Apparatus and method for continuous spooling

A protective door guard structure for a take-up apparatus having alternately driven, dual, parallel shafts, a take-up spool mounted on each of said shafts in open proximity to each other and a housing enclosing the take-up apparatus with an opening in the front of the housing providing access to each of said spools for removal and replacement thereof, said door guard structure comprising:

• (a) a separate door guard for each take-up spool positioned at the front of the housing;
• (b) means for pivotally mounting each door guard for movement between a first closed position covering the portion of the opening in the housing in front of its respective spool and a second open position;
• and
• (c) an inner protective door pivotally mounted adjacent each spool for movement between a first protective position between the spools and second frontal position between the respective door guard and said spool when the door guard is in the closed position.

An apparatus for continuously spooling flexible spooling stock material which comprises:

• (a) a housing having an opening in the front portion;
• (b) a pair of rotatable spindles accessible from said opening and disposed in spaced apart, parallel relation for mounting take-up spools, each of said spindles having a flange mounted for rotation therewith at the inner end;
• (c) snagging means mounted on said flange of each spindle and defining with said flange a generally tapered stock-receiving groove operable to receive and anchor stock by wedging action;
• (d) a stock carriage guide mounted for movement laterally of the take-up spools between a wind-on position for one take-up spool and a cross-over position for the other take-up spool at which latter position the stock is transferred to the other take-up spool for spooling thereon;
• (e) means to operatively rotate each spindle to spool the stock from said carriage to the respective spool;
• (f) an outer protective door for each of said spools, each door being pivotally supported for movement between a closed position to provide frontal protection, and an open position to permit access to the spool;
• and
• (g) an inner protective door pivotally mounted between each outer door and its respective spool for pivotal movement from a first protective position between each spool and the respective door and a second protective position between said spools, said outer and inner protective doors being sequentially operative to provide selective access to the spools and protective shielding therebetween.

A method of spooling a flexible spooling stock on alternately driven take-up spools respectively mounted on adjacent dual parallel axis shafts comprising:

• (a) directing the spooling stock onto a first rotating spool through guide means positioned adjacent said first spool;
• (b) pivotally shifting the position of said guide means to a position adjacent a second empty spool while continually feeding stock to said first spool;
• (c) interposing inner protective barrier means between said spools while substantially simultaneously cutting the stock and causing the stock to become snagged for winding on the empty spool;
• (d) repositioning said protective means to a frontal protective position in front of said first spool;
• and
• (e) providing outer operator protective means arranged to pivot to and from a frontal protection position in front of said first mentioned inner protective barrier means.