Patent Application
20240239628
In general, the present invention relates to an apparatus and or system used to coil lengths and or payout flexible extrusion elongated materials such as but not limited to hoses, cable, tubing, wiring, and the like. More particularly, the present invention provides an improved coiling and or payout by using an electromagnetic brake, spindle torque, PID loop, and so forth for providing a constant tension of material to be loaded and or paid out associated with a coil and or reel so that slack and or over tension is reduced and or eliminated.
In general, lengths of material that are usually relatively long and flexible are wound on large reels and or spools by a manufacturer. It is known for redistribution to take these large reels and or spools of materials into smaller amounts for redistribution. The machines associated with such are often referred to as automatic cut and transfer coiling and or spooling machines. Coiling is typically a reference to taking the elongated material from a large spool and or reel to a smaller desired length for redistribution and wrapping it freely into a coil with no spool and or reel. Spooling is typically a reference to taking the elongated material from a large spool and or reel to a smaller desired length for redistribution then wrapped around another spool and or reel for redistribution.
There is known difficulty in keeping a preferred constant tension while doing either of the above. The presents of slack or higher than desired tension may damage the elongated materials in the process. It is known that too much tension in the winding process can undesirably stretch or curl the material while too much slack may cause uneven winding and or unwinding that may cause snags.
It is also desirable to have precise winding when dealing with more delicate elongated materials. Overlapping, excessive gaps between rows, inconsistent product orientation, “roll overs”, and tangled rows are known problems and undesirable. When winding elongated materials with a pile, it is also undesirable to crush the pile or distort the pile.
Thus, there is a need for a new and improved coiling and or uncoiling system for providing constant tension of elongated materials being loaded onto and or off a reel, which has a precise winding and or unwinding such that the elongated material being wound and or unwound are not damaged in the process. It is desirable to fill these needs with a reliable alternative that is affordable and functional. The above discussed limitations in the prior art is not exhaustive. The current invention provides an inexpensive, time saving, more reliable apparatus, method, and system where the prior art fails.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of spooling and coiling systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new and improved apparatus, system, and method of using the same. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved spooling and or coiling system for use with elongated materials, which has all the advantages of the prior art devices and none and or fewer of the disadvantages.
It is, therefore, contemplated that the present invention is an apparatus, system, and method for a new and improved spooling and or coiling system that provides constant desired tension on elongated material into the coil and or reel during the winding process and or unwinding process. The invention contemplates a proportional-integral-derivative (also referred to as PID) controlled electromagnetic brake (also referred to as EMB) wherein tension on the brake goes up/down with respect to outer diameter (also referred to as OD) of a reel, torque on spindles go up/down with respect to OD of the reel, a pneumatic roller clamp forces material against roller controlled by the EMB, adjusting tension/torque allows the spindles to maintain a constant speed to match the extruder, and so forth.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in this application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved spooling and or coiling apparatus, system, and method for use with elongated materials where it is desirable to prevent and or reduce damage associated with the winding process.
Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved spooling and or coiling apparatus, system, and method, which provides a constant tension winding that reduces damages to more delicate elongated materials that are easily damaged.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved spooling and or coiling apparatus, system, and method, which may provide neatly wound rows of product without overlapping, excessive gaps between rows, consistent product orientation with no “roll-overs”, and no tangled rows.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved spooling and or coiling apparatus, system, and method, which does not crush or distort elongated materials with a pile.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved spooling and or coiling apparatus, system, and method, which is of a durable and reliable construction and may be utilized in numerous types of coiling applications.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved spooling and or coiling apparatus, system, and method, which benefits from a low cost of manufacture, which accordingly results in a low price of sale to the consuming industry, thereby making such a system economically available to those in the industry.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved spooling and or coiling apparatus, system, and method, which provides all the advantages of the prior art while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
These, together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty, which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such a description makes reference to the annexed pictorial illustrations, graphs, drawings, and appendices.
Referring to the illustrations, drawings, and pictures, and to
Invention 10 may comprise a frame 20, a spindle(s) 30, a feed system 40, a computer control 50, and a power source 60. It is understood that spindle 30 may be utilized with a spool and or reel 70 (not depicted) although it is understood that spindle 30 may be utilized without a reel 70 when coiling elongated materials.
The invention contemplates a proportional-integral-derivative system 80 (also referred to as PID) controlled electromagnetic brake system 90 (also referred to as EMB) wherein tension on the electromagnetic brake system 90 goes up/down with respect to outer diameter (also referred to as OD) of reel 70, torque on spindles 30 go up/down with respect to OD of the reel 70, a pneumatic roller clamp forces material against roller controlled by the electromagnetic brake system 90, adjusting tension/torque allows the spindle(s) 30 to maintain a constant speed to match extruder 100 (not depicted).
It is understood a proportional-integral-derivative controller (PID controller or three-term controller) is a control loop mechanism employing feedback that is widely used in industrial control systems and a variety of other applications requiring continuously modulated control. The basic idea behind a PID controller is to read a sensor, then compute the desired actuator output by calculating proportional, integral, and derivative responses and summing those three components to compute the output. It is also understood that electromagnetic brakes (also called electro-mechanical brakes or EM brakes) slow or stop motion using electromagnetic force to apply mechanical resistance (friction).
It is therefore contemplated that invention 10 may be a constant tension application spooler and coiler system that provides constant desired tension on elongated material into the coil and reel during the winding process and unwinding process comprising: a frame; a spindle rotationally fixed to said frame; a feed system for moving said elongated material into and out of said spindle; proportional-integral-derivative controlled electromagnetic brake system attached to said spindle that provides constant desired tension on said elongated material during the winding process and unwinding; and a computer control in communication with said spindle and said proportional-integral-derivative controlled electromagnetic brake system.
Changes may be made in the combinations, operations, and arrangements of the various parts and elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, names, titles, headings, and general division of the aforementioned are provided for convenience and therefore, should not be considered limiting.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/480,474 filed on Jan. 18, 2023, currently pending, and is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63480474 | Jan 2023 | US |
