US2391870A - Traversing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 1,1946.

G. BEACH TRAVERSING MECHANISM Filed May 21, 1945 Zr g. 4 4

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0,2987: fleach INVENTOR.

Patented Jam 1, 1946 TRAVERSING MECHANISM George Beach, Newark, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Corning Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application May 21, 1943, Serial No. 487,943

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for packaging material in strand fonn at very high winding speeds and is particularly adaptable to fiber forming processes although it may be readily utilized for ordinary rewinding of certain kinds.

In certain fiber forming processes such as the forming of glass fibers, the fibers are gathered as they are formed into a strand which is wound on a spool or other rotating support. The requirements for winding such a strand differ from those presented in winding yarn. The strand is made up of a large number of individual filaments which are not twisted together and therefore do not have integrity in the degree found in yarn. Should the strand be wound upon a spool with successive turns in side by side relation as is usually done with yarn the filaments of adjacent turns might well become so intertangled that identity of the strand would become lost. Attempts to unwind a package formed in this manner often results in breaking one or more of the fibers or filaments which do not unwind as the strand is removed, and these broken filaments form what are known as ringers. The formation of ringers on the spool often becomes so serious that a large portion of the spool cannot be unwound, thus resulting in a large amount of waste.

To minimize the dividing of the strand and the consequent formation of ringers, the strand may be placed on the spool in large helixes so that the strands will cross each other at large angles and thus eliminate much of the tendency to become entangled. Ringers are thereby practically elimihated and such positioning of the strand permits readily removing it for twisting, rewinding or such other succeeding operations.

A package having the desired winding is formed by traversing the strand as it is wound along the package at a comparatively high rate of speed. It has been found that moving the strand at least one the full length of the package for each one or two rotations of the package will produce a suitably wound package, although a traverse of the length of the package for every three or four rotations of the package has proven satisfactory for some strands.

Another factor in obtaining a readily unwound package is. the tension under which the strand is wound while forming the package, increased tension usually making it more difllcult to remove the strand. This is particularly true in the winding of a package of newly formed glass fibers due to the inherent tendency of the fibers to seize and abrade each other when in surface contact. The

efiect of abrasive action between the fibers forming the strand itself is materially increased if ad- Jacent turns on the spool are in parallel or substantially parallel relation, apparently because of the increased degree of surface contact between fibers of adjacent turns.

A lubricant and binding material is usually applied to the strand to both prevent abrading action and hold the filaments together in an integral strand. Since the strand is being formed and wound at a relatively high rate of speed the lubricant and binding material is usually still in a wet or fluid state when the strand is wound on the spool. When the wet strand is wound under tension there is a tendency of the adjacent and overlying strands in the package to be bonded together by the binding material so that, in effect, the completed package is a solid mass of glass fibers bonded together. This makes it very difilcult if not impossible to unwind the package in the further processing of the strand.

Numerous types of traversing mechanisms have been employed for high speed winding, one of the most successful being the apparatus shown in the patent to Thomas and Fletcher, No. 2,325,640, granted August 3, 1943. This is a rotary type traverse adaptable for high speed winding. The apparatus is one in which the strand is drawn to the package at such an angle relative to the package that it tends to traverse along the package in one direction under the influence of its tendency to meet the package at a right angle. The movement of the strand in the opposite direction is efiected by the periodical engagement of the strand by a projection on a rotating disk which moves the strand along the package and releases it at the end of the package.

This type of traverse is not entirely satisfactory when it is desired to greatly increase the winding speed. For example, at winding speeds in the range of 12,000 to 20,000 revolutions per minute it is necessary to move the strand the full length of the package at-a rate of 6,000 to 10,000 times per minute if it is desired to obtain a half-wind, that is, one traverse of half the length of the package for each rotation of the package. In order to obtain this increased speed of traverse the angular relation of the strand to the spool must be acutely increased so that there will be a reduction of the interval required for the return of the strand under its tendency to assume a right angle relation with the spool. The increased angle oftentimes increases the winding tension to the point of creating the undesirable conditions previously discussed.

Further, the increased winding speed causes a greater lag of the strand behind the movement of the projection on the disk when reversal of traverse of the strand is imparted by the projection, and this lag tends to build up the end of the package, causing an overlapping of the strands and increasing the difiiculty of unwinding.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these difllculties by positively moving the strand from one end of the package to the other. This enables higher traversing speeds to be reached and further results in a more uniformly wound package. The positive traversing of the strand also maintains a substantially constant angular relation between the strand and the package, thereby preventing any objectional change in the winding tension.

