Apparatus and method for continuous spooling

Claim 2

In a machine for continuously spooling insulating electrical stock material having an electrically conductive core and an outer non-conductive insulation, said machine having a pair of rotatable spindles disposed in spaced apart, parallel relationship for mounting take-up spools, each of said spools having a flange at one end, a snagging means comprising a gripping element mounted on the flange of each spindle and defining with said flange a generally tapered stock-receiving groove operable to receive an anchor stock by a wedging action, a carriage mounted for movement laterally of the take-up spools between a wind-on position for one take-up spool and a cross-over position for the other take-up spool at which latter position the stock is transferred to the other take-up spool for spooling thereon, a distributor member mounted for reciprocal movement axially of the take-up spools between the inner and outer end flanges thereof to apply the stock in uniform layers of successive convolutions about the take-up spools, and spindle drive means for rotating each spindle to spool the stock from the distributor onto the corresponding take-up spool, the improvement which comprises: a. a series of teeth defining one side of said stock-receiving groove, said teeth having sharp edges extending in the direction of the taper of said groove and transversely to the axis of the insulated electrical stock material wedged in said groove for slicing through the outer insulation on the stock material and into contact with the electrically coductive core as the stock material is wedged into said groove.

Claim 3

The improvement according to claim 1 wherein: a. said teeth are disposed on the flange of the spool opposite the gripping element of said snagging means.

Claim 4

The improvement according to claim 2 wherein: a. each of said teeth is generally V-shaped in cross-section with the sharp edge thereof defined by the apex of the V; and b. each of said teeth is provided with a flat facing the sharp edge and spaced therefrom for engaging with and gripping one side of the outer insulation of the stock material as the latter is wedged into the stock-receiving groove and engaged and gripped on its opposite side by the gripping element of the snagger.

Claim 5

In a method for continuously spooling insulated electrical stock material onto take-up spools mounted on a pair of rotatable spindles disposed and spaced in parallel relationship to each other, said stock materially having an electrically conductive core and an outer non-conductive insulation and each spindle having snagger means mounted for movement therewith and defining therewith a generally tapered stock-receiving groove operable to receive anD anchor the stock by a wedging action for transferring the stock to the corresponding take-up spool from the other spool without stopping the rotation of the corresponding spindle, said method including the steps of directing the stock along a wind-on distributing path for one of said take-up spools for spooling thereon, moving the stock reciprocally in an axial direction with respect to said one take-up spool in order to apply the stock uniformly in layers of successive convolutions onto said one take-up spool, directing the stock along a cross-over path for the other of said take-up spools as the one take-up spool becomes full, and snagging the stock onto the other take-up spool at a predetermined point along its length as it is completing its winding on the one take-up spool for transferring the stock to the other take-up spool for spooling thereon when said one take-up spool is full, the improvement which comprises the step of: a. piercing the insulation of the stock material at said point along its length where it is snagged and simultaneously with the snagging thereof, said piercing being effected by means carried by said spindle to place said means in electrical contact with the conductive core of said stock material.

Claim 6

In a method for continuously spooling insulated electrical stock material onto take-up spools mounted on a pair of rotatable spindles disposed and spaced in parallel relationship to each other, said stock materially having an electrically conductive core and an outer non-conductive insulation and each spindle having snagger means mounted for movement therewith and defining therewith a generally tapered stock-receiving groove operable to receive anD anchor the stock by a wedging action for transferring the stock to the corresponding take-up spool from the other spool without stopping the rotation of the corresponding spindle, said method including the steps of directing the stock along a wind-on distributing path for one of said take-up spools for spooling thereon, moving the stock reciprocally in an axial direction with respect to said one take-up spool in order to apply the stock uniformly in layers of successive convolutions onto said one take-up spool, directing the stock along a cross-over path for the other of said take-up spools as the one take-up spool becomes full, and snagging the stock onto the other take-up spool at a predetermined point along its length as it is completing its winding on the one take-up spool for transferring the stock to the other take-up spool for spooling thereon when said one take-up spool is full, the improvement which comprises the step of: a. piercing the insulation of the stock material at said point along its length where it is snagged and simultaneously with the snagging thereof, said piercing being effected by means carried by said spindle to place said means in electrical contact with the conductive core of said stock material.

Claim 7

The improvement according to claim 1 wherein: a. said piercing is effected by the step of slicing through the insulation on the stock material, said slicing being in a direction generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of said stock material and parallel to the direction of movement of the stock material into said stock receiving groove.