Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
11~8576
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods of and ap-
paratus for winding multistrand roving packages and is useful
particularly, but not exclusively, for the packaging of strands
of glass fibre material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
At the present time, multistrand roving packages of
glass fibres are conventionally wound in a secondary winding
operation.
That is to say, sliver packages are firstly spirally
wound in a conventional manner by drawing a multiplicity of
glass filaments, from a former containing molten glass and past
an applicator for applying size or coating material, with the
filaments split into e.g. four strands.
In the secondary winding operation, a plurality of
such sliver packages are creeled and roven together through a
single guide eye to form a multistrand roving package.
It has now become particularly desirable, for economic
reasons, to be able to wind multistrand roving packages from the
strands as soon as the latter have been produced, i.e. in a
single winding operation directly following the filament forming
instead of in the secondary winding mentioned above.
Furthermore, it is desirable to be able to wind a
larger number of strands into a multistrand roving package than
has been possible hitherto.
Moreover, whether or not the multistrand roving package
is wound directly or in a secondary winding operation, it has
been found that there is a distinct need to improve over prior
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multistrand winding methods by providing greater precision of
the winding and thus better defined package edges and split
efficiency than has been possible hitherto. As will be known
to those well versed in the art, the split efficiency is the
ratio of the number of splits or strands obtained on unwinding
a multistrand package to the number of splits or strands which
were originally wound into the package.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Various methods and apparatuses have been proposed in
the past for winding multistrand packages. Most of these prior
art arrangements employ guide elements which are located at a
considerable distance from the package build and a conventional
wire beater or similar strand traversing mechanism, which results
in a package without a well defined edge. This is because the
varying and generally increasing tension resulting from increases
in the package diameter causes the beater to produce transverse
motions in the strand array which are not ent rely predictable
and which generally decrease in transverse direction and produce
the well-known feather-edge build. This package build has the
most undesirable effect of containing groups of strands in which
one strand of any array is wrapped on a substantially larger or
smaller diameter of the package than another strand in the same
array, which results, upon unwinding of the array, in different
developed lengths within the array, commonly known as catenaries,
which are detrimental in subsequent operations, since the greater
lengths of the longest strands of the array cause looping and
snarling. Moreover, feather edges are easily damaged in sub-
sequent handling.
Furthermore, the feather-edge build has a larger dia-
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meter at its centre than at its opposite ends and, as this larger
diameter increases, it eventually touches the traversing mech-
anism. This can be counteracted by withdrawing the traversing
mechanism by a complicated and therefore undesirable retracting
mechanism, but eventually a package shape approaching a spherical
shape will be reached, which is not acceptable since there is a
limit to the possible variation in package diameters which can,
in practice, be utilized without causing unacceptable catenaries
on unwinding of the packages and without the packages occupying
too much space during storage and transportation.
In United States Patent Number 4,130,248, issued
December 19, 1978 to Hendricks et al, there is disclosed a method
and apparatus for packaging multistrand roving in which a traverse
mechanism located in close proximity to the package build is
employed for guiding a plurality of strands onto a package.
This traverse mechanism comprises a traverse member
which is mounted for reciprocation along the package by means of
a cylindrical traversing cam of conventional type. A strand
guide member extends upwardly from the traverse member for
guiding the strands towards the package, the strand guide member
being formed with a slot through which the strands pass, and the
strands being tangential to the surface of the package but en-
gaging the surface of the package at respective spaced peripheral
regions.
In this prior art arrangement, the strand guide member
comprises two parallel, guide edges defining the slot, the slot
edges alternately engaging the strands as the strand guide member
is reciprocated.
This has the result that the strands, which travel
along convergent paths to the guide member and are therefore, at
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any given moment, incident upon one of the straight
slot edges at different respective ar.gles, are laterally
deflected by that slot edge through different respective
angles.
Consequently, although the paths of the
strands are equi-angularly spaced before the strands
reach the guide member, they are no longer equi-
angularly spaced after leaving the strand guide member
and upon arrival at the package surface. Furthermore,
the free lengths of the strands, i.e. the distances
between the points at which the strands contact the
slot edge and the points at which they meet the package,
are such as to give an insufficiently predictable de-
position of the strands in the package. The result of
this is that the strands are not deposited in uniformly
peripherally and axially spaced relationship on the
strand package.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the present
invention to provide a novel and improved multistrand
roving winding apparatus and method which provides
greater precision and uniformity than has been possible
hitherto in the deposition of a plurality of strands in
side-by-side relation on a package.
