Apparatus for winding a filament onto a former, having guide structure for reducing filament bending
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsJohn W. Daines, Timothy P. Roberts, Derek J. Foster
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for winding a filament onto a former includes one or more filament supply bobbins mounted on an annular carrier for rotation about a first axis for receiving a plurality of windings of the filament, and a translation device for moving the former relative to the carrier along a path which passes through the carrier thereby enabling the filament to be wrapped around the former. A guide member guides the filament from a respective bobbin to the former, the guide member defining a radially outward facing cylindrical surface. The apparatus reduces bending of the filament as it is wound onto the former.
Claims5
An apparatus for winding a filament onto an annular former having a first neutral axis (x--x), a second neutral axis (y--y), a main plane of rotation and a centroid of area, the apparatus comprising:
- means for rotating the former;
- an annular carrier, having an axis of rotation and a main plate of rotation which is orthogonal to the main plane of rotation of the former;
- means for rotating the carrier;
- filament supply means comprising at least one rotatable bobbin for receiving a plurality of windings of a length of the filament and being mounted on the carrier for rotation about the axis of rotation of the carrier;
- translation means for moving the former relative to the carrier along a path which passes through the carrier;
- and
- at least one rotatably mounted pulley over which the filament is passed from the bobbin to the former, said pulley having a main plane of rotation, a geometric centre and an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation of said pulley being angled relative to the main plane of rotation of the carrier and the axis of rotation of the carrier, and being orthogonal to, but spaced from, an axis of rotation of the bobbin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.