5 is, in this fashion, caused to rotate with the sleeve 20 while the piston I8 is non-rotatably received within the cylinder II, I prefer to interpose a thrust hearing IIO between the other end of the compression spring II! and the piston body 11.

It will be observed that as soon, as the circuit to the solenoid I00 is broken, the valve member illwill be again moved into sealing relationship with the air supply passage 00 by means of the compression spring 04, thus permitting the main compression spring 5 to force the piston I6 and the cutter Bl carried thereby in a returning direction to their retracted position, the reaction force of the spring I I5 tending to move the sleeve 20 to the'leit being absorbed in a thrust bearing I I9 which islnterposed between the worm wheel 21 and the inward end of the bearing boss 0|. The movement of the piston I0 toward the retracted position may be arrested by means of a stop member I20 carried by the washer 04 in a position to engage the inner wall of the cylinder head 8Ia at the time the piston is moved to its retracted position.

The air which is displaced by this returning movement of the piston may be discharged through an exhaust III which is also extended into communication with the valve chamber 0i. In order, however, to prevent the pneumatic fluid under pressure from passing from the supply passage 90 directly to the exhaust I2I during the time the valve stem 05 is retracted by the solenoid I00, I arrange the valve chamber 0i and the valve member 83 in such fashion that when the valve stem is retracted the valve member 82 will be moved into sealing engagement with a communicating passage I22 extended between the exhaust I2l and the valve chamber 0| so as to close off the connection between the valve chamber 0| and the exhaust I2I.

I prefer to so construct the valve 00 as to cause the piston 16 to be moved in the cutting direction extremely rapidly and I also prefer to arrange the spring H5 in such fashion that the returning movement of the piston and the cutter may be made with equal rapidity. The control switch III is also preferably arranged so that the circuit to the solenoid I00 is closed for a sufllcient length of time to cause the cutter 01 to completely sever the resilient member 0 and then to immediately open this circuit. By arranging the cutting mechanism in this fashion so that it may be extremely fast in its action, there will be no perceptible interruption in the ieeding of the resilient material I since the cutter merely darts across the path of the material and back again with such rapidity that there is caused substantially no slippage between the feeding wheel .5 and the resilient material 8.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have provided a winding apparatus which is particularly adapted for the rewinding of a long length of resilient material which has been preformed into the shape of an elongated helical coil and that this apparatus is adapted to re-wind this resilient member in such direction that the pitch of theresulting helical coil is opposite to the pitch of the coil originally formed by the member. It will be apparent that this reversal is accomplished in the form of the apparatus described by rotating the original and rewound helix in the same direction while reversing the direction of propagation of the helix. 'It will be apparent, of course, that the same results could be achieved by reversing the direction of rotation of the two helices while maintaining the direction of propagation of the same.

It will be further observed that the device of my invention is adapted to automatically cut a relatively long length of resilient material into any number of desired short lengths during the rewinding operation without perceptibly interrupting this re-winding operation.

It will be further observed that the form of the machine which I have just described is characterized by the provision of a unique feeding device which is adapted to be responsive to the diameter of the helix formed by the re-winding operation and which functions to simultaneously push and pull the material through the helix forming portion of the machine to thus prevent any jamming of the material in the machine.

While I have described my invention as being embodied in an apparatus particularly adapted for the re-winding of a helical member comprising a rubber insulated electrical conductor, it is to be understood that this device may be employed for the manufacture of extension devices comprising a helically coiled resilient member in which the pitch of the coils of the helix are reversed after forming irrespective of the nature of the resilient member employed.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to any of the details of construction shown or described herein, except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for making extension devices from a resilient member which has been pre-formed into an elongated helical coil, the combination of: means for supporting said preformed coil for rotation about its longitudinal axis; and means engageable with one end of said coil for moving said end through a helical path having a pitch opposite to the pitch of said preformed coil.

2. In an apparatus for making extension devices from a resilient member which has been pre-formed into an elongated helical coil, the combination of means for supporting said preformed coil for rotation about its longitudinal axis; a means defining a helical path having a pitch opposite to the pitch of said pre-formed coil: and means engageable with said resilient member for feeding said member from said preiormed coil and about said helical path.

3. In an apparatus for making extension devices from a resilient member which has been preformed into an elongated helical coil, the combination of means 101' supporting said preformed coil for rotation about its longitudinal axis; a means defining a helical path having a pitch opposite to the pitch of said pre-formed coil; means engageable with said resilient member for feeding said member from said preformed coil and about said helical path; and means for confining said member in said path.

4. In an apparatus for making extension devices from a resilient member which has been pre-formed into an elongated helical coil, the combination of: means for supporting said preformed coil for rotation about its longitudinal axis; means defining a. helical path having a pitch opposite to the pitch of said pre-formed coil; means for feeding said resilient member from one end of said pre-iormed coil and about said helical path; and means for feeding said pre-formed coil in the direction of its longitudinal axis to continuously dispose said end in alignment with said helical path as said resilient material is unwound from said pre-formed coil.

5. In an apparatus for making extension devices from a resilient member which has been pre-formed into an elongated helical coil, the combination of: means for supporting said preformed coil for rotation about its longitudinal axis; means defining a helical path for said resilient member having a pitch opposite to the pitch of said pre-formed coil; a feeding means disposed between said path and said coil and engageable with said resilient member to push said resilient member about said helical path to rewind said member into a helical coil; rotatable sleeve means disposed in a position to receivesgid rewound helical coil as it is discharged fromeaid path; and means for rotating said sleeve member in the direction of rotation of said rewound coil and at a speed higher than the peripheral speed of said rewound coil.

