SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SECURING FREE END OF WOUND CABLE
A system for securing a free end of a cable wound on a spool includes a spooling machine having at least one spooling head for winding a length of the cable onto the spool and a stretch wrap applicator for securing the free end of the cable on the spool with stretch wrap that is pinched between the free end of the cable and the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool. A stretch wrap applicator for a spooling machine having at least one spooling head includes a housing, a roll of stretch wrap disposed within the housing and a pulling clamp for gripping and pulling a starting end of the stretch wrap so as to position the stretch wrap between a spool of wound cable having outermost windings and a free end of the cable wound on the spool. A method for securing the free end of a cable wound on a spool includes providing the spooling machine and the stretch wrap applicator, moving the pulling clamp from an initial position around a free end of the cable, gripping a starting end of the stretch wrap, moving the pulling clamp and the stretch wrap back to the initial position with the stretch wrap disposed between the free end and the outermost windings of the cable and moving the pulling clamp in a downward direction so as to pinch the stretch wrap within a nip defined between the outermost windings and the free end of the cable.
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This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/011,013 filed on Jun. 11, 2014, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to systems, apparatus and methods for securing the free end of wound cable. More particularly, the invention is a system and method for securing the free end of a length of an elongate, flexible cable that is wound onto a spool by a spooling machine. The free end of the cable is secured using stretch wrap that is automatically applied to a spool of wound cable as the cable is being cut so that the leading end of the stretch wrap is nipped between the spool of wound cable and the free end of the cable. In an exemplary embodiment, the stretch wrap system is mounted horizontally and movable in a transverse direction to service at least two cable spooling stations on a spooling machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIt is common practice for lengths of elongate, flexible components, such as strands of wire, tubing or cable to be wound onto a spool. Oftentimes, the free end of the wound cable is retained on the spool by a relatively thin layer of stretch wrap that is wrapped around the spool after the desired length of cable has been wound onto the spool. Typically, the free end of the cable is temporarily held in place and a rotary arm is moved around a stationary spooling head to wrap the stretch wrap onto the spool of wound cable. The stretch-wrapped spool of wound cable is then removed from the spooling head of the spooling machine and transferred into a container or onto a pallet for transporting a plurality of the cable spools to an end user.
Spooling machines are known for automatically winding a length of elongate, flexible cable, for example coaxial cable or fiber optic cable, onto a spool and for automatically applying stretch wrap to the spool of wound cable. A spooling machine including fully automatic dual take-ups for on-line or off-line packaging of cable products is available from the Hall Industries division of the MGS Group having its corporate offices located in Rome, New York, USA. The MGS/Hall spooling machine includes two winding stations for winding a length of cable onto a spool and for applying a relatively thin layer of stretch wrap to the spool of wound cable to secure the free end of the cable onto the spool. Each winding station has a spooling head that is provided with a positive automatic stretch wrap applicator. The stretch wrap applicator operates to apply the stretch wrap to the spool of wound cable so that the starting end of the stretch wrap is positively pinched under the free end of the cable just prior to the conclusion of the winding cycle.
