US2312428A - Apparatus for coiling strip materials and the like - Google Patents

Description

' March 2, 1943. E. T..L ORlG 2,312,423

APPARATUS FOR COILING STRIP MATERIALS AND THE LiKE Filed D80. 17, 1940 liwenz'ar:

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Why/away,

Patented Mar. 2, 1943 APPARATUS FOR COILING STRIP MATERIALS AND THE LIKE Edwin T. Lorig, Dormont, Pa.

Application December 17, 1940, Serial No. 370,556

Claims.

applicants copending application Serial No.

217,064, filed July 1, 1938, now abandoned.

While many coiling devices and apparatus have been suggested and used for coiling strip metal, most of these have been expensive and. difllcult to use and were unsatisfactory for various other reasons. well known to those skilled in the art, to utilize coi ing devices comprising a series of circularly arranged rollers which are adapted to provide a substantially circular cage between which the strip is delivered and coiled in a centerless manner, that is, without any central supporting reel. The rollers in such an arrangement expand laterally from their closed portions and away from each other and hold the outer convolutions of the coil against the preceding convolutions as the coil expands and increases in diameter. Usually the amount or degree of lateral expansion of these rollers one to the other is controlled by means of a leverage system interconnecting the rollers. Heretofore the rate and degree of movement of the master lever arm together with the rollers has been controlled generally by means of cams or spring loaded arrangements, or other mechanical arrangements which were not satisfactory.

If a cam arrangement were used, the rollers contacting the outer convolution of the strip expanded at a predetermined rate irrespective of how rapidly or slowly the coil increased in diameter, which in most cases resulted either in a loose coiling of the strip or an extremely tight coiling of the same which respectively in turn caused slippage of the loose convolutions relative to the tightly coiled convolutions. Such slippage resulted usually in scratching the surfaces of the strip or the gouging of the rollers into the outer surface of the convolutions which in some instances would be bullding up faster than the rollers are moving outwardly. It has been found that a coil weighing approximately 7000 pounds was the heaviest coil that such cam controlled apparatus would carry before the above defects became exaggerated to the extent that they could not be tolerated.

If the rate and degree of movement of the master lever arm together with the rollerswere controlled by a spring loaded arrangement, it was found that the same could not control coils whose total weight exceeded approximately 5000 It has therefore been proposed, as is pounds. It'has been found by the use of eccentric cams or springs that neither the weight nor the width of the coil can be taken into consideration in their design, and this is absolutely necessary in order. to provide a successful coiling device or apparatus for all coiling purposes of strip metal. A reeling or coiling device should be designed so that it is flexible in order to handle various weights and be able to coil strip metal of difierent widths into any reasonable coil diameter.

It should be appreciated that the width or size of strip being coiled may change every few coils or even from coil to coil, and so if the gage of the strip is changed, likewise the ultimate diameter of the coil will be changed. Therefore, it

will be seen that it is desirable to have a coiling device or apparatus which can be used for any size material or coil, and it is to such an improved apparatus that the present invention relates, and particularly to an improved means for controlling the same.

Accordingly it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for coiling strip material which can be used for coiling various widths or sizes of strip material,

and apparatus which can control and successfully handle light weight coils as well as relatively heavy coils.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for coiling continuous strip material which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and use and at the same time one which efllciently and tightly coils the strip so as to prevent slippage of the successive coils relative to each other.

It is a further object of thi invention to provide an improved method of and apparatus for coiling continuous strip material wherein the lateral travel and/or expansion of the rolls forming the coiling unit increases directly in proportion to the increase in the weight of the coiled material so that the pressure of the rolls against the successive convolutions of the strip being coiled increases as the weight and size of the coil increase.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent in the course of the following specification and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown for the purpose of illustration one embodiment thereof which my invention may assume in practice.

position showing incorporated therewith the improved means of my invention, partly in section for actuating and controlling the same.

