Abstract: A wire winding system has a plurality of stations, each with a single take-up turntable driven by a variable speed motor. A mobile transfer cart is moveable to a selected station and is operable to effect transfer of the winding of wire from the full spool on the turntable to a take-up spool on the mobile transfer cart and then after the full spool at the turntable is removed and replaced by an empty spool, the mobile transfer cart will effect transfer of the winding of wire to the empty spool on the turntable. The take-up spool on the mobile transfer cart is constructed and arranged to have its effective outer diameter reduced in order to readily effect removal of the wire wound thereon after the wire is transferred to the empty spool on the turntable.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for winding an advancing strand onto a spool having a barrel and a pair of end flanges utilizing a strand traverse guide reciprocated relative to the spool at a linear speed proportional to the relative rotational velocity of the spool. The spool may have flat end pieces or tapered ends. The barrel of the spool may be cylindrical or tapered. The end limits of reciprocation of the strand guide are established in relation to the spool base and are determined based on the rotational speed of the spool, the linear speed of the strand and the known geometry of the spool.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for correcting reversal points for a traverse for guiding a strand from a reference wheel onto a spool utilize signals indicative of the angular velocity of both a reference wheel and the spool to determine first the actual spool radius at a reference point away from the spool's flanges, then determining the proper spool radius at each reversal point and then determining the actual spool radius at each reversal point. The actual spool radius and the proper spool radius at each reversal point are compared and if a difference greater than a predetermined amount is present, the reversal point is altered by a selected incremental amount.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for winding an advancing strand onto a spool having a barrel and a pair of end flanges utilizing a strand traverse guide reciprocated relative to the spool at a linear speed proportional to the relative rotational velocity of the spool. The spool may have flat end pieces or tapered ends. The barrel of the spool may be cylindrical or tapered. The end limits of reciprocation of the strand guide are established in relation to the spool base and are determined based on the rotational speed of the spool, the linear speed of the strand and the known geometry of the spool.