CA1229328A - Strand winding apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A multistrand winding apparatus has a strand guide fixed to a cam follower of a traverse cam for winding a strand package on a winding collect. To improve the quality of the strand package, the strand guide is maintained at a spacing from the periphery of the strand package during the winding operation while maintaining an improved package edge weave, and a winding program stored in a programmable memory is employed for controlling the displacement of the strand guide away from the winding collect as the winding of the strand package proceeds. For simultaneously winding a plurality of strand packages, a corresponding plurality of coaxial traverse cams may reciprocate respective strand guides while being likewise displaced from the winding collect. The winding program is also used to control the speed of the winding collect and the traverse cam or cams.

Description

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The invention relates to a winding apparatus for simultaneously winding a plurality of strands onto a winding collect to form a multi strand roving or sliver package, and to methods of forming such packages, and is useful particularly, but not exclusively, for the packaging of strands of glass fiber material.
In the production of continuous strands of glass filaments, it is well known in the art to produce the glass filaments continuously by attenuating streams of molten glass flowing from a feeder associated with a body of molten material. The individual filaments formed in this way are gathered into a strand, using pulling forces exerted by a winder, which collects the strand into a package. Conventionally, the strand is wound onto a collection tube mounted on a rotating collect of the winder 9 and is coated with a size prior to being wound onto the collection tube.
In the past, multi strand roving packages of glass fibers have usually been produced by firstly spirally winding individual strands of glass fibers into sliver packages in the above-described manner, and by then greeting a plurality of such sliver packages and roving them together through a single guide eye to form a multi strand roving package.
In United States Patent 4,322~041, issued March 30, 1982, to Menus C. Sculler and the present inventor, it was proposed to avoid the above-described secondary winding operation by winding multi strand roving packages directly, i.e. by forming the attenuated filaments from the feeder into strands and then immediately winding the strands into a multi strand package in a single winding operation. In order to deposit the strands as uniformly as possible, i.e. with spacings which are as equal as possible, into the strand package, the aforesaid United States Patent 4,322,041 proposed the use of a strand guide come ,.

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praising a pair of strand guide fingers defining there-between a gap for receiving the strands, the zingers having edge portions which are angled so as to compensate for the different angles at which the strands meet the strand guide edges. The strand guide makes contact with the port-phony of the strand package build so as to be deflected by the strand package build, as the diameter of the strand package build increases, for actuating a switch to cause displacement of the strand Gould away from the winding collect.
Multi strand roving packages manufactured in this way are employed by their end users by feeding the roving from the multi strand roving packages through spray guns, in which the roving is chopped into short lengths and sprayed together with a resin It has been wound in practice that improvement of the roving quality of such a multi strand package is desirable in order to reduce the percentage of strands having poor integrity, it strands whose glass filaments had become separated. Such separation of the glass fife-mints produces excessive amulets of fuzz as the filaments break of from the main body of the strand, which cause the sprayed out material to clump and to mix improperly with the resin when being applied from the spray gun.
It has now been food that the poor strand into-grimy results from the pressure exerted by the strand guidon the strand package, during the winding of the strand package, which flattens the strands in the package. De-tailed studies of this phenomenon have indicated that there is a significant relationship between the widths of the strands in the strand package and the quality of the strand package.
Other prior devices which rely on the contact of a sensor with the periphery of a strand package for controlling the displacement of a strand guide away from I the package as the diameter of the package increases are disclosed in United States Patents 4,130,24~, issued December 19, 1978 to Ronald WOW Hendricks et at and 4,076,181, 93%~3 issued February I 1978 to Charles H. Cogging United States Patent 4,203,559, issued May 20, 19~0 to Charles H. Cogging et at discloses a winder for winding a single strand into a package in which a guide S shoe, reciprocated by a traverse for guiding the strand into the package, is held out of engagement with the periphery of the package by the tension in the strand. In this prior arrangement, a proximity switch associated with the guide shoe controls incremental displacement of a lo spindle carrying the package from a traverse reciprocating the guide shoe.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved multi strand package winding apparatus, and an improved method of winding multi strand packages, which produce strand packages having improved strand integrity.
According to the present invention there is provided a multi strand winding apparatus comprising, a winding collect, means for rotating the winding collect about the longitudinal axis thereof during the winding of a multi strand package build on the winding collect, multi strand guide means disposed proximate but spaced from the multi strand package build for simultaneously guiding a plurality of strands into iapaced~apart positions on the multi strand package build, means for reciprocating the multiistrand guide means parallel to the longitudinal axis of the winding collect to form a multi strand package build on the winding collect, and programmable memory means for storing information for controlling displacement of the multi strand guide means away from the winding collect, and means responsive to the information for effecting the displacement and thereby maintaining a spacing between the multi strand guide means and the multi strand package build.
Since the strand guide is always at a spacing from the periphery of the strand package build, no pressure is exerted on the strands in the strand package build by the strand guide and, consequently the strands ~;2932~

