Improved automatic machine for packaging cable or hose into coils

Abstract

 The invention relates to a machine for automatically packaging cable or hose into coils, constituted by a frame carrying three operational units, namely a first cable feed unit provided with means for its horizontal and vertical movement and with means for inserting the end of the cable into a reel forming part of a second winder unit which also comprises a second reel cooperating with a third coil binding and labelling unit, said reels alternately interchanging their position and function, and being able to expel the bound and labelled coil, suitable means being provided for accomplishing the described movements.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a machine for packaging cable or hose into coils in which the winding of the coil, the provision of the required length of said winding, the changing of the winding reel, the hooking of the cable end to the new reel to be filled, the binding and labelling of the resultant coil and its expulsion are operations executed automatically.

[0002] Known devices require at least part of these operations to be executed in successive stages or even on different machines, with considerable slowing-down of the production cycle, and consequent high production costs.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus able to operate continuously, thus obviating slowing-down or interruption of the production cycle. This object is attained according to the present invention by an improved machine for automatically packaging cable or hose into coils, characterised by being constituted by a frame carrying three operational units, namely a first cable feed unit provided with means for its horizontal and vertical movement and with means for inserting the cable end into a reel forming part of a second winder unit which also comprises a second reel cooperating with a third coil binding and labelling unit, said reels alternately interchanging their position and function, and being able to expel the bound and labelled coil, suitable means being provided for accomplishing the described movements.

[0004] The operational and structural characteristics of the machine for packaging cable or hose into coils according to the invention will be apparent from the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an overall elevational view of the machine,

Figure 2 is an overall plan view of the machine,

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the feed unit,

Figures 4 and 5 are partial views on the arrows IV and V of Figure 3 respectively,

Figure 6 is a sectional detail showing the insertion of the cable into the reel,

Figure 7 is a section through the reel, showing its operation with the coil extractor device,

Figures 8 and 9 are a front and cross-sectional view of the binder unit, with some operational movements shown by dashed lines,

Figures 10, 11,12,13,14,15,16 are very diagrammatic representations of the series of binding and labelling operations, and

Figure 17 shows a label applied to a partly illustrated coil.

[0005] With reference to the drawings, the machine for packaging cable or hose into coils characteristically comprises three main units mounted on a single frame 10, namely a feed unit 11, a winder unit 12 and a binding and labelling unit 13.

[0006] The feed unit 11 inserts the cable 14 to be wound into the winder reel, guides the cable turns during the winding in order to obtain uniform coils, and cuts the cable when the coil is finished.

[0007] This unit is constituted essentially by a tubular cable guide 15 slidable axially in a sleeve 16 which by means of a cylinder-piston unit 18 is driven with rocking movement in a vertical plane about pins 17.

[0008] The pins 17 rotate in seats 19 provided on a slide 20, to which the cylinder-piston unit 18 is connected and which is moved horizontally on guides 21 by a threaded motorised bar 22, which engages in a nut screw 23.

[0009] The threaded bar 22 is driven by a motor 24 disposed in the frame 10, from which both the guides 21 and the threaded bar 22 emerge. The sleeve 16 supports, parallel to its axis, a first cylinder 25 which causes a block 27 comprising a second cylinder 28 to slide in an axial slot 26 in said sleeve.

[0010] At the inlet of the sleeve 16 there are disposed two idle pulleys 29, one of which comprises a reference hole 30 for a first photoelectric cell 31, said pulleys acting as length counters.

[0011] At the outlet of the sleeve 16 there is radially positioned a third cylinder 32 carrying a blade 33 for cutting the cable 14.

[0012] Rigid with the slide 20 there slides a comb 34 with slots 35 which interact with a second photoelectric cell 36 connected to the motor 24, the stroke of the slide being defined by limit switches 37.

[0013] The winder unit 12 is essentially constituted by two equal reels 38 and 39 mounted at the ends of an arm 40 rigid with a central shaft 41 driven by a motor 42 and jutting from the machine frame 10. Each reel 38, 39 is structurally constituted by a first petal flange 43 rigid with a hub 44, and a second petal flange 45 which is removably coupled to the hub 44.

