High speed winder

Claim 2

Tape winding apparatus comprising: a motor-driven reel mounted on a shaft, a tension control arm having a plurality of cLosely spaced control rollers rotatably mounted on one end and a counterbalance weight on the other end, normally extending substantially horizontally, said control arm being pivotally mounted about an axis concentric with said shaft, the pivot point of said control arm being located so that the end bearing the rollers tends to move downwardly, a plurality of closely spaced fixed rollers numbering one more than said control rollers mounted substantially directly above said control rollers, whereby tape passed first over a fixed roller, then alternately under a control roller and over a fixed roller, and finally onto said reel, is substantially vertical between the control rollers and the fixed rollers, and a first switch connected to start and stop the motor driving said reel, said first switch being positioned for engagement by said control arm to stop the motor when the control arm moves upwardly beyond a substantially horizontal position and to start the motor when the control arm moves downwardly beyond said substantially horizontal position, whereby the tension on tape being reeled is maintained substantially constant at a level determined entirely by the non-counterbalanced weight of the control arm.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined by claim 1 including: a motor connected for driving said reel, and clutch and brake means intermediate the reel and the motor adapted to limit rotation of said reel to less than 1 revolution after said motor stops.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein: said control arm is movable, after engagement with said first switch, a distance sufficient to feed tape onto said reel until said reel stops.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined by claim 1 including: tape-out control means engaging the tape, and means connected to said tape-out control means to start and stop said reel, respectively, when tape is present in said control means and when tape is not present in said control means.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined by claim 1 including: a follower roller engaging the tape, at least one of said fixed rollers having an annular groove whereby said follower roller penetrates said groove in the absence of tape, and a second switch connected to said first switch and to said follower roller to start said reel when said follower roller does not penetrate said groove and to stop said reel when said follower roller penetrates said groove.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined by claim 1 including a second switch connected to said first switch, a full reel control arm engageable with said second switch and positioned for engagement by tape on said reel when said reel is substantially full of tape to turn off said second switch.

Claim 8

Tape winding apparatus comprising: a main power frame supporting a motor with a shaft, a reel mounted on said shaft, a tension control arm pivotally mounted about an axis concentric with said shaft whereby said reel and said tension control arm can be mounted on either side of said main power frame, said tension control arm having a plurality of closely spaced control rollers rotatably mounted on one end and a counterbalance weight on the other end, normally extending substantially horizontally, the pivot point of said control arm being located so that the end bearing the rollers tends to move downwardly, a plurality of closely spaced fixed rollers numbering one more than said control rollers mounted substantially directly above said control rollers, whereby tape passed first over a fixed roller, then alternately under a control roller and over a fixed roller, and finally onto said reel, is substantially vertical between the control rollers and the fixed rollers, said motor being bi-directional permitting the apparatus to function either as a winder or a feeder of tape, said motor having a directional selecting switch, a first switch connected to start and stop said motor driving said reel, said first switch being positioned for engagement by saiD control arm to stop said motor when said control arm moves upwardly beyond a substantially horizontal position and to start said motor when said control arm moves downwardly beyond said substantially horizontal position, whereby the tension on tape being reeled is maintained substantially constant at a level determined entirely by the non-counterbalanced weight of said control arm, said tension control arm being movable, after engagement with said first switch, a distance sufficient to feed tape onto said reel until said reel stops, the tension on said tape being constant, at least one of said fixed rollers having an annular groove, a second switch connected to said first switch and said motor to start and stop said reel, a pivotable tape-out control arm engageable with said second switch, a follower wheel on said tape-out control arm positioned to run on said tape over said groove, and biased to drop into said groove when no tape is passing over said fixed rollers, thereby moving said tape-out control arm to a position to turn off said second switch, a full reel control arm engageable with said second switch and positioned for engagement by said tape on said reel when said reel is substantially full of tape to turn off said second switch, and clutch and brake means intermediate said reel and said motor adapted to limit rotation of said reel to less than 1 revolution after said motor stops.

Claim 9

Tape winding apparatus comprising: a main power frame supporting a motor with a shaft, a reel mounted on said shaft, a tension control arm pivotally mounted about an axis concentric with said shaft whereby said reel and said tension control arm can be mounted on either side of said main power frame, said tension control arm having a plurality of closely spaced control rollers rotatably mounted on one end and a counterbalance weight on the other end, normally extending substantially horizontally, the pivot point of said control arm being located so that the end bearing the rollers tends to move downwardly, a plurality of closely spaced fixed rollers numbering one more than said control rollers mounted substantially directly above said control rollers, whereby tape passed first over a fixed roller, then alternately under a control roller and over a fixed roller, and finally onto said reel, is substantially vertical between the control rollers and the fixed rollers, said motor being bi-directional permitting the apparatus to function either as a winder or a feeder of tape, said motor having a directional selecting switch, a first switch connected to start and stop said motor driving said reel, said first switch being positioned for engagement by saiD control arm to stop said motor when said control arm moves upwardly beyond a substantially horizontal position and to start said motor when said control arm moves downwardly beyond said substantially horizontal position, whereby the tension on tape being reeled is maintained substantially constant at a level determined entirely by the non-counterbalanced weight of said control arm, said tension control arm being movable, after engagement with said first switch, a distance sufficient to feed tape onto said reel until said reel stops, the tension on said tape being constant, at least one of said fixed rollers having an annular groove, a second switch connected to said first switch and said motor to start and stop said reel, a pivotable tape-out control arm engageable with said second switch, a follower wheel on said tape-out control arm positioned to run on said tape over said groove, and biased to drop into said groove when no tape is passing over said fixed rollers, thereby moving said tape-out control arm to a position to turn off said second switch, a full reel control arm engageable with said second switch and positioned for engagement by said tape on said reel when said reel is substantially full of tape to turn off said second switch, and clutch and brake means intermediate said reel and said motor adapted to limit rotation of said reel to less than 1 revolution after said motor stops.