Essex Group, Inc.

Randall C Graham

James D Smith, Jr

Jeffrey S Smith

James L Phillips

A low cost verbal annunciator which uses a plurality of inexpensive cassette tape players in a central monitoring and control panel is disclosed. Each tape player has an individualized endless cassette tape for playing particular messages over a public address system in response to the occurence of particular monitored conditions. One embodiment for use with a plurality of unique sensors for monitoring a wire manufacturing process is disclosed.

Low cost verbal annunciator

In a magnet wire fabrication process in which the drawing of wire is 'in-line' with the enameling process, it is often a requirement that the drawing machines be supplied with electrical power from the utility grid rather than relying on an 'in-house,' closely regulated supply of electrical power. In such cases, during voltage dips on the grid, the drawing machine motors will slow down while the wires continue to be pulled from the drawing machine at the same speed as before. A wire accumulator is interposed between the drawing machines and the enameling oven to prevent breakage of wire by providing an accumulation of wire to be used in the event of such a voltage dip. The present invention discloses an apparatus for controlling the various channels of the accumulator so as to provide roughly equivalent amounts of wire in each channel so that the integrity of all channels during a power dip is assured. A central operator control station for effecting the desired control is disclosed. It comprises, among other things, a keyboard and a display for entering a desired wire gauge size to be drawn, and a signal processor for controlling the accumulator channels according to the commanded gauge size. A plurality of controllers for each channel are responsive to a speed command signal from a pulling capstan at the enameling end of the process. This signal is modified by a feedback signal derived from the accumulator channels so as to indicate the actual running speed of the various drawing machine motors and at the same time control the amount of wire accumulated in the various channels.

Wire drawing control apparatus

The fabrication of magnet wire in an 'in-line' drawing-enameling process is monitored by a local operator control station having an alarm display format screen stored therein for operator call-up via a remote controller for displaying a plurality of alarmed parameters in a time ordered sequence. The local operator station includes a local signal processor, a keyboard, a display and an input/output port. The remote controller includes a remote signal processor, a digital input/output device, and a plurality of modular cassette tape players. The first to occur alarm is sensed and is verbally annunciated while, at the same time, the alarm signal is stored and time tagged. If one or more alarms subsequently occur, an operator may wish to determine the nature of these later occurring alarms and the exact sequence in which the alarms occurred. The operator simply calls up the alarm display format via the keyboard at the local station and a display is presented in which the alarms are displayed in the order in which they occurred. The remote controller is located in an out-of-the-way location so as to efficiently utilize floorspace while at the same time controlling a large number of parameters in one main controller unit.

Alarm apparatus

Method and apparatus for monitoring a rod mill and flexible wire drawn and annealed from a stiff coil of rod in the rod mill are disclosed. The fault signals provided by an eddy-current tester are counted on a per unit time basis in order to permit the detection of rod mill problems before serious deterioration of the mill occurs. This is accomplished by direct observation of an increasing rate of fault signal occurrence. A totalized fault signal count is also provided to aid in detecting low quality wire. This is accomplished by direct observation of uniformly high levels of fault signals. A control function is disclosed whereby the rod mill is shutdown in the presence of a high rate of increase in fault signal occurrences. A 'change coil' message may be sent upon detecting uniformly high levels of faults. Fault signals are stored and identified for purposes of traceability. The invention is broadly applicable in other eddy-current testing contexts, that is, other than that context specifically disclosed for the best mode embodiment.

Eddy current apparatus and method for controlling a rod mill on the

A wire prebreak/break sensor is disclosed for use in a low cost verbal annunciator system for use in monitoring a wire fabrication process. Wire exiting a drawing machine is accumulated and has its tension controlled by a dancer arm. According to the present invention, a wire accumulator having a plurality of channels is used as a wire prebreak/break sensor. The accumulator comprises a plurality of rods having sheaves on a end of each supported on a support structure to which each rod is pivoted on an axis. A plurality of position sensors are responsive to the positions of the various rods and provide a position signal having a magnitude indicative thereof. An operator input device is responsive to operator initiated input action for providing input signals indicative of wire gauge. A signal processor is responsive to the position signals and to the operator input signals and retrieves a pair of boundary signals in response to the magnitude of the gauge size input signals. The magnitudes of the boundary signals will vary depending on the gauge selected. The signal processor compares the magnitudes of the position signals to the boundary signals and provides an alarm signal whenever one of the position signal magnitudes is greater or less than the magnitudes of both of the boundary signals. The signal indicating a broken wire is provided to the verbal annunciator so that immediate corrective action may be taken by maintenance personnel.

