Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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APPARATUS FOR APPLYING SOFT FILAMENTS
TO CONTINUOUS ELONGATE ARTICLES
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention.
The invention generally relates to machinery for manufacturing cables and
other
conductors and, more specifically, to an apparatus for applying soft filaments
to continuous
elongate articles.
Description of the Prior Art.
In the manufacture of conductors and cables it is frequently necessary to
apply
elongate filaments to one or more continuous elongate elements. For example,
in the
manufacture of optical cables, a bundle of optical fibers are frequently moved
through an
application station at which a plurality of filaments are typically applied to
or introduced into
the bundle prior to being brought to an extrusion station at which an outer
plastic covering or
jacket is applied to encapsulate and shield the optical fibers. The elongate
filaments that are
introduced may be, for example, a bundle of very soft and flexible strands or
fibers. Such
filaments, while very soft and flexible, are extremely strong in tension and
may be used, with
or without additional rigid cores, in order to eliminate or minimize tension
and, therefore,
stretching of the optical fibers, the optical and electrical properties of
which are very sensitive
to tension. One of the problems that has been encountered is efficiently
applying or
introducing such Kevlar filaments into the cable. One specific example of such
an optical
cable has a "tight coated" construction, in which a plastic buffer is extruded
directly onto the
coated fibers to form a buffered fiber. While there are many different
variations of such cable
design, in a simplex structure, one or two light buffered fibers are
surrounded with aramid
yarn strength members and with a plastic jacket. However, one of the problems
with
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introducing the aramid yarn filaments into the cable has been the difficulty
of controlling and
handling the filaments, particularly under higher speed conditions. Such
filaments are
typically very soft, flexible, lightweight and flimsy. Once unwound from a
cop, a cylindrical
or conical mass of such filamentary material wound on a quill or tube, the
removed filament
is very much subject to the forces that manifest themselves in such machine,
including
gravity, centrifugal force, and air turbulence. When the optical fibers are
passed along the
machine axis at the application station and the wound packages of filamentary
materials are
rotated about the machine axis and about the cable into which the filament is
to be
introduced, it has been found that above relatively low threshold rotational
speeds it becomes
very difficult, if not impossible, to control the filamentary material of the
type under
discussion, particularly the softer and flimsier forms of such filaments.
Depending on the
nature of the filamentary materials used, such threshold rotational speeds can
be in the range
of 100-150 rpm. At higher speeds, any such filamentary materials which fly off
the wound
packages or cops are extremely difficult to control and turbulence makes it
very difficult to
control the filaments, in some cases causing the filament to engage and snag
the machine
parts, become twisted and possibly even knotted, rendering the filament
difficult to use and
subject to damage. Such difficulties may necessitate the stopping of the
applicator, resulting
in down time and unnecessary loss of efficiency of operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to overcome the problems inherent in prior art applicators, it is an
object of
the present invention to provide a filament applicator which does not have the
problems
inherent in prior art applicators.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a filament applicator
which is
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simple in construction and economical to manufacture.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a filament
applicator as in
the previous objects which is suitable for use with filaments that are
extremely soft and
flexible and light in weight, without being unduly subjected to the effects of
wind turbulence.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a filament
applicator of the
type under discussion which may be used to apply soft, flexible and
lightweight filaments at
much higher speeds than can be achieved with existing filament applicators.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a filament
applicator as in the
previous objects which can be used to introduce a wide range of filaments from
very soft and
flexible filaments to filaments that are moderately soft and flexible.
