Method and apparatus for wire winding

Claim 2

The improved method of winding a plurality of wires about a hose carcass in parallel side-by-side helical convolutions having a predetermined winding tension which comprises mounting a hose carcass of a selected diameter for movement parallel to its longitudinal axis, rotating in unison a plurality of wire supply bobbins and preform pins about said axis, mounting said bobbins and preform pins to be rotatable about their own axes, withdrawing a single wire of a predetermined diameter from each of said wire supply bobbins, guiding each withdrawn wire along a path extending toward said hose carcass axis, independently placing each wire under a preselected uniform tension as it is withdrawn from its wire supply bobbin, attaching said withdrawn wires to circumferentially spaced positions on said carcass, longitudinally advancing said hose carcass relative to said bobbins at a uniform rate to simultaneously pull said attached wires from their supply bobbins and progressively wind said wires in parallel helical convolutions about said hose carcass, wrapping each wire under tension substantially 360* around a respective freely rotatable preform pin curvature having a preselected diameter less than said hose carcass diameter to impart to each wire a permanent convoluted shape prior to winding it on said hose carcass, and selecting that combination of uniform wire withdrawal tension and preform pin curvature diameter which produces said predetermined winding tension.

Claim 3

The improved method of winding a plurality of wires about a hose carcass in parallel side-by-side helical convolutions having a predetermined winding tension which comprises mounting a hose carcass of a selected diameter for movement parallel to its longitudinal axis, rotating in unison a plurality of wire supply bobbins and preform pins about said axis, mounting said bobbins and preform pins to be rotatable about their own axes, withdrawing a single wire of a predetermined diameter from each of said wire supply bobbins, guiding each withdrawn wire along a path extending toward said hose carcass axis, independently placing each wire under a preselected uniform tension as it is withdrawn from its wire supply bobbin, attaching said withdrawn wires to circumferentially spaced positions on said carcass, longitudinally advancing said hose carcass relative to said bobbins at a uniform rate to simultaneously pull said attached wires from their supply bobbins and progressively wind said wires in parallel helical convolutions about said hose carcass, wrapping each wire under tension substantially 360* around a respective freely rotatable preform pin curvature having a preselected diameter less than said hose carcass diameter to impart to each wire a permanent convoluted shape prior to winding it on said hose carcass, and selecting that combination of uniform wire withdrawal tension and preform pin curvature diameter which produces said predetermined winding tension.

Claim 4

The improved method of winding a plurality of wires about a hose carcass in parallel side-by-side helical convolutions having a predetermined winding tension which comprises mounting a hose carcass of a selected diameter for movement parallel to its longitudinal axis, rotating in unison a plurality of wire supply bobbins and preform pins about said axis, mounting said bobbins and preform pins to be rotatable about their own axes, withdrawing a single wire of a predetermined diameter from each of said wire supply bobbins, guiding each withdrawn wire along a path extending toward said hose carcass axis, independently placing each wire under a preselected uniform tension as it is withdrawn from its wire supply bobbin, attaching said withdrawn wires to circumferentially spaced positions on said carcass, longitudinally advancing said hose carcass relative to said bobbins at a uniform rate to simultaneously pull said attached wires from their supply bobbins and progressively wind said wires in parallel helical convolutions about said hose carcass, wrapping each wire under tension substantially 360* around a respective freely rotatable preform pin curvature having a preselected diameter less than said hose carcass diameter to impart to each wire a permanent convoluted shape prior to winding it on said hose carcass, and selecting that combination of uniform wire withdrawal tension and preform pin curvature diameter which produces said predetermined winding tension.