in the strand package build are not subjected to the flattening effect which would result from pressure of the strand guide against the strand package build periphery.
It has also been found that the present invention is particularly suitable for the simultaneous winding of two or more multi strand packages on the winding collect, in which case two or more of the strand guides are likewise maintained out ox contact with the peripheries ox respective strand package builds while guiding respective lo groups of strands onto the strand package builds In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the strand guides are fixed to the cam followers of respective traverse cams, which are mounted on a common shaft, and the stored winding program is employed to cause movement of the common shaft, and therewith the strand guides, away from the winding collect as the winding operation proceeds.
The invention will be more readily apparent from the following description ox the preferred embodiment thereof illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, in wish Figure l shows a diagrammatic view in perspective of the general layout of apparatus for producing continuous glass fibers and winding the fiber in the form of strands into a pair of multi strand roving packages;
Figure 2 shows a broken-away view taken in elevation in the direction of the axis of rotation of the winding collect of the apparatus of Figure l and showing a portion of one multi strand roving package build and a strand guide and traverse cam employed for guiding strands into the strand package build;
Figure 3 shows broken-away diagrammatic view of part of the periphery of the multi strand package build and a strand guide during deposition ox a group of strands through the strand guide onto the strand package build periphery;
Figure 4 shows a diagrammatic plan view of the package winding apparatus of Figure l;

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Figure 5 shows a view taken in elevation from one end of the package winding apparatus of Figure 4;
Figure 6 shows a circuit diagram of a motor control circuit forming part of the system of Figure 5:
and Figure 7 shows a graph illustrating the increase in the package diameter and the strand guide displacement with the apparatus of Figures 1 through 6.
Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the drawings and described below relates to the production of glass fibers and the winding of strands of such fibers into packages, it will be apparent that the present invention has application to the production of multi strand packages of fibers of other materials.
Referring now to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings and to the general layout of the strand forming and winding apparatus illustrated therein reference numeral 10 indicates generally the feeder or bushing of a melting unit, from which streams of molten glass flow through a plurality of aligned orifices of small diameter at the underside of the bushing 10, and glass filaments indicated generally by reference numeral 11 are drawn from these streams. The formation of glass filaments in this way is well known to those skilled in the art and will therefore not be described in greater detail.
From the bushing 10, the glass filaments 11 pass over a size applicator roller 12, at which a suitable size is applied to the glass filaments 11, which are then gathered into separate strands, indicated generally by reference numeral 14, by means of applicator combs 15.
From the applicator combs 15, the strands 14 pass toga spreader bar, indicated generally by reference numeral 17, the spreader bar 17 being provided with a plurality of spreader strand guides 18 for guiding respective ones of the strands 14.
Jo I r ,. Jo . :.. ..

