Patent Abstract:
A method and system for manufacturing high-quality cable beads with efficiency. The method includes the steps of arranging a plurality of carriages carrying a core and a reel wound with a wire around a reel revolving means having at least two arms, attaching the core to a core rotating means for rotating the core in a circumferential direction by holding it with one of the arms and positioning the reel on one side of the core by holding it with the other of the arms, manufacturing a cable bead by revolving the reel by holding it alternately with each of the two arms, and returning the cable bead and the reel to the carriage using the two arms. Thus, the setting of the reel and the core, the manufacturing of a cable bead, and the returning of the cable bead and the reel back to the carriage are performed automatically.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is based on Japanese Priority Application No. 2011-138826 filed on Jun. 22, 2011 with the Japanese Patent Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a method and system for manufacturing a cable bead which is an annular core with a wire helically (spirally) wound therearound. The cable bead is embedded in the bead portion of a tire. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    A cable bead, as shown in  FIGS. 12A and 12B , is a ring-shaped (annular) core  61  with a wire  62 , whose diameter is smaller than that of the core  61 , helically (spirally) wound therearound. The wire  62  is wound around the annular core  61  by repeating the action of passing the wire  62  from the outside through the inside of the ring of the core  61  and then pulling the wire  62  to the outside of the core  61  as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-68662, for instance. 
         [0006]    In another method for winding a wire around the annular core, a reel is moved in swing motions in planes parallel to the annular core while the annular core is rotated in a circumferential direction. At one end of the swing motion, the reel is traversed inside the ring of the annular core, and at the other end of the swing motion, the reel is traversed outside the ring of the annular core. Thus, by repeating these motions, the wire is wound around the annular core as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-168612, for instance. This method is believed to accomplish the manufacture of a cable bead with excellent winding of the wire in swift operation. 
         [0007]    In another method, as proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-47169, an end of a wire is temporarily secured to an annular core by a chucking mechanism, and the wire is wound helically around the annular core, with the reel revolving through the inside and the outside the annular core as the core is rotated in a circumferential direction. In this method, before the end of the wire temporarily secured to the annular core intersects with the revolving position of the reel, the chucking mechanism is separated from the annular core. Hence, interference between the chucking mechanism and the reel is prevented from occurring, and the revolution of the reel continues. This method allows easy alternation of S winding and Z winding in multiple layers. And it accomplishes the manufacture of high-quality cable beads without such problems as tangling and twisting of the wire. 
         [0008]    As is well known in the art, the annular core and the reel normally come in a set. Therefore, the manufacture of a cable bead may be carried out with great efficiency if a plurality of core and reel combinations are prepared in advance and supplied to the machine sequentially. 
         [0009]    Yet, according to the above-cited three patent documents, the annular core and the reel are prepared separately, and, moreover, the setting of the annular core, the unloading of the cable bead, and the replacement of reels are all done manually. 
         [0010]    Also, the machine disclosed in the second and third patent documents above have a structure such that it is not easy to carry out the replacement of the annular core and the reel which are to be supplied to the machine, and the exchanging of the reels. 
         [0011]    The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a method and a system for manufacturing high-quality cable beads with efficiency, which feature easy replacement of annular cores and reels supplied to the system. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    A first aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a cable bead by winding a wire helically around an annular core. In the method, a plurality of carriages, each carrying an annular core and a reel wound with a wire, are first arranged around a reel revolving unit. The reel revolving unit is configured to revolve the reel using at least two arms thereof. Then the core is held with one of the arms and the core is set on a core rotating unit, which is disposed near the reel revolving unit to rotate the core in a circumferential direction, and the reel is held with the other of the arms and the reel is positioned on one side of the core set on the core rotating unit. Then a cable bead is manufactured by winding the wire helically around the core, with the reel revolved as it is held alternately by each of the at least two arms and the core rotated circumferentially in association with the revolution of the reel. Finally the manufactured cable bead is held with an arm not holding the reel, and the cable bead and the reel are held by the two arms respectively and returned to the carriage. 