In order to achieve the above objects, as well as others which will become
apparent
hereafter, a filament applicator in accordance with the present invention for
applying a
plurality of filaments about a continuous elongate element at an application
station comprises
a frame defining a machine axis at said application station. First guide means
is provided for
guiding the elongate element along said machine axis at said application
station. A plurality
of chambers are provided, each defining a chamber axis substantially parallel
to said machine
axis and mounted on said frame for rotation about said machine axis. Each
chamber is
substantially closed and has a panel at an axial end of said chamber movable
between an open
position for inserting or removing a wound package of filament material from
within the
chamber and a closed position for substantially sealing said chamber and
preventing air
turbulence within said chamber upon rotation about said machine axis. Each
said panel has
an opening therein through which a filament of a package within an associate
chamber can be
removed from said chamber. Second guide means is provided for guiding each
filament from
an associated opening to said machine axis for winding about or introduction
into the
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elongate element, whereby removal of a filament from its associated wound
package within a
chamber is not influenced by air turbulence as said chambers containing the
wound packages
of filaments rotate about the machine axis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects, features and characteristics of the present invention
will be
more fully apparent, understood and appreciated from the ensuing detailed
description, when
read with reference to the various figures of the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a filament applicator in accordance with
the
present invention, showing twelve chambers for receiving wound packages of
filament
material arranged for rotation about a machine axis along which a cable or
conductor is
moved for application of the filaments;
Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of an applicator similar to the one shown in
Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view, in partial cross section, of one
of the
chambers of the applicator, as taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 4, showing the
details for securing
a wound package of filamentary material within the chamber and the details of
the closure
panel for preventing air turbulence within the chamber during rotation about
the machine
axis;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevational view of one of the closure panels used
to cover
the access opening of a chamber through which the wound package of filament
material may
be inserted and removed;
Fig. Sis an enlarged detail of section ~ in Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of section 6 in Fig. 3;
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Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail of section 7 in Fig. 3;
Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of a tension controller and a tension sensor used
in
connection with each filament emanating from one of the chambers illustrated
in Fig. 1, at
section 8 in Fig. 2;
Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail of section 9 in Fig. 2; and
Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of an enlarged detail of the tensioning
devices at 8
in Fig. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now specifically to the figures, in which identical or similar parts
are
designated by the same reference numerals throughout, the apparatus for
applying generally
soft filaments to continuous elongate articles, shown in Fig. l, is generally
designated by the
reference numeral 10.
The apparatus 10 includes a suppout frame 12 which is positioned at an
application
station of a cable production line. As will be evident to those skilled in the
art, the filament
applicator of the present invention will be suitable for use for the
production of numerous
types of cables, such as fiberoptic cables or other cables that require the
introduction of one or
more soft, flexible and/or flimsy fiber filaments, such as synthetic fibers
for generalized use
in the industrial arts, sometimes marketed under the brand name KEVLAR. The
discussion
that follows will be in relation to a specific application of the invention in
connection with the
manufacture of tight coated fiberoptic cable FC (Fig. 2), although, as
suggested, the applicator
may be used in the manufacture of any continuous elongate element or article.
The frame 12 defines a machine axis A", (Fig. 2) at the application station at
which
the apparatus 10 is positioned or located. The apparatus 10 includes an axial
through opening
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or channel 14 which is generally coextensive with the machine axis Am through
which the
elongate element FC may be guided along the machine axis while the cable or
conductor is
fed through the application station.
Referring primarily to Figs. 1 and 2, there is provided a cylindrical drum or
housing
16 which is mounted on mounting plate 12a (Fig. 2) for rotation about the
machine axis Am.
The mounting plate 12a is selectively coupled to gearing 12b which is coupled,
by means of
belt 12c, to a drive motor 12d. By actuating the motor 12d, therefore, the
described drive
train can rotate the cylindrical drum 16 about the machine axis Am. Suitable
controls (not
shown) are provided for selectively controlling the rotation of the
cylindrical drum 16 and for
braking the drum by means of brakes 12e (Fig. 1 ) which may engage a brake
disc mounted for
rotation with the rotating assembly. The details of the rotating assembly, the
drive and the
braking mechanism, as well as the control elements for regulating the
operation of rotation of
the applicator are not critical for the purposes of the present invention, and
are not disclosed
or described in detail since any conventional means well known in the art may
be used for this
used.
As best shown in Fig. l , there are provided a plurality of chambers 18A-18L
along the
periphery of the cylindrical drum 16, twelve such chambers being illustrated.
