Rockford Manufacturing Group, Inc.

Richard A Alcock

Michael J Yankaitis

Robert M Guthrie

Timothy J Taylor

Scott A Alcock

An in-line wire drawing machine includes a power-driven capstan rotatable about a horizontal axis and operable to unwind wire from a coil and to pull the wire through a drawing die for reducing the diameter of the wire. In order to conserve floor space, the coil is supported on an overhead turntable located above the capstan and rotatable about a vertical axis to enable unwinding of the coil. Wire unwound from the coil is directed rearwardly therefrom to a pair of guide rollers, proceeds downwardly alongside the rear of the machine and then travels forwardly to the die. A tangle detector is located upstream of the die and automatically shuts down the machine if the wire in the coil becomes tangled or snagged and fails to pay off of the coil in a free manner.

In-line wire drawing machine with overhead turntable

An apparatus is disclosed for drawing a length of wire through a die and for supplying the wire to a using station wherein the apparatus utilizes a mechanical variable-speed drive mechanism and a sensing arm for sensing the error between the consumption and feeding rates of the wire and integrating the same. An electromechanical apparatus couples the sensing arm to the variable-speed drive so that the full range of drive ratios of the variable-speed mechanical drive mechanism can be utilized without the occurrence of a pull-back force at the wire. The mechanical pivoting of the sensing arm is translated to an electrical signal by way of the electromechanical apparatus which incorporates a plunger for oscillatory motion in response to the pivoting of the compensator arm. An electrical device is sensitive to the displacement of the plunger in a manner to provide a signal having a linear relationship to the magnitude of the displacement by the plunger caused by its oscillatory movement. The electrical device is not in direct physical contact with the plunger, thereby providing a friction free transition of mechanical movement of the plunger to an electrical signal.

Apparatus for the electrical control of an in-line drawing machine

An in-line wire drawing machine in which a roller with a one-way clutch allows wire to unwind from a rotatable drum while preventing the wire from slipping reversely on the drum. The roller is supported to float axially relative to the drum so as to track the natural course of the final wrap of wire and is spring-urged against the wire in all of its axial positions.

Wire drawing machine with wire-relaxing roller

The drum of an in-line wire drawing machine is rotated by a mechanical variable speed drive whose speed is automatically adjusted by a speed trim control which senses the difference between the speed of the wire being supplied by the drum and the speed at which wire is being consumed by a using station. The final wrap of wire on the drum is engaged by a roller connected to a one-way clutch, the roller serving to prevent the wire from slipping on the drum and thus serving to increase the traction between the wire and the drum.

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Roscoe, IL, United States of America

Richard A Alcock