It is a further object to provide continuously rotating means for effecting positive traverse in opposite directions, thereby avoiding the dimculties attendant on reciprocation of traversing mechanism at very high speeds.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for reciprocating the rotatable traversing mechanism whereby the width of the package is increased beyond the normal dimension provided by the traverse. This also more evenly distributes the winds and prevents a building up of the ends of the package.

Other objects and features of novelty will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of one type of fiber forming apparatus showing the present invention embodied therein;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the invention in operating position;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional elevational view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the traversing bar; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the bar.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, the invention is illustrated in connection with apparatus for forming continuous glass fibers including a glass melting furnace ID from which a series of streams of molten glass flow. The streams are attenuated into continuous filaments I i by means of a rotatable drum or spool l2 onto which the filaments are wound. The filaments are gathered together into a strand III by a guide It located between the spool and the furnace and which is adapted to apply a suitable lubricant and binder to the filaments as they are gathered into a strand.

The spool I2 is removably mounted on a horizontally disposed spindle l5 which is adapted to be driven at a relatively high speed by suitable driving mechanism indicated generally at l6.

As the strand I3 is drawn to the spool l2 it is necessary that the strand be traversed lengthwise thereof to prevent an intertangling of the fibers of adiacent strands which would tend to hinder the unwinding of the strand during the rewinding or other operation. Mechanism for traversing the strand'along the package includes a traversing unit 18 disposed adjacent the spindle l5 and substantially in vertical alignment with the path of the strand. The unit ll comprises a traverse shaft l9 rotatable about a horizontal axis and driven by a motor 20 preferably in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1.

'The traversing shaft and associated mechanism including the motor 2| (Figure 3) are mounted on a support 2| which is adapted for reciprocal motion in a stationary slideway 22 in the direction of the axis of rotation of the traversing shaft. The movement of the support 2| may be effected by suitable gearing driven by the motor 20 which includes a worm 20a on the motor shaft meshing with a gear 20b carried by the support 2|. A link 22a, pivoted at one end eccentricall on the gear 20b is connected at its other end for vertical swinging movement to the stationary member 22 and forms a crank which produces the reciprocatory movement of the traverse shaft. As the motor 20 is operated rotation is imparted'to the gear 20?: so that it moves about its journal on the support 2|, thereby varying the distance between the axis of said ,journal and the pivot of the link on the stationary member 22. It will be apparent that'as the outer pivot of the link is moved to either side of the axis of the gear 20b the distance between the gear and the stationary slideway is correspondingly increased or decreased, and the slide 2| is reciprocated.

The traversing movement of the strand i2 is under the direct control of a pair of substantially spirally shaped complementary cam members 23 carried by the traverse shaft I9 (Figures 4 and 5). The members 23 may well be formed of steel wire as illustrated or of any suitable material capable of resisting the wearing action of the strand. Referring particularly to Figures 3 and 4 each member 23 of the traverse extends through slightly more than 180 of a convolution. The inner or lower end 24 of the cam terminates inside (in an axial direction) of the large diameter end 25 of the complementary cam member and is preferably also overlapped by the large diameter end. Due to the relation of the ends of the cams in axial directions, the strand upon completion of a traverse at the small diameter of the cam member is in a position to be engaged by the large diameter of the complementary cam, and, where the opposed ends of the cams are in overlapping relation as shown, this engagement by the large diameter occurs immediately upon cessation of each traverse. A line traced along the contour of the cam member follows substantially the form of a spiral inscribed on the surface of a cone forming a conical spiral, the angle of tangency with the axis of the shaft being suitable to provide a sufficient component of force transverse of the strand to move the strand lengthwise of the spool. This angle may be varied depending upon the speed of winding, the tension on the strand, the rate of traverse, the length of traverse, and other less important factors, the optimum angle being readily ascertainable by trial.

The traversing of the strand by the cams 23 is adapted to produce a package having a width substantially equal to the length of the cams.

Any tendency of the traversing means to build up the ends of the packagedue to a lagging of the strand at either end is overcome by reason of the reciprocating mechanism which moves the traverse shaft longitudinally of its axis to thereby direct the strand over a greater length of the spool. This results in producing a package in which the central portion is substantially thicker than its ends as shown in Figure 2. The spool is driven in a clockwise direction for drawing the strand and the traverse member is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. Since the traverse mechanism may be rotated at high peripheral speed, approaching and sometimes substantially equaling the linear speed of the strand, only a slight differential in tension as a result of the traverse is encountered. This permits the strand to be readily traversed along the package at a minimum angle to the axis of the spool.