However, it
will be clear that the apparatus may be provided with any desired number of
chambers and
that any desired number of chambers of the ones that are provided may be used
for any given
application.
Referring primarily to Fig. 3, the upper chamber 18a is illustrated as
including a
generally cylindrical wall 20 defining a generally horizontal axis A~, which
is parallel to the
machine axis Am. It will be clear that as the chamber 18 rotates about the
machine axis Am,
the chamber axis A~ will remain parallel to the machine axis. While the
details of a chamber
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18 will be described, it will be clear that the same description applies
equally to all the
chambers 18A-18L.
The cylindrical wall 20 is suitably secured to the mounting plate 12 and/or
the outer
cylindrical drum or housing 16. In Fig. 3 the chamber 18 is shown provided
with a rear,
upstream wall 22 which closes that axial end of the chamber 18 that faces the
upstream end
15a of the line, so that the upstream end of the chamber 18 is, for practical
purposes,
permanently closed. Since no access is required through the upstream end of
the chamber 18,
that end may be used for attachment to the mounting plate 12a, such as by
means of bolts 24.
The bolts 24 may also be used to secure a generally horizontal hollow shaft 26
within
the chamber 18 which has an axial length L,, along the axis A~, which is
smaller than the
axial dimension Lz of the cylindrical wall 20. The shaft 26 has an outer
diameter selected to
slidably support a cop or a wound filament package 28 which includes the wound
filament
package 28a wound on a hollow, usually cardboard tube 28b. In Fig. 3 the tube
28b is shown
in phantom outline in a position it would normally assume during operation of
the applicator.
The rear wall 22 is preferably provided, on the surface facing the inside the
chamber
18, with a layer of soft, conforming material 30, which, in use, abuts against
the upstream
surface 28c of the cop 28 in order to conform to any irregularities in the
shape of the cop, at
the upstream axial end thereof, to fill in any irregular spaces to thereby
prevent a filament
from inadvertently and undesirably being carried into such spaces by any one
of a number of
different forces to be described. One objective of the applicator is to unwind
the wound
filament package 28 and withdraw or extract a filament F from the chamber 18
in an orderly
manner while preventing the filament from engaging and/or snagging against any
machine
parts, becoming entangled or knotted with itself, and ensure that the filament
F is withdrawn
at a substantially low tension with no damage to itself. In the presently
preferred
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embodiment, the conforming layer or seal 30 is in the nature of an annular
disk made of a
relatively soft plastic foam material which is adhered to the rear wall 22 in
any suitable or
conventional manner. Therefore, even when the cop 28 is removed from the
chamber 18a,
the conforming layer 30 remains in place for abutment against the next
subsequent cop to be
used.
In order to secure the tube 28b and the wound filament 28a in place on the
shaft 26
during operation of the applicator, there is provided a locking mechanism 32
which preferably
makes it easy and convenient to mount the package 28 on and remove the empty
tube 28b
from the shaft 26, while ensuring that during operation the package remains
fixed in place, as
suggested in dashed outline in Fig. 3. The details of the lock 32 will be more
fully described
in connection with Fig. 9.
An important feature of the present invention is the provision of a door,
cover or panel
34 which can be selectively opened to provide access to the chamber 18, at the
downstream
axial end thereof, for insertion and removal of the wound packages 28, and
closed to
substantially seal the chamber, with the exception of a relatively small
opening 34a within the
door or panel 34 through which the filament F may be removed from the chamber
during
operation. In Fig. 3 the opening is shown as a eyelet 34a mounted
substantially along the
chamber axis A~. The door or panel 34 may be provided with an additional
eyelet or opening
34b somewhat closer to the machine axis, for reasons to be described. The door
panel 34 is
also attached to the machine by suitable means to allow such selective opening
and closing of
the panel. In the embodiment illustrated, such means is in the form of a hinge
36 attached to
a rotating component by a suitable fastener, such as bolt 37. Additional
details of the hinge
36 will be more fully discussed in connection with Fig. 5.
