Apparatus for and method of manufacturing a helically wound tubular structure

Abstract

A winding apparatus for and method of manufacturing structures ( 116 ) includes a rotating faceplate ( 74 ) upon which are mounted a forming station for forming a supply of strip material before it is wound into a desired structure and a plurality of inner supports in the form of rollers ( 110 ) mounted for rotation about an axis and with said faceplate and a plurality of outer driven rollers ( 92 ) provided on an outer faceplate ( 118 ). The inner rollers ( 110 ) are mounted for radial movement relative to the inner faceplate ( 74 ). In operation, the inner rollers ( 110 ) act to support an inner portion S 1 of strip material wound thereon whilst allowing it to be supplied from an inner diameter thereof to said forming station and the outer rollers ( 92 ) act to support an outer portion S 2 of said strip. Said outer rollers are driven as and when necessary to transfer material to the inner portion S 1 and the radial position of the inner rollers increases as strip material is consumed from an inner diameter, thereby to maintain support of the strip supply regardless of the amount that has been consumed.

1 . A winding apparatus comprising;
 i) an inner faceplate rotatably mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis X-X and having an output station thereon; and   ii) an outer faceplate radially outward of said inner faceplate;   wherein said inner faceplate includes a plurality of strip supports at an outer diameter thereof and onto which, in operation, a supply of material may be wound, and wherein said strip supports are radially adjustable thereby to accommodate a change in diameter of any supply of any material supplied thereto.   
     
     
         2 . A winding apparatus as clamed in  claim 1  wherein said strip supports comprise a plurality of rollers mounted for radial adjustment within radially extending slots within said outer faceplate. 
     
     
         3 . A winding apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said strip supports comprise a plurality of rollers, one or more of which is mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis at a first end of a pivot arm the otherwise free end of which is pivotally mounted to said inner faceplate. 
     
     
         4 . A winding head as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said apparatus further includes a plurality of second strip supports at an outer diameter of said outer faceplate. 
     
     
         5 . A winding head as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said apparatus further includes a strip driving mechanism for rotating a supply of strip material supplied to said apparatus about said longitudinal axis X-X. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said strip driving mechanism comprises a plurality of driven rollers at an outer diameter of said second faceplate which, in operation, engage with an outer diameter of a supply of strip material supplied to said apparatus. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said strip driving mechanism comprises a plurality of driven rollers at an outer diameter of said second faceplate which, in operation, engage with an outer diameter of a supply of strip material supplied to said apparatus and wherein said driven rollers also comprise the second strip supports. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the apparatus further includes a strip brake for preventing rotation of an outer diameter of any strip material supplied to said apparatus relative to said faceplate. 
     
     
         9 . A winding apparatus as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said brake comprises a friction brake. 
     
     
         10 . A winding apparatus as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said brake comprises a driven roller having a brake system. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  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. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said apparatus further includes a strip clamping and cutting station. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 12  in which said feed rollers also form a strip clamp. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1  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. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said apparatus further includes a core supply mechanism for supplying a continuous or semi-continuous supply of core material to said apparatus. 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a tubular article on an apparatus having; an inner faceplate rotatably mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis X and having an output station thereon; and an outer faceplate radially outward of said inner faceplate; wherein said inner faceplate includes a plurality of strip supports at an outer diameter thereof and onto which, in operation, a supply of material may be wound, and wherein said strip supports are radially adjustable thereby to accommodate a change in diameter of any supply of any material supplied thereto, said method including the steps of:
 i) winding a supply of strip material onto said inner supports;   ii) passing a supply of said strip material from an inner diameter thereof through said inner supports to an inner diameter of said inner faceplate;   iii) rotating said faceplate so as to cause said strip material to be so transferred; and   iv) displacing said inner rollers radially outwardly during strip supply so as to maintain support for said strip material at an inner diameter thereof.   
     
     
         17 . A method as claimed in  claim 16  and wherein said apparatus includes a strip forming station on said inner faceplate, said method including the step of supplying said strip to said forming station and causing formed strip to be deposited in a spiral fashion so as to form a tubular structure. 
     
     
         18 . A method as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said outer rollers are driven rollers and the method includes the step of stopping said rollers and, hence the outer portion S 2  of said material, retraction of said inner rollers to an inner diameter so as to allow the removal of strip material from an inner diameter of S 2  and deposition thereof at an outer diameter of an inner portion S 1  supported by said inner supports. 
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said apparatus further includes a strip feed/clamp at an outer diameter of said apparatus and the method includes the further step of slowing the outer diameter S 2  and then reversing it so as to allow an otherwise free end of said strip material to be fed back into said clamp and joining a fresh supply of strip material to said otherwise free end. 
     
     
         20 . A method as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said apparatus further includes a strip feed/clamp at an outer diameter of said apparatus and the method includes the further step of slowing the outer diameter S 2  and then reversing it so as to allow an otherwise free end of said strip material to be fed back into said clamp and joining a fresh supply of strip material to said other free end and including the further step of releasing said clamp and causing fresh material to be added to said inner diameter S 1  by rotating said inner faceplate.