6. In an apparatus for making extension devices from a resilient member which has been preformed into an elongated helical coil, the combination of means for supporting said preformed coil for rotation about its longitudinal axis; a means defining a helical path having a pitch opposite to the pitch of said pre-formed coil; means engageable with said resilient memher for feeding said member from said pre-formed coil and about said helical path; andcutter means mounted for reciprocal movement across said path to out said member.

7. In a winding apparatus for winding an elongated member into a plurality of elongated helical coils, the combination of means for supporting a supply of said member; means engageable with said member for feeding said member from said supply and winding said member into a helical coil; cutter means mounted for reciprocal movement across the path of movement of said member to cut said member; and actuating means for said cutter means responsive to feeding of predetermined amounts of said member to reciprocate said cutter and out said member into predetermined lengths.

8. In an apparatus for making extension devices from a resilient member which has been pre-formed into an elongated helical coil, the combination of: means for supporting said preformed coil; means engageable with said resilient member for feeding said member from said preformed coil and winding said member into a helical coil having a pitch opposite to the pitch of said pre-formed coil; and means for cutting said member into predetermined lengths as it is fed from said pre-formed coil including a cutter mounted for reciprocal movement across the path of movement of said member, actuating. means for so moving said cutter, and means responsive to the feeding of predetermined amounts of said member for controlling said actuating means.

9. In a rewinding device, the combination of; means for feeding an elongated member from a source of supply and about a helical path; a cutter mounted for reciprocal movement across the path of movement of said member; a cylinder; a piston connected to said cutter and movable in said cylinder for reciprocating said cutter; a source of pneumatic fluid under pressure; valve means for controlling admission of said pneumatic fluid to said cylinder; and control means for controlling the operation of said valve means including a means responsive to the feeding of a predetermined amount of said member past said cutter.

10. In an apparatus for making extension devices from a resilient member which has been pre-i'ormed into an elongated helical coil, the combination of: means for supporting said preformed member for rotary movement in a specifled direction about its longitudinal axis; means for feeding said member from one end of said pre-formed coil; means mounting said preformed coil for axial movement in one direction as said member is fed therefrom; means for guiding said member about a helical path to form a rewound helical coil rotating in said predetermined direction; and means for feeding said rewound coil axially in a direction opposite to the direction of axial movement of said pre-formed gall, whereby said member is rewound into a h fieifi-coil having a pitch opposite to the pitch of said pre-formed coil.

11. In a winding apparatus for winding an elongated member into a plurality of elongated helical coils, the combination of means for supporting a supply of said member; means engageable with said member for continuously feeding said member from said supply and winding said member into a helical coil; cutter means mounted for reciprocal movement across the path of movement of said member to out said member; control means actuatable in response to feeding of predetermined amounts of said member past said cutter; and cutter drive means responsive to actuation 1 said control means for reciprocating said cutter with such rapidity as to cut said member without perceptibly interrupting said feeding thereof.

12. In a winding apparatus for winding an elongated member into an elongated helical coil, the combination of: means for supporting a supply of said member; feeding means for feeding said member from said supply in the direction of its length; a cylindrical housing member having an opening therein for receiving said member as it is fed from said feeding means; a plug member supported coaxially within said housing member; means on said plug member defining a helical groove thereabout having a cross section substantiall identical with the cross section of said elongated member; and anti-friction means carried by said housing member and overlying said helical groove for confining said member in said groove as it is fed tberethrough by said feeding means.

13. In a winding apparatus for winding an elongated member into an elongated helical coil, the combination of 2 means for supporting a simply of said member; feeding means for feeding said member from said supply in the direction of its length; a cylindrical housing member having an opening therein for receiving said member as it is fed from said feeding means; a plug member supported coaxially within said housing member; means on said plug member defining a helical groove thereabout having a cross section substantially identical with the cross section of said elongated member and anti-friction means comprising a plurality of rollers disposed with their axes parallel to the axis of said helical groove and carried by said housing member in a position extending across said groove to confine said member within said groove as it is fed therethrough by said feeding means.

14. In a winding apparatus for winding an elongated member into an elongated helical coil, the combination of: means for supporting a supply of said member; fedding means for feeding said member from said supply in the direction of its length; a cylindrical housing member having an opening therein for receiving said member as it is fed from said feeding means; a plug member supported coaxially within said housing member; means on said plug member defining a hellcal groove thereabout having a cross section substantially identical with the cross section of said elongated member; anti-friction means carried by said housing member and overlying said helical groove for confining said member in said groove as it is fed therethrough by said feeding means; and a stationary mandrel secured to said plug member and mounted coaxially therewith for receiving said helical coil as it is fed from said helical groove.

15. In a winding apparatus for winding an elongated member into an elongated helical coil, the combination of: means for supporting a supply of said member; feeding means for feeding said member from said supply in the direction of its length; a cylindrical housing member having an opening therein for receiving said member as it is fed from said feedingmeans; a plug member supported coaxiall within said housing member; means on said plug member defining a helical groove thereabout having a cross section substantially identical with the cross section o! said elongated member; anti-friction means carried by said housing member and overlying said helical groove for confining said member in said groove as it is fed therethrough by said feedingmeans; a stationary mandrel secured to said plug member and mounted coaxiaily therewith for receiving said helical coil as it is fed from said helical groove; a rotatable sleeve surrounding said mandrel and having an internal diameter substantially equal to the desired external diameter of said helical coil; and meansfor rotating said sleeve member in the same direction as said member is fed from said helical groove and at a peripheral speed greater than the speed of said feeding, whereby engagement between said rotatable sleeve and said helical coil operates to reduce the outside diameter of said coil and prevent jamming of said member within said groove.

RAY o. wnson.

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