Apparatus for manufacturing reinforcement meshes and a spinning station therefor

A spinning station (100) for an apparatus for manufacturing reinforcement meshes, comprising:

• a spinner head unit (110) configured to spin a first and a second wire around a reinforcement rod and to subsequently form a wire spacer formed by spinning said two wires around one another;
• an upper wire coil (130), and a lower wire coil (120), respectively, said upper wire coil supplying said first wire and said lower wire coil (120) supplying said second wire;
• wherein said lower wire coil (120) is mounted on said spinner head unit (110);
• a support (140) extending above said spinner head unit (110);
• wherein said upper wire coil (130) is mounted to said support (140);
• feeding means (150) adapted for introducing a reinforcement rod between said first and second wires from a position behind said spinner head unit (110) to a position in front of said spinner head unit (110);
• wherein the
• spinning station (100) further comprises:
• a first rod (160) having a first end (162) and a second opposing end (164), wherein said first end is hingedly connected to said support (140);
• and
• a first guide wheel (170) rotatably mounted on the second end (164) of said rod (160);
• wherein said first wire is looped around said first guide wheel (170), whereby said first guide wheel functions as a wire brake;
• wherein the support (140) extends behind said spinner head unit (110);
• and wherein the spinning station (100) further comprises:
• a cylinder unit (180) operably connected to said first rod (160) and configured to control a spatial position of said first guide wheel (170) by acting on said first rod (160);
• wherein said cylinder unit (180), by acting on said first rod (160), is configured to position said first guide wheel (170) in a first position where a part of said first wire extending between said spinner head unit (110) and said first guide wheel (170) is relatively tightened, and to position said first guide wheel (170) in a second position where a part of said first wire extending between said spinner head unit (110) and said first guide wheel (170) is relatively loosened;
• wherein said first guide wheel is in the first position when the spinner head unit (110) is operating to form the wire spacer, and said first guide wheel is in the second position during the loading operation when the reinforcement rod, while being in contact with the first wire, is guided underneath the first wire by the feeding means (150) in a sliding motion.