[0014] Both the hub 44 and the flanges 43, 45 rotate rigid with a hollow shaft 46 mounted on the arm 40, in which there slides a rod 47 opposed by a spring 48 and rigid with a wedge 49. The rod 47 is driven by a suitable cylinder 9 disposed in the cylinder 10 in a position corresponding with the shaft 46 of the reel 39 when in the coil extraction position.

[0015] The petal flange 45 internally comprises bolts 50 which engage in seats 51 provided on the shaft 46, the release wedge 49 cooperating with said latches.

[0016] The shafts 46 each carry a cam 52 and gear wheel transmissions which connect the shafts to the motor unit 54 in the case of the reel 38 and to the motor unit 55 in the case of the reel 39, both drive units being disposed in the frame 10.

[0017] By means of an electric contact 53, the cam 52 interacts with the motor 24 in order to start it.

[0018] Each reel also comprises in the hub 44 a bore 56 which cooperates with a resilient strip 57 for fixing the end of the cable 14 to be wound.

[0019] The central shaft 41, on which the arm 40 rotates, carries at its end a second arm 58 parallel to the arm 40 and rotated on the same axis as this latter by a cylinder 59 acting between said arm 58 and the frame 10.

[0020] The second arm 58 carries at one end a cylinder 60 comprising a piston 61 connected to a ring 62 and opposed by a spring 63. The outer surface of the cylinder 60 comprises seats 64 arranged to receive the latches 50 of the petal flange 45.

[0021] The binding and labelling unit 13 is constituted by a binding device 65 and a labelling device 66, both disposed on the frame 10. The binding device 65 is disposed on rotating arms 67 and is constituted by two jaws 68 into which a binding strap 69, for example of plastics material, is inserted.

[0022] The jaws 68, semicircular in shape, are composed of a mobile part 70 which by engaging with the relative fixed part 71 defines a chamber 72 into which the strap 69 is inserted.

[0023] The binding device 65 comprises a first cam 73 and a second cam 74 for locking the strap 69 against a mobile plate 75 of the device 65. The device 65 also comprises a motorised and reversible unit 76 for inserting the strap, a mobile guide 77 for said strap, a photoelectric cell 78 and a cutting and welding unit 79.

[0024] The labelling device 66 comprises an arm 80 rotating about itself on the axis 81 and about a support block 82 on a vertical axis 83, this block being disposed on the machine frame 10.

[0025] The arm 80 carries at its end a device 84 for gripping the label 85 from a container 86 by means of suction.

[0026] The labels 85, perfectly stacked in the container 86, comprise slots 87 for inserting the strap 69.

[0027] On the frame 10 there is provided, in a position corresponding with the reel 39, a set of three cylinders 88 which control

[0028] coil extractors 89 which pass through the interspaces between one petal and another of the flanges 43, 45.

[0029] A loop regulator device 90 can be mounted at the machine inlet in front of the feed unit 11, and constituted by a lever 91 rocking about a pin 92, to act on the winding speed of the motor 54 by way of microswitches 93.

[0030] The apparatus for packaging cable into coils according to the invention operates as follows.

[0031] The end of the cable 14 to be wound into a coil (unwound from a spool, not shown in the Figure) is passed through the cable guide 15 and positioned there as shown in the figure.

[0032] In this position, the cable 14 is locked to the cable guide 15 by the cylinder 28 by means of the block 27.

[0033] To insert the end of the cable 14 into the reel 38, the cylinder 25 is operated to slide the block 27 along the slot 26 of the sleeve 16 until the end of the cable 14 is inserted into the bore 56 in the hub 44 of the reel 38.

[0034] The resilient strip 57 cooperates with the bore 56 to lock the end of the cable 14 to the reel 38, and only at this point does the block 27 abandon the cable 14 under the action of the cylinder 28, and is moved into its initial position by the cylinder 25.

