Method and apparatus for fabricating high pressure hose

An apparatus for efficiently removing fabric webbing or the like which is helically wound upon the exterior of an elongate hose or the like, and comprising

• an unwinding deck mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis and including an opening therethrough which is coaxial with said axis,
• at least one take-up spool adapted for winding a fabric webbing thereon and mounted on said deck for rotation about a rotational axis which is disposed generally parallel to and radially spaced from said longitudinal axis,
• motor means mounted on said deck for operatively rotating each of said spools about its rotational axis,
• drive means for advancing an elongate hose or the like coaxially along said longitudinal axis and through said opening of said deck, and for concurrently rotating said deck about said longitudinal axis to cause each take-up spool to revolve about said longitudinal axis, whereby the fabric webbing is adapted to be unwound from the hose and wound upon a rotating and revolving take-up spool, said drive means including
• (a) means for continuously sensing the longitudinal position of the fabric webbing as it is being unwound, and
• (b) control means operatively connected to said sensing means for adjusting the speed of the advance of the hose relative to the rotational speed of said deck, to maintain the alignment of the take-up spool with the webbing being unwound from the hose.

An apparatus for continuously fabricating relatively lightweight and flexible hose adapted for high pressure fluid transmission or other similar uses, and comprising

• a plurality of elongate hollow cylindrical mandrels, each of said mandrels including nipple means mounted at each end thereof,
• means for supporting the mandrels for coaxial movement in an end-to-end arrangement along a path of travel which defines a longitudinal axis,
• a plurality of coupling members each adapted to releasably engage one of said nipple means of said mandrels, and each including means for facilitating the interconnection of said mandrels in an end-to-end arrangement,
• a plurality of winding stations disposed along said path of travel, each of said stations being operable to wind a hose building material upon mandrels coaxially advancing therealong,
• drive means for advancing the mandrels along the path of travel and concurrently operating each of said winding stations, whereby the hose building material of each winding station may be helically wound about the advancing mandrels at a uniform and predetermined angle with respect to said longitudinal axis, and
• means for heating the layers of hose building material on each mandrel to cure the same and form an integral hose thereon, and including steam supply means, and releasable coupling means for operatively engaging the nipple means at the ends of each mandrel,
• whereby said coupling members may be initially mounted on said nipple means to facilitate the interconnection of the mandrels, and then removed to permit said coupling means of said steam supply means to operatively engage said nipple means.

A method for continuously fabricating relatively lightweight and flexible hose adapted for high pressure fluid transmission, or similar uses, and comprising the steps of

• serially advancing a plurality of elongated cylindrical mandrels in an end-to-end arrangement along a first horizontal path of travel, while
• helically winding a plurality of tapes of heat curable polymeric material in overlying relation upon the advancing mandrels to form a plurality of concentric tape layers,
• helically winding a heat shrinkable fabric webbing upon the tape layers so as to fully cover the same, and while the mandrels are advancing along the path of travel,
• periodically severing the thus formed tape layers and overlying fabric webbing at a point between each pair of adjacent mandrels, and separating the forward mandrel from the trailing mandrel,
• directing steam into the hollow interior of each separated mandrel to cure the tape layers while causing the fabric webbing to shrink and radially compress the tape layers against the mandrel and thereby form an integral hose thereon,
• advancing the separated mandrels and associated hoses along a second horizontal path of travel, unwinding the heat shrinkable fabric webbing from the exterior of each separated advancing mandrel and associated hose and winding the unwound webbing upon a take-up spool while rotating the spool about its axis and revolving the same about the longitudinal axis of the advancing mandrel,
• said unwinding step further includes sensing the axial location of said webbing as it is unwound, and adjusting the advancing speed of the mandrel and hose with respect to the revolving speed of the take-up spool as the webbing is unwound to maintain the alignment of the take-up spool with the webbing being removed, and then withdrawing the mandrels from each integral hose.

A method for continuously fabricating relatively lightweight and flexible hose adapted for high pressure fluid transmission, or similar uses, and comprising the steps of

• serially advancing a plurality of elongated cylindrical mandrels in an end-to-end arrangement along a first horizontal path of travel, while
• helically winding a plurality of tapes of heat curable polymeric material in overlying relation upon the advancing mandrels to form a plurality of concentric tape layers,
• helically winding a heat shrinkable fabric webbing upon the tape layers so as to fully cover the same, and while the mandrels are advancing along said first path of travel,
• periodically severing the thus formed tape layers and overlying fabric webbing at a point between each pair of adjacent mandrels, and separating the forward mandrel from the trailing mandrel,
• vulcanizing the overlying curable tape layers of polymeric material on each separated mandrel while causing the fabric webbing to shrink and radially compress the tape layers against the mandrel and thereby form an integral hose thereon,
• advancing the separated mandrels and associated hoses along a second path of travel, withdrawing said heat shrinkable fabric webbing from the exterior of said advancing mandrels and their associated hoses and winding said withdrawn fabric webbing upon a take-up spool while rotating said take-up spool about its axis and revolving the same about the longitudinal axis of the advancing mandrels,
• said unwinding step further includes sensing the axial location of said fabric webbing as it is withdrawn, adjusting the advancing speed of the mandrel and hose with respect to the revolving speed of said take-up spool as the webbing is withdrawn to maintain the alignment of the take-up spool with the webbing being removed, and withdrawing said mandrels from each integral hose.