Winding of multiple elongated elements

Abstract

A system (10) for winding multiple elongated elements (12, 14) simultaneously under a substantially same tension on a single spool (16) comprises one pendulum arm (18) and one set of actuators (22) acting on the pendulum arm (18) and balancing with the sum of tensions of each elongated element (12, 14). The system (10) further comprises one or more balancing arms (26, 40): A first balancing arm (26) is attached to the pendulum arm (18), the other balancing arms (if any) are attached to the first balancing arm (26). Each balancing arm (26) is pivotable upon a balancing arm axis (28). A first set of one or more reversing pulleys (30) is positioned at one side of the first balancing arm axis (28) and a second set of one or more reversing pulleys (32) is positioned at the other side of said balancing arm axis (28). Each of the reversing pulleys (30, 32) guides an elongated element (12, 14) to be wound.

Claims

1. A system for winding multiple elongated elements simultaneously under a substantially same tension on a single spool, said system comprising one pendulum arm, said system further comprising one set of actuators acting on said pendulum arm and balancing with the sum of tensions of each elongated element, said system further comprising one or more balancing arms, a first balancing arm being attached to said pendulum arm, the other balancing arms being attached to said first balancing arm, each balancing arm being pivotable upon a balancing arm axis, a first set of one or more reversing pulleys being positioned at one side of a first balancing arm axis, a second set of one or more reversing pulleys being positioned at the other side of the first balancing arm axis, each pulley of said first set and of said second set of one or more of said reversing pulleys guiding an elongated element to be wound on said single spool.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein there is only one actuator.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said balancing arms are designed so that they divide the force from the actuator in equal tensions on each of the elongated elements.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a pendulum sensor for measuring the position of the pendulum arm.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises one or more balancing arm sensors for measuring the position of the balancing arms.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises reverse wheel sensors for measuring the position of the reversing wheels.

7. A system according to claim 1, said system being adapted for winding two elongated elements, said system having a first balancing arm, a first reverse pulley positioned at one side of said first balancing arm and a second reverse pulley positioned at the other side of said first balancing arm.

8. A system according to claim 1, said system being adapted for winding three elongated elements, said system having a first balancing arm with a first balancing arm axis on said pendulum arm, said system having a second balancing arm with a second balancing arm axis on one side of said first balancing arm, said system having a first reverse pulley at one side of the second balancing arm and a second reverse pulley at the other side of the second balancing arm, said system further having a third reverse pulley at the other side of said first balancing arm.

9. A system according to claim 1, said system being adapted for winding four elongated elements, said system having a first balancing arm with a first balancing arm axis on said pendulum arm, said system having a second balancing arm with a second balancing arm axis on one side of said first balancing arm, said system having a third balancing arm with a third balancing arm axis on the other side of said first balancing arm, said system having a first reverse pulley at one side of the second balancing arm and a second reverse pulley at the other side of the second balancing arm, said system further having a third reverse pulley at one side of the third balancing arm and a fourth reverse pulley at the other side of the third balancing arm.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein for each balancing arm, the balancing arm axis is in line with the axes of rotation of the reverse pulleys attached to the related balancing arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES IN THE DRAWINGS

(1) This invention will now be described into more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a system to wind two elongated elements on one spool according to present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the part of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of a system for winding three elongated elements on one spool.

(5) FIG. 4 schematically shows a preferable embodiment of a system to wind two elongated elements.

(6) FIG. 5 schematically shows a preferable embodiment of a system to wind four elongated elements.

MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 schematically show the set-up of a system 10 for winding a first wire 12 and a second wire 14 on a single wind-up spool 16. The system has a single pendulum arm 18 that is pivotable around a pendulum arm axis 20. A spring 22 acts as actuator on the pendulum arm 18. A pendulum sensor 24 measures the position of the pendulum arm 18. The sum of forces acting on both the first wire 12 and the second wire 14 is equal to the force of the spring 22.

(8) A first and only balancing arm 26 is pivotable around a first balancing arm axis 28 that is positioned on the pendulum arm 18. At one end of the first balancing arm 26 is a first reverse pulley that guides the first wire 12. At the other end of the first balancing arm 26 is a second reverse pulley 32 that guides the second wire 14. A sensor 34 measures the position of the first balancing arm 26.

(9) Referring to FIG. 2 only, A1 is a line connecting the axis of rotation of the first reverse pulley 30 with the first balancing arm axis 28. A2 is a line connecting the axis of rotation of the second reverse pulley 32 with first balancing arm axis 28. A is the angle between line A1 and line A2. As will be explained with respect to FIG. 4, A is preferably close to 180, e.g. varying between 150 and 210, e.g. between 160 and 200 and is most preferably equal to 180.

