Taping machine for coils and the like

A machine for taping coils wound upon bobbins which includes an indexable turret wheel mounting a plurality of peripherally spaced mandrels dimensioned for slidable reception of the bobbins of a succession of coils, the turret traversing a loading station, a tape wrapping station, a wiping station and an unloading station. A tape applicator member at the wrapping station supports the leading end of the tape, the applicator being shiftable from a reference position to a pressing position in which the leading end of the tape is pressed against the side of the coil. Drive spindles are clutched to the mandrels in the wrapping and wiping stations for wrapping and wiping the tape. Fluid actuators having rack and pinion connections serve to index the turret wheel, shift the tape applicator, and rotate the coil in the wrapping and wiping stations. The phase position of each coil bobbin loaded on a mandrel in the loading station is preserved throughout the cycle to permit registered imprinting and the performance of other functions requiring accurate bobbin register.

The taping of coils wound upon bobbins as required in the manufacture of 
relays, solenoids, transformers and the like has, in the past, been 
performed in two separate ways: For large production runs automated taping 
machines are commercially available for feeding large runs of coils from 
bulk storage and taping them at a high production rate. For shorter runs, 
where the expense of a completely automated taping machine cannot be 
justified, it has been the practice to employ hand operated machines in 
which a coil is manually loaded on a mandrel, wrapped and "wiped" under 
manual control, and manually unloaded. Such machines may be easily 
converted from one coil size to another as required for short runs, but 
since only one coil can be processed at a time production rates have been 
limited, as a practical matter, to approximately 1200 pieces per hour. The 
need has existed over the years for a machine having the advantages of a 
manually controlled machine, namely, low initial cost and rapid 
accommodation to different sizes of coils, but which is capable of 
production line usage. 
It is, accordingly, an object to provide a taping machine which is of 
relatively simple and economical construction but which is capable of 
taping coils at a rate comparable to expensive fully automated taping 
machines. It is a related object to provide such a machine which is 
capable of performing functions simultaneously at a plurality of work 
stations and which is capable of operating in an automatic and continuous 
sequence with no care or attention on the part of the operator except to 
load the coils, one by one, on mandrels successively presented at a 
loading station. 
It is a related object to provide a taping machine which is competitive 
with highly automated taping machines and which is inherently foolproof in 
operation and able to operate at a high production rate hour after hour, 
and day after day, without maintenance or adjustment. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a taping machine 
which is capable of being changed, in only a few minutes time, to 
accommodate coils of widely different shape and dimension. More 
specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a taping machine 
including an applicator member having a pad thereon movable between a 
reference position and a pressing position for tacking the leading end of 
adhesive tape to the coil prior to wrapping of the tape and in which the 
pad follows an arcuate path which is adjustable in radius and shiftable in 
position. It is a more detailed object to provide an applicator assembly 
which is guided in its path of movement by a crank having both adjustable 
"throw" and adjustable spacing with respect to the applicator pad. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a taping machine which 
may be manually loaded, and supervised, with a high degree of safety and 
in which the hands of the operator are at all times safely clear of the 
rotatable elements and clear of the power operated cutting blade. It is a 
related object to provide a machine of the above type which is not only 
safe but which is easy to load on a continuous basis, all of the other 
steps, including unloading, being performed by the machine in 
predetermined automatic sequence. 
It is another object of the invention to provide a taping machine which is 
highly versatile and which has provision for registered imprinting of 
identifying information following the wrapping and wiping of a coil but 
before the coil is discharged from the machine. It is a further object of 
the invention, in this connection, to provide a taping machine having a 
turret wheel having auxiliary stations permitting the addition of 
functions as, for example, the wrapping on of more than one type of tape 
and with the machine even being adaptable to the addition of a winding at 
a station interposed before or after the wrapping and wiping stations.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred 
embodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to be limited to 
the particular embodiment shown but intend, on the contrary, to cover the 
various alternative and equivalent constructions included within the 
spirit and scope of the appended claims. 
Turning now to the drawings FIG. 1 shows a taping machine constructed in 
accordance with the invention having a frame generally indicated at 20 
including upstanding main frame plates 21, 22 and an auxiliary front frame 
plate 23 which is parallel thereto and which is supported on posts such as 
that indicated at 24 in FIG. 2. The frame plates 21, 22 are joined at 
their left-hand edges by a vertical end plate 25. 
Mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis is a turret wheel 30 having a 
set of mandrels, in the present case six of them indicated at 31-36 spaced 
at equal angles and journaled in bearings 37, the mandrels being all of 
the same size and dimensioned for slidable reception of the bobbins of 
coils to be taped, the coils supported on the mandrels being indicated at 
41-46. As shown in FIG. 1, coils respectively occupy a loading station 51, 
an auxiliary station 52, a wrapping station 53, a wiping station 54, an 
imprinting station 55, and an unloading station 56. 
Means are provided, as will be seen, for rotating the mandrels in the 
wrapping and wiping stations for wrapping on a layer of tape and for 
wiping down the tail end thereof, but the mandrels are detentedly fixed in 
position in all of the other stations for maintenance of a predetermined 
phase position. However, prior to discussing driving and detenting, 
attention may be given to the mounting and indexing of the turret wheel 
30. The turret wheel is mounted upon a shaft 60 journaled in bearings 61, 
62 in frame plates 21, 22. Secured to the shaft 60 is an index disc 70 
having a series of shot pin openings 71-76 (FIG. 3) spaced at equal angles 
about the periphery and corresponding to the positions of the mandrels 
31-36. For the purpose of indexing the index wheel 70 and its connected 
turret wheel, an oscillated indexing lever 80 is provided which is 
coaxially pivoted for rocking movement about the wheel axis 81. The 
indexing lever 80 is oscillated by a double-acting fluid actuator 82 
having a piston rod 83 having a pin type connection 84 with the lever. The 
extension and retraction of the piston rod is under control of a four way 
valve 85 to be discussed. To achieve one-way indexing, a disengageable 
shot pin connection is interposed between the lever 80 and the pin 
receiving openings in the index wheel 70, the shot pin being indicated at 
86 having a slotted head 87, the pin being snugly fitted in an opening 88 
in the lever (see FIGS. 5 and 6). For sensing the position of the piston 
rod 83 of the indexing actuator 82, a small bracket 90 (FIG. 1) is 
provided at the end of the piston rod alternatively engageable with index 
limit switches 91, 92. For cushioning the indexing movement a shock 
absorber 95 is mounted on the frame in the path of movement of a bumper 96 
mounted at one end of the indexing lever 80. 
In a typical cycle of indexing movement the shot pin 86 is inserted into 
one of the pin receiving openings, for example the opening 73 (see FIG. 
5), following which the actuator 82 is contracted, rocking the indexing 
lever 80 in the counterclockwise direction, from the position shown in 
FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4, causing the turret wheel to be 
advanced counterclockwise through one step of movement. Upon retraction of 
the shot pin 86 from the opening in the index wheel (to be described), the 
indexing actuator 82 may be extended back into the position shown in FIG. 
3 in an idle stroke of movement. It will be apparent that by engaging the 
shot pin only during the contraction strokes of the actuator, while 
disengaging the shot pin on the extension strokes, the turret wheel may be 
indexed in successive counterclockwise steps, thereby carrying coils from 
the loading station 51 through the processing steps and around to the 
unloading station 56 where ejection takes place. 
Reference will next be made to the means for clutching and driving the 
mandrels in the wrapping and wiping stations. Referring to FIGS. 3-7 and 
most particularly to FIG. 7, the mandrel 33 in the wrapping station has, 
alined with it, a wrapping drive spindle 100. For clutching purposes 
dog-type clutch faces 101, 102 are formed on the mandrel and spindle, 
respectively, the spindle being driven by a pinion 103 at its opposite 
end. The mandrel 34 in the wiping station is driven by a wiping drive 
spindle 110 with similar clutch elements 111, 112 and a similar pinion 
113. A "dog-type" clutch will be understood to include any clutch capable 
of positive driving. 
The two drive spindles are both journaled in a "drive head" or carriage 
120. The spindle carriage is mounted for limited axial movement on a pair 
of parallel way bars 121, 122 which are slideable in ways formed in the 
frame plates 21, 22. For axially moving the spindle carriage 120 a fluid 
actuator 123 is provided having a piston rod 124, the actuator being of 
the "pancake" type under the control of a four-way valve 125. 
In accordance with one of the aspects of the present invention the spindle 
carriage 120 which controls the spindle clutches is also utilized to 
control the position of the shot pin 86, the shot pin being engaged when 
the clutches are disengaged and vice versa. The carriage is coupled to the 
shot pin by a key in the form of a concavely arcuate fin 126 which engages 
the slotted head 87 of the pin as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The arcuate 
edge of the fin is centered on the turret wheel axis so that the shot pin 
is captive with the carriage at all times, in spite of the oscillating 
movement of the indexing lever 80. When the clutches are disengaged, the 
shot pin 86 is engaged as shown in FIG. 5--and vice versa as illustrated 
in FIG. 6. Limit switches 127, 128 (FIG. 7) are provided for signaling to 
the control circuit the respective "in" and "out" positions of the shot 
pin, as will be described in connection with the control circuit. 