As best shown in Fig. 3, once the filament is removed from the cop or wound
package
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28, it is directed to the eyelet 34a in the panel or door 34, and subsequently
guided to the
point of application. The specific guide elements used for this purpose are
not critical.
However, in the embodiment illustrated, such guides include a pigtail retainer
element 40
mounted on a rotating component associated with the cylindrical drum 16. A
plurality of
such guides may be provided, as needed, Fig. 3 illustrating a further pigtail
retainer element
42 spaced between the first pigtail retainer element 40 and the machine axis
Am. These
guides are intended to advance the filament F from each of the associated
chambers 18A-18L
to the region of the machine axis, where the fiber cable FC passes so that the
filaments F may
be applied or introduced into the cable. There is also preferably provided,
along the path of
the fiber F, prior to reaching the machine axis, a suitable tension adjusting
mechanism 44 and
tension sensor 46 so that the tension on the fiber F may be monitored and
adjusted as
necessary in order to maintain the tension of all the fibers being applied or
introduced into the
cable at substantially the same tension. Once the fiber F has been adjusted to
the proper
tension it advanced to the closing station where the fibers are collectively
applied or
introduced into the advancing cable.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, it will be evident that one mechanically efficient
configuration of the door or panel 34 is to shape it in the general form of a
trapezoid, which
permits the placement of a door or panel 34 for each of the chambers 18A-18L
while creating
a substantially continuously surface when all the doors or panels are closed
with no spaces
between the door panels which might introduce unnecessary turbulence during
high speed
rotation of the drum 16. With this configuration, the door or panel 34 has
opposing straight
edges 34c, 34d which are coextensive with radial lines passing through the
machine axis Am.
The radially outermost edge of the door or cover 34 is arcuate edge 34e which
is in the form
of an arc generally coextensive with the circumference of the cylindrical drum
16. At the
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radially innermost point, the door or panel 34 is provided with a
substantially straight edge
34f which is normal to the radial direction. It is along the lower edge 34f
that the doors or
panels 34 are preferably hinged. It will be clear that during high speed
rotation of the drum
16 radially outwardly acting centrifugal forces will tend to move all rotating
bodies radially
outwardly. By placing the hinge assembly 36 along the inside edge 34f, the
door or panel 34
will not inadvertently open but will, in fact, be subjected to forces which
tend to force the
door or panel 34 to close and enhance the seal formed between the door or
panel and the
cylindrical wall 20. To further ensure that the door or panel remains closed
both during
operation and when rotation of the cylindrical drum 16 has ceased, there is
advantageously
provided a latch mechanism 38 (Figs. 4 and 5), one form of which is
illustrated in Fig. 6.
However, it will be clear that any suitable or conventional latch or door
locking mechanism
may be used for this purpose.
In Fig. 5, the detail of the hinge mechanism 36 is illustrated, in which one
portion of
the hinge is securely attached to the rotating member by means of any suitable
fastener 37,
while the other element of the hinge is secured to the innermost edge 34f of
the door or plate
34 by any suitable or conventional means. In the embodiment illustrated, the
door or panel 34
is secured to the other element of the hinge by means of a further bolt 48a
and a
corresponding nut 48b, as shown. The same rotating part 49 that supports or
carries the hinge
36 is also preferably provided with a threaded axial hole SO for receiving a
suitable guide
element, such as the pigtail retainer guide 40 shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 illustrates one presently preferred embodiment for a latch construction
38,
which includes, in this example, a threaded bolt 52a which is provided with a
tapered or
conical shaped head 52a, the bolt being secured to the cylindrical drum or
housing 16 by
means of a corresponding or associated nut 52b. Mounted in proximity thereto,
a leaf spring
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54 is provided which has one portion 54a secured to the door or panel 34 by
means of rivets
56, while a right angle portion 54b, provided with a V-shaped notch 54c, is
arranged to
engage the tapered screw head 54a when the door or panel 34 is in its fully
closed position as
shown in Fig. 6. The leaf spring will, therefore, maintain the door or panel
34 in its closed
position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, high speed rotation of the cylindrical
drum 16 having the
effect of urging the portion 54b inwardly into the chamber I 8 to thereby
maintain the closed
position of the door or panel. However, when the machine is at a standstill,
the door or panel
34 can be opened by pulling on the upper edge 34e of the panel to cause the
leaf spring
portion 54b to deflect downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 6, to clear the tapered
head 52a which
retains the door or panel in place.
