Apparatus for forming filamentary material into an annular bundle

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR FORMING CONTINUOUS FILAMENTARY MATERIAL INTO AN ANNULAR BUNDLE, COMPRISING A COILING MECHANISM HAVING A CAPSTAN ROTATABLE ON A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS FOR FORMING THE FILAMENTARY MATERIAL INTO CIRCULAR LOOPS AND DISCHARGING SUCH LOOPS DOWNWARDLY IN SUCCESSION, A ROTATABLE BUNDLE-SUPPORT SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL WITH SAID CAPSTAN AND LOCATED THEREUNDER FOR RECEIVING THE DOWNWARDLY DISCHARGED LOOPS, A DEFLECTOR DISPOSED BENEATH THE CAPSTAN FOR DEFLECTING THE DISCHARGED LOOPS HORIZONTALLY INTO POSITIONS OF EQUAL ECCENTRICITY WITH RESPECT TO THE COMMON AXIS OF THE CAPSTAN AND BUNDLE-SUPPORT, SAID DEFLECTOR BEING MOUNTED ON THE CAPSTAN FOR ROTATION THEREWITH ABOUT SUCH COMMON AXIS, AND DRIVING MEANS FOR ROTATING THE CAPSTAN, DEFLECTOR AND BUNDLE SUPPORT IN THE SAME DIRECTION, SAID DRIVING MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO ROTATE THE DEFLECTOR AND BUNDLE SUPPORT AND SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SPEEDS WHEREBY TO CAUSE EACH LOOP RECEIVED ON THE BUNDLE SUPPORT TO BE DISPLACED BY A SMALL ANGLE FROM THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING DEPOSITED LOOP.