Self-loading wire winding assembly and method

Abstract

Apparatus for winding a continuous length of wire about a mandrel to create coils of wire uses a coil winding machine having a circular cage mounted to a frame and a circular winding magazine freely rotatably mounted to the frame within the cage to define an annular cavity between them. Initially a supply of wire is wound on the magazine, such as counterclockwise. The wire on the magazine continues to be connected as a continuous strand to a large, external spool of wire. A winding shuttle is driven along the annular cavity clockwise to remove wire from the magazine and wind it about a mandrel. Wire is removed from the magazine at double the rate at which it is wound about the mandrel. The excess wire initially expands within the cavity. The expansion is halted by the cage. Once all of the excess wire is restrained by the cage, the continued clockwise movement of the shuttle causes the excess wire to double back upon itself in a loop so the wire is rewound on the magazine in the clockwise direction. Once all the excess wire is wound back on the magazine, the magazine, previously substantially stationary, begins to rotate clockwise which causes wire from the external spool of wire to be wound onto the rotating magazine. This continues until the mandrel is fully wound with a coil segment. At this time sufficient wire has been wound onto the magazine to wind the next coil segment. The process repeats to wind subsequent coil segments in alternating rotary directions as the shuttle moves in alternating rotary directions.