Device and method for producing a strand or a cable

Abstract

A device for producing a strand or a cable, in particular a wire strand or wire cable, which device includes a rotatable arrangement for feeding cords to a twisting point, at which the cords are to be twisted with one another, and an installation for heating at least one of the cords. The heating installation is rotatable jointly with the feed arrangement. The heating installation is designed to heat a cord provided for forming a center strand or a cable core and/or cords for forming outer strands, and preferably has burner for fuel and/or an electrically operated heater.

Claims

1. A device for producing a strand or cable, the device comprising: a rotatable feed arrangement for feeding cords to a twisting point, at which the cords are to be twisted around a core strand of the strand or a core cable for forming the strand or the cable, and an installation for heating the core strand or the core cable, wherein the heating installation is rotatable together with the feed arrangement, the heating installation being arranged to apply heat to the core strand or the core cable in an area in which the cords are guided from the rotatable feed arrangement to the twisting point, wherein the heating installation is arranged in free spaces between the cords leading to the twisting point so as to focus heat on the core strand or the core cable, so that the core strand or the core cable is heated more strongly than the cords and strong heating of the cords is avoided.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electrically operated heating device is one of a heating resistor, an infrared radiator and an induction coil.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the heating installation comprises thermal insulation.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the thermal insulation is a shielding.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the thermal insulation surrounds the cord to be heated in a tubular manner.

6. A method for producing a strand or a cable, comprising the steps of: moving cords with a rotatable arrangement for feeding the cords to a twisting point; twisting the cords around a core strand of the strand or a core cable of the cable to form the strand or the cable; and heating the core strand or the core cable by a heating installation arranged in free spaces between the cords leading to the twisting point, wherein the heating installation rotates together with the feed arrangement during the twisting step, wherein the heating installation applies heat to the core strand or the core cable in an area in which the rotating strands are guided from the rotatable feed arrangement to the twisting point and focuses the heat on the core strand or the core cable, so that the core strand or the core cable is heated more strongly than the cords and strong heating of the cords is avoided.

7. The method according to claim 6, including heating a cord provided to form a core strand or a core cable and/or heating cords provided to form outer strands.

8. The method according to claim 6, including annealing at least one of the cords to relieve internal stress.

9. A device for producing a strand or cable, the device comprising: a rotatable feed arrangement for feeding cords to a twisting point, at which the cords are to be twisted together; and an installation for heating at least one of the cords, wherein the heating installation comprises at least one of a burner for fuel or an arrangement for supplying a heated gas, wherein the heating installation is rotatable together with the feed arrangement the device being configured to supply the heated gas or fuel for operating the heating installation through a bearing of the feed arrangement, by which bearing the feed arrangement is rotatably supported in the device, or through a bearing of the heating installation, by which bearing the heating installation is rotatably supported in a mounting device, wherein the bearing of the heating installation has a stationary part and a rotatable part, wherein an empty space is provided between the stationary part and the rotatable part, through which empty space the fuel or the heated gas is conducted, the empty space being externally sealed by a slip ring seal or a contactless seal.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the heating installation is set up to heat a cord provided to form a core strand or core cable and/or to heat cords provided to form outer strands.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the heating installation is arranged on the feed arrangement or on a mounting device attached to a base.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein an empty space is provided between a stationary part and a rotatable part of the bearing of the heating installation through which the fuel or the heated gas is conducted.

13. A method for producing a strand or a cable, comprising the steps of: moving cords with a rotatable arrangement for feeding the cords to a twisting point; twisting the cords to form the strand or the cable; and heating at least one of the cords by a heating installation comprising at least one of a burner for fuel or an arrangement for supplying a heated gas, wherein the heating installation rotates together with the feed arrangement during the twisting step, and the fuel or the heated gas for operating the heating installation is supplied through a bearing of the feed arrangement, by which bearing the feed arrangement is rotatably supported in the device, or through a bearing by which the heating installation is rotatable in a mounting device, wherein the fuel or the heated gas is conducted through an empty space provided between a stationary part and rotatable part of the bearing of the heating installation, the empty space being externally sealed off by a slip ring seal or a contactless seal.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one cord comprises a plastic sheath and is heated so that the plastic sheath softens.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein several of the cords are covered by the plastic sheathing and, as a result of the heating installation, the plastic on each of the cords is heated to a softening point.

16. The method according to claim 13, including annealing at least one of the cords to relieve internal stress.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments and the attached drawings, which refer to the exemplary embodiments:

(2) FIG. 1 shows various views of a device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross section of part of the device according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows various views of another device according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic front view of par another device according to the invention; and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a cross section of part of the device according to FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows part of a twisting machine, which comprises a carrier body 21, only part of which is shown, in which a preform head 2 is rotatably arranged.