In the drawing, S represents the end of a strip of material being delivered to the coiler which is indicated in its entirety by the numeral 2, and C represents the coiled strip therein. The coiler is of efiwell known conventional type, and will be only briefly described. The coiler consists of a frame 3 having a pair of rotatable pinch rolls 4 arranged at the entrance end thereof which are adapted to guide the strip material into the coiling mechanism. At a spaced distance rearwardly of the pinch rolls 4 there is arranged on the frame a pair of stationary rotatable guide rolls 5. There is mounted in a circular arrangement a plurality of lever-like arms 6, each of which is pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on shafts carried by the frame. There is cariried by each of the arms 6 adjacent the inner end thereof a rotatable roller 8, and beyond the roller 8 at the extreme end of each of the arms there is arranged a stripper plate 9 which is adapted to cooperate with their respective rollers 8. The outer ends of the arms 6 are successively interconnected by means of a plurality of levers or link members [0, with one lever arranged between each of the arms. The levers iii are pivotally connected to their respective arms 6 by means of pivotal connections 12, and are adapted to move the arms 6 together with the rollers 8 and stripper plates 9 carried thereby in unison.

That is to say, the four rollers 8 shown in the present instance have a simultaneous, synchronous, substantially radial inward or outward movement due to the arms 6 being interconnected by the levers Ill. It will be seen that the topmost arm 6 does not carry a roller 8 as do the other arms, and the stripper plate 9 carried thereby is adapted to be disposed immediately rearwardly of the guideroll 5 with which it is adapted to cooperate. It will also be seen that the lever I0 interconnecting the topmost arm 8 with the next succeeding arm connects the inner ends of the arms rather than the outer ends thereof.

It will begunderstood that the arms 6 together with the rollers 8 and stripper plates 3 carried thereby, are adapted to be moved by means of the master lever arm l3 through the action of the interconnecting links l0 so that the rollers 6 in cooperation with the stripper plates 3 forms a substantially completely closed circular opening into which the strip material enters for coiling when the rollers are in their closed position, as shown in the broken lines of the drawing.

The stripper plates 9 prevent the strip S from passing between the rollers 8 and force the same to assume the shape of a circle or coil, and it will be seen that the arms 6 together with the rollers 6 carried thereby are arranged so that the opening between the rollers is maintained substantially circular when the rollers are in any position.

According to the present invention, there is arranged at the bottom of the coiler a master lever arm it having one end thereof pivotally connected at M to the bottommost arm 6 with the opposite end thereof pivotally connected at I6 to a downwardly extending lever i6 carried by a shaft l'l.

There is arranged adjacent the opposite end of the master lever arm l8 below the coiler, a pneumatic fluid cylinder it! which is preferably controlled by means of compressed air. There is positioned within the cylinder a piston I8 on the outer end of a piston rod 20, with the inner end thereof securely connected to a slide block 2| which is slidably arranged in suitable guideways carried by a casing 22, securely arranged in a suitable manner on the inner end of the pneumatic cylinder l8. There is pivotally connected to the slide block 2! at 23 a connecting rod 24 having the inner end thereof pivotally connected at 25 to the master lever arm I3 at a point directly below the pivotal connection I4 of the master lever arm with the bottommost arm 6.

There is connected at 26 to a port 21 arranged in the outer end of the cylinder l8 a fluid supply line. or pipe connection 28 which interconnects the cylinder preferably with a two-position fourway control valve 29 at 30. A port 3| arranged in'the opposite or inner end of the cylinder I! is connected at 32 by means of a fluid supply line or pipe connection 33 which interconnects that end of the cylinder also with the four-way valve 29 at 34.

The four-way valve 28 is connected at 35 on the opposite side thereof to a relatively high pressure fluid expansion tank 36 by means of a pipe connection 31 having a check valve 3!! arranged therein, and is connected at 39 to a relatlvely low pressure fluid expansion tank 40 by means of a pipe connection 4| also having a check valve 42 arranged therein. There is provided a high pressure fluid line 43 Home suitable source of supply (not shown) which is connected to the high pressure fluid expansion tank 36 by means of a pipe connection 44 having a check valve 45 arranged therein. The high pressure line 43 is also connected to the low pressure fluid expansion tank 40 by means of a pipe connectirn 46 and there is arranged therein a suitable pressure regulating valve 41 and a check valve 48.

There is arranged in the fluid supply line 24 another four-way valve 49 which is connected to a pipe connection 50 at 5!, interconnecting the same with the lower side of the line 28. The opposite side of the four-way valve 49 is connected at 52 to a pipe connection 53 which interconnects the same preferably withthe line 21 at a point immediately beyond its connection 35 with the four-way valve 23.