The automatic stretch wrap applicator provided at each winding station of the MGS/Hall spooling machine includes two clamps and a push-down roller. The first stretch wrap clamp operates to pull the starting end of the stretch wrap from a stretch wrap roll to a position that is relatively close to the spool of wound cable. The push-down roller next operates to move the stretch wrap to the opposite side of the wound cable. The second stretch wrap clamp then operates to grab the stretch wrap from the opposite side and to pull the stretch wrap back across the spool of wound cable. However, a number of disadvantages, deficiencies and problems are associated with the automatic stretch wrap applicator of the MGS/Hall spooling machine. The MGS/Hall stretch wrap applicator requires an excessive number of separate components, which results in high cost and reduced reliability of the applicator. In addition, the MGS/Hall stretch wrap applicator does not pull the stretch wrap between layers of the wound cable. Therefore, the relatively thin layer of stretch wrap can slip on a wound cable having an excessively smooth or slick jacket, and as a result, not be pulled around the spool of wound cable. As previously mentioned, the MGS/Hall spooling machine utilizes two vertically oriented spooling heads and requires a separate stretch wrap applicator for each spooling head. Since the spooling heads are oriented vertically, the free end of the cable can bend downwardly under the influence of gravity relative to the feed direction of the stretch wrap. Thus, the free end of the cable can extend outwardly from beneath the stretch wrap and potentially snag causing premature removal of the stretch wrap. Furthermore, the use of a separate stretch wrap applicator for each of the two spooling heads unnecessarily duplicates components of the spooling machine and increases acquisition, maintenance and operating costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is a system and method for winding a length of cable onto a spool and automatically applying stretch wrap onto the spool of wound cable to secure the free end of the cable on the spool. More particularly, the invention is a stretch wrap applicator for a spooling machine having two spooling heads and a method for applying stretch wrap onto a spool of wound cable at each spooling head to secure the free end of the cable on the spool.
In one aspect, the invention is embodied by a system including a spooling machine having at least one spooling head for winding a length of an elongate, flexible component onto a spool and a stretch wrap applicator configured for and operable for securing a free end of the elongate, flexible component on the spool with stretch wrap. The stretch wrap applicator pinches the stretch wrap between the free end and outermost windings of the elongate flexible component wound on the spool. In one embodiment, the spooling machine has two spooling heads and the stretch wrap applicator is mounted on the spooling machine for transverse movement relative to the spooling heads. The spooling machine may have a rail and a drive mechanism and the stretch wrap applicator may be operably coupled with the drive mechanism for transverse movement along the rail relative to the two spooling heads. The two spooling heads of the spooling machine may be positioned at transversely spaced-apart locations along the rail and the stretch wrap applicator may be operable for transverse movement between the spooling heads. In another embodiment, the stretch wrap applicator includes a pulling clamp configured for and operable for being moved from an initial position around the free end of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool and into engagement with a starting end of the stretch wrap. The pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for moving back to the initial position while gripping the starting end of the stretch wrap such that the stretch wrap is disposed between the free end and the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool. The pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for moving downwardly relative to the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool so that the stretch wrap is pinched within a nip defined between the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component and the free end of the elongate, flexible component.
In another aspect, the invention is embodied by a stretch wrap applicator for a spooling machine having at least one spooling head. The stretch wrap applicator includes a housing, a roll of stretch wrap disposed within the housing and a pulling clamp configured for and operable for gripping and pulling a starting end of the roll of stretch wrap so as to position the stretch wrap between a spool of wound cable having outermost windings and a free end of the cable wound on the spool. The stretch wrap is pinched within a nip defined by the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool and the free end of the cable. The pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for moving downwardly relative to the spool of wound cable so as to dispose the stretch wrap between the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool and the free end of the cable. In one embodiment, the pulling clamp is mounted on an angled rail that is movably attached to the housing with a predetermined angle such that the pulling clamp and a starting end of the stretch wrap are moved in a generally tangential direction relative to an outer periphery of the cable wound on the spool. The pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for releasing the starting end of the stretch wrap in contact with at least a portion of the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool so that the stretch wrap disposed between the outermost windings of the cable and the free end of the cable is wrapped around the spool as the remaining length of the cable is wound onto the spool.