2~32!3 - pa -As will be apparent from Figure 1, the spreader strand guides 18 are arranged in two groups, each group comprising four spreader strand guides in the present embodiment, which are aligned in respective planes extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of rotation of a winding collect indicated generally by reference numeral 20.
By means of a winder drive mechanism indicated generally by reference numeral 21 and described in greater detail below, the winding collect 20 is rotated to draw Jo I

the strands 14 into a pair of multi strand package builds 22, which are axially spaced apart along the winding collect 20.
The strands are guided onto the package builds 22 by means of a pair of reciprocating strand guides 24, one of which is illustrated in Figure 2.
Each strand guide 24 is fixedly secured by a support or connection portion 25 to a cam follower pin 27, which engages in a spiral groove 29 in the periphery of a traverse cam 31.
As can be seen from Figure 4, a pair of the ire-verse cams 31 are mounted on a common shaft 33, extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the winding collect 20, the traverse cams 31 being accommodated within a cam housing 35.
Reverting to Figure 2, the housing 35 is formed with a longitudinal slot, through which the connecting portion 25 of the strand guide extends, and a pair of guide rails I engaging in recesses in opposite sides of the connection portion 25 guide the strand guide 24 for respire kiter movement along the housing 35 in response to rotation of the traverse cam 31 in a manner which will be readily apparent to those swilled in the art. In this way, rota-lion of the shaft 33 is translated into reciprocation of the two strand guides 24 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the winding collect 20.
A cover 39, pivotal secured by means of a hinge 41 to the exterior of the traverse cam housing 35, extends over the connection portion I of the strand guide 24 to prevent the strands 14 from being caught up by the traverse cams 31, and to counteract entry of glass particles into the cam and related components, the cover 39 having been omitted from Figure 4 to facilitate clear illustration.
From Figure 3, it can be seen that the strand guide 24 has a pair of divergent strand guide fingers 43, which define there between a gap 45 for receiving the strands which art guided and deflected by either one of a pair of strand guide edges 47 on the strand guide fingers 43, 32~3 depending upon the direction of reciprocatory movement of the strand guide 24 at any particular instant.
The strand guide edges 47 are curved to facile-late uniform deposition of the strands onto the strand package build, as described in greater detail below.
It is particularly emphasized that, as is readily apparent from Figure 2, each strand guide 24 is supported at a spacing from the periphery, indicated by reference numeral 49, of its respective strand package build 22.
In Figure 3, four strands 14 are shown entering the rear of the strand guide 24, which is closest to view, and are being deposited on the package build in positions indicated by reference numerals Audi.
Reference numerals eye indicate the indivi-dual strands of a previously deposited group of strands extending away from the Rowland end 51, as viewed in Figure 3, of the strand package build 22, the strands eye-14h having changed direction at respective points e-h at the build edge 51. Just prior to this, these strands had entered into a turnaround area, indicated generally by a broken line X, at the build edge 51 from strand post-lions eye, in which the strands were traveling from left to right as viewed in Figure 3. Thus it will be seen that each strand has taken Us? a position opposite that occupied before the change of direction, so that strand US eye, for example, has changed to the position in which it is shown, at the left of wits strand group, from post-lion eye at the right of that strand group. This change of direction is due to transfer of the strands from the left-hand guide edge 47 to the right-hand guide edge 47 as the strand guide 43 changes its direction of movement at the end of its reciprocation stroke and the changes of direction of successive strands take place at different turnaround areas on position, around the periphery of the package build 22, so that the strands are woven or braided into a reinforced area at the build edges without deposit lien of excess strand material at the edges of the strand guild 22. This provides a stable package shape at the ~22~328 opposite ends of the strand package without any necessity for any guiding surface touching the deposited strands.
As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the ratio of wind travel of the strand guide 43 to the rotation of the package determines the positions at which successive groups of strands change direction at the ends of the strand package build 22 and this ratio is set at an odd number, so that the points e-h correspond-in to successive reversals of the movement of the strand guide 43 progress around the edges of the package in a particular pattern, which reinforces the edges of the package.
