Patent GB-837499-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to cable making machines
IPC: D07B5/10
Filed: 1957-07-25
Abstract: 837,499. Manufacturing transposed stranded conductors. SMIT & CO'S. TRANSFORMATOR-ENFABRIEK N.V., W. July 25, 1957 [Aug. 2, 1956; May 22, 1957], No. 23644/57. Class 36. [Also in Group XXV] A machine for the manufacture of a cable of rectangular section transposed stranded conductors, said cable consisting of mutually insulated conductors, of which each has a rectangular cross-section and extends in a helical path around the axis of the cable, is characterized by two co-operating rolls having conductor-guiding peripheral surfaces, between which the conductors of the cable to be manufactured are passed in juxtaposed stacks, each of said rolls being provided at its peripheral guiding surface with angularly equidistant pushmembers mounted for sliding movement in the direction of the axes of the rolls, each pushmember having a slot, the bottom of which forms a continuation of the conductor-guiding surface which is locally interrupted by said push-member, said slot permitting at least one conductor of the cable to be manufactured to be temporarily engaged by said push-member, and further characterized by members for controlling said push-members, the arrangement being such that the push-member of one roll moves a conductor from the top of one stack of conductors to the top of an adjacent stack and a push-member of the other roll moves a conductor from the bottom of said other stack to the bottom of said one stack. Insulated conductors 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 are drawn from reels mounted on a rotatable disc and pass between rolls formed of discs 1, 3 and 2, 4, Figs. 1 and 2, in which are mounted at peripherally equally-spaced positions push-members 15 having grooves 16 to engage at least one conductor 5-13. Each push-member as it approaches the nip of the rolls is pushed by a roller 18, Fig. 2, influenced by a fixed cam 19 against the action of a spring 20 to bend one of the conductors, e.g. 13, over part of a helical path. The push-member 15 is returned after the nip has been passed by the spring 20. The push-member 15 of the roll 2, 4 are oppositely directed to those of the roll 1, 3 and when an odd number of conductors are being laid into the cable the push-members of the top roll are arranged half-way between those of the bottom roll. Separator plates 17 are provided to divide the conductors 5-13 into two stacks and also to give an edge about which the conductors are bent in turn. In a second embodiment, Fig. 7, the separator plates 17 are retractable, being urged into the operative position against the action of a spring 29 by a pin 31 engaging a fixed cam 33. The push-members 15 in this embodiment and optionally in that of Figs. 1 and 2 have blocks 22 grooved to engage one of the conductors 6-13. Fixed plates may laterally guide the conductors in the nip of the rollers or flanges may be attached to or formed integrally with the rolls for this purpose. In the second embodiment the rolls are not formed of two discs as in the first embodiment. The separating plates 17 may be mounted on rockable arms, and the cam 19 may be replaced by a movable ram or pusher.