Wire take-off device

An apparatus for de-reeling wire from multiple wire-carrying spools in succession and without interruption, comprising in combination:

• (a) a pair of spools,
• (b) means for supporting the spools with one end of each spool being free, the axis of each spool generally converging toward a guide area,
• (c) a wire guide disposed at said guide area,
• (d) means mounting said guide for swiveling movement about an axis askew with respect to those of the two spools, such that the guide can swing between a first position facing the free end of one of the spools, and a second position facing the free end of the other of said spools, as one spool becomes depleted and de-reeling from the other spool commences, and
• (e) electrically powered means including a switch activated by wire leaving the depleted spool, for effecting swiveling movement of said wire guide between said first position and said second position.

An apparatus for de-reeling wire from multiple wire-carrying spools in succession and without interruption, comprising in combination:

• (a) a pair of spools,
• (b) means for supporting the spools with one end of each spool being free, the axis of each spool generally converging toward a guide area,
• (c) a wire guide disposed at said guide area,
• (d) means mounting said guide for swiveling movement about an axis askew with respect to those of the two spools, such that the guide can swing between a first position facing the free end of one of the spools, and a second position facing the free end of the other of said spools, as one spool becomes depleted and de-reeling from the other spool commences, and
• (e) powered means for effecting swiveling movement of said wire guide between said first position and said second position.

An apparatus for de-reeling wire from multiple wire-carrying spools in succession and without interruption, comprising in combination:

• (a) a pair of spools,
• (b) means for supporting the spools with one end of each spool being free, the axis of each spool generally converging toward a guide area,
• (c) a wire guide disposed at said guide area,
• (d) means mounting said guide for swiveling movement about an axis askew with respect to those of the two spools, such that the guide can swing between a first position facing the free end of one of the spools, and a second position facing the free end of the other of said spools, as one spool becomes depleted and de-reeling from the other spool commences, and
• (e) a supplemental wire guide disposed downstream from said first mentioned guide, for piloting the wire in directions away from the spools to suitable take-up apparatus.

An apparatus for de-reeling wire from multiple wire-carrying spools in succession and without interruption, comprising in combination:

• (a) a pair of spools,
• (b) means for supporting the spools with one end of each spool being free, the axis of each spool generally converging toward a guide area,
• (c) a wire guide disposed at said guide area,
• (d) means mounting said guide for swiveling movement about an axis askew with respect to those of the two spools, such that the guide can swing between a first position facing the free end of one of the spools, and a second position facing the free end of the other of said spools, as one spool becomes depleted and de-reeling from the other spool commences,
• (e) means providing a rotatable hub at the said end of one of the spools,
• (f) a freely-mounted take-off wheel located at the said free end,
• (g) a plurality of substantially radially disposed, flexible and slender spoke-like, wire-restraining tines fixedly supported at their adjoining inner ends on said hub, said tines extending past the periphery of the wheel, the outer end portions of said tines yielding to and being shifted peripherally by the unreeling strand of wire, said wire strand being thereby restrained from wholly free travel around the periphery of the one spool end, and being prevented from freely unwinding around the one spool end and kinking during slow wire speeds or halting of the wire, and
• (h) powered means connected with said hub for rotatably driving the same at a rate which is less than the speed at which the wire strand traverses the periphery of said one spool end, during relatively faster wire take-off speeds.

An apparatus for de-reeling wire from multiple wire-carrying spools in succession and without interruption, comprising in combination:

• (a) a pair of spools,
• (b) means for supporting the spools with one end of each spool being free, the axis of each spool generally converging toward a guide area,
• (c) a wire guide disposed at said guide area,
• (d) means mounting said guide for swiveling movement about an axis askew with respect to those of the two spools, such that the guide can swing between a first position facing the free end of one of the spools, and a second position facing the free end of the other of said spools, as one spool becomes depleted and de-reeling from the other spool commences, and
• (e) means for detecting loss of tension in the wire strand passing adjacent the wire guide, for de-activating the powered means and preventing excessive and continual de-reeling of wire from either spool in the event that the strand suffers inadvertent breakage.

A high-speed wire-transfer apparatus, comprising in combination:

• (a) a spool adapted to carry a quantity of wire,
• (b) a support adapted to fixedly mount the spool with one spool-end free,
• (c) a wire take-up mechanism to accept a strand of wire being de-reeled from the spool,
• (d) said take-up mechanism having powered means for advancing the strand along its path of travel,
• (e) a rotatable take-off wheel located at the free end of the spool,
• (f) a rotatable, generally circular tension brush disposed at the free end of the spool and having a plurality of substantially radially disposed, flexible and slender, spoke-like wire-restraining tines extending past the periphery of the wheel,
• (g) powered means for effecting rotation of said tension brush, and
• (h) control means connected with the powered means for said take-up mechanism and with the powered means for the tension brush, for regulating the rate of rotation of the tension brush as a function of the speed of travel of the strand that is being advanced.

A take-off device for use in de-reeling a strand of wire from two spools in succession, comprising in combination:

• (a) a metal framework having a pair of spaced, upstanding slides, and a guide area through which the strand of wire being de-reeled can pass,
• (b) a pair of swivel carriers adjustably movable on said slides, respectively,
• (c) spool support members carried respectively by said swivel carriers and each having means adapted to engage the respective spools for holding the latter, with one end of each spool free,
• (d) said swivel carriers enabling each of the spool support members to be swung to a first position permitting quick access to the same in order to facilitate the loading of full spools thereon and the unloading of empty spools therefrom, and a second position wherein the axes of the spools are generally convergent toward the said guide area to permit pay-off to occur first off the free end of the one spool until it becomes depleted, and then off the free end of the other spool, substantially in succession,
• (e) electric motors carried by the swivel carriers,
• (f) shafts passing through the spool support members and driven respectively by said motors, and
• (g) tension brushes on said shafts, for disposition at the free ends of the spools.

A take-off device for use in de-reeling a strand of wire from two spools in succession, comprising in combination:

• (a) a metal framework having a pair of spaced, upstanding slides, and a guide area through which the strand of wire being de-reeled can pass,
• (b) a pair of swivel carriers adjustably movable on said slides, respectively,
• (c) spool support members carried respectively by said swivel carriers and each having means adapted to engage the respective spools for holding the latter, with one end of each spool free,
• (d) said swivel carriers enabling each of the spool support members to be swung to a first position permitting quick access to the same in order to facilitate the loading of full spools thereon, and the unloading of empty spools therefrom, and a second position wherein the axes of the spools are generally convergent toward the said guide area, to permit pay-off to occur first off the free end of the one spool until it becomes depleted, and then off the free end of the other spool, substantially in succession, and
• (e) a pair of positioning collars on said slides, respectively, to enable the swivel carriers to rotate about the axes of the slides, respectively, and thereby permit swinging movement of the spools in directions transverse to the axes of the slides.