[0035] The motor unit 54 is now operated, and by means of a gear wheel transmission rotates the shaft 46 and consequently the reel 38 connected to it, to commence winding of the cable 14. The tension in the cable 14 is kept constant by the loop regulator device 90, which determines the speed of the motor unit 54 by the action of the end of the lever 91 on the microswitches 93.

[0036] In order to obtain perfect winding of the cable 14 on the reel 38 turn by turn, the feedurit 11 moves both horizontally on the slide 20 and vertically about the pins 17.

[0037] The slide 20, comprising the nut screw 23, is moved along the guides 21 by the movement of a threaded bar 22 by means of the motor 24.

[0038] The rotation of the motor 24 is controlled by the electrical contact 53 operated by the cam 52 on the shaft 46 of the reel 38.

[0039] The extent of the movements of the slide 20 is determined by the photoelectric cell 36, which by sensing the slots 35 in the comb 34 rigid with the slide 20 feeds pulses to the motor 24.

[0040] The comb 34 and the relative slots 35 are designed for a determined cable diameter, and when this varies they have to be suitably changed. This is done merely by replacing the comb 34.

[0041] The horizontal reciprocating motion of the slide is regulated by limit switches 37 which in this manner define the transverse diameter of the coil.

[0042] During this winding, the coil increases in size, and thus vertical adjustment is necessary.

[0043] This movement is effected by the cylinder-piston unit 18 which rocks the sleeve 16 about the pins 17, thus moving the sleeve 16 from its position of insertion of the cable end tangential to the reel 38, to the intermediate position radial to said reel for its filling.

[0044] The pulleys 29, in which the cable slides, measure the length of this latter as they rotate, the measurement being related to the passage of the hole 30 past the photoelectric cell 31, and when the set length has been reached they stop the reel 38.

[0045] At this point, the cylinder 32 automatically causes cutting of the cable 14 by the blade 33, and the coil is ready for binding and labelling.

[0046] To accomplish this, the shaft 41 is rotated through 180° by the motor 42, and the reel 38 is moved into the binding position which was occupied by the reel 39, and where it becomes connected to the motor unit 55 which positions it in such a manner that a space between one petal and the next on the flanges 43, 45 is in a position corresponding with the binding device 65 (Figure 2).

[0047] This binding device 65 is moved into a position corresponding with this interspace by the movement of the arms 67, where it receives the cable coil between the jaws 68.

[0048] The jaws 68 then close by passing through the appropriate spaces, to form the chamber 72 where the motorised unit 76 for inserting the strap 69 inserts the end of said strap which, sliding initially on the guide 77, makes one complete revolution inside the chamber 72 and leaves below said guide 77 above the plate 75.

[0049] The motion of the unit which feeds the strap 69 is halted in said position (Figure 12) by the action of the photoelectric cell 78, which also causes the cam 73 to rotate and the strap 69 to become engaged between said cam 73 and the mobile plate 75 (Figure 13). When this has been done, the mobile part 70 of the jaws 68 is detached from the fixed part 71 and allows the strap to be pulled against the coil, after which the mobile plate 75 and the relative unit are made to press the coil.

[0050] The motorised unit 76 is rotated in the opposite direction, to pull the strap against the coil (Figure 13) to a required extent, and when this has been attained said unit is halted and the cam 74 locks the other end of the strap 69 against the plate 75 (Figure 14).

[0051] The mobile guide 77 withdraws and allows the unit 79 to cut the strap (Figure 15) and to then weld the two ends of the strap for example by hot punching (Figure 16).

[0052] The binding device 65 causes the jaws 68 to open, and the reel 39 is rotated by the fixed motor 55 to another interspace where the next binding operation begins.

[0053] Before executing the initial binding of each coil, a labelling device 66 positions a label 85 in the correct position on said coil. By means of the gripping device 84, the arm 80 withdraws a label 85 from the container 86, and after rotating through 180° about itself on the axis 81 and through 90° about the axis 83 of the support block 82, it positions it between the coil and the mobile plate 75 inside the open jaws 68.

