GB2251848A

GB2251848A - Coil stack support

Info

Publication number: GB2251848A
Application number: GB9100207A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Patrick Street
Original assignee: Johnson & Nephew
Current assignee: Johnson & Nephew
Priority date: 1991-01-05
Filing date: 1991-01-05
Publication date: 1992-07-22
Also published as: GB9100207D0

Abstract

The invention provides a coil stack support device comprising carrier 1 for location en the ground and on which in use, a coil stack may be located. The carrier 1 is provided with pegs 21 and post 11 for limiting the radial displacement of a coil relative to the body of the stack and containment means 31 for location on and engagement with the carrier means for preventing vertical displacement of a coil relative to the body of the stack. The device may be used for supporting coiled wire whilst the wire is being fed for use in. e.g. a manufacturing process. It may be used to support relatively large coil stacks, and assists in maintaining them in their original conformation to ensure smooth feeding of wire from the stacks. The pegs 21 are receivable in a selected one of a set of holes provided respectively on members 3 and 5 of carrier 1 depending upon the diameter of the coil stack. A wire pay-off post 41 is located in post 11. <IMAGE>

Description

COIL STACK SUPPORT This invention relates to devices for supporting coiled wire while the wire is being fed from the coil to a position where it is being utilised in, for instance, a manufacturing process.

The sort of wire with which the present invention is concerned may be that used in, for instance, reinforced concrete where it is required to be tensioned during the process of setting it in the concrete. Relatively thick wire may be used for this purpose and is typically stored in large continuous coils, or coil stacks as they will be referred to hereinafter. Coil stacks having a weight of, for instance, one ton and a diameter of about 6' may have a height of from 6" to 7" and tend to be fairly stable when located on the floor while the wire is being fed to some manufacturing point. However, larger coil stacks are, in practice, not so stable and, for instance, a coil stack of two tons weight may have a height of approximately 18".During feeding of the wire, the forces acting on the coil stack may be such that one or more coils may displace relative to the body of the stack and then become interwoven with each other. The displacement of the coils may be laterally with respect to the stack or in a vertical direction or, indeed, at some angle therebetween. The result is that further smooth feeding of the wire is hindered or prevented.

In order to maintain such relatively large coil stacks in their original conformation, the invention provides a coiled stack support device comprising carrier means for location on the floor (or ground) and, on which, in use, the coil stack is located, said carrier means being provided with means for limiting the radial displacement of a coil relative to the body of the stack, the device further including containment means for preventing vertical displacement of a coil relative to the body of the stack, said containment means being for location on and engagement with said carrier means.

Accordingly, the coil stack will, in use, be placed on the carrier part of the device and will serve to anchor it firmly to the ground by virtue of its own weight. In addition, the location of the containment means in engagement with the carrier means will firmly secure said containment means in position so that it can ensure that the upper coils cannot leave the body of the stack.

Preferably, the device includes pay-off means whereby the wire of the coil stack can be fed from the body of the stack to a pathway leading to its incorp6ration in some manufactured product or process.

Preferably, the means for limiting the radial displacement of a coil relative to the body of the stack includes a plurality of pegs or posts which locate in holes or recesses provided on the carrier means at circumferentially spaced-apart positions radially outwards of the coil stack. More preferably, the device, in use, includes four such pegs or posts at circumferentially equally spaced-apart positions so that radial or lateral movement of one or more coils of the stack relative to the body of the stack is prevented by the engagement of such coils with at least one said peg or post before significant movement has occurred. One of said pegs or posts may be permanently attached to the carrier means and may itself form a support for a further elongate member extending vertically upwardly therefore.The free end of said elongate member may be formed into a ring or bifurcated shape to provide a guide for the wire being paid off from the body of the stack.

Preferably, the containment means includes a base portion, for instance a solid metal annulus, which, in use, is supported on the carrier means and is engageable therewith in such a way as to secure the containment means against vertical movement relative to the carrier means.

Extending substantially vertically upward from the base are a plurality of containment members each of which are shaped so as to turn radially outwardly above the level of the top of the stack. At the upper end, such members may be interconnected by means of a top element in the form of, for instance, a solid metal annulus with a diameter greater than that of the annulus forming the base of the containment means.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the carrier means of the device according to the present invention; - Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the carrier means of Fig. 1; - Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a location peg for use with the carrier means of Fig. 1; - Fig. 4 is a top plan view of containment means for use together with the carrier means of Fig. 1; - Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the containment means of Fig.

4; - Fig. 6 is a view of the front and one side of the pay-off means for use with the carrier means of Fig. 1; and - Fig. 7 is a side view of the pay-off means of Fig. 6. Referring to the accompanying drawings, a device in accordance with the present invention includes carrier means 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 which provides the base on which a coil stack will be located. It includes elongated box-section members 3 and 5 which are ranged in a cruciform shape and which lie directly on the floor or other surface upon which the coil stack is to be located. A circular metal strip 7 is welded to, and extends symmetrically around the centre of the cross formed by members 3 and 5. In use, the coil stack will be laid on members 3 and 5 so as to surround wire strip 7. The purpose of wire strip 7 will be explained below.

Welded to one end of elongate member 5 is a metal plate 9 which extends from an inner arcuate edge (abutting metal strip 7) to a relatively narrow outer edge located beyond the end of limb 5.

Extending upwardly from limb 5, from a position close its free end and passing through plate 9 is a metal tube 11 of the circular cross-section. Said metal tube 11 is supported by reinforcement pieces 13, 14 and 15 which are welded to tube 11 and to plate 9 and/or member 5.