Each of the strand guide fingers 43 is formed with a laterally outwardly extending strand guide pro-section 53 for picking up the strands at the beginning of the winding operation. For this purpose, the strands are initially drawn together into a compact group, as in-dilated by reference numeral 14i, and are placed or held in a fixed position, as shown in Figure 3. During the reciprocation of the strand guide 43, one of the strand guide liners 53 will then capture the strand group 14i and guide i-t into the gap 45 between the strand guide edges 47 of the strand guide fingers 43. When the strand group 14i is then released, the individual strands of this group will separate and will automatically assume their correct winding positions along one or the other of the strand guide edges 47.
Figure 4 illustrates in greater detail the ire-verse cams 31 and the drive mechanism 21.
As shown in Figure 4, the multi strand package builds 22 are carried on collection tubes 55 on the winding collect 20, which in turn is carried on a shaft 57 rotatable mounted in a main bearing 59.
The collect shaft 57 is rotated by a collect drive motor 61 connected to the shaft 57 through a belt and pulley transmission indicated generally by reference numeral 63.
A further belt and pulley transmission 65 trays-mitt drive from the collect shaft 57 to a jack shaft 67, 33;2~3 9 _ from which drive is in -turn transmitted by a belt and pi icy transmission 69 to the traverse cam shaft 33.
The traverse cam shaft 33 is rotatable mounted in a cam bearing 71 and extends parallel to the winding collect I
The cam bearing 71 is supported on a pair of parallel guides 73 or movement to and fro along the guides 73, and the guides 73 extend in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 33 and are secured at opposite ends thereof to the main bearing 59 and an end block 77.
A worm shaft 75, which is freely rotatable journal led at one end thereof on the cam bearing 59 and in threaded en-gagement with a nut 76 mounted on the main bearing 59, is rotatable by a stepping motor 79, mounted on the cam bearing 71, through a belt and pulley transmission 81 for displacing the bearing 71 along the guides 73 and thereby displacing the traverse cam shaft 33, the traverse cams 31 and the strand guides 24 towards and away from the wind-in collect 20 and the multi strand package builds 22 on the winding collect 20. During this movement, the jack shaft 67, which is located at a level above the collect shaft 57 and the traverse cam shaft 33, as shown in Figure 5, moves up or down relative to -the shafts 57 and 33 in a "jack-knife" action as the bearing 71 slides to and fro on the guides 73, the shafts 67 and 33 being journal led in a earn link 80 and the shafts 67 and 57 being freely rotatable connected by a link 81 to maintain the three shafts 33, 67 and 57 in mutually parallel relationship.
The collect drive motor 61 and the stepping motor 79 are. energized under the control ox remotely located microprocessor unit 81 and a motor control unit 84 con-netted to the motors 61 and 79 by leads 83 and 85, rest pectively.
As will be readily appreciated, the strand material wound on each multi strand package build 22 will cause the diameter of the latter to increase at a rate which decreases through time. The microprocessor unit ~Z~3;~
-- Jo 81 continuously calculates and takes Pinto account this rate of decrease, so -that the strand guides 24 are located, by energization of the stepping motor 79, at a precise spacing from the peripheries of the respective multi strand package builds 22. This spacing is maintained sufficient to allow for minor variations in the rate of the incoming strand material fed prom the bushing to the multi strand package builds I so that the two illustrated multi strand package builds 22, or a growler number of package builds 22, can be simultaneously whelmed on the winding collect 20.
The microprocessor 81, which is implemented as an Intel AYE microprocessor, incorporates a PROM and is connected to a keyboard I for the manual input of con-trot data, the arrangement being such that the strand guide displacement can be controlled by the keyboard input or, in the absence of such input, by control data stored in the PROM.
The microprocessor 81 provides a pulsed sign net So (Figure 6) to a relay toil Al for controlling relay contacts Cola and Cub.
The contacts Cola are normally closed and the contacts Cub are normally open, the contacts Cola and Cub being connected to opposite arms of a rectifier bridge circuit indicated generally by reference numeral 112. transformer 113 connected across current sup-ply lines 114 and 115 supplies an alternating current to the rectifier bridge circuit 112, and the contacts Cola and Cub are connected in series with relay con-teats Cub to a conductor 115 connected between one input terminal of -the stepping motor 79 and the sup-ply conductor 114.
Relay contacts C4, one movable contact of a two pole stop switch Sol and a limit switch LOW are connected in series by the conductor 116.
Further relay contacts C5 are connected between

