Abstract:
A device re-shapes formed wire after processes such as annealing where wire is wound on bobbins. The device includes a reservoir for containing lubricant having a first open end and a second open end. The first end of the reservoir is closed by a guide mechanism for guiding the wire into the reservoir. The second end of the reservoir is closed by a wire shaping for shaping the wire when the wire is pulled therethrough. The wire shaping mechanism reduces the cross-sectional area of the wire by no more than 24%.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is relates to wire shaping, and more particularly to providing wire its final shape after formation. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Production of wire products is generally a multi-step process involving forming the wire from wire rods and the like, annealing the wire and forming the wire into the final product, such as by coating, stranding, etc. Wire rods are drawn to form the wire which is then wound onto bobbins for annealing. After annealing, the wire on the bobbins is unwound and used to form the final product. 
   After the annealing process the wire is soft; thus, wire unwound from the bobbins after annealing often has significant surface defects resulting from the unwinding. Typically, wire takes a second pass through the drawing machine after being unwound from the bobbin to remove surface defects and re-shape the wire. Since the drawing machine must be capable of significantly reducing the size of a metal rod (e.g. down to the size of wire), the drawing machine is a large, high power, capital intensive piece of equipment. As the unwound wire does not require a large change in size, the use of the drawing machine during the second pass is a less than ideal use of resources. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for re-shaping a formed wire comprising: a reservoir for containing lubricant having a first open end and a second open end in alignment with the first end; a guide mechanism closing the first end of the reservoir for guiding the wire into the reservoir; and a wire shaping mechanism closing the second end of the reservoir for shaping the wire when the wire is pulled therethrough, the wire shaping mechanism reducing the cross-sectional are a of the wire by no more than 24%. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will be described in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is block diagram of reduction tube devices according to an embodiment of the present invention in a stranding machine; 
       FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the reduction tube device of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3A  is a cutaway of the reduction tube device of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 3B  is a top view of a plate of the reduction tube device of FIG.  1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Wire formed by drawing is wound on bobbins for annealing and is unwound after annealing for formation of the final product. One such final product is a twisted cable formed by a stranding machine  12 , such as the one shown in FIG.  1 . Multiple bobbins  14  on which wire is wound are mounted on a bobbin holder  26 . These wires are used by the stranding machine  12  to form a twisted cable  18 . In a conventional stranding machine  18  wire unwound from each of the bobbins  14  is collected by a rotatable stranding head  16 . The bobbin holder  26  and the stranding head  16  are connected by a main arbor  24  that causes both components to rotate. The wires that pass through the stranding head  16  are used to form the twisted cable  18 . 
   After the wires pass through the stranding head  16  they are converged and consolidated by a stranding die  20 . The die  20  is mounted in and fixed to a die holder  22 . The wire that leaves the die holder  22  has been formed into the twisted cable  18  by the die  20 . 
     FIG. 1  shows a reduction tube devices  10  positioned according to an embodiment of the present invention with the stranding machine  12 . The reduction tube device  10  contains multiple reduction tubes  102  positioned along the path of each wire between the stranding head  16  and the die  20 . The reduction tubes  102  are connected together by a plate  100 . The plate  100  of the reduction tube device  10  is mounted on the main arbor  24  and rotates with the main arbor  24 , the stranding head  16  and the bobbin holder  26 . 
   Each reduction tube device  10  processes the wire after it is unwound but before it is stranded to remove surface defects from the wire and provide the final shape. Each reduction tube  102  is oriented such that the wire passing therethrough between the stranding head  16  and the die  20  maintains a relatively straight path. To maintain this straight path, each reduction tube  102  is mounted on the plate  100  at a sufficient angle to provide the straight path. 
   While  FIG. 1  shows the reduction tube device  10  in use with a wire stranding machine  12 , the reduction tube device  10  may be used in conjunction with any of a number of apparatuses using wire, including convention assembly, roll forming and processing equipment. In each of these possible environments, the reduction tube device  10  reshapes wire that conventionally would pass through the drawing process a second time. 