The rapid traversing motion imparted to the strand together with the relatively slow reciprocation of the traverse unit produces a package in which the strands are well separated, and may cross at substantially the angles shown at a and b in Figure 2. The strand is thus readily removed for succeeding operations of twisting or rewinding.

Modificationsmay be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims,

I claim:

1. Apparatus for winding a fibrous material in strand form including a source for supplying said strand, a spool rotatable about a horizontal axis adapted to receive the strand, strand traversing means disposed adjacent said spool and substantially in the pathway of the strand between said source and spool, said traversing means comprising a shaft rotatable about an axis parallel with said spool, a pair of independent complementary cams on said shaft for moving the strand longitudinally of the spool to form a package thereon, the adjacent ends of said cams overlapping and being spaced apart with the minor diameter of one cam terminating within the major diameter of the other to alternately engage the strand to reverse the direction thereof, and means for reciprocating said traversing means longitudinally to form overlapping layers of strand on said spool.

2. In a winding mechanism, a spindle for rotatingly supporting a spool adapted to receive and wind a strand thereon, a guide for the strand, a shaft disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said spindle, complementary cams of conical spiral form supported for rotation on said shaft, each cam being disposed with its major diameter opposed to the minor diameter of the next adjacent cam, and means for rotating the shaft to bring said cams into engagement with said strand in succession.

3. In a winding mechanismfa rotatable spindle for supporting a spool adapted to receive and wind a strand thereon, a guide for the strand, a shaft disposed substantially parallel to the axis of said spindle, a pair of opposed cams of conical spiral form supported on said shaft for rotation about their axes of generation, each said cam extending through at least 180 degrees of convolution and having its major diameter opposed to the minor diameter of the other cam, and means for rotating the shaft to bring said cams into engagement with said strand in succession.

4. In a winding mechanism, a spool adapted to receive and wind a strand thereon, a guide for the strand spaced from the-spool and from which the strand is drawn to the spool, a shaft located adjacent the spool and journaled for rotation about an axis extending transversely of the path of the strand from the guide to the spool, a pair of opposed overlapping cams of conical spiral form on the shaft, each said cam extending through at least 180 degrees of convolution and having its major diameter substantially overlying the minor'diameter of the opposed cam, and means for rotating the shaft to bring said cams into engagement with said strand in succession.

5. In a winding mechanism having a spool adapted to receive and support a strand thereon, a strand traversing element comprising a rotatable shaft, cams formed from wires bent to substantially spiral conical form and secured in angularly spaced relation about said shaft for alternate engagement with the strand to traverse it along the spool, the minor diameter of each cam terminating inside of the major diameter of the next adjacent cam, and means for rotating the shaft.

6. In a winding mechanism having a spool adapted to receive and support a strand thereon, a strand traversing element comprising a rotatable shaft, a pair of wires forming cams and bent to substantially spiral conical form oppositely arranged on said shaft for alternate engagement with the strand to traverseit along the spool, the major diameter of each cam overlying the minor diameter of the opposed cam, and means for rotating the shaft.

7. In a winding mechanism having a spool adapted to receive and support a strand thereon, a strand traversing element comprising a rotatable shaft, 'apair of wires forming cams and bent to substantially spiral conical form opposite- 1y arranged on said shaft for alternate engagement with the strand to traverse it along the spool, the minor diameters of each of said cams lying inside the terminus of the major diameter of the other cam, and means for rotating the shaft.

8. In a winding mechanism having means rotatably supporting a spool adapted to receive and support a strand thereon, a strand traversing element comprising a rotatable shaft, cams formed from wires bent to substantially spiral conical shape and secured in spaced angular relation about said shaft for alternate engagement with the strand to traverse it along the spool, the minor diameter of one cam and the major diameter of the next adjacent cam lying substantially within common radial planes passing through the axis of said shaft, and means for rotating the shaft.

9. In a winding mechanism, a spool adapted to receive and wind a strand thereon, a guide for the strand spaced from the spool, cams of conical spiral form supported with their axes of generation in alignment and for rotation in common about their axes of generation and engaging the strand, each cam being disposed with its maJor diameter Opposed to the minor diameter of the next adjacent cam and offset relative therein lengthwise of the said axes, said axes being disposed transversely of said strand between said guide and said spool and parallel with the axis of said spool and spaced therefrom, and means for rotating the cams about said axes independently of said spool.

GEORGE BEACH.

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