Claims
- 1. An apparatus for high speed fabrication of wire moving in a downstream direction comprising:
- (a) a wire drawer comprising a first die set for reducing the cross section of wire to an intermediate wire diameter and a second die set downstream thereof for reducing the diameter of the wire to a final diameter;
- (b) an annealer disposed between said first and second die sets;
- (c) first means for pulling the wire through said first die set and then through said annealer, said pulling means including means for controlling the tensile forces on the wire passing through said annealer;
- (d) means for lubricating the intermediate diameter wire so that it has a thin coating of lubricant thereon as it is pulled through said annealer;
- (e) quenching means for applying lubricant to the annealed intermediate diameter wire, said means located downstream of said annealer and upstream of said second die set; and
- (f) second means for pulling the wire through said second die set.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for pulling the wire through said first die set and through said annealer and for controlling the tensile forces on the wire passing through said annealer is a rotatable capstan having a wire receiving surface adapted to receive a wrap of lubricated wire from said first die set and a wrap of lubricated wire from said annealer, and adapted to have a rotational speed greater than the downstream speed of the wire wrapped thereon such that wire slippage occurs.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus includes a source of alternating current, and said annealer includes a plurality of spaced apart sheaves and an induction heater electrically connected to said source of current, said sheaves adapted to carry the wire in two loops, both passing through said induction heater, one of said sheaves adapted to contact a first portion of the wire received from said first die set before it has made its first loop and before it passes through said induction heater, and to simultaneously receive a second portion of the wire after it has made its second loop and after it has passed through said induction heater, said one of said sheaves being constructed to result in the first and second wire portions contacting each other for about 90.degree. to form a two loop shorted secondary winding within said induction heater and to transfer heat from the second wire portion to the first wire portion.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
- (a) an annealer downstream of said second die set; and
- (b) means for pulling the wire from said second die set through said last mentioned annealer.
- 5. An apparatus for high speed fabrication of wire comprising:
- (a) means defining a wire drawing chamber;
- (b) wire drawing means within said chamber, said means including a first and second die set, said first and second sets containing four to twelve and four to eight, respectively, separate wire drawing dies having decreasing diameter drawing orifices, said first die set constructed and arranged to form wire with an intermediate diameter, and said second die set constructed and arranged to form wire with a final diameter;
- (c) lubricating means within said chamber for applying a lubricant to the wire moving through said die sets;
- (d) first capstan means for pulling the wire through said first die set to form wire with an intermediate diameter, said capstan means including a rotating capstan disposed within said wire drawing chamber, said capstan including means for receiving a first wrap of said wire directly from said first die set;
- (e) an annealer located adjacent to said wire drawing chamber;
- (f) means for maintaining a non-oxidizing atmosphere within said annealer;
- (g) means for directing the intermediate diameter wire from said rotating capstan through said annealer, said rotating capstan also including means for receiving a second wrap of wire directly from said annealer; and
- (h) second capstan means for pulling the annealed intermediate diameter wire from the second wrap on said rotating capstan through said second die set to form wire with a final diameter.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 671,275 filed on Nov. 13, 1984 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,604.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
671275 |
Nov 1984 |
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