US2975987A - Polar wind apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 21, 1961 E. T. STRICKLAND ET AL 2,975,987

POLAR WIND APPARATUS Filed 001:- 27, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I IN V EN TORS.

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POLAR WIND APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 27, 1959 I NV EN TORS.

March 21, 1961 FiledOct. 27, 1959 E. T. STRICKLAND ET AL POLAR WIND APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 21, 1961 E. T. STRICKLAND ET AL 2,975,987

POLAR WIND APPARATUS Filed Oct. 27, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 PGLAR WIND APP TUS Filed Oct. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 848,983

8 Claims. (Cl. 242-2) This invention relates to a winding apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for polar winding of filaments on a mandrel to form a pressure vessel.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved polar winding apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for winding filaments on a mandrel in a polar wound manner and with the filaments applied in ribbon widths to prevent or minimize the build up of filaments adjacent the poles of the mandrel.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for winding filaments on a mandrel comprising a frame, a rotatable mandrel shaft on said frame, means for indexing said shaft by steps of less than a revolution, a subframe pivotally mounted on said frame for movement about an axis intersecting at a first intersection said mandrel shaft rotation axis at a right angle, a filament applying arm rotatably mounted on said subframe for rotation about an axis extending toward said first intersection, means for rotating said arm, means on said arm supporting a filament supply reel and a filament applying pulley movably mounted on said arm for bodily movement along a path parallel to said last-mentioned axis to apply successive filaments on a mandrel adjacent to each other as said applying arm travels in a path inclined to said mandrel mounting shaft axis of rotation, and means for reversing the direction of travel of said pulley and simultaneously indexing said mandrel mounting shaft.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side ele ational view with part of the frame omitted and with parts shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the mechanism for applying a filament in a ribbon width; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken line 44 in Fig. 3.

While the invention is susceptible of embodiments in many dilferent forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings the winding apparatus comprises a generally box like frame indicated generally at it having a base plate ii and uprights i2, 13, 14 and 15 at the four corners of the frame. This frame also has cross pieces 16, 17, i8 and 19 at the top of the frame to rigidity the structure.

The main frame supports a mandrel mounting shaft generally along the 29 for rotation by means of bearings 21 and 2.2 at the lower end thereof. Means are provided for indexing the mounting shaft 20 in steps each of which are a frac tion of a revolution. This means comprises a cylinder motor 23 mounted on the base plate 11 and having a piston rod 24 connected to an end of an arm 25. The arm 25' is connected to the mandrel mounting shaft 2i} through a one-way clutch 26 (Fig. 2) whereby actuation of the motor 23 swings the arm 25 until it engages an adjustable stop 27 and this movement indexes the mounting shaft 2%. Upon release of fluid pressure to the motor 23, the motor piston rod 24 is returned by suitable means, such as a spring within the cylinder, to bring the arm 25 into engagement with a movement limiting adjustable stop 23.

A generally rectangular hollow subframe indicated generally at 3% is pivotally mounted on the frame 10 by a pair of bearings 31 and 32 mounted on the frame uprights l2 and 13, respectively with the pivotal axis for the subframe 36 extending normal to the axis of rotation for the mandrel mounting shaft 26/. The subframe 36 comprises four interconnected frame members 33, 34, 35 and as with the opposed frame members 34 and 36 being pivotally connected tothe main frame it).

The subframe 39 carries a filament applying assembly, indicated generally at 46, which comprises a urshaped filament applying frame having a base 41 and arms 42 and 3 3. The base 41 is keyed to a shaft 43a mounted in a bearing 44a carried on the subframe member 35 and the shaft 43a is driven from a motor (not shown) through a gear box 44- coaxial with the bearings 31 and 32 for the subframe 3G. The gear box 44 rotates a shaft as connected into a gear box 46 with an output shaft 47 leading to a gear box 43 having the output shaft 43a.

The axis of rotation for the filament applying frame 4d may be changed in angle by rotation of the subframe 39 about the bearings 31 and 32, and held in adjusted position by a locking mechanism shown in Fig. 2 comprising a bracket 50 attached to the subframe 5i and slidable in a bracket 51 attached to the base of the main frame. The brackets Sil and 51 are slidable relative to each other and are held against movement by a bolt and nut 52a carried on the member 5'1 and slidable in a slot 53a in the member 50.

A mandrel B mounted on the support shaft 26? may be adjusted in height to locate its center whereby the axis of rotation for applying frame 40 may point directly at the mandrel center.

The filament applying arm 40 carries a supply coil 52 of filament material as well as mechanism for applying the filament in successive lengths onto the mandrel B including a filament applying pulley 51 as show-n in Figs. 1 and 2. The pulley 51 is carried on the filament frame 4-0 to pass around the mandrel B. As shown in Fig. 2, the subfirame 3t is disposed at an acute angle relative to the axis of rotation of the mandrel supporting shaft 20 to thus cause the filament applying pulley 55. to have a path of travel inclined to the axis of the mandrel supporting shaft Zll.