         [0013]    Thus, the setting of the reel and the core, the manufacturing of a cable bead, and the returning of the cable bead and the reel can be performed automatically. Also, the reliable revolving motion of the reel through the inside and outside of the core accomplishes an efficient manufacture of a cable bead featuring high quality and high reliability. 
         [0014]    A third aspect of the invention provides a system for manufacturing a cable bead applying methods as described above. The system includes a plurality of carriages, each carrying an annular core and a reel wound with a wire and a cable bead manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a cable bead by winding the wire helically around the core, with the core rotated circumferentially in association with the revolution of the reel. The cable bead manufacturing apparatus includes a core rotating unit for rotating the core in a circumferential direction, and a reel revolving unit for revolving the reel through the inside and the outside of the core set on the core rotating unit by holding the reel alternately from one side and the other side of the core. The reel revolving unit includes at least a first arm disposed on one side of the core to hold the reel on the side farther from the core plane and swing the reel to the other side of the core and a second arm disposed on the other side of the core to hold the reel on the side farther from the core plane and swing the reel to the one side of the core. Each of the arms includes a body, a first movable member rotatably connected to the body, a second movable member rotatably connected to the first movable member, and a holding member rotatably connected to the second movable member to hold the reel. 
         [0015]    Thus, the setting of the reel and the core, the manufacturing of a cable bead, and the returning of the cable bead and the reel can be performed automatically. This also leads to the structuring of a cable bead manufacturing system capable of efficiently manufacturing high-quality and high-reliability cable beads. 
         [0016]    It is to be understood that the foregoing summary of the invention does not necessarily recite all the features essential to the invention, and subcombinations of all these features are intended to be included in the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B)  are illustrations showing a system for manufacturing a cable bead in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is an illustration showing a cable bead manufacturing apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is an elevational view of a core moving unit  30 . 
           [0020]      FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B)  are illustrations showing an example of a structure of a reel in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIGS. 5(A) ,  5 (B), and  5 (C) are illustrations showing an example of a carriage and rails in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B)  are perspective views showing a structure of a reel revolving unit. 
           [0023]      FIGS. 7(A) ,  7 (B), and  7 (C) are illustrations for explaining the holding operations by a reel revolving unit. 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is an illustration for explaining the swing operations by a reel revolving unit. 
           [0025]      FIGS. 9(A) ,  9 (B),  9 (C), and  9 (D) are illustrations for explaining the winding of a wire. 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is illustrations showing states of a wire being wound. 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  is an illustration showing another arrangement of a carriage and rails. 
           [0028]      FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B)  are illustrations showing a conventional method of manufacturing a cable bead. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0029]    The invention will now be described based on preferred embodiments which do not intend to limit the scope of the claims of the present invention but exemplify the invention. All of the features and the combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. 
         [0030]      FIG. 1  illustrates a system for manufacturing a cable bead according to the present invention.  FIG. 2  illustrates a cable bead manufacturing apparatus  10 .  FIG. 3  is an elevational view of a core moving unit  30 . 
         [0031]    As shown in those figures, the cable bead manufacturing apparatus  10 , which includes a dual-arm robot  20  as a reel revolving unit and a core moving unit  30 , winds a wire  1  led out from a reel  2  helically (spirally) around an annular core (hereinafter referred to as “core”)  3  by revolving the reel  2 , wound with the wire  1 , through the inside and the outside the core  3 . Each of carriages  40  is used to carry a reel  2  and a core  3 , which are both articles to be supplied to the system, and also carry back a cable bead manufactured by the cable bead manufacturing apparatus  10  and the reel  2  after the winding. Each of supply stands  50  has a rail base  51  and rails  53  mounted on the rail base  51 . The carriage  40  is mounted on the rail base  51 . 
         [0032]    The dual-arm robot  20 , which includes a body  21  and first and second arms  22 R and  22 L, performs the setting of the core  3  and the reel  2  and the revolution of the reel  2 . 
         [0033]    The core moving unit  30 , which performs the rotation and translational movement of the core  3 , includes a drive roll  31 , a holddown roll  32 , a support roll  33 , a drive unit  34 , a core slide unit  35 , a winding position detecting sensor  36 , an illuminator  37 , and a base  38 . 