It is a further object of the present inven-
tion to increase the number of strands which can be
simultaneously wound into a multistrand package.
It is a still further object of the present
~iLf~8576
invention to enable conventional strand winding machinery
to be readily adapted, by the use of a novel strand guide,
to the production of multistrand packages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention proceeds from the
realization that when a strand is guided by a strand
guide edge extending at an angle to the path of the
strand, the strand path is deflected by the strand guide
edge through an amount which depends on the angle of
incidence of the strand upon the strand guide edge.
Consequently, when a plurality of convergent strands
are incident at different angles on a common linear
strand guide edge, they are deflected through different
angles by the strand guide edge and consequently the
strands are correspondingly non-uniformly deposited in
the package. Moreover, the lack of uniformity is ag-
gravated by the reciprocation of the array of the strands
which is inherent in this winding method.
The present invention proposes to shape a
strand guide edge so that a plurality of convergent
strands engage edge portions of the guide member which
are angled so as to compensate for the different angles
at which the strands meet the strand guide edge.
More particularly, according to the pre-
sent invention there is provided apparatus for wind-
ing a multistrand roving package, comprising a wind-
ing mandrel; means for guiding a plurality of strands
along convergent paths of travel towards the wind-
ing mandrel; a pair of spaced strand guides in the
~8576
vicinity of the winding mandrel; the guides defining a gap
therebetween for receiving the strands; means for rotating the
winding mandrel about the longitudinal axis thereof to wind the
strands into a package thereon; means for reciprocating the
strand guides parallel to the winding mandrel axis so that the
strand guides alternately engage the strands and thereby deflect
the strands from the strand paths and control deposition of the
strands in such a way as to result in the strands having a
side-by-side relationship in the package after their deposition;
the strand guides each comprising a guide edge having a
plurality of guide edge portions for contacting respective ones
of the strands; and the guide edge portions being so located
that, transversely of the winding mandrel axis, the guide edge
portions are offset towards the winding mandrel from a linearly
disposed relationship to intersect the strand paths at different
respective angles corresponding to the differences in direction
of said strand paths and thereby to compensate for differences
in the deflections of the strands by the guides resulting from
the differences in direction of the strand paths and improve
' 20 the deposition of the strands into the package.
The present invention further provides, in a method of
packaging a multistrand roving which includes rotating a winding
: mandrel about the longitudinal axis thereof to wind a plurality
of strands into a package on the mandrel; guiding the strands
along respective convergent paths of travel towards the winding
mandrel; passing the strands between a pair of spaced strand
guides in the vicinity of the winding mandrel; and reciprocating
the strand guides parallel to the axis so that the strand guides
alternately engage and deflect the strands from the paths for
controlling deposition of the strands into the package; the im-
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3576
provement comprising the step of contacting the strands by
respective guide edge portions of the strand guides so located
that, transversely of the winding mandrel axis the guide edge
portions are offset towards the winding mandrel from a linearly
disposed relationship to intersect the strand paths at different
respective angles corresponding to the differences in direction
of the strand paths and thereby to compensate for differences in
the deflections of the strands by the guides resulting from the
differences in direction of the strand paths and improve the
deposition of the strands into the package.
The present multistrand winding method and apparatus
may be employed for secondary winding but are particularly ad-
vantageous for winding strands from filaments as the filaments
are formed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be more readily understood from the
following description of a preferred embodiment thereof given,
by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:-
Figure 1 is a view taken in side elevation of apparatusfor forming and winding a multistrand roving package;
Figure 2 is a view taken in front elevation of the
apparatus shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 shows a view taken in cross-section through
a traversing cam of the cam and a guide mechanism operated
thereby and forming part of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2;
Figures 4a and 4b show diagrams illustrating the paths
of a plurality of convergent strands extending past a strand
guide edge and onto the periphery of a multistrand package, as
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viewed parallel to the axis of the package;
Figures 5a and 5b show views taken transversely of
the axis of the package and illustrating the axial deflections
of the strands of Figures 4a and 4b;
Figures 6a and 6b are diagrammatic views in perspective
showing the deposition of the strands into the package;
Figures 7 and 8 show diagrammatic views of two differ-
ent arrangements for compensating for tension differences in
the strands;
Figure 9 shows a plan view of a strand guide forming
part of the mechanism of Figure 3;
Figures 10 and 11 show, respectively, a front view and
a side view of the strand guide of Figure 9; and
Figures 12 through 17 show views taken in cross-section
along the lines A-A through F-F, respectively, of Figure 10.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the
drawings, as described in greater detail hereinafter, is par-
20. ticularly intended for forming multistrand roving packages fromstrands of glass fibre. However, it is particularly pointed out
that the invention isnot restricted to use with glass fibre, but
may be employed for packaging roving of other fibrous materials.
Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the
apparatus illustrated therein comprises a feeder or bushing 1
containing molten glass, which flows through orifices in the
- underside of the feeder 1 and is attenuated to form multiple
glass fibre filaments indicated generally by reference numeral 2.
As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the
art, the feeder 1 may be connected to a forehearth (not shown)
l~f38 57 6
to which molten glass flows from a furnace, and the feeder 1 is
of conventional and therefore commonly known construction and is
accordingly not described in greater detail.
From the feeder 1, the multiple filaments 2 are drawn
downwardly past an applicator roller 3 at which a coating
material, for example size, is applied to the filaments 2.
From the application roller 3, the filaments pass fur-
ther downwardly to an upper splitter bar, indicated generally by
reference numeral 5, which comprises a plurality of gathering
shoes or guide rollers 6.
The gathering shoes 6 gather the filaments 2 together
in groups to form them into strands, which are indicated
generally by reference numeral 7.
In the present case, six strands 7 are shown for con-
venience of illustration. However, it is at this point men-
tioned that the present invention is by no means restricted to
operation with six strands, but is particularly useful for
simultaneously winding a greater number of strands, e.g. sixteen
strands or even more.
From the splitter 5, the strands 7 travel downwardly
along divergent paths to a lower splitter bar 8 comprising a
plurality of strand guides 10, from which the strands 7 travel
further downwardly, along downwardly convergent paths of travel,
to a winding collet or mandrel 11, on which the strands 7 are
wound to form a multistrand roving package 12.
An electric motor 14, mounted within a housing 15, is
connected to the winding mandrel 11 through a power transmission
16 and a drive shaft 17 for rotating the mandrel 11.
During the winding of the package 12, the strands 7
are reciprocated to and fro along the package 12 by means of a
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traversing mechanism indicated generally by reference numeral 22.
The traversing mechanism 22 comprises a tubular housing
23 which extends horizontally and parallel to the axis of rota-
tion of the winding mandrel 11 and the package 12.
The tubular housing 23 is carried at the lower end of
a hollow arm 24, the llpper end of which has a hollow end portion
25 journalled within the housing 15.
By rotation of the hollow arm 24 and the tubular
housing 23 about the axis of the hollow end portion 25 of the
hollow arm 24, the guide mechanism illustrated in Figure 3,which
is mounted as described in greater detail hereinafter on the
tubular housing 23, is incrementally pivoted away from the axis
of the winding mandrel 17 as the diameter of the package 12
increases.
For this purpose, the hollow portion 25 is connected
to a package build-up compensator 28.
The motor 14 is also connected through the shaft 17
and a power transmission 30 to a shaft 31 extending through the
hollow portion 25 and a further power transmission 32 to a cam
20 ' shaft 33, on which is mounted a traverse cam 37.
The traverse cam 37 is of cylindrical shape and pro-
vided with a multiple return groove 40 (Figure 3), in which is
engaged a cam follower 41 and a cross-over guide 41a.,
The cam follower 41 projects from a slide block 42
which is provided, at opposite sides thereof, with a pair of
grooves 43 in sliding engagement with opposite straight guide
edge portions 44 of guide plates 45, which are secured to the
tubular housing 23.
The cross-over guide 41a is pivotable relative to the
cam follower 41 and engages in a cross-over guide groove 40a
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8576
at the bottom of the groove 40 to ensure that the cam follower
41 does not change direction as it passes through the cross-over
points in the groove 40.
As the traverse cam 37 is rotated about its longi-
tudinal axis by the electric motor 14, the cam follower 41, and
therewith the slide block 42, are reciprocated or traversed
along the tubular housing 23 and thus parallel to the longitu-
dinal axis, or the axis of rotation, of the winding mandrel 11.
A pair of pull rolls 26 are driven by an electric
motor 27 and the energization of the motors 27 and 14 and the
package build-up compensator 28 are controlled by a motor power
and speed control programmer 29, a build-up control unit 34 and
a timer 35 in response to actuation of an on-off switch 36 and
a reed switch 38.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that
the traversing mechanism, as hereinbefore described, is well
known in the art.
