Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of The Invention
This invention relates to method and apparatus for
unwinding lengths of flexible material, and particularly to
such method and apparatus for unwinding lengths of flexible
material such as wire, rayon filaments, glass filament, yarn,
thread, rope, ribbon, tape, slip plastic, sheeting cable and
the like from tops, spools and mandrels with the unwinding
proceeding from the outermost winds to the innermost winds.
Prior Art
A great number of different apparatus and methods have
been utilized to unwind flexible material from a spindle or a
mandrel; however, such apparatus and methods have involved
complex machinery and are incapable of being adapted to provide
a twistless payoff from a non-rotating package. Such apparatus
and methods require that the winding be completely rotated and/or
that a traverse be provided for the payoff of the wound material,
which unnecessarily increases the cost and complexity of the
unwinding equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
~ . .
The present invention provides both apparatus and method
for unwinding flexible material which has been wound in a universal
type wind on a spindle or mandrel, and in particular to such
- windings made in accordance with a universal wind with a radial
hole in which the radial hole is formed in the side of the winding.
Normally, such packages of wound material are unwound by paying-off
- from the interior of the package.
. . .
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In accordance with the present method and apparatus a
twistless payoff from the outside of the wound package is obtained
by removing the spindle on which the winding has been formed,
inserting a support tube into the radial hole and into a socket
S formed in the mandrel, attaching the support tube to a base,
which may include bearings to enable rotation of the support
tube, and paying-off the winding from its outer diameter towards
the inner windings on the mandrel. In accordance with the
techniques of the present invention, the wind can be rewound
in a universal wind with a radial hole configuration regardless
of the amount of material unwound. Additionally, the method and
apparatus of the present invention provide access to the inner
end of the winding to enable a number of such windings to be
cascaded or magaæined for continuous payout. Also with the
present method and apparatus there is no restriction on the size
of the outside package diameter. Moreover, the coil is self-
supporting, as it is left on the winding mandrel, and paid-off
from the outside. The invention eliminates the need for slip
rings or commutator structure as are often required in prior
art unwinding or payout apparatus.
The material is paid-off the package by pulling the
outside end of the wind. The wind is then caused to turn suffi-
ciently to enable a coil to slip off one end and to thus pay out.
Continued pulling of the line causes the wind to turn to the
opposite end so that the next coil can slip off, and *he winding
is paid-out by oscillation of the winding and mandrel about an
axis defined by the support tube.
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In a modified embodiment, the support tube may be spring-
loaded to maintain tension on the wind and enhance the payout of
the wind by controlling the oscillation to prevent premature
throw-off of the wind. The spring-loading may be effected by
springs attached directly to the support tube and anchored at
their opposite ends. Alternatively, the base support may include
a coil spring or torque motor to accomplish the same purpose.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide
a twistless payoff from a wound package of flexible strip-like
material.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide
a twistless payoff from the outside end of a wound package without
the necessity of rotating the package around its longitudinal axis.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to
enable outside payoff from a winding package which provides access
to the inner end of the winding to enable such packages of wound
material to be cascaded for continuous unwinding.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to
provide structure which may be inserted into the radial payout
hole of a wound package of flexible strip-like material to enable
such material to be unwound by merely pulling the outside end of
; the wind.
BRIEF ~ESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Figure 1 shows a side view of the mandrel, the wound
package, and supporting tube structure in accordance with the
present invention;
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Figure 2 is a top view illustrating the manner in which
the wind swivels during payoff;
Figure 3 is a schematic view which shows a modification
in which the support tube is spring-loaded;
,.,.. : ~
Figure 3b is a view which shows a torque motor mounted
in the base for supporting the wound material;
Figures 3c-3e are views which show a coil spring mounted
in the base for supporting the wound material; and
Figure 4 is a view which shows the cascading of a plurality
of windings for continuous pay-out.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
.
