Capstan and system of capstans for use in spooling multiple conductors onto a single reel

• US 9,758,340 B1
• Filed: 10/08/2013
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Southwire Company
• Original Assignee: Southwire Company
• Inventors: Reese, Charlie W., Murphy, Donald E., Elder, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcelo, Emmanuel M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gallion, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/048,529
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 254278
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/126 with both-ends supporting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/34 electric cords or electric power cables
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 49/325 Arrangements or adaptations for supporting the shafts, e.g. saddle type shaft bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 51/015 Gathering a plurality of forwarding filamentary materials into a bundle
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/02 Winding and traversing material on to reels, bobbins, tubes, or like package cores or formers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/026 Doubling winders, i.e. for winding two or more parallel yarns on a bobbin, e.g. in preparation for twisting or weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/12 on flanged bobbins or spools B65H54/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/54 Arrangements for supporting cores or formers at winding stations; Securing cores or formers to driving members
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/553 Both-ends supporting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/74 Driving arrangements arrangements for preventing ribbon winding B65H54/38; arrangements for rotating packages B65H54/40
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 59/04 by devices acting on package or support
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 59/385 Regulating winding speed
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 59/387 Regulating unwinding speed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/124 Roll handlers

Abstract

A capstan includes a lift motor, a flexible lifting member, and a tether assembly. The lift motor is operatively connected to a shaft. The flexible lifting member includes a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to the shaft. The flexible lifting member connects a lift assembly to the lift motor via the shaft. The tether assembly includes a switch arranged between a portion of the flexible lifting member and a portion of the capstan. The second end is connected to the tether assembly. The switch acts as a safety in case of a broken flexible lifting member and allows for an automated unloading cycle.

Claims

1. A capstan comprising:

a first post;

a second post;

a header comprising a first end connected to the first post and further comprising a second end connected to the second post, the header extending from the first post to the second post, the header comprising

a shaft,

a lift motor operatively connected to the shaft, and

a tether assembly comprising a switch;

a flexible lifting member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the flexible lifting member is connected to the shaft of the header, and wherein the second end of the flexible lifting member is connected to the tether assembly of the header; and

a traverse guide assembly comprising a first end slidably attached to the first post and further comprising a second end slidably attached to the second post, the traverse guide assembly extending from the first post to the second post, wherein the traverse guide assembly is attached to the header via the flexible lifting member, the traverse guide assembly positioned between the first end and the second end of the flexible lifting member.

2. The capstan of claim 1, wherein the tether assembly further comprises a cradle and a pin resting in the cradle, wherein the second end of the flexible lifting member is connected to the pin of the tether assembly, and wherein the switch of the tether assembly provides a signal in response to the pin deactivating the switch when a load on the flexible lifting member does not exceed a predetermined load.

3. The capstan of claim 1, further comprising a controller comprising:

a processing unit; and

a memory unit storing instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to perform operations comprising

receiving, from the switch, a signal indicating a fault; and

in response to receiving the signal from the switch indicating the fault, halting a spooling operation performed by the capstan.

4. The capstan of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a limit switch, an optical switch, or a proximity switch.

5. The capstan of claim 1, wherein the switch is responsive to a breaking of the flexible lifting member or is responsive when a reel associated with the capstan is lowered to a floor during an unload sequence.

6. The capstan of claim 1, wherein when the lift motor is operated, the first end of the flexible lifting member wraps around the shaft and lifts the traverse guide assembly up the first post and the second post towards the header or the flexible lifting member unwraps from around the shaft and lowers the traverse guide assembly down the first post and the second post away from the header.

7. The capstan of claim 6, wherein the lift motor is operatively connected to the shaft via a gearbox, the gearbox or a separate motor brake arranged to maintain the traverse guide assembly in a fixed position relative to the header.

8. The capstan of claim 1, wherein the traverse guide assembly further comprises:

a first arm comprising a first pintle assembly;

a second arm comprising a second pintle assembly; and

at least one pinch motor mechanically linked to the first arm and the second arm, wherein actuation of the at least one pinch motor in a first direction causes the first arm and the second arm to approach one another, and wherein actuation of the at least one pinch motor in a second direction causes at the first arm and the second arm to move away from one another.