Member 5 is also provided with two brackets 17 located on opposite sides of member 3 and equally spaced therefrom. Each bracket 17 is in the form of a short channel section, one or more parts of which are welded to member 5 such that the mouth of the channel is directed horizontally towards wire strip 7. In fact, the mouths of the brackets 17 face in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.

Elongate member 3 is provided with three location holes 19 close to each of its free ends. Similarly, elongate member 5 is also provided with three such holes 20 adjacent that end remote from that carrying member 11. Referring to Fig. 3, the device also includes a plurality of location pegs 21, each formed of hollow metal circular cross-section tube and each provided with an integral collar 23 located close to one free end of the device.

In use, three such location pegs 21 will be located in carrier means 1, each peg being located in one of a set of holes 19 or 20, the particular holes in the set being chosen according to the outside diameter of the coil stack to be located on the carrier means so that the pegs will extend upwardly from elongate members 3 and 5 just outside the external circumference of the stack.

Referring to Figs 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, the device of the invention includes containment means 31. This element of the device is formed out of metal tubing and includes a base ring 33 and, spaced upwardly therefrom, a top ring 35 of relatively greater diameter. Interconnecting rings 33 and 35 are four equally circumferentially spaced-apart struts 37, each of which extends vertically upwardly from base ring 33 and, above this vertical section, upwardly and outwardly to join top ring 35, these two sections being joined by an integral, gently curved intermediate section.

Containment means 31 also includes tube 37 extending diametrically across base ring 39 between the lower ends of two diametrically opposite struts 37.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, a pay-off post 41 is formed of circular cross-section metal tube and has located at one free end ring 43. Post 41 appears straight as viewed in Fig. 6 (transfers to the plane of ring 43) but is, in fact, bent close to its midpoint to form two straight sections angled with respect to each other. Section 45, remote from ring 43, is provided with diametrically opposed holes 47. In order to use the device of the invention, the carrier means 1 is first positioned where desired relative to some manufacturing operation in which metal wire is to be incorporated. The coil stack, from which the wire is to be provided, is then located on the carrier means 1 so the coils lie just outside metal strip 7.Three location pegs 21 are then positioned in the appropriate holes 19 and 20 of each of the three sets of holes provided on members 3 and 5 so that these pegs lie as close as possible to the external circumference of the coil stack. Pay-off post 41 is then located in support post 11 and held in position by means of a pin passing through diametrically opposed holes 12 in post 11 and the corresponding holes 47 in post 41 so that post 41 extends upwardly from post 11 and the upper end thereof is inclined inwardly towards the centre of carrier means 1, as indicated in dotted line in Fig. 2.

The containment means 31 is then positioned with its base ring 33 lying on members 3 and 5 of carrier 1 and within wire strip 7.

Base ring 33 is initially positioned so that cross member 39 extends diagonally with respect to member 5 of carrier means 1 and adjacent to the mouths of brackets 17. A rotational force applied to top ring 35 of containment means 31 will cause the element to turn so that cross member 39 enters the two channelshaped brackets 17 so as firmly to locate containment means 31 against relative vertical movement between this element of the device and the carrier means 1.

The appropriate free end of the wire stack may then be fed through ring 43 of pay-off post 41 and along a path leading to the manufacturing process.

It will be seen that the weight of the wire stack serves to hold the whole device in place. Any tendency of coils of wire to move laterally with respect to the body of the stack will be prevented by one or more of the pegs 21 and post 11. Any tendency of the coils to move upwardly relative to the body of the stack will be restrained by the upper outwardly extending portions of struts 37 of the containment means 31. Accordingly, the coil stack will be held against any change of shape by means of the device of the invention while the wire is being uncoiled during its use.

All the components of the device of the invention may be made of metal, for instance, mild steel.

Claims

1. A coil stack support device comprising carrier means for location on the ground and on which, in use, a coil stack may be located, the carrier means being provided with means for limiting the radial displacement of a coil relative to the body of the coil stack, the device further including containment means for preventing vertical displacement of a coil relative to the body of the stack, the containment means being for location on and engagement with the carrier means.

2. A support device according to Claim 1, including pay-off means whereby the wire of a coil stack located on the carrier means may be fed from the body of the stack to a pathway leading to its incorporation in a product or process as desired.

3. A support device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the means for limiting the radial displacement of a coil relative to the body of a coil stack located on the carrier means includes a plurality of pegs or posts which locate in holes or recesses provided on the carrier means at circumferentially spaced-apart positions radially outwards of the coil stack.

4. A support device according to Claim 3, wherein the means for limiting the radial displacement of a coil relative to the body of the stack includes four pegs or posts at circumferentially equally spaced-apart positions so that radial or lateral movement of one or more coils of the stack relative to the body of the stack is prevented by the engagement of such coils with at least one of the pegs or posts before significant movement has occurred.

5. A support device according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein one of the pegs or posts is permanently attached to the carrier means and itself forms a support for a further elongate member extending vertically upwardly therefrom, the free end of the elongate member being formed into a ring or bifurcated shape to provide a guide for wire being paid off from the body of the coil stack.

6. A support device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the containment means includes a base portion which, in use, is supported on the carrier means and is engageable therewith in such a way as to secure the containment means against vertical movement relative to the carrier means.

7. A support device according to Claim 6, wherein the base portion of the containment means comprises a solid metal annulus.

8. A support device according to Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein the containment means includes a plurality of containment members extending substantially vertically upward from the base portion, each of which containment members is shaped so as to turn radially outwardly above the level of the top of a coil stack located on the carrier means of the device.

9. A support device according to Claim 8, wherein the containment members are interconnected at their upper ends by means of an annular element having a diameter greater than that of the annulus forming the base portion of the containment means.

10. A coil stack support device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings.