Apparatus for and method of manufacturing a helically wound tubular structure

Abstract

An apparatus ( 50 ) for and method of manufacturing structures ( 116 ) includes coaxial rotating faceplates ( 74, 89, 97 ), capable of rotation at different angular speeds. A plurality of forming rollers ( 76 ) and diameter defining rollers ( 78 ) are mounted on the inner faceplate ( 74, 89 ), which, in operation, cause a strip material ( 80 ) to be plastically deformed into a helical winding which may be lain down in abutting or self-overlapping relationship to form said tubular structure ( 116 ). A plurality of support rollers are mounted in a circle on the inner faceplate ( 74, 89 ) at a distance from the axis exceeding that of the outermost forming roller and serve to support the stock of strip material.

1 . A winding apparatus comprising;
 an inner faceplate rotatably mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis X-X and having an output station thereon;   an outer faceplate radially outward of said inner faceplate and being rotatably mounted for rotation about said longitudinal axis X-X;   
       wherein said inner faceplate comprises a plurality of forming rollers for receiving a strip of material and supplying said strip to said output station and a plurality of inner support rollers for supporting said strip, said support rollers being arranged in a circle around said axis X-X at a distance from the axis X-X exceeding that of the outermost forming roller, said inner and outer faceplates are substantially co-planar and said apparatus further includes a drive mechanism for driving each of said faceplates relative to each other about said longitudinal axis X-X. 
     
     
         2 . A winding apparatus as claimed in either of  claim 1  wherein said apparatus includes a faceplate brake for preventing rotation of said outer faceplate as and when desired. 
     
     
         3 . A winding apparatus as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said faceplate brake comprises a friction brake. 
     
     
         4 . A winding apparatus as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said faceplate brake comprises a pin mounted on a non-rotatable portion of said apparatus and a recess in said outer faceplate for receiving said pin. 
     
     
         5 . A winding apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  4  wherein said apparatus further includes a strip brake for preventing an outer diameter of any strip material wound onto said outer faceplate rotating relative to said outer faceplate. 
     
     
         6 . A winding apparatus as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said strip brake comprises a plurality of friction brakes mounted for radial movement on said outer faceplate and including a friction surface for engagement with an outer diameter of any strip material wound onto said outer faceplate. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as clamed in any one of  claims 1  to  6  wherein said apparatus further includes a pair of feed rollers mounted on an outer diameter of said outer faceplate for receiving a supply of strip material to said apparatus and for guiding said strip towards said inner faceplate. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  7  wherein said apparatus further includes a strip clamping and cutting station. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  8  wherein said inner faceplate further includes a central bore for receiving a supply of core material onto which strip supplied to said apparatus may be wound. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said apparatus further includes a core supply mechanism for supplying a continuous or semi-continuous supply of core material to said apparatus. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 10  further comprising a servo mechanism for positioning the core supply mechanism relative to the inner faceplate. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus as claimed in  claims 1  to  11  further comprising roller wheels mounted on the outer circumference of the outer faceplate, each roller wheel comprising a friction surface for engaging directly with the outer surface of the stock of material, and a drive mechanism for rotating said roller wheels. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  12  further comprising a monitoring means for monitoring the amount of strip material present in said apparatus. 
     
     
         14 . A method for supplying a strip of material, in an apparatus comprising an inner faceplate with support rollers arranged in circle around its axis and an outer faceplate, the faceplates being rotatable at independent variable speeds about a common axis, the method comprising the steps of:
 loading a stock of strip material onto said faceplates by winding said strip material onto the support rollers,   consuming stock of said strip material from the inner circumference of the stock between adjacent support rollers, by rotating said inner faceplate, and   replenishing the stock of said strip material at the inner faceplate from the outer faceplate.   
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 14  further comprising the step of stopping the rotation of the outer faceplate. 
     
     
         16 . A method as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the rotation stopping step comprises friction braking 
     
     
         17 . A method as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the rotation stopping step comprises inserting a pin movably mounted on a fixed portion of said apparatus into a recess on said outer faceplate. 
     
     
         18 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 14  to  17  further comprising the step of preventing rotation of the outer portion of said wound stock relative to the outer faceplate by clamping the outer circumference of said wound stock by strip brakes mounted on the outer faceplate. 
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 14  to  18  further comprising a clamping step wherein the free end of said wound stock is selectively clamped to the outer faceplate 
     
     
         20 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 14  to  19  further comprising the step of reloading a new stock of strip material into the apparatus 
     
     
         21 . A method as claimed in  claim 20  wherein the reloading step comprises the steps of
 stopping rotation of the outer faceplate, 
 unclamping the free end of the remaining stock on the outer faceplate 
 attaching the free end of the stock to be replaced to the free end of the replacement stock 
 winding the replacement stock by rotating the inner faceplate. 
 
     
     
         22 . A method as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the stopping step further comprises stopping rotation of the inner faceplate. 
     
     
         23 . A method as claimed in  claim 21  wherein, by continued rotation of the inner faceplate, consumption from the inner circumference of the stock is continuous. 
     
     
         24 . A method as claimed in  claim 14 , further comprising the step of reloading a new stock of strip material into the apparatus, said outer faceplate further comprising outer support wheels positioned around its outer circumference, the reloading comprising the steps of
 stopping rotation of the outer faceplate,   attaching the free end of the stock to be replaced to the free end of the replacement stock   winding the replacement stock by rotating the outer support wheels   
     
     
         25 . A method as in any one of  claims 14  to  24  further comprising the step of transferring stock of strip material between the inner and outer faceplates by varying their respective speeds. 
     
     
         26 . A computer program product comprising a readable medium for storing instructions for implementing the method of  claims 14  to  25 .