9. The capstan of claim 8, wherein the traverse guide assembly further comprises:

a cylinder connected to the first arm; and

a drive assembly actuated by the cylinder, the drive assembly comprising a drive wheel, wherein when a reel is loaded onto the capstan, an outer diameter of a flange of the reel is contacted by the drive wheel of the drive assembly causing the reel to rotate about the first pintle assembly of the first arm and the second pintle assembly of the second arm.

10. The capstan of claim 1, wherein the traverse guide assembly further comprises a lift assembly, and wherein the flexible lifting member extends through and around at least a portion of the lift assembly of the traverse guide assembly to attach the traverse guide assembly to the header.

18. The capstan of claim 1, wherein the switch of the tether assembly detects, during an unloading cycle of the capstan, that a load on the flexible lifting member does not exceed a predetermined load and, in response, triggers an automated unloading sequence to be performed by the capstan.

11. A system for spooling multiple conductors onto a single reel, the system comprising:

a take-up capstan comprising a controller comprising a processing unit and a memory unit; and

a plurality of payoff capstans located proximate the take-up capstan, each of the plurality of payoff capstans comprising;

a first post,

a second post,

a header comprising a first end connected to the first post and further comprising a second end connected to the second post, the header extending from the first post to the second post, the header comprising

a shaft,

a lift motor operatively connected to the shaft, and

a tether assembly comprising a switch,

a flexible lifting member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the flexible lifting member is connected to the shaft of the header, and wherein the second end of the flexible lifting member is connected to the tether assembly of the header, and

a traverse guide assembly comprising a first end slidably attached to the first post and further comprising a second end slidably attached to the second post, the traverse guide assembly extending from the first post to the second post, wherein the traverse guide assembly is attached to the header via the flexible lifting member, the traverse guide assembly positioned between the first end and the second end of the flexible lifting member.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of payoff capstans further comprises a controller comprising:

a processing unit; and

a memory unit storing instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to perform operations comprising

receiving, from the take-up capstan, data associated with a fault detected at the take-up capstan, and

in response to receiving the data from the take-up capstan, halting a spooling operation performed by a respective payoff capstan of the plurality of payoff capstans.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the take-up capstan provides the data associated with the fault to each of the plurality of payoff capstans in response to receiving, at the controller of the take-up capstan, a signal from a switch of the take-up capstan, the signal indicating that a load associated with the take-up capstan does not exceed a predetermined load.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein when the lift motor is operated, the first end of the flexible lifting member wraps around the shaft and lifts the traverse guide assembly up the first post and the second post towards the header or the flexible lifting member unwraps from around the shaft and lowers the traverse guide assembly down the first post and the second post away from the header.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the traverse guide assembly of each of the plurality of payoff capstans further comprises:

a first arm comprising a first pintle assembly;

a second arm comprising a second pintle assembly; and

at least one pinch motor mechanically linked to the first arm and the second arm, wherein actuation of the at least one pinch motor in a first direction causes the first arm and the second arm to approach one another, and wherein actuation of the at least one pinch motor in a second direction causes at the first arm and the second arm to move away from one another.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the traverse guide assembly further comprises:

a cylinder connected to the first arm; and

a drive assembly connected to a lever arm actuated by the cylinder, the drive assembly comprising a drive wheel, wherein when a reel is loaded onto a respective payoff capstan, an outer diameter of a flange of the reel is contacted by the drive wheel of the drive assembly causing the reel to rotate about the first pintle assembly of the first arm and the second pintle assembly of the second arm.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the drive assembly further comprises a drive motor;

the drive motor, when engaged with the drive wheel, rotates the drive wheel of the drive assembly such that, when the drive wheel is in contact with the outer diameter of the flange of the reel, rotation of the drive wheel rotates the reel about the first pintle assembly of the first arm and the second pintle assembly of the second arm; and

the drive wheel, when disengaged from the drive motor, allows the reel to rotate freely while still in contact with the reel.