Apparatus for storing a variable quantity of moving strand material

Apparatus for storing a variable quantity of moving strand material including:

• a surface having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction that are substantially perpendicular to each other, said surface storing a plurality of convolutions of the strand material which are wrapped around it in the transverse direction, said surface including a movable segment attached to a mounting plate by at least two electromagnets, each of the electromagnets comprising a first portion which is mounted on the mounting plate and a second portion which is mounted on the exterior surface, said first and second portions being separated by an air gap, one of the electromagnets being adapted to move the segment in the longitudinal direction and the other electromagnet being adapted to move the segment in the transverse direction;
• a winder assembly comprising a structure for wrapping convolutions of strand material around the surface at a first predetermined rate, said winder assembly being positioned at one end of the surface;
• and
• an unwinder assembly comprising a structure for unwrapping convolutions of strand material from the surface at a second predetermined rate, the unwinder assembly being positioned at the other end of the surface, said first and second predetermined rates being independently controllable.

In a manufacturing line for strand material, a plurality of stations for processing said material including:

• a source station for providing unprocessed strand material at a first predetermined rate;
• a take-up station for accumulating the processed strand material at a second predetermined rate, said first and second predetermined rates being different from each other at least a portion of the time;
• and
• a buffer station, positioned between the source station and the take-up station, comprising a winder assembly for depositing strand material onto a storage structure at the first predetermine rate, said storage structure being rotated about its central axis to deliver strand material at the second predetermined rate, the winder assembly being rotatable around the storage structure to vary the volume of strand material stored thereon, said storage structure including a surface having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction that are substantially perpendicular to each other, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the central axis and the strand material being wrapped around the surface in the transverse direction, the storage structure including a movable segment attached to a mounting plate by at least two electromagnets, each of the electromagnets comprising a first portion which is mounted on the mounting plate and a second portion which is mounted on the exterior surface, said first and second portions being separated by an air gap, one of the electromagnets being adapted to move the segment in the longitudinal direction and the other electromagnet being adapted to move the segment.

In a manufacturing line for strand material, a plurality of stations for processing said material including:

• a source station for providing unprocessed strand material at a first predetermined rate;
• a take-up station for accumulating the processed strand material at a second predetermined rate, said first and second predetermined rates being different from each other at least a portion of the time;
• and
• a buffer station, positioned between the source station and the take-up station, comprising a storage structure which rotates about its central axis to receive strand material at the first predetermined rate and an unwinder assembly for removing strand material from the storage structure at the second predetermined rate, the unwinder assembly being rotatable around the storage structure to vary the volume of strand material stored thereon, said storage structure including a surface having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction that are substantially perpendicular to each other, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the central axis and the strand material being wrapped around the surface in the transverse direction, the storage structure including a movable segment attached to a mounting plate by at least two electromagnets, each of the electromagnets comprising a first portion which is mounted on the mounting plate and a second portion which is mounted on the exterior surface, said first and second portions being separated by an air gap, one of the electromagnets being adapted to move the segment in the longitudinal direction and the other electromagnet being adapted to move the segment.

In a manufacturing line for strand material, a plurality of stations for processing said material including:

• a source station for providing unprocessed strand material at a first predetermined rate;
• a take-up station for accumulating the processed strand material at a second predetermined rate, said first and second predetermined rates being different from each other at least a portion of the time;
• and
• a buffer station, positioned between the source station and the take-up station, comprising a winder assembly for depositing strand material onto a storage structure at the first predetermine rate and an unwinder assembly for removing strand material from the storage structure at the second predetermined rate, said winder and unwinder assemblies being rotatable around the storage structure at different rotation speeds to vary the volume of strand material stored thereon, said storage structure including a surface having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction that are substantially perpendicular to each other, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the central axis and the strand material being wrapped around the surface in the transverse direction the storage structure including a movable segment attached to a mounting plate by at least two electromagnets, each of the electromagnets comprising a first portion which is mounted on the mounting plate and a second portion which is mounted on the exterior surface, said first and second portions being separated by an air gap, one of the electromagnets being adapted to move the segment in the longitudinal direction and the other electromagnet being adapted to move the segment.