Title:
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WIRE COIL PAYOFF
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/1998/007645
Kind Code:
A2
Abstract:
An improved apparatus (90) and method for dispensing wire includes a shuttle system (100) such that the wire may be rapidly and efficiently changed. In addition, improvements are made to the individual dispensing mounting plates (103) and mandrels to facilitate the changing of the coils (111), and also to ensure smooth flow of the wire off of the coils (111).
Inventors:
SHEA PATRICK JOSEPH
Application Number:
PCT/US1997/009786
Publication Date:
February 26, 1998
Filing Date:
June 05, 1997
Assignee:
UNITED TECHNOLOGIES AUTOMOTIVE (US)
International Classes:
B21C47/20; B65H49/12; B65H57/18; B65H59/06; B65H63/08; (IPC1-7): B65H49/12; B65H59/06; B65H59/18; B65H63/08
Foreign References:
| FR2052802A5 | 1971-04-09 | | | |
| DE2225953A1 | 1973-12-06 | | | |
| DE9407477U1 | 1994-07-07 | | | |
| US4830300A | 1989-05-16 | | | |
| US1823990A | 1931-09-22 | | | |
| US4055314A | 1977-10-25 | | | |
| EP0738683A1 | 1996-10-23 | | | |
Other References:
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 10, no. 105 (M-471) [2162] , 19 April 1986 & JP 60 236981 A (FURUKAWA DENKI KOGYO K.K.)
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Olds, Theodore W. (Suite 101 1400 N. Woodward Avenu, Bloomfield Hills MI, US)
Claims:
CLAIMS
| 1. |
An apparatus for dispensing wire comprising: a shroud for enclosing a coil of wire, and having an eyelet for dispensing the wire; at least two mounting plates including mandrels for mounting a coil; and a shuttle plate mounting said at least two mounting plates, said shuttle plate allowing shuttling of said two mounting plates into said shroud such that one of said mounting plates is dispensing wire within said shroud while a second of said mounting plates awaits movement into the shroud for dispensing. |
| 2. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 1 , wherein a control is included that stops dispensing of a wire when a coil which is being dispensed approaches an end of its wire. |
| 3. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 2, wherein the end of a wire coil being dispensed is spliced to the beginning of a wire coil that is awaiting movement into the system, and said splice is mounted over a lever, said lever being moved to actuate a switch when an end of the coil approaches. |
| 4. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 1 , wherein said shuttle plate moves in a plane perpendicular to an axis of said mandrels when moving said mounting plates into said shroud. |
| 5. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 4, wherein each of said mounting plates pivot with regard to said shuttle plate such that said mounting plate awaiting movement into said shroud may pivot to a generally horizontal orientation for loading a coil of wire. |
| 6. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 1 , wherein said shuttle plate pivots about a pivot axis, and said mounting plates are spaced at different circumferential locations relative to said pivot axis. |
| 7. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 6, wherein said at least two mounting plates also pivot relative to said shuttle plate to allow one of said mounting plates to be moved to a loading location where it is generally horizontal. |
| 8. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 1 , wherein each of said mounting plates includes a decelerator flange mounted to said mandrel and on an opposed side of a coil. |
| 9. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 8, wherein said eyelet of said shroud is offset relative to an axis of said mandrel which is dispensing wire. |
| 10. |
A coil mounting plate for a wire coil payoff system comprising: a backing plate and a mandrel extending forwardly of said backing plate; and a decelerator flange selectively attached to said mandrel, said decelerator flange including a plurality of resilient fingers extending radially outwardly of said accelerator flange to contact a wire leaving said mandrel. |
| 11. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 10, wherein said mandrel has a plurality of slots at its outer peripheral surface, said slots facilitating movement of bands onto a coil mounted on said mandrel, for changing said coil. |
| 12. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 11 , wherein said slots also extend radially outwardly through said backing plate. |
| 13. |
An apparatus as recited in Claim 10, wherein said deceleration flange includes a rotating flange plate that is rotated by contact from a wire dispensed from said mandrel. |
| 14. |
A method of dispensing wire including the steps of: (1) providing a shroud having an eyelet for dispensing wire, providing at least two mounting plates for being mounted adjacent to said shroud, said mounting plates mounting a coil of wire to be dispensed, providing a shuttle plate mounting said at least two mounting plates; (2) mounting coils of wire on each of said mounting plates, aligning one of said mounting plates with said shroud and dispensing wire; and (3) moving said shuttle plate to move one mounting plate away from said shroud and moving a second of said mounting plates adjacent to said shroud, and beginning to dispense wire from said second mounting plate. |
| 15. |
A method as recited in Claim 14, further including the steps of providing a switch to sense the end of the wire on said one mounting plate, said switch being operable to stop dispensing of said wire when said switch senses said one mounting plate is approaching the end of the wire on its coil. |
| 16. |
A method as recited in Claim 14, wherein said shuttle plate moves in a plane generally perpendicular to an axis of said coils. |
| 17. |
A method as recited in Claim 14, wherein said shuttle plate pivots on an axis, and said mounting plates are spaced at circumferential locations about said axis. |
| 18. |
A method of changing wire on a wire dispensing plate comprising the steps of: (1) providing a mounting plate with a mandrel, said mandrel having slots at outer peripheral surfaces; (2) mounting a coil of wire on said mandrel, and dispensing wire from said coil; and (3) moving banding members through said slots to secure said coil and then removing said coil from said mandrel. |
