Apparatus for the making of strands, ropes, cables and the like

Claim 1

A STRANDING MACHINE INCORPORATING A SERIES OF SEPARATE, INDEPENDENT AND CO-AXIALLY ALIGNED HEADS, EACH HEAD INCLUDING AN UPPER ROTATING CARRIER SECTION AND A LOWER DRIVE SHAFT SECTION, CRADLES SUPPORTING THE WIRESUPPLY BOBBINS BETWEEN THE ROTATING CARRIER SECTIONS OF ADJACENT HEADS, EACH ROTATING CARRIER SECTION CONSISTING OF A TUBULAR ROTOR HAVING LARGE-DIAMETER ENDS, AND AXIALLY-SPACED, LARGE-DIAMETER ENCIRCLING BEARINGS IN THE ASSOCIATED HEAD FOR MOUNTING SAID LARGE-DIAMETER ENDS, THE DIAMETER OF THE BEARINGS BEING SUCH THAT THEY PERMIT FREE PASSAGE OF THE WIRES FROM INDIVIDUAL BOBBINS IN THE CRADLES BETWEEN ADJACENT CARRIERS, AND EACH DRIVE SHAFT SECTION COMPRISING A DRIVE SHAFT, AN ENDLESS DRIVE CONNECTING THE DRIVE SHAFT TO THE CORRESPONDING ROTOR, COUPLING MEANS AT EACH DRIVE SHAFT END FOR CONNECTING SAME TO ADJACENT DRIVE SHAFTS SO THAT THE DRIVE SHAFTS ARE ROTATED SYNCHRONOUSLY, AND A BRAKE ON EACH DRIVE SHAFT SECTION SO THAT BOTH DRIVING AND BRAKING FORCES CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO THE ROTATING CARRIER SECTION OF EACH HEAD FROM THE DRIVE SHAFT SECTION OF EACH HEAD, FIRST WIRE GUIDE MEANS ON THE CRADLE AND SECOND WIRE GUIDE MEANS ON THE LARGE-DIAMETER ENDS OF EACH ROTATING CARRIER SECTION TO CONSTRAIN WIRE FED FROM THE WIRE SUPPLY BOBBIN OF EACH CRADLE TO FOLLOW A STRAIGHT-LINE PATH DISPOSED PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE MACHINE.