Machine for manufacturing heat exchanger tube

Claim 2

A machine for winding strip material around a tube or the like comprising: a winding head rotatable about an axially disposed passage therein, means for advancing said tube at a governed rate through said axial passage, a coil support around said winding head supporting and rotating a coil consisting of a plurality of long strips wound in interleaved spirals, said winding head including feed means operable to separately and simultaneously feed said strips from the interior of said coil, forming means operable between said feed and winding means for forming each of said strips into a cross section having a base section and at least one leg section, and means to simultaneously wind the formed strips on the tube in a multiple helical form.

Claim 3

A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the rate said tube is advanced through said axial passage is at a rate timed with respect to the winding head rotation to wind said formed strips as a multiple helix in which the base sections of adjacent turns touch.

Claim 4

A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein the forming means forms each of said strips into substantially U-shaped cross section having a base section and two spaced leg sections.

Claim 5

A machine as set forth in claim 3 including lancing means for separately and simultaneously lancing the edge portions of said strips fed from said coil, and said forming means includes means for separately and simultaneously forming said lanced strips into said U-shape with said lanced portions forming said legs, and hemming means operable to separately and simultaneously form a hem on each of said leg sections adjacent said base section.

Claim 6

A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for feeding, forming and winding of each of said strips are generally located on opposite sides with respect to said axis of said winding head.

Claim 7

A machine for winding strip material around a tube or the like comprising: a winding head rotatable about an axially and vertically disposed passage therein, means for advancing said tube at a governed rate vertically through said axial passage, a coil support around said winding head supporting and rotating a coil consisting of two strips wound in interleaved spirals, feed means including a pair of lancing stations symmetrically positioned with respect to said central axis for separately lancing a strip, a pair of first forming stations symmetrically positioned with respect to said central axis for initially forming a lanced strip, and a pair of second forming stations symmetrically positioned with respect to said central axis for further formings of each strip, said lancing stations being provided by a drive roll journalled for rotation around said central axis and two cooperating idler rolls journalled for rotation about axes on opposite sides of said central axis, each idler roll cooperating with said drive roll to provide a lancing station on opposite sides of said drive roll.

Claim 8

A machine for winding strip material around a tube or the like comprising: a winding head rotatable about an axially and vertically disposed passage therein, means for advancing said tube at a governed rate vertically through said axial passage, a coil support around said winding head supporting and rotating a coil consisting of two strips wound in interleaved spirals, feed means including a pair of lancing stations symmetrically positioned with respect to said central axis for separately lancing a strip, a pair of first forming stations symmetrically positioned with respect to said central axis for initially forming a lanced strip, and a pair of second forming stations symmetrically positioned with respect to said central axis for further formings of each strip, said lancing stations being provided by a drive roll journalled for rotation around said central axis and two cooperating idler rolls journalled for rotation about axes on opposite sides of said central axis, each idler roll cooperating with said drive roll to provide a lancing station on opposite sides of said drive roll.

Claim 9

A machine as set forth in claim 6 wherein the rate said tube is advanced through said axial passage is at a rate timed with respect to the winding head rotation to wind said formed strips as multiple helix in which the base sections of adjacent turns touch.

Claim 10

A machine as set forth in claim 7 wherein the formed strips tangentially engage diametrically opposite sides of said tube during winding of said strips onto said tube.