Apparatus for using external drive motors for twisting and winding strand material onto a receiver

A twisting and winding apparatus, comprising:

• a spindle;
• an open ended pot having a base and a cylindrical sidewall, said spindle extending through an axis of rotation of said base and journalled thereto for relative rotation;
• a bobbin removably mounted on said spindle and extending into said pot, said bobbin being in frictional engagement for rotation with said spindle relative to said pot;
• hook means mounted on the sidewall of said pot for guiding a strand substantially axially onto said bobbin;
• means for imparting axial relative movement between said hook means and said bobbin;
• first motor means for rotating said pot at a constant speed of rotation;
• second motor means directly mechanically coupled to and rotated by said first motor means for rotating said spindle at a variable speed of rotation;
• said first and second motor means being external to said pot;
• means for monitoring strand tension;
• and
• means for controlling the speed of said second motor means relative to said first motor means in response to said monitoring means.

An apparatus for twisting and winding strand by feeding the strand substantially axially onto a rotating strand receiver, comprising:

• a spindle;
• means for removably securing said receiver to said spindle;
• an open top pot containing on its axis of rotation said spindle and said receiver, said spindle and said pot being rotatable relative to each other;
• strand hook means located on a wall of said pot for guiding strand onto said receiver;
• first constant speed motor means external to said pot for rotating said pot;
• second variable speed motor means directly mechanically coupled to and driven by said first motor means for rotating said spindle and said receiver;
• means for imparting axial relative movement between said hook means and said receiver during rotation of the receiver;
• means for monitoring tension of the strand being wound onto said receiver;
• and
• means responsive to strand tension for controlling the speed of rotation of said second variable speed motor relative to said constant speed motor.