Apparatus for distributing a strand

Claim 2

In an apparatus for winding wire convolutions to form successive coils about a bobbin having a plurality of radiating terminals wherein each coil is wound alternately with wrapping the wire about a terminal, the apparatus comprising: means for mounting the bobbin to rotate about its axis; a wire guide for receiving the wire; means for sequentially advancing the wire guide into proximity with each successive terminal; means operated upon advance of said wire guide into proximity with each terminal for orbiting the wire guide about the proximate terminal to wrap the wire on the terminal; means operated upon each alternate wrapping of the wire on a terminal for moving the wire guide to overlay the bobbin; means rendered effective upon each movement of the wire guide into overlaying relationship with the bobbin for reciprocating the wire guide relative to the axis of the bobbin to distribute the wire along the bobbin; means rendered effective upon movement of the wire guide into said overlaying relationship for rotating the bobbin about its axis to wind convolutions of wire about the bobbin to form a coil prior to movement of the wire guide into proximity with the next successive terminal; pitch adjustment means, controlling the operation of the reciprocating means and variable incrementally through a continuous range of pitch-controlling conditions, for varying the rate of reciprocating movement of the wire guide to vary the pitch of the wound convolutions of wire through an infinite number of intermediate, incrementally varied pitch values; and means controlling the pitch adjustment means for setting a different but constant pitch value for each successive coil of wound convolutions.

Claim 3

In an apparatus for winding wire convolutions to form successive coils about a bobbin having a plurality of radiating terminals wherein each coil is wound alternately with wrapping the wire about a terminal, the apparatus comprising: means for mounting the bobbin to rotate about its axis; a wire guide for receiving the wire; means for sequentially advancing the wire guide into proximity with each successive terminal; means operated upon advance of said wire guide into proximity with each terminal for orbiting the wire guide about the proximate terminal to wrap the wire on the terminal; means operated upon each alternate wrapping of the wire on a terminal for moving the wire guide to overlay the bobbin; means rendered effective upon each movement of the wire guide into overlaying relationship with the bobbin for reciprocating the wire guide relative to the axis of the bobbin to distribute the wire along the bobbin; means rendered effective upon movement of the wire guide into said overlaying relationship for rotating the bobbin about its axis to wind convolutions of wire about the bobbin to form a coil prior to movement of the wire guide into proximity with the next successive terminal; pitch adjustment means, controlling the operation of the reciprocating means and variable incrementally through a continuous range of pitch-controlling conditions, for varying the rate of reciprocating movement of the wire guide to vary the pitch of the wound convolutions of wire through an infinite number of intermediate, incrementally varied pitch values; and means controlling the pitch adjustment means for setting a different but constant pitch value for each successive coil of wound convolutions.

Claim 4

In an apparatus for winding wire convolutions to form successive coils about a bobbin having a plurality of radiating terminals wherein each coil is wound alternately with wrapping the wire about a terminal, the apparatus comprising: means for mounting the bobbin to rotate about its axis; a wire guide for receiving the wire; means for sequentially advancing the wire guide into proximity with each successive terminal; means operated upon advance of said wire guide into proximity with each terminal for orbiting the wire guide about the proximate terminal to wrap the wire on the terminal; means operated upon each alternate wrapping of the wire on a terminal for moving the wire guide to overlay the bobbin; means rendered effective upon each movement of the wire guide into overlaying relationship with the bobbin for reciprocating the wire guide relative to the axis of the bobbin to distribute the wire along the bobbin; means rendered effective upon movement of the wire guide into said overlaying relationship for rotating the bobbin about its axis to wind convolutions of wire about the bobbin to form a coil prior to movement of the wire guide into proximity with the next successive terminal; pitch adjustment means, controlling the operation of the reciprocating means and variable incrementally through a continuous range of pitch-controlling conditions, for varying the rate of reciprocating movement of the wire guide to vary the pitch of the wound convolutions of wire through an infinite number of intermediate, incrementally varied pitch values; and means controlling the pitch adjustment means for setting a different but constant pitch value for each successive coil of wound convolutions.

Claim 5

In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said reciprocating means including: a lever; means including a pivot pin for mounting the lever to pivot about said pivot pin; oscillatory drive means connected to a first axial location along the lever for pivoting the lever to oscillate about the pivot pin; and means connected between a second axial location along the lever and the wire guide and responsive to oscillatory movement of the lever for reciprocating the wire guide to distribute wire along the bobbin; and said pitch adjustment means including: means adjustable through a continuous range of operating positions for moving the pivot pin axially of the lever to vary the rate of reciprocation of the wire guide in response to oscillatory movement of the lever.

