Apparatus for cabling wires

Claim 1

In an apparatus for cabling metallic cords adapted for use as reinforcing elements of an elastomeric structure, said cords resulting from the union of a group of wires according to a prefixed geometrical configuration obtained and maintained through the means of appropriate deformations by bending and torsion applied to the wires, said apparatus comprising a carrier for supporting at least one pay-off bobbin for at least some of said wires, inside which the said bobbin or bobbins are freely mounted for rotation, each one around its own axis, a cage adapted for guiding the said wires along a predetermined trajectory, a frame for supporting the said cage while permitting it to rotate around its own axis, means adapted for maintaining said cage in rotation, means adapted for unwinding said wires from their respective pay-off bobbins and for drawing them through the cabling apparatus in an advancing direction, and means adapted for collecting the resulting cords, said carrier being mounted in said cage coaxially with the cage and freely rotating with respect to it, said carrier and said cage having hollow bearings whereby their terminal ends can be traversed by the wires, along a trajectory that coincides with the axis of said bearings from the interior of the carrier to the exterior of the cage and vice-versa, means being provided inside said carrier for guiding said wires according to a trajectory developed from one extremity and from said pay-off bobbins at the other extremity of the carrier, distanced from said carrier axis within the space between said extremities of the carrier--the improvement wherein inside said carrier there is provided a device for permanently deforming by bending at least part of said wires, first means for collecting at least some of the wires coming from a diverse direction and for disposing them parallel, coplanar and adjacent one of the other and for guiding them onto said device for deforming, and second means for guiding at least part of said wires along a trajectory distinct from that followed by the wires passing onto said bending device, but having in common with the latter path one point upstream said first means and another point downstream said bending device.