Multiple stage wire drawing machine

In a multiple stage wire drawing machine having at least one rotatable multiple step capstan assembly having an input drive shaft and a plurality of draw capstans of increasing diameter for drawing a wire through succeeding wire drawing stages respectively, a final stage draw capstan for a final wire drawing stage, a plurality of drawing dies of decreasing die diameter for said succeeding and final drawing stages respectively for drawing a wire to smaller diameters respectively, a machine drive motor, and transmission means connecting the drive motor to the input drive shaft of each multiple step capstan assembly and to the final stage draw capstan for driving each input drive shaft and the final stage draw capstan at fixed relative angular rates of rotation in accordance with the relative diameters of the respective draw capstans and the dies at the respective drawing stages, the improvement wherein the plurality of draw capstans of increasing diameter of each said multiple step capstan assembly are independently rotatably mounted on the respective input drive shaft in axially spaced coaxial relationship, and wherein each said multiple step capstan assembly comprises adjustable slip coupling means providing a slip drive between the respective input drive shaft and each draw capstan rotatable thereon for driving the capstan with an established slip drive torque, the adjustable slip coupling means being adjustable for establishing the slip drive torques between the input drive shaft and the draw capstans respectively.

In a multiple stage wire drawing machine having at least one rotatable multiple step capstan assembly with an input drive shaft and a plurality of draw capstans of increasing diameter for a plurality of succeeding wire drawing stages respectively, a final stage draw capstan for a final wire drawing stage, a plurality of drawing dies of decreasing die diameter for said succeeding and final drawing stages respectively for drawing a wire to successively smaller diameters respectively, a machine drive motor, and transmission means connecting the drive motor to the input drive shaft of each multiple step capstan assembly and to the final stage draw capstan for driving each input drive shaft and the final stage draw capstan at fixed relative angular rates of rotation, the improvement wherein the plurality of draw capstans of increasing diameter of each said multiple step capstan assembly are independently rotatably mounted on the respective input drive shaft in axially spaced coaxial relationship, and wherein each said multiple step capstan assembly comprises slip coupling means providing a slip drive between the respective input drive shaft and each draw capstan thereon for driving the capstan with an established slip drive torque, the plurality of draw capstans of increasing diameter having relative diameters substantially inversely proportional to the square of the wire diameter of the respective wire drawing stages whereby the draw capstans have substantially the same angular slip relative to the input drive shaft.