         [0034]    A core rotating unit is constituted by the drive roll  31 , the holddown roll  32 , the support roll  33 , and the drive unit  34 . Note that the base  38  is supported by legs  39 . 
         [0035]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive roll  31  and the support roll  33  are disposed in the same horizontal plane, and they support a core  3  upright from below such that the core plane, which is the plane of the ring of the core  3 , is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The holddown roll  32  is disposed in a position above the core  3  so as to hold down the core  3  from above. 
         [0036]    The supply stands  50 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , are disposed substantially in a radial manner around the cable bead manufacturing apparatus  40 . It should be noted that there is no supply stand  50  disposed on the side of the core moving unit  30  farther from the dual-arm robot  20  which performs the fetching and returning of the reel  2  and the core  3 . 
         [0037]    Hereinafter the area in which the first and second arms  22 R,  22 L of the dual-arm robot  20  can hold the reel  2  and the core  3  carried by the carriage  40  will be referred to as the fetching region R 2 , and the area outside the fetching region R 2  as the standby region R 1 . The standby region R 1  is the region where the worker can enter for necessary operation, whereas the fetching region R 2  is the area the worker is forbidden to enter. 
         [0038]    Also, as used herein, the term “forward” or “front” refers to the direction of the core moving unit  30  as seen from the body  21  of the dual-arm robot  20 , and the terms “right side” and “left side” refer to the side of the first arm  22 R and the side of the second arm  22 L, respectively, when the first and second arms  22 R,  22 L are on the side of the core moving unit  30 . On the core moving unit  30 , therefore, the term “forward” or “front” refers to the direction of the drive roll  31  as seen from the support roll  33 . 
         [0039]    On the core moving unit  30 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , the winding position detecting sensor  36  is disposed to the right side of the core slide unit  35 , and the illuminator  37  to the left side thereof. 
         [0040]    As shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the reel  2  includes a cylinder  2   a , which comes with a wire  1  wound around it, a pair of flanges  2   b , which are disposed on either side of the cylinder  2   a , a hub  2   c , which serves as the core of the reel, a shaft member  2   d , which is a hollow cylinder fitted inside the hub  2   c  and protruding from the ends of the hub  2   c , a plurality of wire guides  2   g , and a not-shown braking mechanism. The flanges  2   b  and the hub  2   c  are coupled to each other via a plurality of spokes  2   s , and the hub  2   c  and the shaft member  2   d  are coupled to each other via a not-shown bearing. That is, when the shaft member  2   d  is fixed, the reel  2  according to the present embodiment rotates with the shaft member  2   d  as the axis of rotation. 
         [0041]    Also, each of wire guides  2   g  includes a horizontal piece  2   p , which is disposed in a bridging manner on the outside of the flanges  2   b , and attaching pieces  2   q , which are connected to the ends of the horizontal piece and attached to the peripheral portions of the flanges  2   b . Provided in a substantially middle portion of the horizontal piece  2   p  is a guide groove  2   r  for guiding the wire  1  led out from the reel  2 . 
         [0042]    The carriage  40 , as shown in  FIGS. 5A to 5C , includes two support rollers  41 , which support the lower part of the core  3  at two spaced-apart points, a reel support base  42 , which supports the reel  2  from below, a sliding member  43 , which slides along rails  52  carrying the support rollers  41  and the reel support base  42 , wheels  44 , which are provided on the rail  52  side of the sliding member  43 , and handles  45   a ,  45   b , which are installed upright on the forward side (dual-arm robot  20  side) of the skidding member  43  and the backward side thereof, respectively. 
         [0043]    The wheels  44  are rotatably fitted on the sliding member  43 . Therefore, the carriage  40  can be smoothly moved along the rails  52  by pulling or pushing the handle  45   a  or  45   b.    
         [0044]      FIG. 6A  is a perspective view showing a structure of a dual-arm robot  20 , and  FIG. 6B  is a detail view of a holder  26 . 