The slide block 42 carries a pivotal support, in-
dicated generally by reference numeral 46, which comprises a
pair of side arms 46a, of which only one is visible in Figure 3,
extending from opposite sides of the slide block 42 and pivotally
secured at their upper ends to the slide block 42 by means of a
pivot 47, which may take the form of any suitable pivot pin or
sleeve.
The side arms 46a of the support 46 are connected to-
gether by a bridge portion 48 extending between the side arms
46a and integral therewith.
A leaf spring 50 is attached to and extends from the
slide block 42.
The lowermost ends of the arms 46a of the support 46
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8576
are connected by a common link rod 52 to the lowermost erld of
the leaf spring 50.
More particularly, the link rod 52 is pivotally con-
nected to the lowermost ends of the support side arms 46a by a
pivot pin 53 and to the lowermost end of the leaf spring 50 by
a magnetic pivot pin 54.
A strand guide 56 carried by the support 46 and ex-
tending from between the side walls 46a is pivotally connected
to the side walls 46a by means of a pivot 55.
The shape and functioning of the strand guide 56 are
described in greater detail hereinafter and, for the present,
it is mentioned that the strand guide 56 comprises, as illus-
trated in Figure 10, a pair of upstanding forked fingers 57
defining a gap 58 therebetween, and that the strands 7 travel
between the fingers 57 through the gap 58 to the peripheral
surface of the package 12, as shown in Figures 4a and 4b, and
are alternately engaged by the fingers 57 as the strand guide
56 is traversed to and fro parallel to the winding mandrel axis
by the traverse cam 37.
As the diameter of the package 12 increases and the
periphery of the package 12 presses against the guide member 57,
the support 46 is pivoted in an anti-clockwise direction, as
viewed in Figure 3, about the pivot 47, against the action of
the leaf spring 52 until the lowermost end of the leaf spring 52
actuates the reed switch 38. This causes the traverse arm 24
to be pivotally stepped to the right, as viewed in Figure 2,
sufficiently to relax the spring 50. The tubular housing 23,
and therewith the strand guide 56, are thus moved further away
from the axis of the winding mandrel 11 as the package diameter
increases.
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The means by which the strands 7 are guided onto the
periphery of the package 12 will now be described with reference
to Figures 4a, 4b and 5a, 5b.
Referring firstly to Figure 4a, reference numeral 64
indicates the periphery of the package 12.
A line indicated by reference numeral 65 represents
a curved guide edge, viewed in a direction parallel to the axis
of the package 12, of one of the fingers 57 of the strand guide
56 in contact with the strands 7 at points a-f on respective
portions of the guide edge 65, which points are spaced apart
along the guide edge 65.
As the strands 7 pass over the guide edge 65, they
are each slightly deflected by their engagement with the guide
edge 65 and the amounts of such deflections correspond to the
respective angles at which the strands 7 meet the guide edge 65.
If the finger 57 and the guide edge 65 were straight,
the convergent strands 7 would intersect the guide edge 65 at
different angles, and would therefore be deflected by different
amounts by the finger 57.
Consequently, as the strands 7 are equi-angularly
spaced along their paths of travel from the strand guides 10 to
the strand guide 56, then the strands would no longer by equi-
angularly spaced during their further travel beyond the guide 56
to the periphery 64 of the package, and would therefore be de-
posited at peripherally non-uniformly spaced points on the
periphery 64 of the package.
However, in the present case the finger 57 and there-
fore the line 65 are curved so as to compensate for the differ-
ent angles of approach of the strands 7 by deflecting each of
the strands 7 through at least substantially the same angle.
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More particularly, the strand guide edge 65 is so
curved that, at each of the guide points or portions a-f, the
tangent to the line 65 subtends with the path of the respective
strand 7 from the splitter bar 8 an angle which is the same for
all of the strands 7. Consequently, each of the strands 7 is
deflected through the same angle by the guide edge 65.
To facilitate the further description of the strand
guidance, the strands meeting the strand guide edge 65 at points
a-f have been labelled 7a-7f, respectively, in Figures 4a, 4b,
and 5a, 5b.
The left-hand strand 7a shown in Figure 4a, which
intersects the edge 65 at point a, subtends with the tangent t
to the line 65 at the point a an angle ~. The angle a is the
same for each of the six strands 7. Furthermore, the left-hand
strand 7a is deflected at the line 65 through an angle of de-
flection which in practice is approximately 2, and each of the
other strands 7 is likewise deflected at the line 65 through the
same angle of deflection.
