Patent GB-1186543-A (GB)
Title: Tube Winding Machine
Inventor: ALLEN CHESTER
IPC: B29C53/66
Filed: 1967-04-04
Abstract: 1,186,543. Pipes. A. O. SMITH CORP. 4 April, 1967 [4 April, 1966], No. 15447/67. Heading F2P. A machine for continuously producing wound fibre-reinforced resin tubes comprises a frame 1, a reciprocable carriage 2 mounted on the frame, three mandrels 4 each being releasably held for rotation in an assembly 3 which is itself rotatably mounted on the carriage so that each mandrel may be successively indexed from mandrel loading station 4a to a reinforcement winding station 4b to mandrel unloading station 4c, a fixed winding head 7 supplying a fibrous reinforcing element 6 to the mandrel at the winding station, a mandrel drive motor unit 76 and belt 75 for rotating the mandrel at the winding station, and apparatus for delivering resin to the mandrel at the winding station. The mandrel assembly comprises end plates 43 mounted on a shaft 44 which is journalled in bearings 46 on the carriage. Each of the mandrels is releasably held for rotation between a clamping chuck 49 at one end and a drive chuck 50 at the other, Fig. 3 (not shown), the clamping chuck being actuable by a pneumatic motor 61 to urge the associated mandrel axially into engagement with the drive chuck 50. Each drive chuck carries a pulley 68, Fig. 3, which is engaged by the belt 75 when the mandrel is at the winding and unloading stations. Initially, each mandrel is loaded into the assembly at the loading station by a pair of hydraulic piston arms 128, Figs. 9 and 10 (not shown), clamped between the chucks 49, 50, and the arms withdrawn. The mandrel assembly is then indexed by actuation of an hydraulic motor 48 coupled to the shaft 44 of the assembly to bring the loaded mandrel from the mandrel-loading station to the winding station (mandrel 4b position). The fibrous element 6 is attached to the mandrel surface, a spring-urged guide yoke 106 guiding the fibrous element from creels (not shown) on to the mandrel. Motor 76 is started to rotate the mandrel, and simultaneously, a piston of a double-acting cylinder 30 is extended to move the carriage along guide rails 13 on the frame. A motor 98 is also started to rotate a wheel 92 in a heated resin bath 82 constituting the apparatus delivering resin to the mandrel at the winding station. The wheel carries resin on its surface to a scoop 101 which scrapes the resin off the wheel and directs the resin on to the fibrous element as it is being wound. At the end of the carriage travel, the piston is retracted to apply a reverse winding to the mandrel. The mandrel and resin-applicator wheel drive motors are then stopped and shears 114 of an extendable cutting mechanism 113 are actuated to sever the fibrous element. The mandrel assembly is again indexed to move the wound mandrel from the winding station (4b) to the unloading station (4c) whilst simultaneously moving another mandrel which has been loaded into the mandrel assembly from the loading position to the winding position. As the mandrel drive belt 75 still engages the mandrel drive pulley at the unloading station, said mandrel is rotated to throw off excess resin when the mandrel at the winding station is being wound. After the latter mandrel has been wound, and prior to indexing, the clamping chuck of the mandrel at the unloading station is retracted thereby releasing the mandrel, which rolls down an incline to a conveyer (not shown) where it is carried to a curing oven. Whilst this mandrel is being released, another mandrel is being loaded. The sequence of operations is continuously repeated. Control of the various motors and sequence of operations is automatically effected by a plurality of limit switches, timers, relays and solenoids, circuit diagram of Figs. 13 and 14 (not shown). The fibrous element may be composed of mineral fibres, e.g. glass or asbestos, synthetic fibres, e.g. nylon rayon and others, vegetable fibres, e.g. cotton or hemp, animal fibres, e.g. wool, or metal fibres, e.g. steel, and may be in the form of a strand, braided tube, woven fabric or matting. The resin may be an uncured or partially cured thermosetting or thermoplastics resin such as epoxy, polyester, melamine formaldehyde, or urea-formaldehyde resins.