Metering capstan
OwnerWilliam W. Pockman, Thomas W. Pockmaninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved capstan assembly for a rope making machine in which separate strands of rope are twisted together and drawn through a forming die by the capstan and then directed onto a take-up spool. The capstan assembly includes a single capstan having a smooth cylindrical peripheral wall and a hollow central shaft through which the advancing rope strand is directed. A separating comb is mounted adjacent the peripheral wall of the capstan such that adjacent windings of the advancing rope strand around the single capstan are engaged and kept separate by the comb teeth and thereby are prevented from overlapping and binding.
Claims9
In combination with a rope making machine in which separate strands of rope are twisted together and drawn through a forming die by a capstan assembly mounted on a frame and then directed by a flyer assembly onto a take-up spool, the improvement wherein said capstan assembly comprises:
- a rotatably disposed single capstan having a smooth cylindrical peripheral wall and a hollow central shaft, said capstan including a radially outwardly extending flange on each end of said peripheral wall to preclude an advancing rope strand from slipping off the ends of said single capstan;
- means on said frame cooperating with said single capstan to guide the twisted rope strand from said forming die through said hollow capstan shaft and around the peripheral wall of said capstan;
- means on said frame for applying a driving force to rotate said single capstan;
- and
- a separating comb fixedly carried on said flyer assembly with the teeth thereof arranged in a row, said row aligned substantially parallel to the capstan axis with the distal ends of said teeth disposed adjacent the peripheral wall of said capstan such that adjacent windings of the advancing rope strand on said single capstan are engaged at no more than a single point on a side of said strand for each winding and kept separate by the comb teeth and thereby are prevented from overlapping and binding.
A method of making rope in which separate strands of rope are joined together and drawn through a forming die by a single metering capstan having a smooth cylindrical periphery, and then directed onto a take-up spool, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- directing the joined strands around the peripheral wall of the single metering capstan;
- driving the capstan so as to rotate the same and to draw the rope strands thereabout;
- and
- separating adjacent windings of the rope strands by a separating comb having teeth arranged in a row, said row aligned substantially parallel to the capstan axis with the distal ends of said teeth disposed adjacent the peripheral wall of the single capstan for engaging said rope at no more than a single point on a side of said strand for each winding.
In combination with a rope making machine in which separate strands of rope are joined and drawn through a forming die by a capstan assembly mounted on a frame and then directed onto a take-up spool, the improvement wherein said capstan assembly comprises:
- a single capstan rotatably disposed on the frame and having a smooth cylindrical peripheral wall, said capstan including a radially outwardly extending flange on each end of said peripheral wall to preclude an advancing rope strand from slipping off the ends of said single capstan;
- means on the frame cooperating with said single capstan to guide the joined strands of rope from said forming die around the peripheral wall of said capstan;
- means on the frame for applying a driving force to rotate said single capstan;
- and
- a separating comb supported from the frame with the teeth thereof arranged in a row, said row aligned substantially parallel to the capstan axis with the distal ends of said teeth disposed adjacent the peripheral wall of said capstan such that adjacent windings of the advancing rope on said single capstan are engaged at no more than a single point on a side of said strand for each winding and kept separate by the comb teeth and thereby are prevented from overlapping and binding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.