Apparatus for on-line coiling of wire-like materials, and related method

Apparatus for on-line coiling of wire-like material as it is discharged from a forming mill, which comprises

• a. a rotatable spool positioned to receive the discharged wire-like material in generally tangential manner with a slight axial component,
• b. a guide bell positioned at one end of the spool and mounted for rotation therewith,
• c. said guide bell surrounding said spool in concentric relation,
• d. a first surface portion of said guide bell having a radially outward flaring end portion facing toward the opposite end of the spool and serving as a guide for a fresh end of wire-like material coming from the forming mill, and
• e. a second surface portion of said guide bell surrounding said one end of the spool and being spaced radially outward thereof a distance to receive a limited number of convolutions of said wire-like material,
• f. said guide bell having a first portion slideable axially from a "start" position, surrounding a portion of said spool corresponding to a plurality of coils of the wire-like material arranged side-by-side, to a retracted "winding" position, surrounding a more limited portion of the spool.

Apparatus for on-line coiling of wire-like material as it is discharged from a forming mill, which comprises

• a. a rotatable spool comprising a plurality of radially expandable segments, and positioned to receive the discharged wire-like material in generally tangential manner with a slight axial component,
• b. a guide bell positioned at one end of the spool and mounted for rotation therewith,
• c. said guide bell surrounding said spool in concentric relation,
• d. said segments being temporarily retractable at the start of a coil winding operation to facilitate entry of a fresh end of wire-like material into the annular space between said guide bell and said spool,
• e. a first surface portion of said guide bell having a radially outward flaring end portion facing toward the opposite end of the spool and serving as a guide for a fresh end of wire-like material coming from the forming mill;
• and
• f. a second surface portion of said guide bell surrounding said one end of the spool and being spaced radially outward thereof a distance to receive a limited number of convolutions of said wire-like material.

The method of on-line winding on a spool of coils of wire-like material as discharged from a forming mill, which comprises

• a. initially providing a rotating spool of a diameter slightly less than required for the winding of the coil of wire-like material, and rotating at a speed slightly greater than the speed of discharge of the wire-like material from the forming mill,
• b. initially positioning an annular, outwardly flaring guide surface in surrounding relation to said spool to form an annular guide space, and rotating said surface with said spool,
• c. directing a fresh end of the wire-like material generally tangentially of the spool and somewhat axially into the annular guide space to initiate the winding operation, and thereafter
• d. expanding said spool radially to the required diameter for winding the coil and axially retracting said guide surface.