Method and apparatus for winding a fiber reinforced bell on the end of a pipe

An apparatus for winding a fiber reinforced resin bell on the end of a cylindrical pipe, comprising a first conveyor for conveying a first pipe having an open end and having a first insert ring disposed in said end with a portion of the first ring projecting from said end, said first conveyor including a first winding station, a second conveyor for conveying a second pipe having an open end and having a second insert ring disposed in said end of said second pipe with a portion of the second ring projecting from said end of said second pipe, said second conveyor including a second winding station, first delivery means at the first winding station for moving the first pipe axially in a direction toward the second winding station to a first winding position and for returning said first pipe from the first winding position to the first conveyor, second delivery means at said second winding station for moving the second pipe axially in a direction toward said first winding station to a second winding position and for returning said second pipe from the second winding position to said second conveyor, said second insert being in abutting proximate relation with said first insert when said pipes are at the respective winding positions, rotating means for rotating each pipe at the winding position about its axis, winding means disposed between said conveyors for winding a strand impregnated with a binder around the projecting end of the first insert and the corresponding end of the first pipe located at its winding position to form a bell, transfer means for shifting said winding means to transfer the strand to the second pipe located at its winding position and winding the strand around the projecting end of the second insert and the corresponding end of the second pipe to form a second bell, and cutting means for cutting the strand at the joint between the abutting inserts after operation of said transfer means.

In a filament winding apparatus, means for positioning a pair of mandrels in end-to-end relation with the ends of the mandrels being spaced apart, winding means for winding a strand of resin impregnated fibrous material on the end of a first of said mandrels to form a first wound section, transferring means for transferring the strand to the end of the second of said mandrels, said winding means winding the strand on the end of said second mandrel to form a second wound section, and cutting means disposed at the joint between the abutting ends of the mandrels to sever the strand at the joint, said winding means including a carriage mounted for reciprocating movement longitudinally of the mandrels, strand guiding means carried by the carriage for guiding the strand onto each mandrel, mandrel rotating means for rotating each mandrel about its axis, and carriage drive means including a first rotatable cam member having a first cam surface and a second rotatable cam member having a second cam surface, a first follower disposed to ride on the first cam surface and connected to said carriage, a second follower disposed to ride on said second cam surface and connected to said carriage, means for rotating said cam members, said carriage being moved in a first reciprocating path as said first follower rides on the first cam surface of the first cam member to form said first wound section, and said carriage being moved in a second reciprocating path as said second follower rides on the second cam surface of the second cam member to form said second wound section, said transfer means acting to move one of said followers into engagement with the respective cam surface and simultaneously move the other of said followers out of engagement with the respective cam surface.