Methods of and apparatus for multicycle twisting a wire-like member

Claim 1

A MULTICYLE APPARATUS FOR TWISTING A WIRE-LIKE MEMBER, WHICH COMPRISES HOLLOW GUIDE MEANS, SAID GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING A STRUCTURE HAVING A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL PORTION AND A HOLLOW BELL-SHAPED PORTION, SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION HAVING A DIAMETER LARGER THAN THAN OF A REEL SO AS TO PERMIT THE REEL TO BE MOVED AXIALLY INTO AND OUT OF THE GUIDE MEANS, A ROTATABLE REEL RECEIVER HAVING A WINDING SURFACE POSITIONED CONCENTRICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID GUIDE MEANS, MEANS OPERABLE TO CONTROL THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIRE-LIKE MEMBER IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION WHILE RESTRAINING AXIAL ROTATION OF THE ENGAGED PORTIONS RELATIVE THERETO, MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID CONTROL MEANS TO LIMIT THE RATE OF ADVANCE OF THE WIRE-LIKE MEMBER DURING A FIRST CYCLE OF OPERATION IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS LENGTH THROUGH THE HOLLOW GUIDE MEANS TO THE WINDING SURFACE OF THE RECEIVER, AND DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING THE RECEIVER ABOUT A COMMON AXIS OF THE GUIDE MEANS AND THE RECEIVER DURING THE FIRST CYCLE AND A SECOND CYCLE OF OPERATION AT A ROTATIONAL SPEED SUCH THAT AN INERTIAL FORCE IS IMPARTED TO A PORTION OF THE WIRE-LIKE MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THE GUIDE MEANS TO THE WINDING SURFACE, SUCH INERTIAL FORCE TENDING TO ADVANCE THE WIRE-LIKE MEMBER THROUGH THE GUIDE MEANS TO THE WINDING SURFACE, SAID EXTENDING PORTION OF THE WIRELIKE MEMBER ROTATING DURING SAID FIRST CYCLE ABOUT THE COMMON AXIS AT A SPEED LESS THAN THE ROTATIONAL SPEED OF THE RECEIVER AND CAUSING A TWISTING OF THE MEMBER BETWEEN THE CONTROL MEANS AND THE GUIDE MEANS, SAID MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID CONTROL MEANS CAUSING THE LATTER TO MOVE THE TWISTED WIRE-LIKE MEMBER IN THE REVERSE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION DURING THE SECOND CYCLE OF OPERATION WHILE THE RECEIVER CONTINUES TO ROTATE IN THE SAME DIRECTION, SUCH REVERSAL OF LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE WIRE-LIKE MEMBER CAUSING THAT PORTION OF THE WIRE-LIKE MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THE GUIDE MEANS TO THE WINDING SURFACE TO ROTATE IN ITS ORIGINAL DIRECTION ABOUT THE COMMON AXIS AT A SPEED GREATER THAN THAT OF THE RECEIVER, THUS CAUSING IT TO BE UNWOUND FROM THE WINDING SURFACE AND FURTHER TWISTED AS IT MOVES BETWEEN THE CONTROL MEANS AND THE GUIDE MEANS.