In this way it is ensured that the strands 7a-7f are
deposited at more uniformly peripherally and axially spaced
positions on the periphery 64 of the package.
In connection with the above description, it is to be
understood that the tangent t, the angle ~ and the strand de-
flection angIe, for each of the strands 7a-7f, are projections
onto a respective plane extending transversely of the axis of
rotation of the package and the winding mandrel and that there
is in fact a three-dimensional relationship between the strands
and the guide edge, as will be apparent from the following
description.
As can be seen from Figure 10, the guide fingers 57
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8576
are upwardly divergent, and likewise the gap 58 is upwardly
divergent. Thus, the guide edge 65 does not lie in a plane
transverse to the winding axis, but is at an inclination to
such plane, as shown in Figure 5a, which shows the guide edge
65 as viewed transversely of the winding axis and which further
shows the portions of the strands 7a-7f extending beyond the
guide edge 65 during their travel between the guide edge 65 and
the periphery of the package.
The line 66 in Figure 5a represents a vertical plane,
transverse to the winding axis, bisecting the gap 58.
Thus it will be apparent that the guide edge 65 is
curved, as viewed axially of the winding mandrel, and also that
the guide edge 65 does not lie in a plane perpendicular to the
winding mandrel axis but as viewed in a direction perpendicular
to the winding mandrel axis, i.e. as shown in Figures 5a, 5b and
10, the guide edges 65 of the two fingers 57 of the strand
guide 56 are downwardly convergent, i.e. the gap 58 is an up-
wardly-open, Vee-shaped gap.
The shapes of the two guide edges 65 are shown in
Figure 6a, and the points at which the strands 7 meet the
package periphery are indicated at al-fl. As is apparent in
Figure 6a, the points al-fl are spaced both longitudinally and
peripherally on the package.
For greater clarification, the path of a single one
of the strands is shown in Figure 6b. More particularly, Figure
6b shows the strand 7a which contacts one of the guide edges 65
at point a and is deposited onto the package build at point al.
The path of the strand between points a and al, as
projected onto a vertical plane parallel to the build face, is
represented by line a-all, the same path as projected onto a
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~8576 .1
horizontal plane parallel to the build face is represented by
line al-alll.
The angle all a alll is the helix angle ~, als~ shown
on the build face, at which the strand is wound onto the package
build.
Referring again to Figure 5a, it will be seen that
the strands 7 are deposited on the package across a deposition
width D.
In fact, Figures 4a and 5a show the strands 7 and
the strand guide 57 in the positions which they assume at the
beginning of the winding of the package.
As the package diameter increases during the winding
of the strands, the helix angle consequently decreases as is
well known to those skilled in the art, and, for the reason
described hereinafter, the points a-f at which the strands 7
contact the guide edge 65 are displaced upwardly along the guide
edge 65 as shown in Figures 4b and 5b, which illustrate the
positions of the strands 7 and the strand guide 57 at the end
of the winding of the package.
However, because of the change in elevation and to a
smaller degree, the inclination of the strand guide edge as
viewed transversely of the winding mandrel axis and shown in
Figures 5a and 5b, the deposition width D does not alter in
accordance with the alteration of the helix angle but in fact
remains approximately constant, as will be explained below.
Figures 4a and 4b also show surface portions 56a and
56b of the strand guide 65 at which the latter contacts the
package build. These surface portions 65a and 65b, being in a
fixed spatial relationship to the two strand guide edges 65,
determine the position of the strand guide 56 at all times
8576
relative to the package build. As the package build increases,
the contact of the surface portions 56a, 56b with the periphery
of the package build causes the strand guide 56 to pivot anti-
clockwise, as viewed in Figure 4a, about the pivot 53.
Also, the path of the axis of the pivot 53 of the
strand guide 56 as the package diameter increases between the
start and end of the winding is shown by broken line 53a which,
in the present case, is an upwardly concave, downwardly inclined
curve. However, the axis of pivot 53 may, in other embodiments,
follow paths of various other shapes.
Thus, the strand guide 56 is lowered slightly as the
package build diameter increases, and it is this lowering of
the strand guide which causes the points a-f to be displaced
upwardly along the strand guide edge 65 as mentioned herein-
above.
As will be apparent, this displacement of the points
a-f along the guide edge 65 has the further advantage of dis-
tributing along the guide edge 65 the wear of the latter by the
strands 7a-7f.
It should also be mentioned that a further advantage
of the use of the Vee-shaped gap 58 defined by the two guide
edges 65 is that the height of the strand guides is substan-
`~ tially reduced in comparison with a strand guide having a strand
gap defined by parallel strand guide edges.