3~13 a tapping on the secondary winding of the transformer 113 and a conductor 118 connected to the other input of the motor 79, and the other movable contact of the stop switch Sol controls current flow through the conductor 118.
In operation of the apparatus, product informal lion is entered, through the keyboard 90 or the PROM, con-twining data relating to the type of package to ye wound and the timing of the strand guide displacement. Data entered through the keyboard 90 overrides the data stored in the PROM, while in the absence of overriding input from the keyboard 90, data preprogrammed into the PROM is used to control the microprocessor.
At the start of a winding operation, the micro-processor closes the relay contacts C4 for a short time, thus energizing the stepping motor 79 to drive the strand guides 24 towards the collect. During this time, the step-ping motor 79 is stepped by the arc. frequency across lines 114, 115 and the contacts C3 and C5 remain open.
When the strand guides 24 reach a predetermined start position, the limit switch LOW is opened to disk continue the energization of the stepping motor 79. After delay, contacts C3 and C5 are closed and the output of the rectifier bridge 112 passes through the contacts Cola and Cub to energize the motor 79. During this time, the contactsCla andClb are alternately opened and closed by the pulsed signal So passing through the relay coil Al, the motor 79 being stepped twice in response to each pulse of the signalSlas the currerlt supply to the motor is reversed. After each pulse change, the motor 79 is elect tribally locked in position, as is well known for this type of motor, so that the positioning of the strand guides is maintained.
The displacement of the strand guide 24 under the control of the microprocessor 81 during the winding operation is illustrated in Figure 7, in which the strand guide movement M is plotted against the expire of time T from the commencement of the winding operation.
Curve P illustrates the increase in the package ~Z~313~
- I -diameter over time and the strand guide displacement is illustrated by three lines Do, Do and Do, and the vertical distance between the latter lines and the curve P repro-sets the clearance between the strand guide and the package periphery.
At the beginning of the winding operation, the strand guide 24 is spaced from the winding collect by a small start clearance d.
The signal So is pulsed by the microprocessor 81 at a first frequency or rate, determined by timing pulses from a timer 99, during an initial period from to to if and, consequently, the strand guide 24 is displaced from the winding collect by the stepping motor 79 at a eon-responding rate, represented by the slope of line Do, dun-in this initial period.
At the expire of this initial period, a timer 101 directs the timer 99 to provide the timing pulses to the microprocessor 81 at a second, slower rate during a second period of time and the microprocessor 81 pulses the signal So at a slower rate during this second period of time, from if to to, and the strand guide 24 is disk placed at a correspondingly slower rate, as illustrated by line Do, during this second period.
During a final, third period of time from to to the completion of the 1 winding operation, the timer 101 directs the timer 99 so what the signal So is pulsed at an even slower rate and the strand guide displacement occurs at a correspondingly slower rate represented by line Do.
It has been found what, with the above-described apparatus, an improved multi3trand roving package can be produced in which the strands exhibit relatively good integrity in that the individual glass filaments of each strand have a lesser tendency than hitherto to become separated from the strand and to be broken when the roving from the package is fed throllgh a chopper gun. Cons-quaintly, less clumping of the sprayed-up glass fiber material occurs, and the mixture of the sprayed glass 3%~3 fiber material and the resin which is simultaneously apt plied is improved. these improvements result from the fact that the strand guides I do not contact the port-phonies of the strand package builds 22 and, therefore, do not exert a flattening pressure on the strands already deposited on the package builds 22.
The spreader strand guides 18 are unequally spaced so as to appropriately control the angle at which the strands 14 meet the strand guide edges 47, and the latter are curved, so that the strands aye 14d are uniformly deposited, i.e. with substantially equal spacings, on the package build as described in greater detail in the alone-said United States Patent 4,322,041. By thus uniformly depositing the strands on the package build, and by the above-described pattern of the successive crossover points e-h at each end of the packacte build, the shape of the final package is improved to a substantially cylindrical shape in such a manner as to reduce handling defects dun-in subsequent utilization Go the roving.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it should be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to this embodiment but may be modified within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims.
For example, while each of the package builds in the above-descrihed embodiment of the invention is wound with four strands, the number of strands which can be wound into a package by the present invention is not limited to four but may be a considerably greater number and it is envisaged that this number may even be as great as forty.
Also, more than two packages can be simultaneously wound.