Claim 6

In a mechanism for distributing a strand: a guide for the strand; a lever; means including a pivotal coupling mounted to move axially of the lever intermediate opposite ends of the lever for constraining the lever to oscillate about the pivotal coupling; means engaging the lever toward one end of the lever from the pivotal coupling for oscillating the lever about the pivotal coupling; means engaging the lever at a position across the pivotal coupling and toward the other end of the lever from said one end and responsive to oscillating movement of the lever for reciprocating the strand guide in a linear direction, wherein said strand guide reciprocating means comprises; an eccentric rotary member normally held fixed against eccentric rotation about an axis extending perpendicularly to said linear direction; first connecting means engaging the lever at said position for connecting the eccentric rotary member to be reciprocated along said linear direction by oscillating movement of the lever; second connecting means connecting the eccentric rotary member to the strand guide and responsive to movement of the eccentric rotary member along said linear direction for reciprocating the strand guide in said linear direction; means for rotating the eccentric rotary member about said perpendicular axis to impart to said second connecting means and to the strand guide a sinusoidally varying reciprocating movement in said linear direction; control means, selectively operable upon the rotating means, for initiating and terminating operation of the rotating means; means engaging the lever constraining means adjacent the pivotal coupling for moving the pivotal coupling axially of the lever between the lever oscillating means and the strand guide reciprocating means; and additional control means, selectively operable upon the pivotal coupling moving means, for regulating the axial position of the pivotal coupling along the lever.

Claim 7

In a mechanism for distributing a strand: a guide for the strand; a lever; means including a pivotal coupling mounted to move axially of the lever intermediate opposite ends of the lever for constraining the lever to oscillate about the pivotal coupling; means engaging the lever toward one end of the lever from the pivotal coupling for oscillating the lever about the pivotal coupling; means engaging the lever at a position across the pivotal coupling and toward the other end of the lever from said one end and responsive to oscillating movement of the lever for reciprocating the strand guide in a linear direction, wherein said strand guide reciprocating means comprises; an eccentric rotary member normally held fixed against eccentric rotation about an axis extending perpendicularly to said linear direction; first connecting means engaging the lever at said position for connecting the eccentric rotary member to be reciprocated along said linear direction by oscillating movement of the lever; second connecting means connecting the eccentric rotary member to the strand guide and responsive to movement of the eccentric rotary member along said linear direction for reciprocating the strand guide in said linear direction; means for rotating the eccentric rotary member about said perpendicular axis to impart to said second connecting means and to the strand guide a sinusoidally varying reciprocating movement in said linear direction; control means, selectively operable upon the rotating means, for initiating and terminating operation of the rotating means; means engaging the lever constraining means adjacent the pivotal coupling for moving the pivotal coupling axially of the lever between the lever oscillating means and the strand guide reciprocating means; and additional control means, selectively operable upon the pivotal coupling moving means, for regulating the axial position of the pivotal coupling along the lever.

Claim 8

In a strand distributing mechanism as set forth in claim 3: said lever constraining means including only a single pivot for the lever and constraining the lever to oscillate in a single plane about the pivot.

Claim 9

In a strand distributing mechanism is set forth in claim 3: said lever constraining means mounting the pivotal coupling to move linearly only in a direction axial of said lever.

Claim 10

In combination with the mechanism of claim 3: third connecting means connecting the eccentric rotary member to the strand guide independently of said second connecting means and responsive to rotation of the eccentric rotary member about said perpendicular axis as controlled by said second control means for imparting to the strand guide a sinusoidally varying translatory component of rotary motion of the eccentric rotary member in a direction normal both to said linear direction and to said perpendicular axis.

Claim 11

In the combination of claim 6: said lever oscillating means, said pivotal coupling moving means and said eccentric rotary member rotating means each comprising a separate motor mounted remotely of the strand guide and fixed against reciprocatory movement.

Claim 12

In a mechanism for distributing a strand: a strand guide; carriage means for mounting the strand guide to move linearly along first, second and third mutually perpendicular axes and orbitally about said third axis; first drive means including first motor means, mounted externally of the carriage means at a fixed position remote therefrom, for moving the strand guide linearly along said first axis; second drive means including second motor means, mounted externally of the carriage means at a fixed position remote from the carriage means and from the first drive means, for moving the strand guide linearly along said second axis; third drive means including third motor means, mounted externally of the carriage means at a fixed Position remote from the carriage means and from the first and second drive means, for moving the strand guide linearly along said third axis; fourth drive means including fourth motor means, mounted externally of the carriage means at a fixed position remote from the carriage means and from the first and second drive means, for orbited the strand guide linearly about said third axis; and control means, mounted externally of the carriage means at a position remote from the drive means and from the first, second, third and fourth drive means, for selectively operating the first, second, third and fourth drive means.

