IMPROVEMENTS IN REELS FOR WIRE ROD MILLS
Year: 1889

page_text: I, WILLIAM GARRETT, of Joliet, in the County of Will, State of Illinois, and United
States of America, Mill Manager, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN REELS FOR WIRE ROD MILLS, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In reducing four inch blooms to No. 4 wire rods, the bloom which prior to entering
the first pass of the billet rolls was approximately two feet long and four inches
square, is by each succeeding pair of rolls reduced in transverse section and elongated
until as it emerges from between the last pair of rolls of the rod train in the form of
wire rod, it has been reduced to about one quarter of an inch in diameter and has
been elongated to about eight hundred feet. In order to provide for this progres-
sively increasing length, each succeeding train or pair of rolls must be driven at a
proportionately higher speed, the peripheral speed of the last pair of rolls being
between six and seven hundred feet a minute. Suitable reels driven at a high speed
are provided for winding up and coiling these rods as they come from the last pair of
rolls. These reels are located in front of and at a considerable distance from the last
pair of rolls, and as the front end of the rod comes from the rolls and slides along the
mill floor towards the reels, it is caught by a catcher and quickly bent around one of
the fingers of the reel, which is then started and the length of rod quickly wound
thereon. The reel is then stopped, the bundle of rod removed, the end of another
length of rod attached and the reel again started. As the operation of catching the
front end of the rod and connecting it to the reel requires time even with an expert
workman, the rod which is being rapidly fed out of the last pair of rolls, must be
prevented from becoming tangled and kinked during this short lapse of time. A boy,
provided with a hook, is therefore stationed at the reels for the purpose of guiding
the rapidly moving rod and disposing the same in loops over the floor in such manner
that it may be drawn onto the reels without becoming tangled or kinked. And
further such delays frequently occur in removing a bundle of rod from the reel that
when the mill is being rapidly worked, an entire length of rod is spread or looped out
upon the floor before any of the reels are ready for use, although two or more may
form a part of the plant.

page_text: The object of the invention herein is to provide such a construction and arrange
ment of reels as to dispense with the delays incident to the catching and attaching of
the ends of the rods to the reels and to the discharging the bundles from the reels, thereby
avoiding the necessity of spreading or looping out the rods upon the floors and
rendering the operation of the entire plant more nearly automatic. To these ends
the invention consists in general terms, in the construction and combination of
devices all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a view
showing part of the rod train in section and the reeling apparatus in elevation, and
Fig. 2, is a view in front elevation of the reeling apparatus, one of the reels being
shown in section.
In the practice of my invention, I arrange at a suitable distance, forty feet, more or
less, in front of the last pair of rolls 1, of the rod train, suitable bearings 2 and 3, and
in the bearings or journals 2, I mount the shaft 4, having the pulley 5, secured
thereon midway between the bearings. A belt 6, is passed around the pulley 5, and
a pulley 7, on the countershaft 8, on which is also secured a cone pulley 9. A
similarly shaped, but oppositely arranged pulley 10, is secured to a second counter-
shaft 11, a belt 12, being passed around said cone pulleys. This second countershaft 11,
is driven by a belt 13, passing around the pulley 14, keyed thereon, and a pulley
secured on the driving shaft of the rod train. A belt shifting mechanism is employed
for shifting the belt 12, along the cone pulleys, in order to adjust the speed of the
reels in accordance with the speed of the rolls 1, it being desirable that the peripheral
speed of the reels should be equal to the peripheral speed of the rolls 1.
While
proferring to employ an arrangement of driving mechanism wherein the pulley 5, its
shaft 4 and the parts operated thereby are rotated continuously, as in the mechanism
above described, it may be desirable at times to stop and start said pulley, shaft
and their connected mechanism. I therefore arrange a loose pulley 7* alongside of
the pulley 7, and provide suitable mechanism for shifting the belt 6 from the fast to
the loose pulley and vice versa.
On each end of the shaft 4, is secured one half of the reels, each of which consists
of two parts or discs 17 and 18, preferably formed with grooves 19 cut in their
contiguous edges, thereby forming a grooved or flanged wheel or drum when the
discs are placed together, as shown at the left of Figure 2, the flanges around the
outer edges of the disc serving as guides or retainers to prevent any lateral displace-
ment of the wire rod during the winding or reeling operation. The parts 18, of the
two reels are mounted on the inner ends of the shafts 20, journalled in the bearings 3,
arranged in line with the bearings 2, of the shaft 4. The parts or discs 18, are
provided with comparatively long hubs 21, on their rear sides so as to form long
bearings on the shafts 20, on which they are so mounted as to permit of their being
shifted along it towards and from the discs 17. This longitudinal movement of the
discs along the shafts is effected by means of the bell crank levers 22, having one of
their ends forked for the purpose of engaging a groove 24, on opposite sides of the
hubs 21, see Fig. 1. The opposite ends of the bell cranks are connected to operating
handles preferably extending up to a platform 25, above the reels in order to remove
the operator out of all danger and to permit him to have a clear view of the reels and
the rods as they emerge from the rolls. By a suitable arrangement of levers and
connecting rods, I provide for the operation of both of the longitudinal adjustable
discs and the mechanism for shifting the belt 6 from one point on the platform. The
movements of the discs 18, towards the discs. 17, are facilitated by weights 23,
adjustably attached to one arm of each of the bell cranks 22. A suitable arrange-
ment of springs may be employed in lieu of the weights.
On the inner faces of the discs 17, and near their peripheries I prefer to form
grooves 26, corresponding projections or rims 27, being formed on the inner faces
of the discs 18, said grooves and projections serving as clamping jaws to grasp
and hold the rod at the beginning of and during the winding of the rods upon the
reels, as will more fully hereinafter appear, and also to bridge over the space between
the inner faces of the disc when a rod has been grasped between them, and thereby