Claim 5

The improved method of winding a plurality of parallel side-by-side helical convolutions of reinforcing wire about a hose carcass which comprises mounting a hose carcass for movement parallel to its longitudinal axis, rotating a plurality of wire supply bobbins about the hose carcass axis with the axes of said supply bobbins lying in a plane perpendicular to the hose carcass axis, rotating a plurality of preform roller pins in unison with said supply bobbins about the hose carcass axis with the axes of said preform roller pins parallel to the axes of said supply bobbins, withdrawing a single wire from each of said wire supply bobbins and guiding it along a path extending toward said hose carcass axis, uniformlY tensioning each wire to have a predetermined withdrawal tension, wrapping each wire while in said path substantially 360* around a respective preform roller pin to impart to each wire a permanent convoluted shape, thereafter passing said wires over a guide surface concentrically surrounding said hose carcass axis to change the path of said wires substantially 90* from the plane of preforming, attaching said wires to circumferentially spaced positions on said carcass, and longitudinally advancing said hose carcass relative to said bobbins to simultaneously pull each attached wire from its supply bobbin and wind said wires in parallel side-by-side helical convolutions about said hose carcass.

Claim 6

The improved method of winding a plurality of parallel side-by-side helical convolutions of reinforcing wire about a hose carcass which comprises mounting a hose carcass for movement parallel to its longitudinal axis, rotating a plurality of wire supply bobbins about the hose carcass axis with the axes of said supply bobbins lying in a plane perpendicular to the hose carcass axis, rotating a plurality of preform roller pins in unison with said supply bobbins about the hose carcass axis with the axes of said preform roller pins parallel to the axes of said supply bobbins, withdrawing a single wire from each of said wire supply bobbins and guiding it along a path extending toward said hose carcass axis, uniformlY tensioning each wire to have a predetermined withdrawal tension, wrapping each wire while in said path substantially 360* around a respective preform roller pin to impart to each wire a permanent convoluted shape, thereafter passing said wires over a guide surface concentrically surrounding said hose carcass axis to change the path of said wires substantially 90* from the plane of preforming, attaching said wires to circumferentially spaced positions on said carcass, and longitudinally advancing said hose carcass relative to said bobbins to simultaneously pull each attached wire from its supply bobbin and wind said wires in parallel side-by-side helical convolutions about said hose carcass.

Claim 7

Improved apparatus for winding a plurality of parallel side-by-side helical convolutions of reinforcing wire about a hose carcass which comprises means for mounting a hose carcass for movement parallel to its longitudinal axis, a rotating support deck through which said hose carcass passes, a plurality of single wire supply bobbins mounted on said deck for rotation about the hose carcass axis with the axes of the supply bobbins lying in a plane perpendicular to the hose carcass axis, a plurality of preform roller pins mounted on said support deck for rotation about the hose carcass axis with the axes of said preform roller pins mounted parallel to said supply bobbin axes, adjustable tensioning means acting on said wire supply bobbins to independently and uniformly tension each wire, said preform roller pins each having a plurality of curvatures of different diameters around one of which curvatures wire from an adjacent bobbin is caused to pass to thereby impart to each wire a permanent convoluted shape, guide means attached to said support deck, said guide means including an annular guide member having a central opening through which said hose carcass extends, said wires passing over a surface of said guide member and into engagement with said hose carcass at circumferentially spaced positions thereon, means for rotating said support deck relative to said hose carcass axis, and means for longitudinally advancing said hose carcass relative to said rotating support deck at a uniform rate to simultaneously pull each wire engaging said hose carcass from its supply bobbin and wind said wires in parallel helical side-by-side convolutions about said hose carcass.