         [0045]    A rotating body  21   b  of the dual-arm robot  20  is positioned above a fixed body  21   a  on an extension of the line connecting the drive roll  31  and the support roll  33 . One end of the first arm  22 R is attached to the right side of the rotating body  21   b , and one end of the second arm  22 L to the left side thereof. That is, the first arm  22 R is located on the right side of the core  3 , and the second arm  22 L on the left side thereof. It is to be noted here that the first arm  22 R and the second arm  22 L may be mounted on separate bodies instead. 
         [0046]    The first and second arms  22 R,  22 L include each a first movable member  23  rotatably connected to the rotating body  21   b , a second movable member  24  rotatably connected to the first movable member  23 , and a holding member  25  rotatably connected to the second movable member  24 . Provided on the side of the holding member  25  further from the second movable member  24  is the holder  26  for holding the reel  2 . 
         [0047]    One end of the first movable member  23  is attached to the body  21  by means of a rotation mechanism  27   a . As the rotation mechanism  27   a , a stepping motor, an AC servo motor, or the like may be used. In such an application, the motor body may be fixed to the rotating body  21   b , and the output shaft of the motor to the first movable member  23  such that the rotation mechanism  27   a  can rotate the first movable member  23  relative to the rotating body  21   b . In the present embodiment, the arrangement is such that two motors are used to enable the rotation of the first movable member  23  in both the horizontal and vertical planes. 
         [0048]    The second movable member  24  is attached to the first movable member  23  by means of a rotation mechanism  27   b , which is identical to the rotation mechanism  27   a . Also, the holding member  25  is attached to the second movable member  24  by means of a rotation mechanism  27   c , which is identical to the rotation mechanism  27   a.    
         [0049]    The holder  26  includes an attachment member  261 , a holding bar  262 , and a core retaining member  263 . 
         [0050]    The attachment member  261  is a flat plate to be attached to the end portion of the holding member  25  further from the second movable member  24 , and the holding bar  262  is attached to the attachment member  26  in such a manner as to protrude therefrom. 
         [0051]    The holding bar  262  is a cylindrical member which is to be inserted into the interior of the shaft member  2   d  of the reel  2 . The external diameter of the insertion part  262   a , which is the body of the holding bar  262 , is approximately equal to the internal diameter of the shaft member  2   d , and the external diameter of the end portion  262   b  is smaller than the external diameter of the insertion part  262   a . As such, it is possible that the holding bar  262  is inserted smoothly into the inside of the shaft member  2   d  and thus the shaft member  2   d , which is the part securing the reel  2 , is held properly with the insertion part  262   a  of the holding bar  262  inserted in the interior of the shaft member  2   d.    
         [0052]    The core retaining member  263  is disposed in such a manner as to protrude upward from the periphery of the holding bar  262 . It is a member having a recess in the middle portion for retaining the core  3 , which is U-shaped as seen in the forward-backward direction. The core retaining member  263  is used when a core  3  is moved and set on the core rotating unit and when a cable bead, which is the core wound with a wire, is returned to the carriage  40 . 
         [0053]    Note that the shifting of the reel  2  from one arm to the other may be done as follows. First one of the arms is moved closer to the core  3  in the axial direction of the reel  2 , thereby inserting the holding bar  262  thereof into the interior of the shaft member  2   d , and then the other of the arms is moved away from the core  3  in the axial direction of the reel  2 , thereby pulling out the holding bar  262  thereof from the shaft member  2   d.    
         [0054]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the drive roll  31 , the holddown roll  32 , the support roll  33 , and the drive unit  34 , which constitute the core rotating unit, are installed on a guide member  352 , configured to slide along guide rails  351 , which together constitute the core slide unit. More specifically, the support roll  33  is disposed on the backward side of the guide member  352 , and the drive roll  31  and the drive unit  34  on the forward side thereof. The drive unit  34  may, for instance, be constituted by a motor with a speed changer. The core  3  can be rotated in a circumferential direction by rotating the drive roll  31  with a driving belt  34   b  coupling the output shaft of the motor with the rotating shaft of the drive roll  31 , for instance. 