In yet another aspect, the invention is embodied by a method for securing the free end of an elongate, flexible component wound onto a spool. The method includes providing a spooling machine having at least one spooling head for winding a length of the elongate, flexible component onto the spool and providing a stretch wrap applicator operably coupled with the at least one spooling head for applying stretch wrap to the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool. The stretch wrap applicator includes a pulling clamp and a length of the stretch wrap. The method further includes moving the pulling clamp from an initial position around a free end of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool. The method further includes gripping a starting end of the stretch wrap with the pulling clamp. The method further includes moving the pulling clamp and the starting end of the stretch wrap back to the initial position with the stretch wrap disposed between the free end of the elongate, flexible component and outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component. The method further includes moving the pulling clamp in a downward direction so as to pinch the stretch wrap within a nip defined between the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component and the free end of the elongate, flexible component. The method further includes cutting the free end of the elongate, flexible component and wrapping the stretch wrap around the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component until the free end of the elongate, flexible component is secured by the stretch wrap. In one embodiment, the spooling machine includes two spooling head and a transverse rail and the stretch wrap applicator is configured for and operable for moving in a transverse direction along the rail relative to the spooling heads. The stretch wrap applicator moves between a first spooling head of the spooling machine and a second spooling head of the spooling machine subsequent to securing the free end of the elongate, flexible component wound on a spool of the first spooling head. In another embodiment, the pulling clamp is mounted on an angled rail that is movably attached to the housing with a predetermined angle such that the pulling clamp and a starting end of the stretch wrap are moved in a generally tangential direction relative to an outer periphery of the cable wound on the spool.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters in the drawing figures refer to the same or similar parts, a spooling machine, indicated generally at 10, having two spooling heads, each indicated generally at 20 with the corresponding winder not depicted for purposes of clarity, and a stretch wrap applicator, indicated generally at 30, is shown in
If desired, the stretch wrap 40 may be moved across the spool 26 of wound cable 24 between the outer flanges 28 of the spool so that the entire width of cable on the spool is covered by the stretch wrap as the stretch wrap is wrapped around the spool.
A stretch wrap applicator 60 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in
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The foregoing has described exemplary embodiments of a stretch wrap applicator for a spooling machine having one or more spooling heads for winding a desired length of cable onto a spool and wrapping the finished cable spool with stretch wrap to secure the free end of the cable on the spool. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention described herein are shown and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures. In an exemplary embodiment, a single stretch wrap applicator is transversely moveable on the spooling machine relative to two spooling heads so that the stretch wrap applicator is usable with both of the spooling heads. The stretch wrap applicator includes a pulling clamp for gripping and pulling a starting end of the stretch wrap into a nip between the outermost windings of the cable already wound onto the spool and the free end of the cable. The stretch wrap is then wrapped around the spool of wound cable and the free end of the cable is cut and secured beneath the stretch wrap. In another exemplary embodiment, a stretch wrap applicator includes a pair of coil movers that position a coil of cable wound on a spool relative to the starting end of stretch wrap. The free end of the cable is secured while the stretch wrap mounted on a rotary arm is wrapped around the coil with the free end of the cable secured beneath the stretch wrap. The coil is then released and pushed onto a driven conveyor system to be delivered to a container or a pallet for storage and transport.
Claims
1. A system, comprising:
- a spooling machine having at least one spooling head for winding a length of an elongate, flexible component onto a spool; and
- a stretch wrap applicator configured for and operable for securing a free end of the elongate, flexible component on the spool with stretch wrap;
- wherein the stretch wrap is pinched between the free end and outermost windings of the elongate flexible component wound on the spool.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the spooling machine comprises two spooling heads and wherein the stretch wrap applicator is mounted on the spooling machine for transverse movement relative to the spooling heads.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the spooling machine further comprises a rail and a drive mechanism and wherein the stretch wrap applicator is operably coupled with the drive mechanism for transverse movement along the rail relative to the two spooling heads.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the two spooling heads of the spooling machine are positioned at transversely spaced-apart locations along the rail and wherein the stretch wrap applicator is operable for transverse movement between the spooling heads.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the stretch wrap applicator comprises a pulling clamp configured for and operable for being moved from an initial position around the free end of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool and into engagement with a starting end of the stretch wrap.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the pulling clamp is affixed to the starting end of the stretch wrap sufficiently to unwrap the stretch wrap off a roll of the stretch wrap.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for moving back to the initial position while gripping the starting end of the stretch wrap such that the stretch wrap is disposed between the free end of the elongate, flexible component and the remaining length of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the stretch wrap is disposed between the free end of the elongate, flexible component and outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool.