For the purpose of preserving the phase position of each of the mandrels, 
while enabling the mandrel to be rotated when the clutch associated with 
the mandrel is engaged, each mandrel is provided, adjacent its clutch 
surfaces, with a leaf spring 130 (FIG. 8) cooperating with flats 131, 132 
formed on the portion of the mandrel which extends behind the turret 
wheel, the leaf spring being anchored to the turret wheel upon a post 133. 
The leaf spring has a degree of axial freedom so that when the clutch 
element on the associated drive spindle approaches, the end of the drive 
spindle engages the edge of the leaf spring thereby forcing it temporarily 
off of the flatted portion of the mandrel to permit the mandrel to be 
freely rotated; however, when the spindel is subsequently retracted the 
resiliency of the spring restores it to its initial detenting position. 
In accordance with one of the aspects of the invention means are provided 
for driving the pinions 103, 113 on the drive spindles simultaneously and 
notwithstanding the endwise shifting of the drive spindles by the spindle 
carriage. Such driving is brought about by engaging both the pinions with 
a rack 140 which is reciprocated by a spindle actuator 142 having a piston 
rod 143, the actuator being controlled by a four-way valve 145. A limit 
switch 146 is positioned in the path of movement of a dog 147 at the end 
of the piston rod and rack to signal, to the control system, return of the 
spindle actuator to its illustrated (FIG. 3) reference position. A similar 
limit switch 148, placed in the path of opposite movement of the dog 147, 
signals, by its closure, the fact that the spindle actuator has been fully 
moved to its advanced position, that is, to the end of its driving stroke. 
The position of the switch 146 determines the number of "wraps". Three 
settings are possible, the positions indicated at 146a, b and c, giving 3, 
2 and 1 wraps respectively. 
In summary, then, engagement of the shot pin 86 and disengagement of the 
spindle clutches, by the carriage actuator 123 enables the turret wheel to 
be indexed forwardly through one step of movement, moving each of the 
mandrels into the next station where the drive spindles 100,110 are 
aligned with respective newly-arrived mandrels. Reversing the condition of 
the actuator 123 causes the spindle clutches to be engaged and the shot 
pin to be disengaged, for driving of the spindles by the rack 140 and its 
actuator 142 and return movement of the indexing lever 80 by means of its 
actuator 82 to reference position. 
Having understood the means for indexing the turret wheel and for driving 
the mandrels in the wrapping and wiping stations, attention may now be 
given to the tape applicator assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and in 
greater detail in FIGS. 9-12. The applicator assembly, indicated generally 
at 150, is mounted upon the auxiliary frame plate, or subframe, 23. The 
subframe is adjustably secured to the vertical frame plate 22 by means of 
clamping screws 151-153 which engage the spacer posts 24 and which 
penetrate clearance slots 154-156 as will be further discussed. The tape 
applicator assembly 150, which is mounted for relative movement with 
respect to the subframe 23 and forwardly of the latter, includes a tape 
applicator member 160 which extends vertically along the subframe, having 
a resilient applicator pad 161 at its lower end and having its upper end 
162 slidably received in a pivot connection 163. The applicator 160 is of 
two-part construction formed, in the present instance, by a vertical 
member of substantially square cross section, to which is secured, on its 
left-hand side, a bracket 165 which is clamped to the bar by means of the 
clamping screw 166 which penetrates a clearance slot l67 formed in the 
bracket. 
Prior to discussing the means for shifting the applicator member, reference 
may be made to the tape supply. The tape 170 which is permanently tacky on 
its "inside" (or right-facing) surface is fed from a roll 171 mounted upon 
a mandrel 171 having a friction brake 173. The tape has a leading end 175 
which terminates in a position flatly adjacent the face of the applicator 
pad 161. For the purpose of controlling and guiding the tape, it passes 
through a non-retrograde roller assembly 180 made up of a pair of rollers 
181, 182 which are both mounted upon a bracket 183 which is clamped to the 
applicator member 160 by a clamping screw 184. The roller 181, which 
engages the non-tacky "back side" of the tape, is of non-retrograde 
construction being freely movable in the clockwise or feeding direction of 
the tape but being locked against any movement in the retrograde or 
counterclockwise direction. Non-retrograde rollers are per se well known 
in the art and do no require detailed description. The roller 182, which 
engages the tacky side of the tape, is an idler roller having a knurled 
surface and an adjustable brake 183. The rollers are laterally offset from 
one another so that the tape 170 undergoes an S-shaped, zig-zag, path 
thereby providing a "wrap" of the tape of at least 90.degree. about each 
of the rollers, with the discharge side of the idler roller being 
substantially alined with and closely spaced to the applicator pad 161. By 
spacing the idler roller at a "low" position close to the applicator pad, 
there is minimum "springback" of the tape when it is subsequently severed 
under tension, as will be described. Thus the leading end 175 of the tape 
is always in proper registered position to be applied to the side of a 
coil. 
In accordance with one of the aspects of the invention the applicator 
member 160 is guided so that the applicator pad thereon follows an arcuate 
path of movement from a reference position above a coil at the wrapping 
station to a pressing position at the side of the coil. This is 
accomplished by providing a crank, as a guiding element, which is 
rotatable upon a shaft and which has a pivot output connection engaging 
the applicator member 160 or, more specifically, engaging the bracket 165 
which is adjustably clamped to the side of the applicator member. 
Referring to FIGS. 9, 10, 11 and 12 the crank indicated at 190, is secured 
to a crank shaft 191 which is journaled in a set of bearings 192 in the 
subframe 23. The crank shaft 192 terminates at its inner end at a pinion 
193 which is rotated by a rack 194. The rack is positioned by an 
applicator actuator 195 having a piston rod 196, the actuator being under 
the control of a four-way valve 197. For signaling the position of the 
applicator to the control circuit, the piston 196 of the actuator is 
fitted with a switch operating dog 200 which engages limit switches 201, 
202 at advanced and retracted positions of the applicator, respectively. 
To secure adjustability of throw in the crank 190, the crank is of 
key-slotted construction having a longitudinal recess 205 which has a 
relatively narrow access slot 206. The crank output connection is a pivot 
in the form of a screw 207 which is freely fitted in an opening 208 in the 
bracket 165. The screw passes through the access slot 206 into threaded 
engagement with a jam nut 209 which spans the recess. 
To adjust the throw of the crank and hence the radius of the arc of 
movement of the applicator pad, the screw 207 is unscrewed slightly, 
leaving the nut 209 loose in the recess 205, permitting the applicator 
member 160 to be moved bodily until the screw 207 occupies a position, 
with respect to the crank 190, which will provide the desired amount of 
throw. The screw is then turned tight until the tip of the screw bottoms 
in the recess 205, jamming the nut 209 in the opposite direction, thereby 
firmly anchoring the tip portion of the screw at a desired throw radius r 
on the crank. The effect of the crank will be apparent upon considering 
FIGS. 12a, 12b and 12c. Initially the pad 161 of the applicator member 160 
occupies the "upper" position shown in FIG. 12a, with the crank 190 in the 
vertical position illustrated in FIG. 9. When the actuator 195 is 
expanded, moving the rack 194 downwardly, the pinion 193 on the crank 
shaft rotates in the counterclockwise direction, swinging the crank 190 
counterclockwise from its vertical position to the horizontal position 
illustrated in FIG. 12b. As a result the applicator pad 161 follows the 
arc 210. Upon continued movement of the actuator and continued 
counterclockwise swing of the crank slightly beyond the bottom dead center 
position (see also FIG. 10) the applicator pad 161 continues along its 
arcuate path into firm pressing engagement with the side of the coil 43 as 
illustrated in FIG. 12c. By increasing the amount of throw r the radius of 
the arc 210 can be increased, and by decreasing the throw the radius of 
the arc can be decreased, thereby providing a wide range of size of arc to 
accommodate coils in a wide range of diameter. 
Not only is the size of the arc capable of adjustment (by repositioning the 
screw 207 with respect to the crank 190) but also the arc of given radius 
can be bodily shifted upwardly and downwardly and from side to side. 
Vertical shifting may be accomplished by loosening the clamping screw 166 
slightly and shifting the bracket 165 relative to the applicator member 
160, the shifting movement being accommodated by the slot 167. Horizontal 
shifting of the arc 201 may be obtained by loosening the clamping screws 
151-153 which hold the subframe, the adjusting movement being accommodated 
by the horizontal slots 154-156. 