         [0055]    The holddown roll  32  is mounted on a holddown roll support stand  352   k  which may be installed upright behind the drive unit  34 . The holddown roll support stand  352   k  has a vertical member  352   p , a lifting and lowering unit  352   q  provided on a side face of the vertical member  352   p , and a horizontal member  352   r  attached to the lifting and lowering unit  352   q  and protruding backward. And the holddown roll  32  is mounted on the backward end of the horizontal member  352   r.    
         [0056]    The drive roll  31  and the support roll  33  are spaced apart from each other at a distance smaller than the diameter of the core  3 . In the present embodiment, the drive roll  31 , holddown roll  32 , and support roll  33  used are all V-shaped rolls, and the use of the vertically movable holddown roll  32  as described above permits any of a plurality of cores with different diameters to be on the core rotating unit. 
         [0057]    The core slide unit  35  includes guide rails  351 , which are mounted on the base  38  in such a manner as to extend in a forward-backward direction, a guide member  352 , which slides along the guide rails  351 , and a slide mechanism  353 , which causes the guide member  352  to slide on the guide rails  351 . In the present embodiment, a ball screw is used for the slide mechanism  353 , but any other well-known slide mechanism, such as a rack-and-pinion mechanism, may be used as well. Of the ball screw  353   a , one end of the external thread is fixed to the guide rails  351  and the other end thereof is attached to the motor  353   b , whereas the internal thread thereof is fixed to the guide rail  351  side of the guide member  352 . 
         [0058]    The winding position detecting sensor  36  is attached to the sensor support member  38   a  which is installed upright on the right side of the base  38 . As the winding position detecting sensor  36 , a camera unit for capturing the position of the wire  1  led out from the core  3  and a position detecting sensor capable of identifying the position of the wire  1  led out from the core  3  by performing an image processing on the captured image may be used, for instance. 
         [0059]    The illuminator  37 , which is attached to the illuminator support member  38   b  installed upright on the left side of the base  38 , illuminates the neighborhood of the position of the wire  1  led out from the core  3 . 
         [0060]    A description will now be given of a method for manufacturing a cable bead. 
         [0061]    First a worker sets a core  3  and a reel  2  on an empty carriage  40  on a supply stand  50  in the standby region R 1 . More specifically, the worker places the lower part of the core  3  on the two support rollers  41 ,  41  and the reel  2  on the reel support base  42  and then leads out a wire  1  from the reel  2  and secures the end of the wire  1  to the core  3 . 
         [0062]    Following this, the worker moves the carriage  40  from the standby region R 1  into the fetching region R 2  by pushing the handle  45   b  provided at the rear in the advance direction of the carriage  40 . With the sliding member  43  of the carriage  40  provided with wheels  44 , the worker can move the carriage  40  smoothly along the rails  52  to the fetching region R 2 . 
         [0063]    With the carriage  40  entering the fetching region R 2 , the rotating body  21   b  of the dual-arm robot  20  is rotated such that the first and second arms  22 R,  22 L face the carriage  40 . Then, as shown in  FIG. 5A , the holding bar  262  provided on the holder  26  of the holding member  26  of the first arm  22 R or the second arm  22 L is positioned in the rear of the handle  45   a , which is provided at the front in the advance direction. Then the carriage  40  is moved to the fetching position, which is the foremost position of the rails, by sliding the sliding member  43  toward the rotating body  21   b . The arrangement may also be such that the carriage  40  is moved to the fetching region R 2  in advance before operating the dual-arm robot  20 . 
         [0064]    The dual-arm robot  20  holds the reel  2  and the core  3  at the fetching position. 
         [0065]    More specifically, as shown in  FIGS. 7A to 7C , the holding bar  262  provided on the holder  26  of the second arm  22 L is inserted into the interior of the shaft member  2   d  until the insertion part  262   a  thereof is inside the shaft member  2   d , thereby securely holding the shaft member  2   d . On the other hand, the holding bar  262  of the first arm  22 R is located inside the ring of the core  3 , and the core  3  is inserted on the inner perimeter side and then moved upward. As a result, the core  3  can be held by the first arm  22 R, with the upper portion of the core  3  inserted in the recess in the core retaining member  263  protruding from the outer periphery of the holding bar  262 . 
