Spirals for traversing a strand during winding and winding apparatus including the same

A spiral for traversing a strand along the length of an axis of rotation of a rotatable collector during winding of the fiber about a surface of the collector, comprising:

• (a) a shaft having an outer surface, an axis of rotation, a first portion, a second portion and a length therebetween, the length having a midpoint;
• and
• (b) a first wing and a second wing, each wing projecting radially from the outer surface of the shaft and comprising a first end, a second end and a curved portion therebetween, the first end of each wing being adjacent to the second end of the other wing, the first end of each wing for displacing the strand from contact with the second end of the other wing for traversing a strand along the length of an axis of rotation of a rotatable collector during winding of the strand about a surface of the collector, wherein the curved portion has a generally uniformly decreasing radius of curvature along the curved portion from the first end of each wing to the second end of each wing and only three of any four points of a locus of points along the curved portion of each wing are coplanar, and wherein D is a distance measured from the second end of the first wing along the axis of rotation of the shaft to a point X as projected onto the axis of rotation along a line perpendicular to the axis of rotation, R is a radial distance from the axis of rotation of the shaft to a point X on the curved portion of the first wing corresponding to the distance D, and .OMEGA. is an angle between (a) a first plane containing the axis of rotation of the shaft and the second end of the first wing and (b) a second plane containing the axis of rotation of the shaft and the point X, such that as .OMEGA. increases linearly, R increases exponentially and D increases in exponentially increasing increments.

An apparatus for winding a strand into a multilayered package, comprising:

• (a) a strand supply device for supplying a strand to a winder;
• (b) a spiral for traversing a strand along the length of an axis of rotation of a rotatable collector of a winder during winding of the strand about a surface of the collector, comprising:
• (i) a shaft having an outer surface, a first portion, a second portion and a length therebetween, the length having a midpoint;
• and
• (ii) a first wing and a second wing, each wing projecting radially from the outer surface of the shaft and comprising a first end, a second end and a curved portion therebetween, the first end of each wing being adjacent to the second end of the other wing, the first end of each wing for displacing the strand from contact with the second end of the other wing for traversing a strand along the length of an axis of rotation of a rotatable collector during winding of the strand about a surface of the collector, the first end of each wing being positioned on the shaft at a distance from the midpoint which is less than a distance from the midpoint at which the second end of each wing is positioned on the shaft;
• (c) a winder spaced apart from the spiral, the winder comprising the collector adapted to receive the strand from the spiral and wind the strand about the surface of the collector to form a multilayered package thereon;
• and
• (d) a reciprocating device for reciprocating at least one of the spiral and the collector in a first direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the collector and a second direction opposite to the first direction.

An apparatus for winding a strand into a multilayered package, comprising:

• (a) a strand supply device for supplying a strand to a winder;
• (b) a spiral for traversing a strand along the length of an axis of rotation of a rotatable collector of a winder during winding of the strand about a surface of the collector, comprising:
• (i) a shaft having an outer surface, a first portion, a second portion and a length therebetween, the length having a midpoint;
• and
• (ii) a first wing and a second wing, each wing projecting radially from the outer surface of the shaft and comprising a first end, a second end and a curved portion therebetween, the first end of each wing being adjacent to the second end of the other wing, the first end of each wing for displacing the strand from contact with the second end of the other wing for traversing a strand along the length of an axis of rotation of a rotatable collector during winding of the strand about a surface of the collector, the second end of each wing being positioned on the shaft at an angle ranging from about 30 degrees to about 150 degrees overlapping a position of the first end of the other wing;
• (c) a winder spaced apart from the spiral, the winder comprising the collector adapted to receive the strand from the spiral and wind the strand about the surface of the collector to form a multilayered package thereon;
• and
• (d) a reciprocating device for reciprocating at least one of the spiral and the collector in a first direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the collector and a second direction opposite to the first direction.

An apparatus for winding a strand into a multilayered package, comprising:

• (a) a strand supply device for supplying a strand to a winder;
• (b) a spiral for traversing a strand along the length of an axis of rotation of a rotatable collector of a winder during winding of the strand about a surface of the collector, comprising:
• (i) a shaft having an outer surface, an axis of rotation, a first portion, a second portion and a length therebetween, the length having a midpoint;
• and
• (ii) a first wing and a second wing, each wing projecting radially from the outer surface of the shaft and comprising a first end, a second end and a curved portion therebetween, the first end of each wing being adjacent to the second end of the other wing, the first end of each wing for displacing the strand from contact with the second end of the other wing for traversing a strand along the length of an axis of rotation of a rotatable collector during winding of the strand about a surface of the collector, wherein the curved portion of each wing has a generally uniformly decreasing radius of curvature along the curved portion from the first end of each wing to the second end of each wing and only three of any four points of a locus of points along the curved portion of each wing are coplanar, and wherein D is a distance measured from the second end of the first wing along the axis of rotation of the shaft to a point X as projected onto the axis of rotation along a line perpendicular to the axis of rotation, R is a radial distance from the axis of rotation of the shaft to a point X on the curved portion of the first wing corresponding to the distance D, and .OMEGA. is an angle between (i) a first plane containing the axis of rotation of the shaft and the second end of the first wing and
• (ii) a second plane containing the axis of rotation of the shaft and the point X, such that as .OMEGA. increases linearly, R increases exponentially and D increases in exponentially increasing increments;
• (c) a winder spaced apart from the spiral, the winder comprising the collector adapted to receive the strand from the spiral and wind the strand about the surface of the collector to form a multilayered package thereon;
• and
• (d) a reciprocating device for reciprocating at least one of the spiral and the collector in a first direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the collector and a second direction opposite to the first direction.