A filament 53, as a specific example, may be a glass fiber roving in which the roving is composed of several ends with each end having several hundred individual strands. The filament 53 passes from the supply coil 52 and makes a plurality of passes about a pair of pulleys 54 and 55 with the pulley 54 being connected to a suitable brake, such as an eddy current brake, for applying tension to the filament. The filament 53 then passes about a pulley 56 attached to the filament applying arm 42 and onto a pulley 57, shown in Fig. 3. From this pulley, the filament passes about a pulley 58 mounted yieldably by a spring 59. The filament then passes to a pulley 60 and about a pulley 61 which guides the filament onto the applying pulley 51.

In order to place filament lengths on the mandrel B in a form and manner to minimize a build up in filaments toward the poles of the mandrel the filaments are applied in ribbon widths in the polar wind operation. This type of operation and a pressure vessel made thereby are fully disclosed in the copending application of Edward T. Strickland and Homer C. Amos, Serial Number 848,979, filed October 27, 1959, and reference may be made thereto for additional description of such a vessel. In order to apply filament lengths in ribbon width the filament applying pulley 51 is mounted for movement in a path parallel to the axis of rotation of the filament frame mounting shaft 43a.

The means for so mounting the filament applying pulley 51 comprises a slide 62 slidably mounted within the interior of the filament applying arm 43 having a shape to slidably receive and confine the slide 62. The filament applying pulley 51 is carried on a block 63 which is attached to the slide structure 62.

Means for moving the slide 62 comprises a drive shaft 65 with reversely threaded sections 66 and 67 with the shaft 65 being mounted at its ends rotatably in bearings with one bearing being shown at 68 and rotatably supported at its center by a center bearing 69. The shaft 65 is rotated by a chain 70 (Fig. 1) passing about a sprocket 71 fixed to the bearing housing 44a and having the shaft 43a extending therethrough but not connected thereto. The shaft 65 carries a sprocket 72 about which the chain 70 passes and thus the rotation of the filament applying frame 40 causes the chain 70 being held by the sprocket 71 to rotate the sprocket 72 and the shaft 65.

A structure on the filament arm 43 including uprights 75 and 76 mounts a pair of spaced apart parallel rods 77 and 78 extending lengthwise of the member 43 which slidably receive a block 79. The block 79 has a pin 80 carried thereby and extending forwardly thereof to rotatably mount a plate 81 carrying a pair of spaced apart half nuts 82 and 83 which are alternately engageable with the threaded sections 66 and 67 of the rotatable shaft 65, respectively. As shown in Fig. 3 the half nut 83 is in engagement with the threaded section 67 whereby the block 79 is traveling toward the left with a resultant movement of the slide 62 toward the right by interconnections as subsequently described. These interconnections comprise a pin 85 extending rearwardly from the block 79 and connected to a lever 86 pivoted on the filament applying arm member 43 by a pin 87 and with its slotted lower end connected by a bolt 88 to an arm 89 connected to the slide 62. Thus it will be seen that linear movement of the block 79 results in pivoting of the lever 86 with. resultant linear movement of the slide 62.

Means are provided for shifting the engagement of half nuts 82 and 83 relative to the threaded shaft 65 comprising a pair of adjustable limit stops '90 and 91 carried on extensions of the frame uprights 75 and 76, indicated at 92 and 93, respectively. With the parts positioned as shown in Fig. 3, the block 79 is still traveling toward the left and a lever 94 is in engagement with stop '90 and has moved a partial distance toward the right relative to the block 79 about a pin 93a carried on block 79 and on which the lever 94 is pivoted. An intermediate plate 95 is also pivoted on the pin 80 and intereonnected with the lever 94 by a pin 96 having a bushing 97 carrying a pin 98 at a right angle. A lug 99 slidablyreceives the pin 98 and captures a spring 100 on pin 98 positioned between the bushing 97 and lug 99 whereby an overcenter spring arrangement is provided. The lug 99 is carried on an arm 101 extended from the nut mounting plate ,81 whereby further movement of the lever 94 toward the right as viewed in Fig.

3 will carry the pin 96 to the right and move the spring 100 overcenter which will result in swinging the plate extension 101 counterclockwise to raise the half nut 83 from engagement with the threaded shaft and move the half nut 82 into engagement therewith. In shifting movement, a block 102 carried on the intermediate plate will be struck by a plunger 103 of a switch 104. This switch is suitably connected in a circuit having a solenoid control valve for momentarily energizing the valve to operate the index cylinder 23 for the mandrel supporting shaft 20. On a subsequent reverse shift of the plate 81 a similar shift 105 will have its plunger 106 shifted by the block 102 to again actuate the index cylinder 23. The block 102 is shown out of contact with the switch plunger 106 in Fig. 3 due to the fact that the lever 94 has been moved sufficiently to cause this separation at the beginning of a shift operation. The throw of the overcenter spring is limited by an auxiliary plate 110 connected to the lever 94 which operates between adjustable limit stops 111 and 112 carried on the block 79.