Thus, briefly stated, the applicator pad 161 is shiftable downwardly, along 
an arc, into pressing engagement with the side of the coil to tack the 
leading end of the tape in place. Such downward shifting movement of the 
pad is accompanied by downward shifting of the non-retrograde roller 
assembly thereby "taking" a slight amount of tape from the roll which is 
mounted upon a fixed center. When the crank is subsequently restored to 
its initial, or reference, position the applicator pad 161 is out of the 
way of the coil 43 so that the mandrel 33 may be rotated, wrapping a 
length of tape about the coil which is directly proportional to the stroke 
of the actuator 142 which powers the wrapping rack 140. 
In accordance with one of the features of the present invention, the tape 
wound about the coil is severed by a cutter blade which is positioned 
flatly along the underside of the applicator pad 161 and which is 
reciprocated by a cutter blade actuator. Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the 
cutter blade, indicated at 210 is secured to a mount 211 reciprocated by a 
cutter blade actuator 212 having a piston rod 213. The actuator is 
controlled by a four way valve 215. Conveniently, the actuator is secured 
to a bracket 216 which is clamped to the applicator member 160 by a pair 
of clamping screws 217. While the cutter blade 210 normally occupies a 
retracted position closely adjacent the underside of the applicator pad, 
extension of the actuator to the dotted position illustrated in FIG. 9 
promptly severs the tape to form a trailing end and a new leading end. 
This completes the wrapping step and the coil is is next indexed to the 
wiping station where the trailing end of the tape is wiped down flatly 
against the coil. 
Referring to the wiping station 54 in FIG. 1 there is provided a wiper in 
the form of a flexible blade 220 of nylon or the like mounted in a pivoted 
supporting arm 221 which is positioned by a wiper actuator 222 having a 
piston rod 223. It will be apparent that as the mandrel is rotated in the 
wiping station 54 by the wiper drive spindle 110, the wiper220 will, 
during the first revolution of the coil, smoothly wipe or "iron" the tail 
of the tape into a flat adherent position. 
It is one of the features of the present invention that a bobbin is loaded 
at the loading station 51 in a position of register and that such register 
is maintained by reason of the detent springs 130. Angular movement from 
the detented position during spindle rotation is precisely predetermined, 
with the result that the bobbin occupies a predetermined registered 
position when it arrives at the imprinting station 55. In carrying out the 
invention an imprinter is provided in the imprinting station for printing 
or affixing identifying information. While the imprinter mechanism has 
been only diagrammatically shown at 230, it will be understood by one 
skilled in the art that the imprinter includes a movable printing head 231 
which may be brought against the presented (lower) side of the coil 
occupying the imprinting station, reference being made to the prior art 
for imprinter details. It will be understood that the term "imprinter" as 
used herein is intended to cover not only printing means but any means for 
providing a printed message in a registered position as, for example, a 
label carrying printed identification thereon which may be simply stuck to 
the coil. 
The coil, having been wrapped, wiped, and imprinted, then passes, by reason 
of a further step of indexing movement to the unloading station 56 where 
means are provided for automatic ejection of a coil from the mandrel upon 
which it is mounted. Such ejecting means is illustrated at 240 in FIG. 13. 
The ejecting means includes an ejecting finger, preferably a pair of 
ejecting fingers, 241, mounted upon a plunger 242 which penetrates the 
turret wheel, presenting an engageable face 243 at its inner end which is 
held in inwardly extended position by means of a coil spring 244. In 
register with the plunger 242 when the latter is in the unloading station 
is an ejector actuator 245 having a piston rod 245 and which is under the 
control of a four way valve 247. An outward thrust of the piston rod 246 
engaging the face 243 of the plunger 242 thrusts the ejector fingers 241 
to the right, pushing the coil 46 endwise from the mandrel upon which it 
has been mounted. For the purpose of sensing the return of the rejector to 
a retracted position a double throw type limit switch 248 is provided 
(FIG. 13) operated by dogs 249 which may, for example, be spaced on the 
piston rod 246 of the actuator. 
CONTROL CIRCUIT 
For achieving the sequence of operation outlined above, the valves and 
control elements may be wired in a control circuit as schematically set 
forth in FIG. 14. The circuit has power supply terminals 251, 252 and 
on-off supply switch 253, a fuse 254 and a pilot light 255. The circuit 
further includes a throw type switch 256 to initiate "repeat" automatic 
sequencing with a normally-open push button switch 257 in parallel 
therewith to be used where only a single cycle of operation is desired. 