Claims (21)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A multistrand winding apparatus comprising:
a winding collet;
means for rotating said winding collet about the longitudinal axis thereof during the winding of a multistrand package build on said winding collet;
multistrand guide means disposed proximate but spaced from said multistrand package build for simultaneously guiding a plurality of strands into spaced-apart positions on said multistrand package build means for reciprocating said multistrand guide means parallel to said longitudinal axis of said winding collet to form a multistrand package build on said winding collet; and programmable memory means for storing information for controlling displacement of said multistrand guide means away from said winding collet; and means responsive to said information for effecting said displacement and thereby maintaining a spacing between said multistrand guide means and said multistrand package build.

2. A multistrand winding apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising microprocessor control means including said programmable memory means for providing a control signal in accordance with said information, said apparatus including first timer means for supplying timing pulses to said microprocessor control means to determine the rate of displacement of said strand guide means from said winding collet and second timing means for decreasing the frequency of said timing pulses from said first timing means during the course of a winding operation.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the means for displacing comprises:
a) electric motor drive means operatively coupled to the multistrand guide means, b) microprocessor control means for generating a pulsed speed control signal for the drive means, the pulse frequency of said signal determining the speed of the drive means and attendantly the rate of displacement of the multistrand guide means away from the winding collet, c) first variable frequency timer means for supplying timing pulses to said microprocessor control means for determining the frequency of the speed control signal, and d) second timer means for periodically decreasing the frequency of the timing pulses supplied by the first timer means during the course of a winding operation in accordance with a stored program, whereby the rate of displacement of the multistrand guide means away from the winding collet is periodically decreased to compensate for a decreasing rate of build diameter increase and thereby maintain said desired spacing.

4. A multistrand winding apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said reciprocating means comprise a traverse cam, a cam follower engaging said traverse cam and means for rotating said traverse cam in timed relation with the rotation of said winding collet, said apparatus further comprising means for fixedly securing said strand guide means to said cam follower and said displacing means comprising means for displacing said traverse cam from said winding collet under the control of said control program.

5. multistrand winding apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said strand guide means is one of at least two similar strand guide means for guiding strands onto respective strand packages on said winding collet, said reciprocating means comprising means for synchronously reciprocating said guide means, and means are provided for supporting said strand guide means together for common displacement from said winding collet by said displacing means.

6. A multistrand winding apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said displacing means comprise coaxial traverse cams, means mounting said traverse cams for movement relative to said winding collet, drive means for effecting said movement of said traverse cams in a direction away from said winding collet and cam followers engaging respective ones of said traverse cams for reciprocation by said traverse cams parallel to said longitudinal axis of said winding collet, said strand guide means being fixedly mounted relative to respective ones of said cam followers.

7. A multistrand winding apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said mounting means comprise cam guide means for guiding the movement of said traverse cams and bearing means for rotatably supporting said traverse cams on said cam guide means and said drive means comprise motor means for displacing said bearing means along said cam guide means.