The construction of the present invention having thus been described, the operation of the same is as follows:

The present apparatus has been designed to be operated by means of compressed air but it will be understood that any other suitable fluid under pressure may be used in lieu thereof. The compressed air is preferably under pressure of from to pounds per square inch-and is supplied to the piping system through the high pressure line 43. The pressure regulating valve 41 in the line 46 is set so as to obtain the proper relatively low pressure in line 46, the lowpressure expansion tank 40, and the connection 4] in order to obtain proper pressure back of the piston IS in the pneumatic cylinder l8 for a purpose and in a manner to be hereinafter described. It is the purpose of the low pressure air to support or hold the rollers 8 of the coiler in their closed position, as shown in the broken lines of the drawing. This preset low pressure may vary from approximately 8 to 30 pounds and is determined by the gage and width of the strip and the weight of the coil to be coiled with the lower pressure being used for narrow strip maopening ,the rollers terial and the higher pressure for relatively wide strip.

When it is desired to coil any particular strip, the rollers are initially in their closed position and maintained in such positions by admitting low pressure air to the outer end of the cylinder is above the piston i9 therein through the valve 49, the connections 28 and the port 21 which is controlled by the four-way valve 29. It will be understood that the pressure in back of the piston I9 need be only of suflicient intensity to hold the rollers 8 in their closed position so as to minimize the pressure of the rollers against the initial convolutions of the coil being formed. This is necessary so as to prevent the initial convolutions of the coil from sliding relative to each other and causing detrimental and objectional scratches and abrasion marks on the strip. As the strip is continuously fed into the coiler. the coil builds up between the rollers 8 and the coil itself forces the rollers outwardly from their closed position shown in the broken lines of the drawing, substantially to the position shown in the full lines of the drawing. Thus, it will be seen as the rollers 6 are moved outwardly as the 4 size and Weight of the coil increase the diameter,

all of the arms are moved simultaneously through the action of the interconnecting levers or links H), thereby moving the master lever arm l3 to gether with the connecting rod 24 and the piston i9 against the action of the low pressure air above the piston. As a result the low pressure air entrained in the cylinder will be forced into the lines 28 and 4| into the expansion tank 40, thereby compressing the air and an increased pressure will be gradually built up in the expansion tank and in the line back of the piston it. Thus, it will be seen that the pressure of the rollers against the successive convolutions of the coil increases due to the fact that the pressure is being increased above the piston i9.

After the coil C has been completely formed, the four-way control valve 29 is manipulated so that the pressure in lines 28 and 4i are exhausted to the atmosphere through the connection 29" and which simultaneously admits high pressure air from the high pressure tank 36 into the cylinder i8 through the connection 33 and the port 8! to the lower side of the piston l5. This high pressure air moves the piston I! to the left, thus 8 to their fully open position so that the coil C may be removed from therebetween.

After the coiled strip has been removed from between the rollers 8, the four-way valve 29 is again manipulated so as pressure air from below the piston is in the cylinder and in the connection 33 to the atmosphere through the exhaust outlet 28. The low pressure air is simultaneously admitted again to the opposite end of the cylinder it through the line 28 and the port 26 above the-piston therein.

When extremely narrow strip is being coiled;

relatively low air pressures must necessarily be used in the pressure tank 40, which results in a sluggish action in the closing of the rollers for the start of the next coiling operation. In order to obtain a more rapid movement of the rollers 8 to their closed position under such operating conditions. high pressure air may be admitted to the cylinder 18 above the piston l9 therein through the connection 50 which is connected to the line 28, by manipulation of the four-way valve 49. The high pressure air is then admitted to the cylinder from the high pressure to exhaust the high.

tank 36 through the lines 31, 53, 5|! and 28. The valve 49 preferably floats on the low pressure air line 28 and is normally opened to the low pres sure air from the main operating valve 28 and normally closed to the line 53 and to the high pressure air from the supply pressure tank 36. It will be understood that when the valve 49 is manipulated, the line 28 is closed to the low air pressure and simultaneously opened to the high air pressure from line 53. When the operating handle of the valve 49 is released, the valve 49 automatically returns to its normal or floating status in the line 28 with the connection to the low pressure air and the connection to the high pressure air, opened and closed respectively which again equalizes the low pressure air in the low pressure tank 40 and in the cylinder i8 above the piston l9 therein and the rollers 8 are then in position for the next coiling operation.

