Patent Publication Number: US-4545548-A

Title: Equal tension wire winding device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a device for unwinding a plurality of thin wires from a plurality of reels in an orderly manner and winding the wires on a take-up bobbin with the same tension in an orderly manner. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Reinforced hoses (used for supplying hydraulic pressure, for example) have rubber layers connected together by wire braiding, and the thin wires of the braiding are wound on the outer periphery of the hoses so as to intersect one another. When such braiding work for wires is done, a take-up bobbin having a plurality of wires orderly wound thereon is used, and the wires uncoiled from the bobbin are braided together on the outer periphery of a hose. During the braiding operation of wires, if tensions in the wires are not uniform, the wires wound on the outer periphery of the hose will overlap one another or bend, thus deteriorating the appearance of the hose. Consequently, it has been required that the tensions in the wires wound on the take-up bobbin be made equal. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the present invention to provide a device capable of winding a plurality of thin wires on a take-up bobbin with the same tension in an orderly manner. 
     This object is achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing a wire winding device which comprises: a plurality of revolving shafts juxtaposed to one another on a base and supporting wire reels on which wires are wound; a plurality of pulleys each two of which are mounted to respective one of the revolving shafts; a plurality of braking belts trained between the neighboring pulleys for producing sliding friction; a take-up bobbin for winding the wires payed out from their respective wire reels; and a winder having a revolving shaft on which the take-up bobbin is mounted. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wire winding device according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged view partially in section of the portion of FIG. 1 to which wire reels are mounted; and 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 1 showing belt-tensioning rollers. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     One embodiment of the present invention is now described with reference to the drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wire winding device for orderly winding thin wires 3 payed out from eight wire reels 2a-2h round a take-up bobbin 1, and FIG. 2 is an enlrged front elevation of the wire reels 2a and 2b shown in FIG. 1. The bobbin 1 is mounted to the revolving shaft 4a of a winder 4, and winds eight wires 3 payed out from the wire reels (disposed on the right side) around itself in an orderly manner. The eight reels 2a-2h are placed upright on a base 5 in two lateral rows and mounted to eight revolving shafts 7a-7h, respectively, which are rotatably supported by bearings 6a and 6b. The lower portions of the eight revolving shafts 7a-7h each have respective two of the pulleys 8a-8h, 9a-9h fixed thereto. Eight braking belts 10a-10h are trained between the neighboring 16 pulleys disposed in this way, that is, between the pulleys 8a and 8b, between pulleys 9b and 9c, between pulleys 8c and 8d, between the pulleys 9d and 9e, between pulleys 8e and 8f, between pulleys 9f and 9g, between pulleys 8g and 8h, and between pulleys pulleys 9h and 9a, respectively. These belts 10a-10h act to impart a braking force of a certain magnitude to the revolving shafts 7a-7h, and are trained round the pulleys so as permit rotation of the pulleys 8a-8h and 9a-9h, i.e., rotation of the shafts 7a-7h, while producing sliding friction of a certain magnitude. The wires 3 are guided 11, 12, and 13. The guide 13 is so constructed as to reciprocate across the whole width of the bobbin 1 during the winding operation. It is to be noted that rollers engaging with the braking belts 10a-10h can be used to adjust the tension in the belts. See FIG. 3 for exemplary such tension-adjusting rollers for two exemplary braking belts 10a and 10b. 
     In the operation of the wire winding device constructed as described above, the wire reels 2a-2h are mounted to the eight revolving shafts 7a-7h, respectively, such that each neighboring two of the wire reels, which are paired with each other by one of the braking belts 10a-10h, rotate in the opposite directions when the wires 3 are payed out as shown in FIG. 1. The eight wires 3 released from these wire reels pass by the guide 12, and are made parallel to one another. Then, the space between each neighboring wire is reduced to a minimum by the guide 13 before being wound on the bobbin 1. 
     Under this condition, when the take-up bobbin 1 is caused to rotate by the winder 4, the eight wires 3 released from the wire reels are coiled round the bobbin 1 in parallel relation. At this time, each neighboring two of the eight wire reels 2a-2h, (for example, reels 2a and 2b), which are paired by one of the braking belts 10a-10h are trained so as to rotate in the opposite directions, and pay out the wires 3. Therefore, the eight braking belts 10a-10h cause substantially the same sliding friction, i.e., resistance to rotary sliding movement, in the respective shafts 7a-7h, thereby imparting a tension to the wires 3. thus, the wires 3 can be wound around the bobbin 1 with uniform tension. More specifically, the belts 10a-10h are each trained between their respective two of the pulleys 8a-8h and 9a-9h, which two rotate in the opposite directions. These belts are at rest and impart braking forces to their respective revolving shafts 7a-7h in response to the rotating velocity. For example, if some of the revolving shafts rotate at higher or lower velocity, the associated braking belts move. Accordingly, the variations in the rotation are suppressed by the neighboring shafts through the belts 10a-10h and so the tension in the wires 3 payed out from the wires reels 2a and 2b is maintained constant. Consequently, the eight wires 3 are wound on the bobbin 1 properly and in parallel relation without overlapping one another or bending. 
     As described thus far, according to the novel wire winding device, the same tension can be always given to the wires payed out from the wires reels and hence the plurality of wires can be wound on the take-up bobbin in parallel relation. Thus, by using the bobbin on which the wires are coiled parallel to make braided wires for a reinforced hose, the wires can be wound on the outer periphery of the hose so as to be arranged parallel and intersect one another. In addition, the appearance of the reinforced hose is not deteriorated due to overlapping or bending of the wires.