In operation, a mandrel B is supported on the shaft 20 and is held in a fixed position while the filament applying frame 40 makes a series of revolutions about its axis of rotation as defined by the shaft 43a which is disposed at an angle as set up by adjustment of the subframe 30. Upon each revolution of the filament applying arm 40 the filament applying pulley 51 is moved along a path parallel to the axis of shaft 43a a distance equal to a filament width whereby successive filament lengths are laid upon the mandrel substantially adjacent to each other. After a predetermined width of filaments, herein called a ribbon width, is laid down upon the mandrel and as determined by the setting of the adjustable stop members 90 and 91, the shiftable plate 81 is caused to shift to reverse the connections with the threaded shaft 65 and cause the filament applying pulley 51 to travel in the opposite direction along the same path. At the time that the plate 81 is shifted to reverse the drive to the pulley 51 one of the switches 104 or will also be engaged and through a suitable circuit energize the indexing cylinder 23 to index the mandrel shaft 20 through the one-way clutch 26. The filament applying pulley 51 then lays down a succeeding ribbon width until a limit is reached as determined by one or the other of the stop members 90 and 91 and the drive is again reversed and the mandrel shaft 20 indexed. This operation is continued until a desired number of layers of filament lengths is applied upon the mandrel and as the thickness of the filaments increases the slope of the path defined by the filament applying pulley 51 may be changed by varying the tilt of the subframe 30 to thus render the path more steep. This causes the filaments to follow closely adjacent fittings at the poles of the mandrel B.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for winding filaments on a mandrel to form a pressure vessel comprising a frame, a rotatable mandrel shaft on said frame, means for indexing said shaft by steps of less than a revolution, a subframe pivotally mounted on said frame for movement about an axis intersecting, at a first intersection, said mandrel shaft rotation axis at a right angle, a filament applying arm rotatably mounted on said subframe for rotation about an axis extending to said first intersection, means for rotating said arm, means on said arm supporting a filament supply reel and filament tensioning means, and a filament applying pulley movably mounted on said arm for bodily movement along a path parallel to said last mentioned axis to apply successive filament lengths on a mandrel adjacent to. each other as the arm rotates about the mandrel.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which a slide is carried on said filament applying arm for movement parallel to said axis of arm rotation, said filament applying pulley being mounted on said slide, means on said arm for reciprocating said slide through a stroke equal to a ribbon width of filaments, and means responsive to a change in direction of slide travel for actuating said shaft indexing means.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means for holding said subframe in one of a plurality of different positions of adjustment about the pivotal axis therefor to adjust the slope of the path of pulley travel.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 including means for mounting and moving said pulley comprising a block movably mounted on said arm, an oppositely threaded shaft rotatably mounted on said arm extending parallel to said pulley path, a sprocket on said threaded shaft and a chain extending therearound and held against movement whereby the arm rotation rotates said threaded shaft, a plate pivoted on said block and carrying a pair of spaced apart threaded members for alternate engagement with the threaded shaft, a pair of limit stops on said arm, a dag member pivotally carried by said block and shiftable by contact with a limit stop, means for shifting the plate when the flag member shifts to reverse the drive to the block, and motion connections between the block and the slide mounting the pulley.

5. A filament apparatus comprising a frame, a man drel mounting shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, means for indexing said shaft a fraction of a revolution per step, a subframe including a first member pivotally mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis intersecting said mounting shaft axis of rotation, at second member on said subframe extending substantially normal to said first member, a filament applying arm rotatably mounted on said second member for rotation about an axis extending toward said mandrel mounting shaft rotation axis, a device mounted on said arm for progressively guiding a filament length onto a mandrel as said device travels in a path inclined to said mandrel mounting shaft axis of rotation, reversible means for moving said device in a path parallel to the arm axis of rotation to apply a plurality of filament lengths on a mandrel in a ribbon width, and means for actuating said indexing means when said device changes direction.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which said reversible means for moving said device comprises an oppositely threaded rotating shaft rotatably mounted on said arm, a block movably mounted on said arm, a pair of threaded members pivotally carried by said block for alternate engagement with said threaded shaft, and means for shifting said threaded members when said device has traveled a predetermined distance.

7. Apparatus for winding filaments on a mandrel comprising a frame, a rotatable mandrel support on said frame, means for indexing said support by individual steps each being a fraction of a revolution, a subframe pivotally mounted on said frame for movement about an axis intersecting, at a first intersection, said mandrel support rotation axis at a right angle, a filament applying arm rotatably mounted on said subframe for rotation about an axis extending toward said first intersection, means for rotating said arm, means on said arm supporting a filament supply reel and filament tensioning means, and filament applying means movably mounted on said arm for bodily movement along a path parallel to said last mentioned axis to apply successive filament lengths on a stationary mandrel adjacent to each other as the arm rotates about the mandrel.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which a slide is carried on said filament applying arm for movement parallel to said axis of arm rotation, said filament applying means including a pulley mounted on said slide, means on said arm for reciprocating said slide through a stroke equal to a ribbon width of filaments, and means responsive to slide travel through a stroke for actuating said support indexing means.

Wentz Nov. 4, 1958 Wentz Aug. 25, 1959

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