| 19. |
A method as recited in Claim 18, further including the steps of providing said slots extending to the radially outer end of said mounting plate. |
| 20. |
A method as recited in Claim 18, wherein said bands are formed of hook and looptype fasteners. |
Description:
INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT PCT/US 97/09786 A. CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJECT MATTER IPC 6 B65H49/12 B65H57/18 B65H59/06 B65H63/08 According to International Patent Classification (IPC) orto both national class'rfioation and IPC B. FIELDS SEARCHED Minimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols) IPC 6 B65H B21C Documentation searched other than minimum documentation to the extent that such documents are included in the fields searched Electronic data base consulted during the international search (name of data base and, where practical, search terms used) C. DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT Category Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No. A FR 2 052 802 A (P. DECOUX) 9 April 1971 1,14 see page 1, line 33-page 2, line 17 A DE 22 25 953 A (WESTFALISCHE 1,14 DRAHTINDUSTRIE) 6 December 1973 see page 3, line 18-page 6, line 6 A DE 94 07 477 U (HERBORN + BREITENBACH GMBH &CO KG) 7 July 1994 X PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN 10 vol. 10, no. 105 (M-471) [2162], 19 April 1986 &JP 60 236981 A (FURUKAWA DENKI KOGYO K. K.) see abstract /-- im Further documents are listed in the continuation of box C. y) Patent family members are listed in annex. LJ LJ ° Speoial categories af cited documents: 'T'later document published after the international filing date A-document defining the general state of the international filing date considered to be of particular relevance cited to understand the principle or theory underlying the invention 'E'earlier document but published on or after the intemational X'document of particular relevance; the claimed invention filing date cannot be considered novel or cannot be considered to 'L'document which may throw doubts on priority claim (s) or involve an inventive step when the document is taken alone which is cited to establish the publication date of another. y. document of particular relevance ; the claimed invention citation or other special reason (as specified) cannot be considered to involve an inventive step when the 'O'document referring to an oral disclosure, use, exhibition or document is combined with one or more other such docu- other means ments, such combination being obvious to a person skilled P-document published prior to the international filing date but in the art. later than the priority date claimed &'document member of the same patent family Date of the actual completion of the international search Date of mailing of the intemational search report 3 July 1998 13. 07. Name and mailing address of the ISA Authorized officer European Patent Office, P. B. 5818 Patentlaan 2 NL-2280 HV Rijswijk Tel.Tel (+31-70) 340-2040, Tx 31 651 epo nl, r r w. A A A. INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT Intet onal Application No PCT/US 97/09786 C. (Continuation) DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT Category Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No. A US 4 830 300 A (J. M. TAYLOR; R. MCCOMACK, 11,12,18 JR.) 16 May 1989 JR.) 16 May 1989 see column 3, line 17-column 4, line 2 A US 1 823 990 A (A. K. SANDERSON) 22 11,12,19 September 1931 see page 3, line 63-line 67; figures 2,5 A US 4 055 314 A (J. J. KOVALESKI) 25 October 13 1977 see abstract P, X EP 0 738 683 A (ALCATEL CABLE) 23 October 18 1996 see column 3, line 27-column 4, line 8 see column 4, line 32-line 43 2 into. onai application No. INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT PCT/US 97/09786 Box I Observations where certain claims were found unsearchable (Continuation of Item 1 of first sheet) This International Search Report has not been established in respect of certain claims under Article 17 (2) (a) for the following reasons: 1. EI Claims Nos. : because they relate to subject matter not required to be searched by this Authority, namely : 2. ClaimsNos.: because they relate to parts of the International Application that do not comply with the prescribed requirements to such an extent that no meaningful International Search can be carried out, specifically : 3.2 ClaimsNos.: because they are dependent claims and are not drafted in accordance with the second and third sentences of Rule 6.4 (a). Box II Observations where unity of invention is lacking (Continuation of item 2 of first sheet) This Intemational Searching Authority found multiple inventions in this international application, as follows : 1. Claims 1-9,14-17: Apparatus and method for dispensing wire 2. Clains 10-13: Coil mounting plate for a wire coil payoff system 3. Claims 18-20: Method of changing wire on a wire dispensing plate 1. E As all required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant, this intemationa) Search Report covers all searchable olaims. 2. j As all arhable claims could be searched without effort justifying an additional fee, this Authority did not invite payment of any additional fee. 3. As only some of the required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant, this intemational Search Report oovers only those claims for which fees were paid, specifically claims Nos.: 4. 2 No required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant. Consequently, this Intemational Search Report is restricted to the invention first mentioned in the claims ; it is covered by claims Nos.: Remark on Protest) The additional search fees were accompanied by the applicant's protest. rv7 No protest accompanied the payment of additional search fees. INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT Inter nal Application No information on patent family members PCT/US 97/09786 Patent document Publication Patent family Publication cited in search report date member (s) date FR 2052802 A 09-04-1971 BE 734883 A 01-12-1969 DE 2225953 A 06-12-1973 NONE DE 9407477 U 07-07-1994 IT MI950888 A, B 06-11-1995 US 4830300 A 16-05-1989 NONE US 1823990 A 22-09-1931 NONE US 4055314 A 25-10-1977 CA 1059093 A 24-07-1979 DE 2735321 A 23-03-1978 FR 2364841 A 14-04-1978 JP 53037565 A 06-04-1978 EP 0738683 A 23-10-1996 FR 2733219 A 25-10-1996