As a result of. my invention, it will be seen that the pneumatic cylinder 18 through the action of the controlling means therefor is adapted to maintain the rollers 8 against the outer convolutions of the strip material continuously throughout the coiling thereof and as the arms 8, together with the rollers 8 carried thereby, are moved gradually outwardly as the size of the coil increases in diameter and weight, the low pressure air in the cylinder i8 is compressed thereby resulting in the pressure of th rollers against the successive convolutions of the coils increasing directly as the weight and size of the coil increase, whereby any slppage of the successive convolutions relative to each other is entirely eliminated. That is to say, the initial air pressure within the cylinder l8 (sufficient to hold the rollers in their closed position) having been established, therefore increases as it volume decreases, which increase in pressure is substantially proportional to the increased diameter and weight of the coil being formed. Thus, it can readily be seen that any coil, irrespective of size or weight, is convoluted with uniform tightness between each and every convolution of the coil, thus preventing any slippage of the convolutions relativeto each other, and particularly the initial convolutions of the coil.

While I hav shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope or my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for coiling continuous strip rnaterial, a plurality of pivotally mounted arms circularly arranged, a roller arranged on the inner end of each of said arms for contacting and guid ing the strip material as it enters therebetween, a link member arranged between and interconnecting each of said arms, a fluid pressure cylinder for moving said link members together with said arms and the rollers carried thereby so that said rollers are arranged in one position to cooperatively form a substantially closed circular opening into whlch the strip material enters for coiling the same, a relatively high pressure fluid line connected to one end of said cylinder for supplying a high pressure fluid to that end of said cylinder for rapidly moving said arms together with the roller carried thereby to their fully open position so as to permit removal of the coil after the coiling of the strip has been completed, a relatively low pressure fluid line connected to and arranged between said high pressure fluid line and the opposite end of said cylinder for supplying a relatively low fluid pressure thereinto, a valve arranged between said high pressure and low pressure fluid lines for regulating the fluid pressure in said low pressure fluid line, means for determining the pressure in said low pressure fluid line, a check valve arranged in said low. pressure line, another valve arranged in said low pressure line below said check valve, said last-mentioned valve adapted to be arranged in one position so as to be open to the atmosphere whereby the fluid pressure in the cylinder can be exhausted therefrom to the atmosphere, said fluid pressure cylinder adapted to maintain said rollers against the outer convolutions of the strip material continuously throughout the coiling thereof whereby the arms together with the rollers carried thereby are moved gradually outwardly as the size of the coil increases in diameter thereby compressing the low pressure fluid in said cylinder whereby the pressure, of said rollers against the successive convolution increases as the weight and size of the coil increase so as to prevent slippage of the successive convolutions relative to each other. e

2. In apparatus for coiling continuous strip material, a plurality of pivotally mounted arms cir'- cularly arranged, a roller arranged on the inner end of each of said arms for contacting and guiding the strip material as it enters therebetween, a link member arranged between and interconnecting each of said arms, a fluid pressure cylinder for moving said link members together with said arms and the rollers carried thereby so that said rollers are arranged in one position to cooperatively form a substantially closed circular opening into which the strip material enters for coiling the same, a relatively high pressure fluid line connected to one end of said cylinder for supplying a high pressure fluid to that end of said cylinder for rapidly moving said arms together with the rollers carried thereby to their fully open position so as to permit removal of the coil after the coiling of the strip has been completed, a relatively low pressure fluid line connected to said high pressure fluid line, a valve arranged between said high pressure and low pressure fluid lines for regulating the fluid pressure in said low pressure fluid line, means for determining the pressure in said low pressure fluid line, a four-way valve arranged in said low pressure fluid line, said four-way valve adapted to be arranged in one position so as to be open to the atmosphere whereby the fluid in the cylinder can be exhausted therefrom to the atmosphere, and means connecting said four-way valve with the opposite end of said fluid pressure cylinder whereby the low pressure fluid is adapted to pass through said four-way valve when the same is in one position into said cylinder so as to maintain the arms together with the rollers carried thereby in their closed positions, 'said fluid pressure cylinder adapted to maintain said rollers against the outer convolutions of the strip material continuously throughout the coiling thereof whereby the arms together with the rollers carried thereby are moved gradually outwardly as the size of the coil increases in diameter thereby compressing the low pressure fluid in said cylinder whereby the pressure of said rollers against the successive convolutions increases as the weight and size and of the coil increase so as to prevent slippage of the successive convolutions relative to each other.

