Patent GB-736497-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in collapsible winding spindles for metal strip or the like
IPC: B21C47/30
Filed: 1952-03-03
Abstract: 736,497. Winding and reeling. TRIGGS, W. W. (Sendzimir T.). March 3, 1952, No. 5520/52. Class 83 (4). (Also in Group XVI] A collapsible winding spindle, e.g. for winding strip steel from a rolling mill, comprises a plurality of members having oppositely inclined surfaces spaced axially apart thereon, the members being carried by a drive shaft, a plurality of split gripping rings or sets of gripping shoes encircling the members having opposirely inclined axially spaced surfaces for co-operation with the former inclined surfaces, and means for sliding the members axially towards or away from one another to effect expansion or contraction respectively of the split rings or set of gripping shoes, the arrangement being such that when expanded the spindle is substantially free from internal spaces and is thus radially rigid throughout. As shown in Fig. 8, the collapsible spindle comprises a drive-shaft 20 and a rod 22 reciprocable in an axial passage 21 therein, the drive-shaft 20 having four inclined cam-surfaces 26 carrying dovetail ribs 27. The rod 22 is secured to a tapered control member 28 by an adjusting nut 29 and a plate 30. The member 28 has camsurfaces 31 in registration with the cam-surfaces 26, but oppositely inclined thereto. The camsurfaces 31 have dovetail ribs 32. Gripping shoes 33, having oppositely-inclined camsurfaces 34 and 35 and dovetail grooves 36 and 37 co-operating with the ribs 27 and 32, provide a roll receiving surface. The shoes 33 are secured to an actuating head 40 by interengaging ribs 38 and 39, the head 40 being axially slidable on a sleeve 41 and retaining nut 42 relative to the shaft 20, rod 22 and control member 28. Actuating levers 43 are pivotally mounted in radial passages for co-operation with recesses 46 in a retaining head 47 secured to the shaft 20 by rods 48. When the rod 22, and thus the control member 28, are reciprocated axially the levers 43 will rock about their outer ends within the recesses 46, thus moving the shoes 33 axially, due to the lever dimensions, a distance one half that moved by the rod 22 to effect expansion or collapsing of the shoes 33. The rod 22 may be reciprocated for collapsing and expanding the shoes 33 by means of a piston supplied with fluid pressure. In a modification as described with reference to Fig. 9 (not shown), the drive-shaft may be provided with a plurality of concave cam-surfaces which engage similar surfaces on surrounding gripping shoes. In a further modification, Fig. 10, gripping shoes 73 are moved axially by hydraulic means comprising a piston 80 reciprocated within a cylinder 81 and an inner piston 82 axially movable within the piston 80, thus providing chambers 83, 84, 85 and 86. The chamber 85 is connected to fluid passages 88, 90 and 91 connected to a chamber 93 through a tube 92, the tube 92 and chamber 93 being relatively rotatable. A second chamber 94, rotatable relatively to a tube 95, communicates through the tube 95 and fluid passages 96 and 97 with the chamber 84. When it is required to collapse the gripping shoes 73 from their expanded position as shown in Fig. 10, liquid under pressure is supplied to the chamber 93, thus moving the piston 82 and a member 71 connected thereto to the right and thereby forcing liquid from the chamber 86 through a passage, into the chamber 83 to cause movement of the piston 80 and gripping shoes 73 connected thereto to the right. The member 71 moves a greater distance than the shoes 73 on account of the difference in cross-sectional areas of the chambers 83 and 86. The gripping shoes 73 are collapsed in similar manner by supplying liquid under pressure to the chamber 94. In a modification, Fig. 2, similar to that shown in Fig. 8 the end of material being wound on the spindle is clamped between parts 127 and 128 of a longitudinally split gripping shoe 126 when the shoes 126 and 125 are expanded. The parts 127 and 128 are keyed to the drive-shaft (not shown) by longitudinally diverging keys to effect separation and clamping of the parts as well as by keys 130, 132 for radial expansion and collapsing of the parts. Clamping bars 133 and 134 are mounted on the inner faces of the parts 127 and 128 respectively, the bar 134 being backed by a strip 135 of rubber or similar yielding material. In a further modification, Fig. 12 (not shown), the gripping shoes are actuated by a rod connected to a control member carrying levers pivoted centrally of the gripping shoes and co-operating with similarly pivoted levers carried by the opposing end of a drive-shaft. The gripping shoes are slidably mounted by T-shaped keys on inclined cam surfaces on the drive-shaft and control member, such that by reciprocation of the rod relative to the drive-shaft the gripping shoes are expanded or contracted by the pivotal movement of the levers. In a further modification, Figs. 23 to 31 (not shown), the gripping shoes are replaced by split rings having internal oppositely-inclined surfaces engaging control rings spaced along a drive-shaft and movable axially apart by interconnected levers.