Tape winder apparatus

Claim 1

An apparatus suitable for helically winding a tape, comprising a drive module, said drive module comprising drive means, a first shaft rotatably driven by said drive means, a second shaft, a variable pitch pulley interconnecting said first and second shafts, means on said second shaft for varying the speed at which said second shaft is driven relative to said first shaft, a clutch member mounted on said second shaft and rotatably driven thereby, said clutch member having at least one lug on each side thereof, a pair of bevel gears mounted on said second shaft on either side of said clutch member, said pair of bevel gears each having at least one lug on the sides thereof for engagement with the corresponding lug on said clutch member, whereby said clutch member can rotatably drive one of said bevel gears, means for switching said clutch member to selectively drive one of said bevel gears through engagement of respective lugs, a third bevel gear operatively associated with said pair of bevel gears and being driven thereby, at least one winding module comprising a spool mounting shaft directly and rotatably driven by said first drive shaft, at least one spool mounted on each end of said spool mounting shaft, tape guide means linearly driven by said third bevel gear in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said spool mounting shaft, microswitches mounted on either side of a frame of said winding module, and adjustable means on said tape guide means for contacting said microswitches, said microswitches being operatively associated with said means for switching said clutch member between said pair of bevel gears, said adjustable means being adjustable such that when the tape guide means is linearly driven in a first direction by mating engagement of said clutch lug and said lug on said first bevel gear and said microswitch is contacted to reverse the direction of travel of said tape guide means, said clutch means, after being switched by said switching means, rotates through substantially 360° before the lug on said clutch means engages the mating lug on said second bevel gear.

Claim 2

An apparatus suitable for helically winding a tape, comprising a drive module, said drive module comprising drive means, a first shaft rotatably driven by said drive means, a second shaft, a variable pitch pulley interconnecting said first and second shafts, means on said second shaft for varying the speed at which said second shaft is driven relative to said first shaft, a clutch member mounted on said second shaft and rotatably driven thereby, said clutch member having at least one lug on each side thereof, a pair of bevel gears mounted on said second shaft on either side of said clutch member, said pair of bevel gears each having at least one lug on the sides thereof for engagement with the corresponding lug on said clutch member, whereby said clutch member can rotatably drive one of said bevel gears, means for switching said clutch member to selectively drive one of said bevel gears through engagement of respective lugs, a third bevel gear operatively associated with said pair of bevel gears and being driven thereby, at least one winding module comprising a spool mounting shaft directly and rotatably driven by said first drive shaft, at least one spool mounted on each end of said spool mounting shaft, tape guide means linearly driven by said third bevel gear in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said spool mounting shaft, microswitches mounted on either side of a frame of said winding module, and adjustable means on said tape guide means for contacting said microswitches, said microswitches being operatively associated with said means for switching said clutch member between said pair of bevel gears, said adjustable means being adjustable such that when the tape guide means is linearly driven in a first direction by mating engagement of said clutch lug and said lug on said first bevel gear and said microswitch is contacted to reverse the direction of travel of said tape guide means, said clutch means, after being switched by said switching means, rotates through substantially 360° before the lug on said clutch means engages the mating lug on said second bevel gear.