[0054] 'he jaws 68 are closed, and in this position the slots 87 correspond with the chamber 72 to allow the insertion of the strap in the aforesaid manner.

[0055] The gripping device 84 is returned by the arm 80 into its initial position, and when the strap is put under tension the label 85 adheres perfectly to the coil (Figure 17) and can no longer be removed because the strap retains it by way of the slots 87.

[0056] On termination of binding and labelling, the coil is extracted from the reel 39 in the following manner.

[0057] When the cylinder 9 is operated, it pushes the rod 47, which slides in the hollow shaft 46, and by means of the release wedge 49 removes the latches 50 from the seats 51 to free the flange 45 from said shaft 46.

[0058] The rod 47 slides until the central bore in the flange 45 is completely mounted over the outer surface of the cylinder 60, where the latches 50 engage with seats 64 and keep the flange rigid with the arm 58 (shown by dashed lines in Figure 7).

[0059] The arm 58 is rotated by the cylinder 59 in such a manner as to leave the top part of the reel 39 free, and the coil is extracted from said reel by operating the three cylinders 88 which control the relative extractors 89.

[0060] At this point, the cylinder 59 returns the arm 58 and relative flange 45 on to the reel 39 in their initial position, where the cylinder 60 is operated. The piston 61 and the ring 62 connected to it push the flange 45, which slides on latches 50 until it again engages with the shaft 46, to complete the winding reel.

Claims

1. An improved machine for automatically packaging cable or hose into coils, characterised by being constituted by a frame carrying three operational units, namely a first cable feed unit provided with means for its horizontal and vertical movement and with means for inserting the cable end into a reel forming part of a second winder unit which also comprises a second reel cooperating with a third coil binding and labelling unit, said reels alternately interchanging their position and function, and being able to expel the bound and labelled coil, suitable means being provided for accomplishing the described movements.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the feed unit is essentially constituted by a slide mobile horizontally with respect to the frame on a threaded bar, said slide carrying a sleeve which rocks relative to this latter in a vertical plane, said sleeve containing a tubular cable guide which is slidable coaxially to the sleeve together with a cable locking cylinder, said sleeve carrying at one end a means for cutting the cable.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the winder unit is constituted essentially by an arm rotating about a shaft which emerges from the frame, said arm carrying at its opposing and equidistant ends two winding reels which are alternately connected, by gear wheel transmissions, to winding motors and positioning motors disposed in the frame.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the reels are constituted by a central hollow shaft carrying a petal flange rigid with a hub which is coupled to a second petal flange by locking means which are internal to it and which engage with the central shaft, inside which there slides a rod for releasing said locking means.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the the second flange, which is removable, is removed from the reel by the engagement between its central bore and the outer surface of a cylinder which emerges in the manner of a pivot from the end of a second arm disposed on the unit support shaft which emerges from the frame and already carries the first arm, the piston of said cylinder carrying means for expelling said flange.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 4, characterised by comprising, in the frame, cylinders which operate pushers arranged for insertion between one petal and the next on the reel and to expel the bound and labelled coils, the second removable flange being removed.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the binding-labelling unit comprises a labelling device which swivels on arms connected to the frame and is arranged for insertion between one petal and the next, it being constituted by two swivel jaws each in the form of a first fixed part and a second mobile part which embrace the coil and define a slide chamber for a binding strap, means being provided for cutting the ends of the strap, for locking said ends in position, and for joining them together in order to bind the coil.

8. A machine as claimed in claims 1 and 7, characterised in that the binding-labelling unit comprises a labelling device disposed on the frame and constituted by an arm which rotates about itself and about the axis of its support, and which carries a device for gripping labels provided with slots, said arm positioning said labels inside the jaws of the binding device such that the slots are in positions corresponding with the strap slide chamber.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 1, characterised by comprising a regulator device for the cable loop, disposed at the inlet of the feed unit and constituted by a rod which is engaged on the cable and rocks on a pin rigid with the frame, to act on microswitches as the tension in the cable being wound varies.

Drawing