Differential core winding apparatus

Abstract

A pressurize air differential core winding apparatus comprises core mounting outer rings rotationally slidably mounted on a corresponding inner camming ring having outer camming surfaces. A rotating drive shaft has radial displaceable buttons which are displaced radially outwardly by an inner inflatable bladder to selectively rotate the inner ring forming a clutch mechanism. Each outer ring has an annular array of slots in which are elongated rotatable gripping cylindrical rollers having arcuate edges. Each roller is resiliently urged radially inwardly by an O-ring against the camming surfaces. The camming surfaces selectively urge the rollers outwardly to grip a core about which filaments are to be wound. An array of recesses in the outer ring receive a corresponding pad of fibrous members such as the hook type fasteners available as Velcro and Velcoin brands for initially frictionally engaging and gripping a received core. The fibrous members extend from a substrate having an adhesive backing for securing the pad to the recesses.

1 . A core winding apparatus, the core for receiving elongated elements to be wound thereon, the apparatus comprising:
 a drive shaft having a longitudinal axis about which the shaft rotates;   an outer core receiving ring mounted about the shaft;   a plurality of elongated circular cylindrical rollers mounted on the core receiving ring, each roller being resiliently urged radially inwardly and arranged for selective radial outward displacement relative to the ring for selective gripping of a core received on the ring;   an inner cam ring rotatably mounted between the shaft and the outer core receiving ring, the cam ring having a plurality of outer cam surfaces, each surface for camming engagement with a different corresponding roller of said plurality of rollers for the selective radial outward displacement of that roller; and   a clutch mechanism associated with the shaft for selectively rotationally coupling the inner cam ring and outer ring to the drive shaft for selective rotation of the cam ring and outer ring.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each said rollers rotate about a first axis parallel to the shaft axis, each roller having a first arcuate longitudinally extending outer surface that encircles the first axis, the outer surface having a second arcuate surface that terminates at opposite end edges of the rollers, the second arcuate surface being defined by a second axis that is normal to the first axis. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each said rollers has an annular groove, and an O-ring in the groove for resiliently urging the corresponding roller radially inwardly toward and into engagement with a cam ring cam surface. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further including a plurality of fibrous members attached to selected outer surface regions of the core receiving ring for initially frictionally engaging and securing a received core to the core receiving ring. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further including a plurality of fibers extending upwardly from the core receiving ring for initially frictionally engaging and securing a received core to the core receiving ring as the core is being received on the core receiving ring. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the outer core receiving ring has an outer surface and a plurality of recesses in the outer surface, and further including a pad of radially outwardly extending fibers attached to the core receiving ring in a corresponding one of each said recesses. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein each recess is spaced intermediate an adjacent pair of rollers in the core receiving ring. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the rollers are spaced at opposing locations on the core receiving ring about 180° apart in a plane. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further including a plurality of fibrous members attached to the core receiving ring for initially frictionally engaging and securing a received core to the core receiving ring and spaced at opposing locations on the core receiving ring about 180° apart in a plane. 
   
   
       10 . A core winding apparatus, the core for receiving elongated elements to be wound thereon, the apparatus comprising:
 a drive shaft having a longitudinal axis about which the shaft rotates;   a core receiving ring mounted about the shaft;   a plurality of rotatable members mounted on the core receiving ring and arranged for selective radial outward and inward displacement relative to the ring for selective gripping of a core received on the ring;   a rotatable inner cam ring mounted between the shaft and the core receiving ring, the cam ring being mounted radially outwardly of the drive shaft and having a plurality of cam surfaces, each cam surface for camming engagement with a different corresponding rotatable member of said plurality of rotatable members for said selective radial outward displacement;   a clutch mechanism associated with the shaft for selectively rotationally coupling the cam ring to the drive shaft for selective rotation of the cam ring and outer ring; and   a plurality of fibrous members attached to the core receiving ring in at least one given outer surface region of the core receiving ring for initially frictionally engaging and securing a received core to the core receiving ring.   
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the fibrous members comprise an array of a plurality of fibrous hook members upstanding from the core receiving ring in a given region, each hook member comprising at least one fiber. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the rotatable members are elongated rollers. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the rotatable members are elongated rollers, each roller having a groove, and an O-ring in the groove for resiliently urging the roller radially inwardly toward and in engagement with an inner cam ring cam surface. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the rotatable members are elongated rollers each for rotation about a further axis parallel to the shaft longitudinal axis, the rollers having opposing edges in a direction along the further axis, the rollers opposing edges being arcuate and extending about an axis normal to the further axis. 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the fibrous members comprise pads with a radially upwardly extending flexible fiber pile relative to the shaft longitudinal axis and secured to the outer core receiving ring. 
   
   
       16 . A core winding apparatus, the core for receiving elongated elements to be wound thereon, the apparatus comprising:
 a drive shaft having a longitudinal axis;   a plurality of buttons mounted for radial displacement in the shaft in axial arrays along the shaft axis, the axial arrays being arranged about the shaft in an annular array;   an outer core receiving ring rotatably mounted about the shaft;   an inflatable bladder radially inwardly the drive shaft;   a plurality of elongated strips, each strip being in the interface between an axial array of the buttons and the bladder for selectively outwardly displacing the buttons;   a rotatable inner cam ring having a plurality of outer periphery cam surfaces, the cam ring being responsive to the radially outward displacement of the buttons for selective rotational movement in response to rotational movement of the drive shaft and the radial engagement of the buttons with the cam ring;   a plurality of elongated cylindrical rollers associated with the cam ring and arranged for radially displacement in corresponding bores in the core receiving ring, the cam ring for selectively radially outwardly displacing the plurality of rollers for selective frictional engagement with a corresponding received core, the rollers for rotationally driving the core in response to rotation of the shaft; and   a plurality of fibrous members attached to the core receiving ring in at least one given outer surface pile region for frictionally engaging and securing a received core to the core receiving ring.   
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the rollers each have an annular groove, further including an O-ring mounted in the groove for resiliently urging the corresponding roller radially inwardly engaged with the cam ring. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the rollers have arcuate outer surfaces facing in two orthogonal directions. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 16  including a pressurized air input port for inflating the bladder. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the rollers and fibrous members alternate with respect to each other in a direction along the longitudinal axis, the fibrous members being located at about 180° apart about the core receiving ring.