Filament winding apparatus

Claim 1

IN A HIGH SPEED WINDING APPARATUS FOR WINDING A FILAMENT ABOUT A CORE, THE APPARATUS HAVING A WINDING HEAD ROTATABLE ABOUT THE CORE, A FILAMENT SUPPLY SPOOL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE WINDING HEAD AND MEANS FOR ROTATING THE WINDING HEAD AT RELATIVELY HIGH ROTATIONAL VELOCITIES TO FORM A COIL ABOUT THE CORE, APPARTATUS FOR MAINTAINING A PREDETERMINED TENSION IN THE FILAMENT COMPRISING: TENSION SENSING MEANS COUPLED TO THE WINDING HEAD AND INTERPOSED IN THE PATH OF FILAMENT TRAVEL AND ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A SIGNAL PROPORTIONAL TO THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TENSION IN THE FILAMENT BEING WOUND ON THE CORE; TENSION REFERENCE MEANS ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A SIGNAL PROPORTIONAL TO AND REPRESENTATIVE OF A DESIRED, PREDETERMINED TENSION IN THE FILAMENT; ERROR SENSING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID TENSION SENSING MEANS AND SAID TENSION REFERENCE MEANS FOR PROVIDING AN ERROR SIGNAL PROPORTIONAL TO AND REPRESENTATIVE OF A DEVIATION IN MEASURED TENSION FROM DESIRED TENSION; AND SERVO CORRECTING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ERROR SENSING MEANS AND OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO SAID ERROR SIGNAL FOR CHANGING THE ROTATIONAL VELOCITY OF THE SUPPLY SPOOL DURING ROTATION OF THE WINDING HEAD TO MODIFY THE FILAMENT TENSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH SAID ERROR SIGNAL, WHEREBY SAID SERVO MEANS AFFECTS THE ROTATIONAL VELOCITY OF THE SUPPLY SPOOL TO CHANGE THE FILAMENT TENSION IN A SENSE TENDING TO DECREASE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ERROS SIGNAL.