material, a plurality of pivotally mounted arms circularly arranged, a roller arranged on the inner end of each of said arms for contacting and guiding the strip material as it enters therebetween, a link member arranged between and interconnecting each of said arms, a fluid pressure cylinder for moving said link members together with said arm and the rollers carried thereby so that said rollers are arranged in one position to cooperatively form a substantially closed circular opening into which the strip material enters for coiling the same, means for supplying a relatively high pressure fluid into one end of said cylinder for rapidly moving the arms together with the rollers carried thereby to their fully closed positions, means for releasing the high pressure fluid in that end of said cylinder after the arms have been moved to their closed positions, means for supplying a relatively low pressure fluid to the same end 01' said cylinder for. maintaining said arms together with the rollers carried thereby in their closed positions after the high fluid pressure has been released therefrom, said fluid pressure cylinder adapted to maintain said rollers against the outer convolutions of the strip material continuously throughout the coiling thereof whereby the arms together with the rollers carried thereby are gradually .moved outwardly as the size of the coil increases in diameter thereby compressing the low pressure fluid in said cylinder so as to increase the pressure therein, whereby the pressure of said rollers against the successive convolutions-increases as the weight and size of the coil increase so as to prevent slippage of the convolutions relative to each other, and means for supplying a relatively high pressure fluid into the opposite end of said cylinder for rapidly moving said arms together with the rollers carried thereby to their fully open positions so as to permit removal of the coiled strip.

4. In apparatus for coilin continuous strip material, a plurality of pivotally mounted arms circularly arranged, a roller arranged on the inner end oil each of said arms for contacting and guiding the strip material as it enters therebetween, a link member arranged between and interconnecting each of said arms, a fluid pressure cylinder for moving said link members together with said arms and the rollers carried thereby so that said rollers are arranged in one position to cooperatively form a substantially closed circular opening into which the strip material enters for coiling the same, a relatively high pressure fluid supply line, a relatively low pressure fluid supply line connected to said high pressure fluid line, a valve arranged between said high pressure and low pressure fluid lines for the arms together with the rollers carried thereby to their fully open positions, a valve connected to both said high pressure and low pressure fluid supply lines, means connecting said valve to the opposite end or said cylinder for introducing low pressure fluid thereto, said low pressure fluid adapted to pass through said valve into the cylinder when the valve is in one position so as to maintain the arms together with the rollers carried thereby in their closed positions, said valve adapted in another position so as to be open to the atmosphere whereby the fluid in the cylinderis adapted to be exhausted to the atmosphere and in still another position so as to permit the high pressure fluid to pass through said connecting means into that end or said cylinder whereby the arms together with the rollers carried thereby can be rapidl moved to their fully closed positions, said fluid pressure cylinder adapted to maintain said rollers against the outer convolutions of the strip material continuously throughout the coiling thereof whereby the arms together with the rollers carried thereby are moved gradually outwardly as the size of the coil increases in diameter thereby compressing the low pressure fluid in said cylinder whereby the pressure of said rollers against the successive convolutions increases as the weight and size of the coil increase so as to prevent slippage of the successive convolutions relative to each other.

5. In apparatus for coiling continuous strip material, a plurality of pivotally mounted arms circularly arranged, a roller arranged on the inner end of each of said arms for contacting and guiding the strip material as it enters therebetween, a link member arranged between and interconnecting each of said arms, a fluid pressure cylinder for moving said link members together with said arms and the rollers carried thereby so that sad rollers are arranged in one sltion to form cooperatively a substantially closed circular opening into which the strip material enters for coiling the same, a source of high pressure fluid, a fluid line connecting said source to one end of said fluid pressure cylinder, means arranged in said line between said source and said cylinder for reducing the fluid pressure in said line so that a low pressure 'fluid may be supplied thereby to that end of said cylinder, said low fluid pressure in said cylinder adapted to maintain the said arms together with the rollers carried thereby in their fully closed position and against the outer convolutions of the strip material oi the coil continuously throughout the coiling thereof so that the arms together with the rollers carried thereby are moved-gradually outwardly as the size of the coil increases in diameter thereby compressing the low pressure fluid in that end of said cylinder so' as to increase the pressure therein whereby the'pressure of said rollers against the successive convolutions of the coil increases as the weight and size or the coil increases so as to prevent slippage of the successive convoiu-- tions relative to each other, and a fluid line when introduced into that end of said cylinder will rapidly move said arms together with the rollers carried thereby to their fully open positions so as to permit removal of the coil after the coiling of the-strip has been completed.

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