8. Apparatus for winding a plurality of strands into a strand package, comprising:
a winding collet for carrying said strand package;
a traverse cam extending parallel to said winding collet;
means for rotating said winding collet and said traverse cam;
a cam follower engaging said traverse cam for reciprocation thereby in a direction parallel to said winding collet;
a multiple strand guide supported by said cam follower at a spacing from the periphery of said strand package for guiding a plurality of strands into said strand package;
means responsive to a control signal for linearly displacing said multistrand guide means away from said winding collet during the formation of a package build by the winding of said strands on said winding collet;
microprocessor means for supplying said control signal to said control signal responsive means;
said microprocessor means including programmable memory means for storing a program for variably predetermining the displacement of said multistrand guide means by said control signal responsive means and means responsive to said program and to the rotation of said winding collet for producing said control signal.

9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said traverse cam, said cam follower and said strand guide are each one of a plurality of forming respective strand package builds on said winding collet, said strand guides being respectively supported by said cam followers at a spacing from the peripheries of the respective strand package builds and said traverse cams being coaxial and secured for rotation together by said rotating means and for displacement together by said drive means.

10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, including means fixedly securing said strand guide to said cam follower.

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said strand guide comprises a pair of guide fingers spaced apart in a direction parallel to the axis of said winding collet and defining a gap between said guide fingers for receiving said strands.

12. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said strand guide includes means for deflecting said strands into said strand guide on starting of a package winding operation.

13. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said guide fingers are provided with a laterally outwardly extending strand guide projection for picking-up said strands and guiding said strands into said gap on starting of a package wihding operation.

14. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11, 12 or 13, further comprising a spreader for spreading apart said strands during travel of said strands towards said strand guide, said spreader comprising a plurality of spreader guides for guiding respective ones of said strands, said spreader guides being unequally spaced and said strand guide fingers being curved to promote equal spacing of said strands into said strand package.

15. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein said displacement controlling means comprise microprocessor means for providing a control signal to said drive means in accordance with said winding program and including memory means for storing said winding program, and means for supplying timing pulses to said microprocessor at a rate which decreases during a winding operation to cause a corresponding decrease in the rate of displacement of said strand guide means.

16. Apparatus for forming a multistrand package of glass fiber material, comprising:
means for forming a plurality of streams of said material;
a rotary winder for attenuating said streams into glass fibers and winding said glass fibers in the form of a plurality of strands into a multistrand package;
said rotary winder comprising:
means for gathering said glass fibers into said strands;
spreader means for guiding said strands from said gathering means;
a winding collet;
means for rotating said winding collet;
strand guide means associated with said winding collet for guiding said strands from said spreader means into a package build on said winding collet;
means for reciprocating said strand guide means parallel to said winding collet;
means for displacing said strand guide means from said collet means under the control of predetermined program, as the diameter of said package build increases, at a rate which maintains said strand guide out of contact with the periphery of said package build; and programmable memory means for storing said predetermined program.

17. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 16, wherein said reciprocating means comprises a traverse cam and cam follower and said strand guide means is fixedly positioned relative to said cam follower, said displacing means comprising means for linearly displacing said traverse cam from said winding collet under the control of said winding program.

18. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 16, wherein said multistrand guide means is one of at least two strand guide means for forming respective package builds on said winding collet, and means are provided for supporting said strand guide means for displacement together from said winding collet under the control of said winding program.

19. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 16, 17 or 18, wherein said displacing means includes means for reducing the rate of displacement of said strand guide means from said collet means during a winding operation.

20. A method of winding a multistrand package, comprising the steps of:
passing a plurality of strands through a strand guide;
rotating a winding collet to wind the strands onto said winding collet;
reciprocating said strand guide parallel to the axis of said winding collet to form the strands into a strand package build on said winding collet;
maintaining said strand guide at a spacing from the peripheral surface of said strand package build throughout the winding of said strand package build; and linearly displacing said strand guide from said winding collect under the control of a stored winding program during the winding of said strand package build.

21. A method as claimed in Claim 20, which includes simultaneously winding at least two strand packages on said winding collect using reciprocating strand guides to guide respective groups of strands into the strand package builds, and simultaneously displacing said strand guides from said winding collect under the control of the winding program so that said strand guides are maintained out of contact with said strand package builds.