Machine for manufacturing wire coils

A machine for manufacturing wire coils, which comprises

• 1. feeding means for delivering wire,
• 2. winding means for receiving said wire from said feeding means and for forming said wire into a continuous helix,
• 3. a sensing wheel arranged to contact the wire between said feeding means and said winding means and to perform an angular movement corresponding to the advance of said wire in contact with said sensing wheel,
• 4. cutting means operable to cut wire coils from said helix, said cutting means comprising
• a. a cutting tool and tool-driving means operable to move said cutting tool in a first step from an initial position in which said cutting tool is spaced from said helix to an intermediate position in which said cutting tool is disposed between two adjacent convolutions of said helix, and in a second step from said intermediate position to a final position so as to cut through the helix, the tool-driving means including a first solenoid energizable to move said cutting tool through said first step and a pneumatic actuator operable to move said cutting tool through said second step, and
• 5. control means for controlling the operation of said cutting means in response to the angular movement of said sensing wheel so as to cause said cutting means to cut wire coils having a predetermined length from said helix, said control means comprising
• a. a pulse generator for producing pulses in response to the angular movement of said sensing wheel,
• b. a presettable counter adapted to be preset to first and second counts for counting said pulses, and
• c. final control means for initiating the operation of said cutting means when said counter has counted to a preset count and arranged to cause said tool-driving means to move said cutting tool through said first step when said counter has counted to said first count and subsequently through said second step when said counter has subsequently counted to said second count, said final control means including a first thyristor arranged to be fired immediately when said counter has counted to said first count, a second thyristor arranged to be fired immediately when said counter has counted to said second count, said first solenoid being arranged to be energized in immediate response to the firing of said first thyristor, a second solenoid arranged to be energized in immediate response to the firing of said second thyristor, and a valve arranged to admit compressed air to said pneumatic actuator to operate the same in immediate response to the energization of said second solenoid.