         [0066]    Then the first and second arms  22 R,  22 L are returned to the side of the core moving unit  30  by the rotation of the rotating body  21   b . Now the core  3  held by the first arm  22 R is placed on the drive roll  31  and the support roll  33 , and then the holddown roll  32  is lowered until it touches the upper portion of the core  3 . Thus the core  3  is held by the three rolls  31  to  33  in a vertical plane. On the other hand, the reel  2  is held by the second arm  22 L on the left side of the core  3 . That is, the reel  2  held by the second arm  22 L from the left side of the reel  2 , which is the side further from the core  3 , is located on the left side of the core  3 . More specifically, the reel  2  is located at a predetermined position within the inside of a virtual cylinder axially extending from the ring of the core  3  (hereinafter referred to as the “inside of the core”). The predetermined position, which is the starting point of the swing (revolving) motion of the reel  2 , is an innermost point of the core  3 , so that this position will hereinafter be referred to as the innermost position of the reel. It is to be noted also that the reel  2  is held by the second arm  22 L such that the axial (right-left) direction of the reel  2  is in parallel with the axial (right-left) direction of the core  3 . 
         [0067]    Next, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the reel  2  is swung from the inside to the outside of the core  3  by changing the extension directions of the first movable member  23 , the second movable member  24 , and the holding member  25  by the use of the respective rotation mechanisms  27   a  to  27   c  of the second arm  22 L. 
         [0068]    Note that a cable bead is manufactured by wrapping the core with alternate layers of S-winding and Z-winding of a wire, for instance. Hereinbelow, a description is given of an S-winding operation. 
         [0069]    As shown in  FIG. 9A , the reel  2  is held by the second arm  22 L on the left side of the core  3 . 
         [0070]    Next, as shown in  FIG. 9B , the reel  2  is swung on the left side of the core  3  from the inside to the outside thereof as the second arm  22 L is contracted by changing the extension directions of the first movable member  23 , the second movable member  24 , and the holding member  25  by the use of the respective rotation mechanisms  27   a  to  27   c  of the second arm  22 L. 
         [0071]    The wire  1 , which is secured to the winding point of the core  3 , is led out from the reel  2 . At this time, if the core  3  is moved front in the direction further from the reel  2  by moving the guide member  352  forward with the operation of the slide mechanism  353  of the core slide unit  35 , then the lead-out speed of the wire  1  will be faster because the relative speed in the forward-backward direction of the reel  2  relative to the core  3  will be greater. 
         [0072]    In the present embodiment, the lead-out position of the wire  1  is stabilized by wire guides  2   g  which are provided on the reel  2  so as to restrict the lateral position of the wire  1  being led out. Also, the reel  2  has a braking mechanism built therein, which ensures that an optimum tension is applied to the wire  1  as it is led out from the reel  2 . 
         [0073]    At the point when the reel  2  is swung to the left outside position of the core  3 , the side for holding the reel  2  is switched. More specifically, the holding bar  262  of the first arm  22 R, which is located on the right side, is inserted into the interior of the shaft member  2   d  of the reel  2 , and then the holding bar  262  of the second arm  22 L, which is located on the left side, is pulled out from the shaft member  2   d  of the reel  2 . Thus, as shown in  FIG. 9C , the side for holding the reel  2  is switched from the left side to the right side. At this hold switching position, the reel  2  is located at an outermost point outside the core  3 , so that this position will hereinafter be referred to as the outermost position of the reel. 
         [0074]    Next, as shown in  FIG. 9D , the reel  2  is swung on the right side of the core  3  from the outside to the inside thereof as the first arm  22 R is extended by changing the extension directions of the first movable member  23 , the second movable member  24 , and the holding member  25  by the use of the respective rotation mechanisms  27   a  to  27   c  of the first arm  22 R. At the same time, the core  3  is rotated in a circumferential direction as the drive roll  31  is rotated by operating the drive unit  34 . As a result, the wire  1  is moved from the left side to the right side of the core  3 , so that it is wound around the core  3 . 