In Fig. 7 the detail of the eyelet 34a is shown, indicating how the eyelet 34a
may be
mounted through an aperture in the panel 34 with any suitable adhesive 58,
such as silicone.
In Fig. 8 some details are illustrated of the tensioning mechanism as well as
tension
the sensing arrangement for monitoring and adjusting the tension on the
filament F. As the
filament F is drawn radially inwardly towards the machine axis Am, it is
guided through two
adjacent plates 59a, 59b which are spring loaded and arranged to apply a
tension to the
filament. A conventional manual tensioning arrangement may be used which
includes an
adjusting knob 60 for modifying the relative pressure applied between the two
plates. After
extending through the adjacent plates, the filament F extends through an
eyelet 68 mounted
on an arm 70 supported on a rod 72 which forms part of a tension sensing
mechanism of the
type known to those skilled in the art. By monitoring the tension of the
filament F as it passes
through the eyelet 68 the tension between the plates 59a and 59b can be
modified as needed
to maintain the tension of the filament F at the outlet of the eyelet 68 to be
substantially
constant as it is applied to the cable.
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In Fig. 9 the details of the lock mechanism 32 are illustrated. As shown, the
shaft 26
is provided, in the hollow portion thereof, with a transverse member 74 which
is secured to
the shaft. There is provided a support member 76 on the transverse member 74,
below the
chamber axis A~. A movable member 78 is pivotally mounted at one end 78a about
a pivot
pin 80, while the other end 78b is in the form of a gripping finger which is
movable between
an upright position, as shown in solid outline in Fig. 9, for gripping the
tube 28b of the cop
28, and a releasing position, shown in phantom outline in Fig. 9, in which the
gripping finger
pivots about the pivot pin 80 to a point where it comes within the inside
diameter 28d of the
tube 28b, so that the tube can clear the gripping finger. An adjusting knob 84
is used to adjust
the position between the engaging or gripping position and the disengaging or
releasing
position by turning the knob on a threaded shaft. The arrangement shown is but
one example
of a mechanism that may be used to secure or lock the position of the wound
package on the
shaft 26, although it will be evident to those skilled in the art that
numerous other locking
arrangements may be used for this purpose.
In Fig. 10 an array of tension adjusting units 62A-62L are shown in an array
suitable
for controlling the tensions of each of the filaments directed from
corresponding or associated
chambers in which a wound package or cop 28 is placed.
The operation of the device will now be described. A cop 28 is placed into the
desired
number of chambers, as may be required, to provide a desired number of
filaments to be
applied to the cable FC. Thus, if twelve filaments are desired for
introduction into any given
cable, a cop 28 is placed into each of the twelve chambers 18A-18L. For each
cop 28, the
free end of the filament F is unwound and passed through either the eyelet 34a
or the islet 34b
and the door or panel 34 is closed by means of the lock 38. Once outside the
door or panel 34
each filament is guided substantially radially inwardly towards the machine
axis Am by
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engagement with suitable guide elements or members, such as pigtail retaining
elements 40,
42 and any additional number of guide elements as may be required. The
filaments are then
passed through the tensioning and sensing members 44, 46, as described, and to
the closing
station S (Fig. 2), where the filaments are introduced into the cable FC.
Referring primarily to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noted that once the door or
panel 34 is
closed, the chamber is substantially closed, with the minor exception of the
very small
openings in the eyelets 34a, 34b. Therefore, substantially independently of
the speed of
rotation of the unit, the interiors of the chambers are virtually immune to
air turbulence.