page_text: prevent any of the coils from being forced into said space. Below the reels are
located blocks or supports 28, adapted to receive the bundles of rods when freed from
the reels and from the rear side of the reels extend troughs 29, along which the
bundles roll to a car 30, whereby the bundles are removed out of the way.
Between the rolls 1, and the reels is arranged an adjustable trough or tube 31,
for guiding the rods first to one reel and then to the other, or two troughs or
tubes may be employed.
As the front end of the rod passes between the discs 17 and 18, of one of the
reels, said discs being separated for that purpose, the operating handle is shifted,
thereby moving the two discs together and clamping the rod between them, a short
kink being formed in the rod by the groove 26, and projection 27. As the disc 17
rotates continuously, a corresponding motion will be imparted to the disc 18, as soon
as the two discs are brought together, and the rod will be wound upon the reel thus
formed by the two discs. After an entire length of rod has been wound upon the
reel, the disc 18, is pulled away from the diss 17, thereby releasing the bundle, and
permitting it to drop down onto the supporting block. The high impetus imparted to
the bundles by the discs will cause said bundles to roll along the delivery troughs to
the cars, thereby leaving the reels clear for operation on the next or any subsequent
rod.
It will be seen from the above that no delay occurs in the use of the above
described apparatus in guiding the ends of the rods to the reels and connecting them
thereto, as the trough or tube guides the rod to and between the discs which are
immediately closed thereupon, and as the peripheral speed of the reels is equal to that
of the rolls, the rod as soon as caught will be wound up as fast as delivered by the
rolls 1. As the clamping grooves and projections or rims, when used extend entirely
around the inner faces of the discs, it is immaterial at what point between them the
rod is fed, nor is it material whether the rod is caught at or near the end or at a point
twenty or thirty feet distant therefrom, as the protruding end will be wrapped around
the reel.
As the construction of reel described relieves itself and as it were, throws the
bundles away from it only one reel would be absolutely necessary in the usual con-
struction or form of wire rod plant, but to avoid all liability of delay through
unforseen accidents, I prefer to use two or more as shown.
As shown the handles for operating the movable discs 18, are provided with
teeth or other suitable device whereby the discs 18, may be held away from the
discs 17, when desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In an apparatus for reeling wire rods, the combination of two discs mounted on
independent shafts, one of the said discs being movable toward or from the other,
for the purpose of discharging the coil of long rod therefrom, substantially as set
forth.
2. In an apparatus for reeling wire rods, the combination of two discs mounted
upon independent shafts, one of said discs being movable toward or from the
other, and flanges or other retaining devices on the outer edges of the discs to prevent
lateral displacement of the wire rod, substantially as set forth.
3. In an apparatus for reeling wire rods, the combination of two discs mounted on
independent shafts, one of said discs being movable toward and from the other,
whereby the rod may be grasped between said discs at the beginning of the reeling
operation and the bundle automatically discharged therefrom, substantially as set
forth.
4. In a reeling apparatus, the combination of a continuously rotating disc, and a
loosely mounted disc movable toward and from the rotating disc, said discs having
their contiguous faces constructed, as regards their peripheral edges, to receive and
|hold a length of wire rod, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 5. In a reeling apparatus, the combination of a continuously rotating and a loosely
mounted disc movable toward and from the rotating disc, said discs having their
contiguous faces constructed, as regards their peripheral edges, to receive and hold a
length of wire rod, and provided with jaws or other devices for grasping the rod,
substantially as set forth."
6. In an apparatus for reeling wire rods, the combination of two discs separable
from each other for the purpose of discharging a bundle of rod wrapped around the
peripheries of said discs, and a trough for receiving such bundle and conducting
the same away from the discs, substantially as set forth.
7. In an apparatus for reeling wire rods, the combination of two discs, one of which
is movable towards and away from the other, said discs being provided on the inner
faces with a groove and projection respectively, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of the delivery rolls of a rod train, a pair of separable discs
forming a reel, a guide for conducting the rod from the rolls to said discs and a
trough for receiving and conducting away a bundle of rod from the reel, substantially
as set forth.
Dated OIS LATO
OI December A.D. Lððð.
WILLIAM GARRETT.
Witnesses:
HENRY B. SMITH.
WILLIAM SWINBANK.