Continuous strand winding apparatus

Abstract

Winding apparatus for the continuous winding of an advancing strand, having two coaxially mounted, spaced and independently driven, removable reels and a traverse mechanism for delivering strand to the reels alternately. Each of these reels is mounted on an axle which is equipped with a machine reel and snagger means assembly which is a permanent part of the machine and each of them are mounted adjacent to the remote ends of said reels when said reels are in winding position so that the reels are disposed for rotation about a common axis between the machine reels and snagger means assembly. The traverse means is controlled so as to distribute the strand onto one of the reels until a predetermined length of strand is wound thereon. Further means is provided for rapidly moving the traverse means across the empty reel into a position for directing the strand onto the machine reel associated with the empty reel. Means are also provided to restrain the strand while said traverse means is moving across the empty spool into position to wind on the machine reel. Once the traverse means is in position to wind on the other machine reel, the restraining means are removed and the strand is brought into contact with the snagger for the empty reel. After at least one revolution of the strand is wound onto the machine reel, cutter means is actuated to cut said strand adjacent to the snagger means but between the snagger means and the filled reel. This operation is controlled by a device that counts a predetermined number of revolutions. A second device is also utilized to count a second predetermined number of revolutions greater than the first so that a predetermined number of revolutions of the strand will be wound on the machine reel. After this second predetermined number of revolutions have been attained, the traverse means is moved into normal winding position on the empty reel and normal winding thereon is continued until that reel is filled.