(8) During the production of a wire cable 30, a core cable 3, which is provided with a plastic sheath, and wire strands 4, which are preformed by means of the preform head 2, are supplied via the preform head 2 to a twisting point 5, and, under rotation of the preform head 2 around its longitudinal axis, twisted to form the wire cable 30.

(9) A mounting device 8 for a heating installation 1 is mounted on the carrier body 21; the heating installation comprises five gas burners 6, which are directed toward the core cable 3 and to which gas can be supplied via gas lines 22. The mounting device 8 comprises a rotary bearing 10, which comprises a fixed outer ring 13 and a inner ring 14, which rotates in the outer ring 13. The inner ring 14 is connected to the preform head 2 or to a shaft 25 driven by the preform head by way of struts 24 (shown only in FIG. 1c), so that the inner ring 14 is carried along with the rotation of the preform head 2. A feed gas line 20 leads to the outer ring 13; by means of this line, fuel gas can be conducted into the empty space 15 inside the rotary bearing 10, as can be seen especially clearly in FIG. 2.

(10) The empty space 15 is formed between two ball bearings 18, 19 and extends around the entire circumference of the rotary bearing 10. It is sealed off against the outside by a contactless seal 17, such as a throttle seal, especially a throttle gap seal or a throttle labyrinth seal, or by an air purge seal or a slip ring seal, so that gas supplied through the line 20 can flow through the empty space 15 to the burners 6 via the gas lines 22 provided on the inner ring 14 of the rotary bearing 10.

(11) In the production of the wire cable 30, the inner ring 14, the gas lines 20, and the burners 6 rotate in synchrony with the preform head 2, wherein the fuel gas is conducted through the feed gas line 20 to the empty space 15 in the rotary bearing 10 and from there through the lines 22 to the burners 6. As is especially clear from FIG. 1c, the burners 6 are aimed at the core cable 3. They heat a layer of plastic (not shown in detail), which is provided on the core cable 3. The plastic layer is softened as a result, so that the wire strands 4 are pressed into the plastic as they are being twisted at the twisting point 5.

(12) The wire strands 4 are heated by the burners 6 to only a minor extent.

(13) Because the heating installation 1 according to the invention makes it possible to control the heating temperature effectively, the device according to the invention can also be used to anneal the core cable 3 and possibly the wire strands 4 to relieve their internal stresses during the twisting process. As a result, the mechanical properties of the cable 30 thus produced are improved. For this purpose, additional gas burners (not shown) aimed directly at the wire strands 4 could also be provided.

(14) It would also be conceivable to provide gas burners which are aimed only at the wire strands 4 and to heat the wire strands 4 in such a way that they heat the plastic sheath around the core cable 3 at the twisting point 5 in such a way that they are pressed into the plastic sheath as the plastic softens.

(15) FIGS. 3-5 will now be described, where parts which are the same as, or similar to, parts of FIGS. 1-3 are designated by the same reference numbers as those used in those previous figures, in which case a letter designation is added to the reference number in question.

(16) As can be seen in FIG. 3, a tube 23 can be arranged around the core strand 3a in the area upstream, with respect to the twisting direction, of the twisting point 5a; the burners 6a open out into this tube. The tube 23 is intended to shield the outside area from the heat generated by the burners 6a. As a result, less gas is required to heat the plastic, and in addition the wire strands 4a are protected from becoming overheated by the burners 6a.

(17) FIG. 4 shows part of another device according to the invention, in which the heating means 1b is formed not by the previously mentioned burners 6 by rather by a heating resistor 7, which is arranged around a core cable 3b. The heating resistor 7 is mounted by brackets 24b on a rotary bearing 10b, which is arranged on a carrier body 21b of the device.

(18) The electrical energy required to heat the heating resistor 7 is supplied via electrical lines 20b, which are guided along the brackets 24b to the rotary bearing 10b and transferred across the rotary bearing 10b by means of the sliding contact shown in FIG. 5. The sliding contact is arranged in the empty space 15b provided between the ball bearings 18b, 19b of the rotary bearing 10b and comprises a slip ring 12, which is connected to the electrical line 20b, and a brush 11 in electrical contact with the slip ring 12.

(19) During the production of a wire cable, the heating resistor 7 and the brackets 24b rotate along with the preform head 2b during the twisting process. It is supplied with electrical energy via the electrical lines 20b, 22b and the sliding contact.

(20) In another exemplary embodiment (not shown), at least one induction coil, instead of a heating resistor 7, is arranged around the core cable 3b to heat the core cable 3b by induction.

(21) Alternatively or in addition to the previously mentioned means for heating the core cable 3, 3b, it would also be possible to provide an infrared radiator and/or a line through which hot air could be directed onto the core cable.