Method and apparatus for uncoiling and straightening material for processing thereof

In an apparatus for uncoiling material such as wire from a circular coil and preparing the wire for further processing comprising:

• a support frame,
• coil supporting means carried by said support frame and having a rotatable drum over which a coil to be uncoiled is placed,
• a set of pinch rolls consisting of a lower and upper roll arranged to form a nip for engaging wire being uncoiled from said drum and feeding it along a predetermined passline for said wire,
• said lower pinch roll mounted coaxially with said drum,
• means for separating each succeeding loop of wire fed to said pinch rolls from said drum,
• said separating means having a loop of wire engaging and restraining portion constructed and arranged to support and guide said loop to be fed to said nip, and a protective portion spaced outwardly and separate from said engaging and restraining means, said protective portion constructed and arranged to separate said loop from said coil supported on said drum and to substantially separate and protect at least one of said pinch rolls from said supported coils.

A method for uncoiling and preparing material such as wire for further processing from a circular coil supported generally horizontal by a rotatable drum cantileverly mounted to a frame, the steps comprising:

• (a) feeding the leading end of the wire between a set of pinch rolls defining a passline until the leading end engages an end bender roll positioned away from the passline,
• (b) causing the natural curvature of the material to be substantially removed and to take a path generally parallel to the passline by positioning the end bender roll toward the passline so that the wire contacts an anvil roll located on a side of the passline opposite to that of the end bender roll,
• (c) while step (b) is being performed, simultaneously causing at least two straightener rolls to be moved away from the passline so that the leading end is free to advance along said passline without interference with said straightening rolls while being supported by one of said rolls,
• (d) when the leading end has passed through the straightener roll area, thereafter causing the two straightener rolls to be positioned toward the passline to support the material in said passline, and the end bender to be positioned away from the passline, and
• (e) while step (d) is in progress, or thereafter causing a third straightener roll located along the passline generally opposite the other two straightener rolls to be positioned toward the passline so that the straightener rolls contact the material in a nested relationship.

An apparatus for unbending a leading end of material such as wire after it passes between a set of pinch rolls forming a nip and defining a passline for the travel of said wire comprising:

• a first means having a wire engaging surface and arranged on one side of said passline of said wire and constructed and arranged to be positionable in a first operative position away from said passline for engaging said leading end and positionable in a second operative position close to said passline to bend said leading end against its natural curvature to take a path generally parallel to said passline,
• movable support means for mounting said first means and constructed and arranged to allow a leading end of said wire to travel away from said passline where it is engaged by said first means in its said first operative position,
• second means having a wire engaging surface cooperating with said first means for said unbending of said leading end as said first means is brought into its said second operative position, and
• power means connected to said support means for positioning said first means in said first and said second operative positions.

In an apparatus for uncoiling material such as wire from a circular coil and preparing the wire for further processing comprising:

• a support frame,
• coil supporting means carried by said support frame and having a rotatable drum over which a coil to be uncoiled is placed,
• a set of pinch rolls consisting of a lower and upper roll arranged to form a nip for engaging wire being uncoiled from said drum and feeding it along a predetermined passline for said wire,
• said lower pinch roll mounted coaxially with said drum,
• means for separating each succeeding loop of wire fed to said pinch rolls from said drum,
• said separating means having a loop of wire engaging and restraining portion constructed and arranged to guide said loop to said nip, and a protective portion spaced generally coaxially in front of said pinch rolls between said coil and extending over at least a portion of one of said pinch rolls.