The circuit includes a relay RY having a normally-open contact RY1 and two 
normally-closed contacts RY2, RY3. 
In the illustrated circuit each valve which controls an actuator is 
operated by a pair of solenoids with each of the solenoids being effective 
in one direction, that is, the solenoids are effective to shift the valve 
into its respective states. The solenoids have been given the same 
reference numerals as the valves which they control, with addition of 
subscripts a and b to distinguish the solenoids which are in "control 
opposition" to one another. 
Before the taping machine is placed into operation the following initial 
conditions exist The ejection plunger (FIG. 13) is in its returned 
(retracted) condition closing contact 248a and energizing relay RY to 
close contact RY1 while opening the normally closed contacts RY2 and RY3. 
The indexing actuator 82 (FIG. 3) is in its returned (extended) condition 
with limit switch 91 closed and limit switch 92 open. The cutter actuator 
212 (FIG. 1) is in its advanced (extended) condition. Applicator actuator 
192 (FIGS. 1 and 9) is in its returned (retracted) condition with contact 
201a opened, 201b closed and contact 202 closed. The spindle actuator 142 
is in its advanced (retracted) state with switch 146 opened and switch 148 
closed. The carriage actuator 123 (FIG. 7) is in its advanced (extended) 
state with switch 127 open and switch 128 closed. 
Manually throwing the control switch 256 to its closed "auto" position 
completes the circuit through switch 91 to solenoid 125a to contract the 
actuator 123 and engage the shot pin 86 as shown in FIG. 5 in readiness 
for indexing while disengaging the drive spindles from the mandrels in the 
wrapping and wiping stations (see FIG. 7). This closes contact 127 and 
opens 128, energizing the solenoids 85a, 145b and 215b. Energizing the 
solenoid 85a operates the indexing actuator 82 closing limit switch 92 and 
opening limit switch 91. Energization of solenoid 215b retracts the cutter 
actuator 212. Energization of solenoid 145b returns the spindle actuator 
closing contact 146. 
Thus with the index stroke completed and the spindle actuator fully 
returned, the switches 92, 146, in series with one another are both closed 
thereby energizing solenoids 197a and 125b. Energization of solenoid 197a 
causes actuator 195 to be extended thereby rotating the crank 190 
clockwise (FIGS. 12a-12c) and tacking the leading end 175 of the tape onto 
the side of the coil. As the actuator 195 begins to advance, contact 201b 
is opened but this makes no difference since contact RY2 is open in any 
event. Movement of the applicator actuator 195 to its fully advanced 
(extended) position closes contact 201a while energization of the solenoid 
125b expands the actuator 123 to engage the clutches, thereby closing 
switch 128 which is in series with switch 201a and completing a circuit to 
solenoid 247a, causing extension of ejector actuator 245 and closure of 
the switch 248b (FIG. 13). 
As the ejector starts to advance, switch contact 248a opens dropping out 
the relay RY. This closes relay contact RY2 but this makes no difference 
since contact 201b is still open. As the ejector advances further, contact 
248b is closed which energizes solenoid 197b to cause the applicator 
actuator to retract the applicator pad, its function now having been 
completed. As the applicator begins to return, contact 201a is broken 
which deenergizes the solenoid 247a, but this makes no difference since 
the ejector, by this time, has completed its advancing movement. Shortly 
thereafter contact 201b is made completing a circuit through contact RY2 
(relay RY being in the dropped out state). This energizes solenoids 85b 
and 145a. Energization of solenoid 85b restores the index actuator to its 
initial, returned position. Energization of the solenoid 145a causes the 
wrapping actuator 142 to contract, thereby rotating the spindle 100 to 
wrap tape upon the coil. Upon completion of the spindle stroke and, upon 
return of the applicator actuator to its contracted position, switches 
148, 202 are closed. Relay contact RY3 also being closed at this time (the 
relay RY having earlier dropped out), a circuit is completed to solenoids 
247b and 215a. Energization of solenoid 215a advances the cutter blade to 
sever the tape, thereby restoring the cutter blade to its initial, 
extended position. Energization of solenoid 247b causes the ejector 
actuator to contract, thereby closing the rejector return switch 248a 
completing the circuit to the winding of relay RY. The energization of 
this relay establishes the initial condition, with relay contact RY1 
closed to complete a circuit through the still closed control switch 256 
and through the indexing limit switch 91 to energize the carriage solenoid 
125a to set in motion a complete succeeding cycle, which then repeats 
itself indefinitely until the machine is turned off by opening the control 
switch 256.