With respect to Figure 1, spindle shaft 10 is removed
from mandrel 12 subsequent to the winding of the flexible material
14 on the mandrel in a manner such as to provide radial hole 16
in the wind. The te¢hniques for winding flexible strip-like
material in such a manner are well known to those skilled in the
art, for example as disclosed in U. S. Patent 3,178,130 and
assigned to the same Assignee as the present application. Support
tube 18 is then inserted into radial hole 16, and may also be
inserted into a wind hole 16a in mandrel 12 to provide sufficient
engagement of the support tube with the winding to withstand the
stresses exerted during payout. Support tube 18, winding 14 and
mandrel 12 are mounted on base 20 which is in turn mounted to
support structure (not shown) during payout of the wind. Bearings
22 are preferably provided in base 20 to enable support tube 18
to swivel during the payout. Alternatively, a bearing may be
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located at the upper end of support tube 18 that is inserted
into radial hole 16 and into a correspondingly aligned hole in
mandrel 12.
The flexible material is unwound from the mandrel 12 by
pulling outer end 26 of wind 14 which causes wind 14 and mandrel
12 to swivel and oscillate as illustrated in Figure 2 such that
a twistless payout of the wound material is obtained without the
necessity of rotating mandrel 12 about its longitudinal axis 28.
The swivelling of mandrel 12, winding 14 and support tube 18 about
base 20 enables the wound material to payout as the wind is
allowed to turn sufficiently to enable the coil to slip off one
end. Continued pulling cf the line causes the wind to turn to
the opposite end so that the next coil can slip off without
interference with support tube 18.
In an alternative embodiment, the material can be unwound
with its inner end alongside and outside the support tube. Such
an arrangement is useful, for example, in cascading two or more
windings as shown in Figure 4. The inner end of one winding is
connected to the outer end of another wind such that when the
first winding is completely unwound the last coil thereof slips off
its respective mandrel and the payout is continued from the second
winding which is similarly mounted. As shown in Figure 4, the
outer coils 26, 26' and 26 " are connected to one another with
their respective windings supported on support members 18, 18' and
18'' which in turn are mounted to base supports 20, 20' and 20 ".
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the
wound material may be of any size diameter on the mandrel 12, the
only limitation being related to the size of support tube and base
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20 necessary to support the weight and shifting of wind 14 as
it is paid out. If necessary, base 20 may be mounted either
vertically or in a horizontal position to a floor or wall. It
is also apparent that the wind can be rewound after any amount of
material has been paid out.
A further advantage is that the coil is self-supporting
as it is supported by the winding mandrel as it is being unwound.
In the modified embodiment of Figure 3, support tube 18
is tensioned by springs 30, 32. As the outer end, or payout end,
of the wind is pulled, and with clockwise swivelling of support
tube 18, spring 30 tensions the support rod such that it is biased
to rotate counterclockwise when the winding loop has slipped off
the end of the wind. A similar but reverse action is obtained
when support rod 18 is rotated counterclockwise by the pull on
the payout end. Springs 30, 32 thereby prevent mandrel 12, wind
14 and support tube 18 from continuing to swivel as the payout
end of the wind slips off the end of the winding. The tension
afforded by springs 30, 32 prevent premature throw-off of the
wind, especially with high rates of payout.
Alternatively, base 20 may include a coil spring or torque
motor to which the support rod is mounted to provide the same
tensioning forces as springs 30, 32 as xespectively shown in
Figures 3c-3e and Figure 3b.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that the package
of winding material may be paid out without using a mandrel,
especially with certain types of flexible materials having a
- sufficient stiffness so as to be self-supporting when wound in a
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universal type wind specified herein. Also the outside end of
the wind may be pulled by hand or any machine suitable for such
purpose as known to those skilled in the art.
The method and apparatus disclosed herein are useful in
applications in which it is necessary or desirable to connect
sensing, measuring or other equipment to the inner end of the
wound package. Such equipment may be easily attached to the inner
end as that end may be fed out through the radial hole alongside
or inside a hollow support tube to be exposed on the outside of
the wound package without interfering with the unwinding of the
wound package, thereby enabling the attached equipment to be
operated during the unwinding operations. Figure 1 illustrates
such an application wherein an electrical connection is made from
sensing, measuring equipment, etc. to the inner end of winding 14
through hollow support tube 18.
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