US 4,117,582 A · Apparatus for producing parallel wire strands for bridges and the like by winding and unwinding strand of large cross-section and for simultaneously applying corrosion protection thereto

Abstract

Process for winding and unwinding a parallel wire strand consisting of a multiplicity of individual wires onto and from a cable drum, and apparatus for performing such process. In the winding process, the parallel wire strand which is supplied in generally circular cross-sectional shape is fanned out so as to form a layer or layers of individual wires disposed in generally parallel position. The lead ends of the wires are anchored and such anchored end is mounted in a support therefor in the interior of the drum in such a manner that the subsequent winding of the individual wires in layers on the drum is without tension. In the unwinding operation, the individual wires are reformed into such circular cross-sectional strand shape at the bridge construction site, with corrosion-preventing material being applied to the individual wires during such unwinding, and a tubular casing of metal or plastic subsequently formed around the wires for sealing the same. In a further embodiment of the invention, the encased circular wire strand is wound simultaneously on a pair of cable drums so as to compensate for differences in length between the wires positioned on the outside and those wires positioned on the inside so as to avoid tension in the wires.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A process for winding upon a base of a cable drum for transport or storage a parallel wire strand made up of a plurality of tightly adjacent vertically and horizontally arranged parallel wires, the strand including at least a leading end fitting securing the ends of the wires together, comprising the steps of:

(a) mounting the drum for rotation about a winding axis;
(b) fanning out and rearranging the strand wires rearwardly of the leading end fitting to form at least one flat layer of parallel individual wires disposed in a single plane extending generally parallel with the drum winding axis;
(c) clamping together the leading end portions of the wires at a point forwardly of the fanning out and rearranging location independently and rearwardly of the end fitting where the wires are in flat layer form while the wires are equally tensioned between the clamping location and a point on the strand located rearwardly of the fanning out and rearranging location, and attaching the wires to the cable drum at the point where they are clamped together;
and
(d) winding the wires in flat layers about the drum base by rotating the drum about its winding axis, whereby the wires are drawn into the drum in flat layers under equal tension and without relative sliding between the wires in the strand.

2 more elements

Apparatus for winding cable wire supplied as a single strand of multiple, tightly adjacent, vertically and horizontally arranged parallel wires, including a leading end fitting securing the leading end of the wires together, comprising:

(a) a cable drum for receiving the wires to be wound and means for driving the drum in rotation about an axis to wind the wires in the drum in a strand advancing forward direction;
(b) means located rearwardly of the drum for fanning out and rearranging the wires of the strand rearwardly of the leading end fitting to relocate the wires from strand shape to at least one flat layer in which the wires are disposed in a substantially single plane and in a generally parallel relationship relative to each other, the plane extending generally parallel with the drum axis;
(c) means independent of said leading end fitting for clamping together as a group the leading end portions of the wires where the wires are arranged in at least one flat layer between the end fitting and the means for fanning out and rearranging the wires, and means for attaching the clamping means to the drum interior, whereby the wires, while fanned out at some point along their lengths, may be wound in the drum under equal tension and without relative longitudinal displacement relative to each other along the strand by transmittal of winding forces from the drum to the clamping means and thence to the wires.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for producing parallel wire strands for bridges and the like by winding and unwinding strand of large cross-section and for simultaneously applying corrosion protection thereto

Life of this patent

Apparatus for producing parallel wire strands for bridges and the like by winding and unwinding strand of large cross-section and for simultaneously applying corrosion protection thereto

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17