Apparatus for winding filaments or strands

A rotatable traversing apparatus for traversing at least one strand of fibers while the at least one strand of fibers is wound onto a support, the traversing apparatus comprising:

• first and second bar supports;
• a first plurality of adjacent primary bars extending between a periphery of the first bar support and a periphery of the second bar support, respectively;
• a second plurality of adjacent primary bars extending between a periphery of the first bar support and a periphery of the second bar support, respectively;
• a pair of auxiliary bars, each auxiliary bar extending between a periphery of the first bar support and a periphery of the second bar support at a respective location circumferentially between a primary bar of the first plurality of primary bars and a primary bar of the second plurality of primary bars;
• wherein respective pairs of adjacent primary and/or auxiliary bars are each coplanar;
• and
• wherein the apparatus has an axis of rotation extending between the first and second bar supports and lying radially inward of the primary and auxiliary bars;
• characterized in that each primary bar of the first plurality of adjacent primary bars lies on a surface of a first cone and each primary bar of the second plurality of adjacent primary bars lies on a surface of a second cone, the first cone and the second cone being oriented in substantially opposite directions, and
• in that each primary bar of the first plurality of adjacent primary bars has a negative slope with respect to the axis of rotation in a direction along the axis of rotation from the first bar support towards the second bar support, and each primary bar of the second plurality of primary bars has a positive slope with respect to the axis of rotation in a direction along the axis of rotation from the first bar support towards the second bar support, and each auxiliary bar is arranged between the first and second pluralities of adjacent primary bars to provide a smooth positional transition therebetween.