Wire stranding machine

Claim 2

A wire stranding machine comprising: a base member; a drive motor; wire stranding means for stranding the wires; a plurality of wire bobbin means mounted on the base member and adapted for rotation by the drive motor, each wire bobbin means including a source of wire and a cylindrical member having a plurality of wire guides for cooperating with the wires from the bobbins to provide sinusoidal paths for the wires when the cylindrical member is rotating; a wire tension detector means for detecting any non-uniformity in tension of the wire before it enters The wire stranding means; and means for controlling the tension of wire from at least one of said sources of wire so that, during operation of the machine, the tension in said wire is always a constant equal to the sum of the force required to draw wire from said source of wire and a variable brake force.

Claim 3

A wire stranding machine as in claim 1, where the wire tension detector means includes a circular conductive means surrounding the wires and capable of generating a signal upon contact with the wires and control means for responding to the signal and stopping the drive motor.

Claim 4

A wire stranding machine comprising: a motor; an elongated bed; a drive shaft connected with said motor; a plurality of units disposed on said bed in series, each of said units including a stationary body, a drive gear rigidly connected to said drive shaft within said stationary body, a rotating cylinder having an intagliated gear formed at an intermediate portion on the outer periphery of said cylinder, said cylinder being rotatably supported by said stationary body through bearings mounted on the outer periphery of said cylinder at both sides of said intagliated gear and said intagliated gear being meshed with said drive gear for imparting rotation from said motor to said cylinder, a pair of shorter cylindrical frames integrally connected to the opposite ends of said cylinder, a cradle shaft, cradle shaft bearings, a cradle integrally connected to the cradle shaft extending along the center axis of said cylinder, said cradle shaft being rotatably held by a boss provided in the central portion of said cylindrical frames through the bearings mounted on said cradle shaft, a bobbin shaft bearing assembly, a wire supplying bobbin rotatably supported or sustained by said cradle through the bearing assembly mounted on a bobbin shaft, a wire tension control means for automatically and constantly controlling non-uniformity in tension on each of wire elements, said control means being integrally connected to said cradle stretched out in front of each wire supplying bobbin, a wire tension detector means for automatically detecting any nonuniformity in tension or snapping on each of the wire elements disposed near a wire stranding portion, said detecting means being electrically connected with the motor whereby said motor can be made to stop, a roll-up means including a guide plate, a stranding core, take-up control capstans, a roll-up bobbin and a take-up control means, and lubricating means for feeding lubricating oil to said two gears and bearings mounted on the periphery of said cylinder.

Claim 5

A wire stranding machine comprising: a motor; an elongated bed; a drive shaft connected with said motor; a plurality of units disposed on said bed in series, each of said units including a stationary body, a drive gear rigidly connected to said drive shaft within said stationary body, a rotating cylinder having an intagliated gear formed at an intermediate portion on the outer periphery of said cylinder, said cylinder being rotatably supported by said stationary body through bearings mounted on the outer periphery of said cylinder at both sides of said intagliated gear and said intagliated gear being meshed with said drive gear for imparting rotation from said motor to said cylinder, a pair of shorter cylindrical frames integrally connected to the opposite ends of said cylinder, a cradle shaft, cradle shaft bearings, a cradle integrally connected to the cradle shaft extending along the center axis of said cylinder, said cradle shaft being rotatably held by a boss provided in the central portion of said cylindrical frames through the bearings mounted on said cradle shaft, a bobbin shaft bearing assembly, a wire supplying bobbin rotatably supported or sustained by said cradle through the bearing assembly mounted on a bobbin shaft, a wire tension control means for automatically and constantly controlling non-uniformity in tension on each of wire elements, said control means being integrally connected to said cradle stretched out in front of each wire supplying bobbin, a wire tension detector means for automatically detecting any nonuniformity in tension or snapping on each of the wire elements disposed near a wire stranding portion, said detecting means being electrically connected with the motor whereby said motor can be made to stop, a roll-up means including a guide plate, a stranding core, take-up control capstans, a roll-up bobbin and a take-up control means, and lubricating means for feeding lubricating oil to said two gears and bearings mounted on the periphery of said cylinder.

Claim 6

A wire stranding machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cylinder and cylindrical frames have a plurality of wire guide holes and a plurality of wire guide bushings having rotatable spherical seats adapted to follow varying orientation of said wire elements, said wire guide holes and bushings being arranged and disposed in such relationship that all of said wire elements are guided to travel and pass in sinusoidally-curved paths from each of said wire supplying bobbins to the stranding core.

Claim 7

A wire stranding machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said drive shaft is detachably joined to each of said unit by split coupling means so as to facilitate change of said parts as well as replacement of said unit.

Claim 8

A wire stranding machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said drive gear is formed of a phenol resin.

Claim 9

A wire stranding machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cylindrical frames are formed of an aluminum light alloy.

Claim 10

A wire stranding machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said source of wire is a bobbin mounted on a rotatable shaft and said means for controlling the tension of wire from at least one of said sources of wire comprises a bobbin brake wheel mounted on said rotatable shaft, a brake string passing around the bobbin brake wheel, and means for adjusting the friction between said brake string and said bobbin brake wheel so that, durinG operation of the machine, the tension in said wire is always the sum of the force required to draw wire from said bobbin and the force required to overcome the friction force between said brake string and said bobbin brake wheel.

Claim 11

A wire stranding machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein said means for adjusting the friction between said brake string and said bobbin brake wheel comprises: a control lever pivotably mounted on the wire bobbin means comprising said bobbin; a wire element guide roll mounted on said pivotable control lever and located so that, as said pivotable control lever is pivoted in a first direction, the tension required to draw wire from said bobbin is increased and, as said pivotable control level is pivoted in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, the tension required to draw wire from said bobbin is decreased; and means for connecting one end of said brake string to said control lever so that, as said pivotable control lever is pivoted in said first direction, the force required to overcome the friction force between said brake string and said bobbin brake wheel is decreased and, as said pivotable control lever is pivoted in said second direction, the force required to overcome the friction force between said brake string and said bobbin brake wheel is increased.