(10) Various control strategies or algorithms are possible to wind the two wires 12, 14 with the same tension and thus with the same length on the spool 16. A possible example is along following lines. The first wire 12 comes from a first drawing machine (not shown) and the second wire 14 comes from a second drawing machine (not shown).

(11) The master control system may take into account the capstan of the first drawing machine. The rotation speed of the last downstream capstan of the first drawing machine may determine the rotation speed of the spool 16.

(12) In a position as shown in FIG. 1, i.e. when the pendulum arm 18 is horizontal and the reverse pulleys 30 and 32 have the same height, the system is in an equilibrium position where the first wire 12 has half of the force exercised by spring 22 and the second wire 14 has the other halve of the force.

(13) As soon as there is a deviation from this equilibrium position, the pendulum sensor 24 and the sensor 34 for the first balancing arm 26 will detect this deviation. The signals from sensor 24 and sensor 34 are then input for a calculated signal adapting the rotation speed of the last downstream capstan of the second wire 14.

(14) FIG. 3 illustrates a system 36 for winding three wires 12, 14 and 38. A second balancing arm 40 is positioned through its second balancing arm axis 42 on one end of the first balancing arm. The second balancing arm 40 has, at one end, the first reverse pulley 30 and, at its other end, the second reverse pulley 32. A third reverse pulley 45 which is guiding the third wire 38 is positioned at the other end of the first balancing arm axis 26. A sensor 44 may monitor the position of the second balancing arm 40. B1 connects the axis of the first reverse pulley 30 with the first balancing arm axis 28. B2 connects the axis of the third reverse pulley 45 with the first balancing arm axis 28. B is the angle formed between B1 and B2. Preferably B ranges from 160 to 200, most preferably B is equal to 180.

(15) FIG. 4 shows a preferred system 46 for winding two wires 12 and 14. The difference with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 is that the axes of rotation of the reverse pulleys 30, 32 are in line with the first balancing arm axis 28. In other words, the angle A of FIG. 2 is 180. The advantage of this system is that the tensions on both wires 12 and 14 are always automatically equal, even if the first balancing arm 26 has rotated or pivoted away from its zero horizontal position that is shown on FIG. 4. So no further tension control system is needed here. Sensor 34 measuring the position of reverse pulley 32 is there for speed control of the pay-off of the second wire 14.

(16) FIG. 5 shows a preferred system 50 for simultaneously winding four wires 12, 14, 38 and 52 on a single spool. A first balancing arm 26 is positioned via its first balancing arm axis 28 on the pendulum arm 18. A second balancing arm 40 is positioned through its second balancing arm axis 42 on one end of the first balancing arm 26. The second balancing arm axis has at one end the first reverse pulley 30 and at its other end the second reverse pulley 32. A third balancing arm 54 is positioned through its third balancing arm axis 55 on the first balancing arm 26. The third balancing arm 54 has at its one end a third reverse pulley 45 that guides the third wire 38 and, at its other end, a fourth reverse pulley 56 that guides the fourth wire 52. A sensor 58 may measure the position of the fourth reverse pulley 54.

(17) The system may be useful to wind multiple elongated elements which have a limited elongation in the elastic field, e.g. metal filaments, metal wires, metal cords, steel wires, steel cords, copper wires . . . . These elongated elements preferably have an elastic modulus E of more than 50.000 MPa, e.g. more than 100.000 MPa, e.g. more than 150.000 MPa. The system is also useful to wind more elastic elongated elements, such as synthetic filaments or textile yarns.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(18) 10 system for winding two wires 12 first wire 14 second wire 16 single spool where wires are wound 18 pendulum arm 20 pendulum arm axis 22 spring as actuator 24 pendulum sensor 26 first balancing arm 28 first balancing arm axis 30 first reverse pulley 32 second reverse pulley 34 sensor for first balancing arm A1 line through axis of first reverse pulley and first balancing arm axis A2 line through axis of second reverse pulley and first balancing arm axis A angle between A1 and A2 36 system for winding three wires 38 third wire 40 second balancing arm 42 second balancing arm axis 44 sensor for second balancing arm axis 45 third reverse pulley 131 line between axis of first reverse pulley and first balancing arm axis B2 line between axis of third reverse pulley and first balancing arm axis B angle between B1 and B2 46 preferred system for winding two wires 50 preferred system for winding four wires 52 fourth wire 54 third balancing arm 55 third balancing arm axis 56 fourth reverse pulley 58 sensor for third balancing arm