Method and apparatus for manufacture of strands and cables

Claim 3

Method according to claim 1, wherein the said receiving means rotates about the said axis in the opposite direction from the said rotary device.

Claim 4

Method according to claim 1, including the step of removing the residual torsion from the strand or cable and straightening the same.

Claim 5

Method according to claim 1, including the step of feeding a further element of the strand or cable into the center of the first-mentioned elements as the latter are brought together, to form a core element of the strand or cable.

Claim 6

Apparatus for making a strand or cable having at least two multifilament elements twisted together, comprising a plurality of element supply spools, means for coaxially mounting said spools for feEding of the elements in the same feed direction on a common axis, element guide means carried in positions offset from said axis, a rotary device carrying said element guide means into said positions and arranged to be driven in rotation about said axis and relatively to said spools whereby, in operation, each of said elements is itself twisted in its passage from its respective spool to said guide means and before the elements are brought together, further guide means carried by the said rotary device and arranged to bring said elements together on said axis, receiving means located in the path of said elements from said further guide means and receiving said elements from said further guide means along said axis, in the opposite direction from their said direction of feed, said receiving means rotating in a direction relative to the direction in which said rotary device is arranged to rotate in operation, whereby the elements are twisted together to form a strand or cable by the relative rotation of said rotary device and said receiving means.

Claim 7

Apparatus for making a strand or cable having at least two multifilament elements twisted together, comprising a plurality of element supply spools, means for coaxially mounting said spools for feEding of the elements in the same feed direction on a common axis, element guide means carried in positions offset from said axis, a rotary device carrying said element guide means into said positions and arranged to be driven in rotation about said axis and relatively to said spools whereby, in operation, each of said elements is itself twisted in its passage from its respective spool to said guide means and before the elements are brought together, further guide means carried by the said rotary device and arranged to bring said elements together on said axis, receiving means located in the path of said elements from said further guide means and receiving said elements from said further guide means along said axis, in the opposite direction from their said direction of feed, said receiving means rotating in a direction relative to the direction in which said rotary device is arranged to rotate in operation, whereby the elements are twisted together to form a strand or cable by the relative rotation of said rotary device and said receiving means.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said rotary device comprises a housing enclosing said element supply mounting means.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 5, including means for feeding a further element of said strand or cable into the center of said first-mentioned elements as the latter are brought together, to form a core element of the strand or cable.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said array of rotary guide members is mounted within said housing adjacent one end thereof.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said guide means includes an array of rotary guide members arranged around the axis of said rotary device to bring said elements together on said axis in operation.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said array of rotary guide members includes a unitary assembly of such guide members, a base member for mounting and supporting said unitary assembly of guide members and having a central aperture around which said guide members are arranged so as to guide the said elements into and through said aperture in operation, said aperture having its axis coincident with the axis of said rotary device.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the said further guide means includes a further rotary guide member arranged immediately downstream of the said aperture, said further rotary guide member having a guiding surface tangential to the axis of said rotary device for receiving and guiding the elements as they pass through said aperture.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said further guide means includes additional rotary guide members arranged in sequence downstream of said further guide members to guide said elements when assembled along a path offset from the axis of the rotary device for by-passing said element supply mounting means, said assembled elements moving then back on to said axis for passage to said receiving means.

Claim 15

Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said array of rotary guide members is mounted within said housing adjacent one end thereof.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the said additional guide members include ones mounted from a side wall of the housing for defining said offset path of the assembly of elements.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said receiving means comprises a device for removing the residual torsion from the strand or cable and straightening the same, said device rotating about the same axis as said rotary device but in opposite direction to the latter.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said receiving means comprises a device for removing the residual torsion from the strand or cable and straightening the same, said device rotating about the same axis as said rotary device but in the opposite direction to the latter.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 5 and further including means to fix said spools against rotation.