Claim 8

Improved apparatus for winding a plurality of parallel side-by-side helical convolutions of reinforcing wire about a hose carcass which comprises means for mounting a hose carcass for movement parallel to its longitudinal axis, a rotating support deck through which said hose carcass passes, a plurality of single wire supply bobbins mounted on said deck for rotation about the hose carcass axis with the axes of the supply bobbins lying in a plane perpendicular to the hose carcass axis, a plurality of preform roller pins mounted on said support deck for rotation about the hose carcass axis with the axes of said preform roller pins mounted parallel to said supply bobbin axes, adjustable tensioning means acting on said wire supply bobbins to independently and uniformly tension each wire, said preform roller pins each having a plurality of curvatures of different diameters around one of which curvatures wire from an adjacent bobbin is caused to pass to thereby impart to each wire a permanent convoluted shape, guide means attached to said support deck, said guide means including an annular guide member having a central opening through which said hose carcass extends, said wires passing over a surface of said guide member and into engagement with said hose carcass at circumferentially spaced positions thereon, means for rotating said support deck relative to said hose carcass axis, and means for longitudinally advancing said hose carcass relative to said rotating support deck at a uniform rate to simultaneously pull each wire engaging said hose carcass from its supply bobbin and wind said wires in parallel helical side-by-side convolutions about said hose carcass.

Claim 9

The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said wire supply bobbins are mounted in groups on fixed shafts and wherein said adjustable tensioning means comprises a spring biased brake shoe mounted on each bobbin and acting to brake the rotation of its bobbin about the fixed shaft of said group of bobbins.

Claim 10

The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said preform roller pins has a plurality of curvatures of different diameters to allow selection of different sized permanent convoluted shapes.

Claim 11

The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said preform roller pins are mounted between said plurality of supply bobbins and an additional plurality of one wire supply bobbins mounted on said deck with the axes of the additional supply bobbins lying in a second plane perpendicular to the hose carcass axis.

Claim 12

Improved apparatus for winding a plurality of parallel side-by-side helical convolutions of reinforcing wire with a predetermined winding tension about a hose carcass which comprises means for mounting a hose carcass for movement parallel to its longitudinal axis, a rotating support deck, a plurality of one wire supply bobbins mounted to rotate relative to shafts attached to said support deck for rotation about the hose carcass axis, means for rotating said support deck about said hose carcass axis, guide means attached to said support deck for guiding the wire from each bobbin along a path extending toward said hose carcass axis, said guide means including a member having a central opening closely surrounding said hose carcass and through which each wire passes and is guided into engagement wIth said hose carcass at circumferentially spaced positions thereon, means for longitudinally advancing said hose carcass relative to said support deck at a uniform rate to simultaneously pull each wire engaging said hose carcass from its supply bobbin and wind said wires in parallel helical convolutions about said hose carcass, and winding tension control means attached to said support deck, said winding tension control means including an adjustable spring biased brake shoe carried on each bobbin for braking the rotation of its bobbin about its shaft and a plurality of preform roller pins, each of said preform roller pins being freely rotatable and having a plurality of curvatures of different diameters around one of which diameters wire withdrawn from a bobbin is caused to pass to thereby impart to each wire a permanent convoluted shape.

Claim 13

Improved apparatus for winding a plurality of parallel side-by-side helical convolutions of reinforcing wire with a predetermined winding tension about a hose carcass which comprises means for mounting a hose carcass for movement parallel to its longitudinal axis, a rotating support deck, a plurality of one wire supply bobbins mounted to rotate relative to shafts attached to said support deck for rotation about the hose carcass axis, means for rotating said support deck about said hose carcass axis, guide means attached to said support deck for guiding the wire from each bobbin along a path extending toward said hose carcass axis, said guide means including a member having a central opening closely surrounding said hose carcass and through which each wire passes and is guided into engagement wIth said hose carcass at circumferentially spaced positions thereon, means for longitudinally advancing said hose carcass relative to said support deck at a uniform rate to simultaneously pull each wire engaging said hose carcass from its supply bobbin and wind said wires in parallel helical convolutions about said hose carcass, and winding tension control means attached to said support deck, said winding tension control means including an adjustable spring biased brake shoe carried on each bobbin for braking the rotation of its bobbin about its shaft and a plurality of preform roller pins, each of said preform roller pins being freely rotatable and having a plurality of curvatures of different diameters around one of which diameters wire withdrawn from a bobbin is caused to pass to thereby impart to each wire a permanent convoluted shape.

Claim 14

The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the diameter of said hose carcass is greater than the said preform roller pin curvature diameters.