Thus, referring to Figure 5a, and assuming that
vertical broken line 66 represents the position of an imaginary
guide edge of a straight strand guide gap, and broken line 7'
represents the path which would be followed by the left-hand
strand 7a if it were guided onto the package at the same angle
but by the edge 66 instead of the edge 65. It is apparent that
576
the point a would be displaced upwardly to the intersection of
line 7a and the edge 65a.
In fact, such upward displacement of the point a would
be very considerably greater at the end of the winding, as
diagrammatically shown in Figure 5b, in which line 7' has been
interrupted to reduce the height of the illustration.
Referring now to Figure 7, in which the extreme left-
and right-hand strands 7a and 7f are shown, the line 7al shows
an imaginary upward extension of the path of the strand 7a
between the points a and al. Thus, the angle ~a represents the
angle of deflection (viewed parallel to the winding axis) of
the strand 7a by the strand guide edge 65.
As explained above, the magnitude of this angle is
related to the angle at which the strand meets the strand guide.
In addition, however, the magnitude of the angle of
deflection of each of the strands is also affected by the tension -;
- in the relevant strand, and the tension in the relevant strand
is in turn affected by the angle of wrap of the strand around
its strand guide 10.
As will be apparent from Figure 7, the angle of wrap
of the strand 7f around its strand guide 10 is considerably
greater than that of the strand 7a around its strand guide 10.
Consequently, the tension in the strand 7f is greater
than that in the strand 7a.
If this tension difference is ignored, the angle of
deflection of the strand 7f at the strand guide edge 65 will be
considerably greater than that of the strand 7a and the strand
7f will not be deposited into the package build at the desired
point of deposition fl and the accuracy of the deposition will
thus be adversely affected.
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One way in which this tension difference can be
compensated is to offset the strancl guide 10 of the strand 7f
to the position shown at 10', so that the strand 7f travels to
the strand guide edge 65 along a path indicated by reference
numeral 7f' and thus meets the strand guide edge at a modified
angle, which alters and corrects the angle of deflection of the
strand 7f at the strand guide edge 65, so that the strand is
correctly deposited at point fl.
Another way in which the tension difference between
the strands 7a and 7f can be compensated, is to modify the
shape of the strand guide edge 7f as illustrated in Figure 8.
As shown in Figure 8, the shape of the strand guide
edge 65 includes a modified guide edge portion 65f which is
angled so as to alter the angle at which the strand 7f meets
the strand guide edge and thus to modify the angle of deflection
of the strand 7f sufficiently to compensate for the additional
tension in the strand 7f and thus to ensure that the strand 7f
is correctly deposited at point fl on the package build. It
will be understood that the modified angle of the guide edge
20. portion 65f has been exaggerated in Figure 8 to clarify the
illustration.
Referring now to Figures 9 through 17 for a more
detailed description of the strand guide, it will be seen that
each of the guide fingers 57 is provided, at its upper end, with
a forwardly and laterally projecting enlargement 70, on which
is formed the surface 56a which engages the periphery 64 of the
: package as the diameter of the package increases during the
winding operation, as mentioned above.
The lowermost end of the guide 56 is formed with a
forwardly and downwardly extending projection 71, on which is
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8S7~i
formed the other surface 56b which engages the periphery of
the package.
The guide 56 is further provided with a cylindrically
curved recess 73 for receiving the pivot 55, and the wall of the
recess 73 is interrupted, at the rear of the guide 56, by a
gap 74 extending the length of the recess 73. The gap 74 en-
ables the guide 56 to be snapped onto and from the pivot 55,
the material of the guide 56 being resilient to enable the gaps
74 to be spread apart for this purpose.
This facilitates quick and simple replacement of the
guide 56 when required.
In operation of the above-described apparatus, and
assuming that the strands are initially passing through the .^
pull-rolls 26 prior to a winding operation, the operator
manually gathers and grasps the strands at a position indicated
in Figure 2 by a hand 80.
He then wraps the combined strands around the collet
11 and moves his hand to the starting position, which is
represented by hand 81. Then, he places the combined strands
into the Vee-shaped gap 58 of the strand guide 56 and releases
them, whereupon they assume their running positions as illustra-
ted in Figures 1, 2 and 4a.
The package is then wound as described above and,
when the package build is completed, the above-described handling
of the strands is reversed to gather the strands, remove them
from the strand guide and feed them between the pull rolls 26.
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