     FIG. 2  shows the reduction tube device  10  in detail. The reduction tube device  10  includes multiple reduction tubes  102  attached to a plate  100 . Each reduction tube  102  may produce a difference size or shape when wire is passed therethrough. In this manner the reduction tube device  10  can be used for many purposes. 
   The plate  100  attaches the reduction tube device  10  to a piece of equipment in an intended environment of use (e.g. stranding machine). The plate  100  may be adapted for attachment to the equipment, such as the main arbor  24  of the stranding machine  12 , by any suitable fixing means. 
   As shown by  FIG. 3B , the plate  100  has multiple bores  300  circumferentially arranged around the plate  100  for attachment of each of the reduction tubes  102  thereto. Each reduction tube  102  may be attached to the plate  100  at an angle sufficient to maintain a straight wire path through the reduction tube  102  when the plate  100  is mounted in the intended environment. A reduction tube  102  through which the wire is to pass is placed generally coaxially along the path of the wire such that the wire maintains a relatively straight path. Since the disc  100  is attached to an apparatus in the intended environment, the angle at which the reduction tube  102  is attached to the disc  100  is proportionate to the angle between the wire path and the attachment site for the disc  100 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3A , each reduction tube  102  is fixedly attached to the plate  100  with one end of the reduction tube  102  being placed in one of the bores  300  of the plate  100 . This allows the wire to pass through the reduction tube  102  and the plate  100 . 
     FIG. 3A  is a cutaway view of the reduction tube device  10  showing the plate  100  and a cutaway of two reduction tubes  102 . Each reduction tube  102  includes reservoir tube  202  with an incoming cap  200  closing one end and a die holder  204  closing the opposite end. The incoming cap  200  and the die holder  204  are sealingly connected to the reservoir tube  202 , for example by a threaded connection. 
   The incoming cap  200  is positioned on the end of the reduction tube  102  that receives the wire for guiding the wire into the reservoir tube  202 . The incoming cap  200  has a bore  212  extending therethrough in which a seal  206  is coaxially placed. In use the wire passes through the bore  212  and the seal  206  and into the reservoir tube  202 . The seal  206  fills the space between the wire and the inside of the bore  212  of the incoming cap  200  such that the receiving end of the reduction tube  102  is sealed when the wire passes through the seal  206 . 
   The die holder  204  has a shaping die  210  disposed coaxially therein for shaping the wire as it is pulled therethrough. The shaping die  210  removes surface defects from the wire and provides the final shape of the wire. Since the wire is pulled through the reduction tube  102  by the equipment on which the reduction tube is mounted, reduction of the size of the wire is limited to allow for use of the reduction tube  102  with only minimal additional power form the equipment. The shaping die  210  is shaped to provide a cross-section area reduction for the wire of no more than 24%, preferably only 5%. 
   The die holder  204  is adapted for insertion into a bore  300  of the plate  100 . The die holder  204  is fixed in position in the bore  300 , for example by a retaining fixture (not shown) in connection with the plate  100  and the reduction tubes  102 . 
   The reservoir tube  202  acts as a reservoir for holding a lubricating liquid that lubricates the wire as it passes through the reservoir tube  202  to the die holder  204  and the shaping die  210 . Since the receiving end of the reservoir tube  202  is sealed by the incoming cap  200  and the seal  206  and the other end is sealed by the de holder  204  and the shaping die  210 , the lubricating liquid in the reservoir tube  202  is relatively contained when the wire the pulled therethrough. A refill tube  208  on the reservoir tube  202  allows lubricating liquid to be inserted in to the reservoir tube  202  and added as necessary. 
   To provide the reduction tube device  10  with multiple reduction tubes  102  producing different shapes and sizes of wire, the shaping die  210  for each reduction tube  102  has a different shape while all other components may be identical for each of the reduction tubes  102 . In this manner, the reduction tube device  10  may produce different sizes or shapes of wire. 
   It will be recognized by one skilled in the art that the dimensions of the device are to be varied according to the desired operation of the invention. 
   It is apparent to one skilled in the art that numerous modifications and departures from the specific embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.