Claim 13

In a mechanism for distributing a strand: a strand guide; carriage means for mounting the strand guide to move linearly along first, second and third mutually perpendicular axes and orbitally about said third axis; first drive means including first motor means, mounted externally of the carriage means at a fixed position remote therefrom, for moving the strand guide linearly along said first axis; second drive means including second motor means, mounted externally of the carriage means at a fixed position remote from the carriage means and from the first drive means, for moving the strand guide linearly along said second axis; third drive means including third motor means, mounted externally of the carriage means at a fixed Position remote from the carriage means and from the first and second drive means, for moving the strand guide linearly along said third axis; fourth drive means including fourth motor means, mounted externally of the carriage means at a fixed position remote from the carriage means and from the first and second drive means, for orbited the strand guide linearly about said third axis; and control means, mounted externally of the carriage means at a position remote from the drive means and from the first, second, third and fourth drive means, for selectively operating the first, second, third and fourth drive means.

Claim 14

In a mechanism for distributing a strand as set forth in claim 8: said fourth drive means including means operating portions of both said first and said second drive means in timed relationship in response to said control means for imparting mutually perpendicular components of motion to the strand guide along said first and second axes timed to orbit the strand guide about said third axis.

Claim 15

In a mechanism for distributing a strand as set forth in claim 8: said first drive means including an eccentric rotary member held fixed against rotation during operation of the first motor means and connected to move the strand guide linearly along said first axis upon reciprocation of the eccentric rotary member along the first axis, said first drive means also including means rendered effective by operation of the first motor means as directed by the control means for reciprocating the eccentric rotary member along the first axis; and said fourth drive means also including the eccentric rotary member and including means connecting the fourth motor means to the eccentric rotary member and responsive to the control means for rotating the eccentric rotary member as part of the operation of said fourth drive means to impart to the strand guide a sinusoidally varying reciprocatory component of movement along said first axis constituting one component of the orbital motion of the strand guide about said third axis.

Claim 16

In a mechanism for distributing a strand as set forth in claim 8: said second drive means including a cam rotatable by the second motor means as directed by the control means and a cam follower connected to move the carriage means linearly along said second axis upon such rotation of the cam; and said fourth drive means also including both the cam and the cam follower and including means responsive to the control means operating the fourth motor means for reciprocating the cam and the cam follower together along said second axis sinusoidally to provide along said second axis a harmonic component of rotary motion of the carriage means about said third axis.

Claim 17

In a mechanism for distributing a strand as set forth in claim 8, at least one of the drive means comprising: a driven member having a linear slot extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis of movement provided by said one drive means; a rotary drive shaft having an eccentric portion extending along an axis of the shaft; means for mounting the rotary drive shaft to rotate about the shaft axis with the shaft axis extending perpendicularly both to the axis of movement provided by said one drive means and to the direction of the linear slot and with the eccentric portion passing through the slot; and means connecting the motor means of said one drive means to the rotary drive shaft and responsive to the control means for rotating the rotary drive shaft about the shaft axis to move the driven member along the axis of movement provided by said one drive means.

Claim 18

In a mechanism for distributing a strand as set forth in claim 8, said carriage means comprising: a strand guide supporting member having a pair of elongated toothed projecting elements extending parallel to one of said axes; means engaging the elongated projecting elements of the strand guide supporting member for mounting the strand guide supporting member to Move along said one axis; a shaft; means for mounting the shaft to rotate about an axis extending substantially between the elongated projecting elements of the strand guide; and a pair of pinions mounted to the shaft with the teeth of each pinion enmeshed with the teeth of a different one of the projecting elements of the strand guide.

Claim 19

In a mechanism for distributing a strand as set forth in claim 8: normally inactive means associated with one of said drive means for varying the rate of movement of the strand guide in response to operation of the motor means of said one drive means; and fifth drive means selectively operable by said control means and including fifth motor means mounted externally of the carriage means at a position remote therefrom for activating and operating said rate varying means to vary the rate of movement of the strand guide in response to operation of the motor of said one drive means.

Claim 20

In a mechanism for distributing a strand as set forth in claim 14: said one drive means comprising a lever connected to reciprocate the strand guide along the axis of movement provided by said one drive means upon pivotal movement of the lever and a pivotal coupling movable axially of the lever while mounting the lever to pivot about the coupling for reciprocating the strand guide; and said fifth drive means comprising means responsive to the control means for moving the pivotal coupling axially of the strand guide reciprocating lever.