Referring to Fig. 4, however, the filament F will continue to be subjected,
during rotation, to
both the force of gravity F6, which is always directed downwardly, and a
centrifugal force F~,
which is directed radially outwardly in relation to the machine axis Am. Since
the centrifugal
force is a function of the mass of the rotating product, the radius from the
axis of rotation as
well as the square of the angular velocity, it will be clear that the
centrifugal forces that act on
the filament F will increase with increased rotational speeds of the machine.
Thus, for
example, at S00 rpm, at a radius of approximately 28.5 inches from the machine
axis Am, the
centrifugal force acting the on filament F is approximately 206 times the
weight of the
filament. As the filament F is drawn by the cable at the closing point S, the
tension in the
filament causes the filament to be drawn or pullet off in a generally axial
direction from the
package 28a. Referring particularly to Fig. 4, it will be clear that when the
filament F is
unwound in a counterclockwise direction from the cylindrical package, as
viewed in Fig. 4,
the filament reaches point, approximating point M, where the centrifugal force
F~ acting on
the filament F will cause the filament to fly off the package and be cast out
against the inner
surface of the cylindrical wall 20 of the chamber. This is illustrated both in
Figs. 3 and 4.
Since the cop 28 does not rotate, the filament F will continue to be unwound
from the
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package and twisted as it is pulled at the application point. For this reason,
the inner surface
of the cylindrical wall 20 should be fairly smooth so as not to impart undue
or unnecessary
friction on the filament F as it is cast off the package 28a and slides along
the surface.
Clearly, the specific patch taken by the filament F within the chamber 18 will
be a
function of the specific nature of the filament, its stiffness, softness, etc.
The unit described is
useful for applying particularly very flimsy, lightweight and soft filaments
that are readily
influenced by air turbulence. In more critical instances, the eyelet 34b may
be utilized, which
serves to keep a longer length of the filament within the chamber 18 before it
is removed
from the chamber. It is clear that the portion of the filament F outside the
chamber, once it
passes through an eyelet in the door or panel 34, will be subjected to air
turbulence as the
structure rotates about the machine axis. Thus, by moving the eyelet through
which the
filament F passes closer to the machine axis, the less it will be influenced
by air turbulence.
To the extent that such filament is, however, influenced by air turbulence,
suitable and a
sufficient number of guides need be provided along the path outside of the
chamber to ensure
that the forces imparted on the filament by air turbulence are adequately
compensated for and
controlled.
While one filament contemplated by the present invention is 100% Kevlar 49
aramid
yarn, this is but one example of the type of filaments or fibers that may be
applied by the
instant apparatus. Other suitable materials that can be suitably dispensed
with the instant
applicator will become evident to those skilled in the art. Clearly, the
stiffer the material, the
more tension that is needed and the tougher the material, the less that it may
be subject to air
turbulence. Beyond a certain threshold, the door or panel may no longer be
required because
the forces imparted by the air turbulence are relatively minor compared to the
stiffness of the
material. Also, while a single, thin strand may be more resistant to air
turbulence, a bulkier
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fiber which consists of many strands that encompass a relatively large area,
such as Kevlar
strands, may result in higher air friction.
At very low rotational speeds, a pivotally mounted arm for carrying or
supporting the
equivalent of an eyelet 34a may be used. This would leave, however, most of
the downstream
axial end of the chamber substantially open. Such an arm has been found to be
workable up
to approximately I50 rpm in dispensing Kevlar filaments. However, at 500 rpm,
where
significant forces are applied to the filaments, the panel or door 34 must be
used to
substantially seal the chambers so that the apparatus may be rotated at much
higher speeds.
By use of the doors or panels 34, it has been found that these applicators can
rotate up
to 500 rpm, or at a speed 3 1 /2 times faster than could be achieved with an
open arm eyelet
support.
Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular
embodiments thereof, many other variations, modifications and other uses will
become
apparent to those skilled in the aut. It is the intention, therefore, that the
present invention not
be limited by the specific disclosure of the embodiments therein, but only by
the scope of the
appended claims. Thus, for example, although the doors or panels have been
shown on the
downstream axial ends of the chambers 18, these can also be placed on the
opposite,
downstream ends, with suitable modifications in the filament guides.
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