Cable stranding apparatus and method of operating it
AssigneeN.K.F. Groep B.V.
InventorJohan F. R. Meijer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of, and apparatus for, manufacturing a stranded product from materials wound on feed reels journalled in a rotating feed cage. To permit operation at a maximum safe speed based on centrifugal force of the mass of material on the feed reels, an energy beam such as light is arranged to sense the diameter of the various feed reels. Cage rotation is then increased as permitted according to the observed diameter of charge of material on the reel having the greatest charge.
Claims11
A method of manufacturing a stranded product, comprising:
- mounting a plurality of feed reels, each containing material wound thereon, in a feed cage,
- rotating the feed cage about an axis,
- controlling the speed of the cage rotation,
- pulling the material from the feed reels through a stranding device, and
- winding the stranded product onto a take-up reel,
- characterized in that said rotating and controlling steps comprise:
- directing an energy beam past said feed reels such that interruption of the beam by the charge of the material on a feed reel is a function of the size of the charge;
- monitoring the charge on a feed reel by sensing the beam energy which passes the reel without interruption;
- and
- controlling the speed of cage rotation responsive to said monitoring such that centrifugal force due to rotation of the cage and feed reels is maintained approximately constant at a maximum safe value.
An apparatus for manufacturing a stranded product from a plurality of supplies of material wound on feed reels, comprising a feed cage having an axis,
- means for rotating the feed cage about said axis,
- means for mounting a plurality of feed reels to the feed cage, and
- means for controlling the cage speed responsive to the charge on a feed reel,
- characterized in that said means for controlling comprises:
- a transmitter for emitting an energy beam, and a receiver for the beam, arranged such that the energy beam passes at least two feed reels,
- means connected to said receiver for determining when the charge on the most-fully-charged of said at least two reels is just sufficiently large to interrupt the beam, and
- means for controlling the speed of cage rotation responsive to the largest sensed charge sensed by said receiver,
- whereby the number of transmitters and receivers is less than the number of feed reels whose charge may be sensed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.