Wire prebreak/break detector

The insulation of a plurality of grounded wires may be tested subsequent to fabrication and prior to spooling by use of a corresponding plurality of modular circuit boards installed in a continuity tester. Each modular circuit board has its own on board DC power supply and clock generator for enhancing isolation, thereby decreasing crosstalk between channels and reducing spurious 'sympathetic' faults. AC or DC high voltage testing may be selected. Isolation is also enhanced by using a sheaves separated by teflon insulators, all mounted on a common rod.

Continuity test method and test card circuit

The insulation of a plurality of grounded wires may be tested subsequent to fabrication and prior to spooling by use of a corresponding plurality of modular circuit boards installed in an AC/DC continuity tester having enhanced isolation features including on board DC power supplies and clock generators. A signal processor gathers fault data from each board and provides a fault count signal for each wire which may be printed out on a printer within the tester. Isolation between channels is enhanced by using a simple and compact test head having a plurality of rollers or sheaves separated by teflon spacers, all mounted on a common rod.

Continuity test method and apparatus

A runtogether sensor comprising a balanced beam having a plurality of tines for insertion between a plurality of parallel wires in motion for sensing a pair of stuck together wires by means of a switch associated with the balanced beam for providing a signal indicative of a runtogether condition to an annunciator which provides verbal announcements of runtogether conditions, as well as other conditions to maintenance personnel for immediate corrective action.

Wire runtogether sensor

A dry lube level sensor for use in a verbal annunciation system for monitoring a wire fabrication process comprises a sealed float tube having a magnetic float for actuating a reed switch within an adapter which connects the float tube to a mounting base for providing a low level signal to the alarm system.

Dry lube level sensor

A wire tangle sensor is disclosed for sensing tangled wire in a wire fabrication process prior to being fed into a wire drawing machine so that a tangled wire signal may be sent to a verbal annunciator. A verbal announcement of a tangled wire condition is made for immediate corrective action by maintenance personnel to avoid a production shutdown. The wire tangle sensor comprises a metallic probe positioned in close proximity to a moving wire which touches the wire when it becomes tangled thereby grounding the probe and providing a current path for a switch which initiates the verbal announcement.

Wire tangle sensor

Apparatus for removing fines from a plurality of copper wires advancing generally upwardly in a common plane, comprising three brush rollers each having a generally cylindrical outer brushing surface of a fur-like fine pile material in brushing contact with the wires. Two of the rollers are disposed one above the other at one side of the plane of wire advancement and the third roller is disposed on the opposite side of the plane of wire advancement in brushing contact with the wires along an area intermediate the areas of brushing contact of the other two rollers with the wires. The apparatus also comprises spray means to discharge a spray of liquid at the contact area between the uppermost roller and the wires, and means for rotating the rollers in a direction opposite to the direction of wire advancement at a speed sufficient to throw off fines removed from the wires by the rollers. The apparatus further comprises means for collecting the liquid discharged by the spray means, means for filtering fines from the collected liquid, and means to return the filtered fluid to the spray means. Wiping means are provided to remove liquid from the wires as they advance away from the uppermost roller.

Apparatus for removing fines from copper wires

Control means for the traversing guide drive means in apparatus for winding strand upon a rotating flanged spool comprising means adjustably positioned along the path of travel of the traversing guide for providing a reference position signal as the traversing guide passes in each direction through either of two reference positions near the respective end limits of its reciprocation, and means responsive to the reference position signals and including two bistable flip-flop circuits and a preset counter coupled to the spool rotating means for effecting a reversal in the direction of movement of the traversing guide when the count of spool revolutions occurring after the traversing guide passes a reference position while approaching one end limit of its travel attains a selected value, said last named means being reset for effecting a subsequent reversal operation at the other end limit in response to return movement of the traversing guide from the one end limit.

Growing community of inventors

Nashville, TN, United States of America

Randall C Graham