9. The system of claim 7, wherein the pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for moving downwardly relative to the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool so that the stretch wrap is pinched within a nip defined between the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component and the free end of the elongate, flexible component.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pulling clamp is mounted on an angled rail and is moved downwardly along the angled rail such that the pulling clamp and the starting end of the stretch wrap are moved in a generally tangential direction relative to a periphery of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool.
11. A stretch wrap applicator for a spooling machine having at least one spooling head, the stretch wrap applicator comprising:
- a housing;
- a roll of stretch wrap disposed within the housing; and
- a pulling clamp configured for and operable for gripping and pulling a starting end of the roll of stretch wrap so as to position the stretch wrap between a spool of wound cable having outermost windings and a free end of the cable wound on the spool.
12. The stretch wrap applicator of claim 11, wherein the stretch wrap is pinched within a nip defined by the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool and the free end of the cable.
13. The stretch wrap applicator of claim 11, wherein the pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for moving downwardly relative to the spool of wound cable so as to dispose the stretch wrap between the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool and the free end of the cable.
14. The stretch wrap applicator of claim 13, wherein the pulling clamp is mounted on an angled rail that is movably attached to the housing with a predetermined angle such that the pulling clamp and a starting end of the stretch wrap are moved in a generally tangential direction relative to an outer periphery of the cable wound on the spool.
15. The stretch wrap applicator of claim 14, wherein the pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for releasing the starting end of the stretch wrap in contact with at least a portion of the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool so that the stretch wrap disposed between the outermost windings of the cable and the free end of the cable is wrapped around the spool as the remaining length of the cable is wound onto the spool.
16. A method for securing the free end of an elongate, flexible component wound onto a spool, the method comprising:
- providing a spooling machine having at least one spooling head for winding a length of the elongate, flexible component onto the spool;
- providing a stretch wrap applicator operably coupled with the at least one spooling head for applying stretch wrap to the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool, the stretch wrap applicator comprising a pulling clamp and a length of the stretch wrap;
- moving the pulling clamp from an initial position around a free end of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool;
- gripping a starting end of the stretch wrap with the pulling clamp;
- moving the pulling clamp and the starting end of the stretch wrap back to the initial position with the stretch wrap disposed between the free end of the elongate, flexible component and outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component;
- moving the pulling clamp in a downward direction so as to pinch the stretch wrap within a nip defined between the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component and the free end of the elongate, flexible component; and
- cutting the free end of the elongate, flexible component and wrapping the stretch wrap around the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component until the free end of the elongate, flexible component is secured by the stretch wrap.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the spooling machine comprises two spooling heads and a transverse rail and wherein the stretch wrap applicator is configured for and operable for moving in a transverse direction along the rail relative to the spooling heads.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the stretch wrap applicator is configured for and operable for moving between a first spooling head of the spooling machine and a second spooling head of the spooling machine subsequent to securing the free end of the elongate, flexible component wound on a spool of the first spooling head.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein moving the pulling clamp in a downward direction comprises mounting the pulling clamp on an angled rail that is movably attached to the housing with a predetermined angle such that the pulling clamp and a starting end of the stretch wrap are moved in a generally tangential direction relative to an outer periphery of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool.
20. The method of claim 16, further comprising releasing the starting end of the stretch wrap in contact with at least a portion of the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool so that the stretch wrap disposed between the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component and the free end of the elongate, flexible component is wrapped around the spool as the remaining length of the elongate, flexible component is wound onto the spool.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 11, 2015
Publication Date: Dec 17, 2015
Applicant: WINDAK INC. (Hickory, NC)
Inventor: Daniel L. Shelander (Hickory, NC)
Application Number: 14/737,237