Control of traversing guide in strand winding apparatus

In an apparatus for winding strand onto a spool having end flanges, which apparatus comprises means for rotating a flanged spool about its central axis, a traversing guide arranged to travel back and forth along a path lengthwise of said spool and to guide strand onto said spool between the end flanges thereof, drive means arranged to move said traversing guide in forward and reverse directions lengthwise of said spool in response respectively to forward and reverse control signals supplied thereto, and control means coupled to said drive means for providing said drive means with alternate forward and reverse control signals to actuate said drive means to reverse the direction of travel of said traversing guide when it reaches either of two adjustably selected reversal points;

• the improvement wherein said control means comprise:
• reference position detector means adjustably positioned along the path of travel of said traversing guide and operative to provide a reference position signal pulse in response to each traversing movement in either direction of said traversing guide through either of two reference positions each adjacent to a respective one of said spool end flanges whereby a first and then a second of said reference position signal pulses are produced each time said traversing guide passes one or the other of said reference positions in opposite directions during its approach to and consequent return from a respective reversal point;
• first bistable means having an input connected to said reference position detector means and having an output switchable between a switched-on and a switched-off state;
• said first bistable means responding to successive ones of said first and second reference position signal pulses to switch its output from a switched-off state to a switched-on state whenever a first reference position signal pulse is produced by said reference position detector means and to switch its output from a switched-on state to a switched-off state whenever a second reference position signal pulse is produced by said reference position detector means;
• spool revolution counting means comprising a preset counter coupled to said spool rotating means and including an input connected to the output of said first bistable means and switch means having first and second operating states;
• said counter being responsive to switching of the output of said first bistable means to said switched-on state to initiate counting operation and to produce count responsive to the number of revolutions of the spool until the count attains a selected preset value;
• said counter being reset from said preset value to a predetermined lower initial value and its counting operation being inhibited in response to switching of the output of said first bistable means to said switched-off state;
• said switch means being operative to switch from said first state to said second state when said counter counts to said preset value and to return to said first state when said counter is reset to said lower initial value;
• second bistable means having an input connected to said counter switch means;
• said second bistable means having an output with first and second operating conditions which alternate upon successive switching of said counter switch means from said first state to said second state;
• and
• means connected to said drive means and responsive to the output of said second bistable means for producing said forward and reverse control signals in response to switching of the output of said second bistable means to respective first and second operating conditions.

In an apparatus for winding strand onto a spool having end flanges, which apparatus comprises means for rotating a flanged spool about its central axis, a traversing guide arranged to travel back and forth along a path lengthwise of said spool and to guide strand onto said spool between the end flanges thereof, drive means arranged to move said traversing guide in forward and reverse directions lengthwise of said spool in response respectively to forward and reverse control signals supplied thereto, and control means coupled to said drive means for providing said drive means with alternate forward and reverse control signals to actuate said drive means to reverse the direction of travel of said traversing guide when it reaches either of two adjustably selected reversal points:

• the improvement wherein said control means comprise:
• reversal point adjustment means for adjustably determining the reversal points of the traversing movement of said traversing guide;
• said reversal point adjustment means comprising first and second reference position detectors adjustably positioned along the path of travel of said traversing guide at respective selected first and second reference positions which are adjacent respectively to one and the other of said spool end flanges;
• said first and second reference position detectors being responsive to each traversing movement in either direction of said traversing guide through said first and second reference positions, respectively, to provide an electrical signal pulse whereby one and then another of said signal pulses are produced each time said traversing guide passes one or the other of said reference positions in opposite directions during its approach and consequent return from a respective reversal point;
• first bistable means having an input connected to both of said first and second reference position detectors and having an output switchable between a switched-on state and a switched-off state;
• said first bistable means switching its output from one of said states to the other each time a signal pulse is produced by either one of said reference position detectors;
• said first bistable means being operative to switch its output from a switched-off state to a switched-on state whenever a signal pulse is produced by one or the other of said reference position detectors upon movement of said traversing guide past a corresponding one or other of said reference positions during its approach to a respective reversal point and conversely to switch its output from a switched-on state to a switched-off state when a next successive signal pulse is produced by the same one or other of said reference position detectors upon consequent return of said traversing guide from said respective reversal point;
• spool revolution counting means comprising a preset counter coupled to said spool rotating means and including operation start and reset means having an input connected to the output of said first bistable means, a count value selector settable to store a selected preset value, and switch means having first and second operating states;
• said operation start and reset means being responsive to switching of the output of said first bistable means to said switched-on state to initiate counting operation of said counter and to enable said counter to produce a count responsive to the number of revolutions of the spool until the count attains the preset value stored in said selector;
• said operation start and reset means further being responsive to switching of the ouput of said first bistable means to said switched-off state to reset said counter from said preset value to a predetermined lower initial value and to inhibit counting operation of said counter;
• said switch means being operative to switch from said first state to said second state when said counter counts to said preset value and to return to said first state when said counter is reset to said lower initial value;
• second bistable means having an input connected to said counter switch means;
• said second bistable means having an output with first and second operating conditions which alternate upon successive switching of said counter switch means from said first state to said second state;
• and
• means connected to said drive means and responsive to the output of said second bistable means for producing said forward and reverse control signals in response to switching of the output of said second bistable means to respective first and second operating conditions.