         [0075]    At this time, if the core  3  is moved backward in the direction closer to the reel  2  (the direction of the outermost position of the reel seen from the innermost position) by moving the guide member  352  frontward with the operation of the slide mechanism  353  of the core slide unit  35 , then the winding speed of the wire  1  will be faster because the relative speed in the forward-backward direction of the reel  2  relative to the core  3  will be greater. 
         [0076]    In the present embodiment, an illuminator  37  illuminates the winding position where the wire  1  is led out from the core  3 . At the same time, the actual winding position is detected by the winding position detecting sensor  36  when the reel  2  is moved to the inside of the core  3 , and based on the result of the detection, the circumferential position of the core  3  is adjusted. Thus the rotational position of the winding point of the wire can be adjusted, so that the wire can be accurately aligned with the target position on the core. 
         [0077]    Next, when the reel  2  is swung to the innermost position on the right side of the core  3 , the side for holding the reel  2  is switched. At the point when the side for holding the reel  2  is switched from the right side to the left side, the reel  2  is back at the initial position, and the wire  1  has been wound around the core  3  by one turn. 
         [0078]    By the repetition of these processes of revolving the reel around the core  3 , the wire  1  can be wound helically (spirally) around the core  3  as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
         [0079]    For a Z-winding, the reel  2  should be held by the first arm  22 R first, and the wire  1  should be led out to the right side of the core  3 . 
         [0080]    On completion of a winding, the revolution of the reel  2  and the rotation of the core  3  are stopped. Now using a not-shown temporary securing means, the wire  1  is cut and the end of the wire  1  on the core  3  side is temporarily secured to the core  3  by means of a joining ring or the like. Then the manufactured cable bead and the reel  2  are returned to the carriage  40 . 
         [0081]    More specifically, when the reel  2  after the winding is being held by the second arm  22 L, the cable bead may be held by inserting it in the recess in the core retaining member  263  of the holder  26  of the first arm  22 R, which is now empty-handed. Then the first and second arms  22 R,  22 L are turned to face the carriage  40  by the rotation of the rotating body  21   b  of the dual-arm robot  20 . Now the cable bead is placed on the support rollers  41 ,  41  of the carriage  40 , and the reel  2  is returned to the reel support base  42 . 
         [0082]    Then the dual-arm robot  20  moves the carriage  40 , which has been at the fetching position, from the fetching region R 2  to the standby region R 1  by pushing the handle  45   a  with the holding bar  262  of the holder  26 , before it starts the action of drawing another carriage  40  closer for the manufacturing of the next cable bead. 
         [0083]    The worker in the standby region R 1  pulls the carriage  40  carrying the cable bead and the reel  2  after the winding closer and recovers the cable bead and the reel  2  after the winding. 
         [0084]    In the description of the foregoing embodiments, the division of the operation area has been into the standby region R 1  and the fetching region. R 2 . However, as shown in  FIG. 11 , a preparation region R 0  may be provided before the standby region R 1 . And in the preparation region R 0 , the worker may perform the operation of leading out the wire  1  from the reel  2  and securing the end of the wire  1  to the core  3 . This will improve safety because there is a clear division between the operation areas of the worker and the dual-arm robot  20 . 
         [0085]    Also, safety may be further improved by setting up a safety fence between the standby region R 1  and the fetching region R 2  or by emitting an alarm sound upon detection by a laser scanner of entry of the worker in the fetching region R 2 . 
         [0086]    As described above, the present invention assures easy and efficient manufacture of cable beads which display excellent wire winding. It also improves the productivity of cable beads because it allows easy replacement of annular cores and reels of wire which are to be supplied to the system. 
         [0087]    In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. However, the technical scope of this invention is not to be considered as limited to those embodiments. It will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. It will also be evident from the scope of the appended claims that all such modifications are intended to be included within the technical scope of this invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1