Claims
- 1. In apparatus for processing wire, the combination comprising:
- a) conveyor means for displacing the wire endwise, said conveyor means including first upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) and first upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said conveyors,
- c) there being frame means including guide means on which said assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said conveyors via said assemblies, in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- e) said assemblies including driven timing pulleys on which said timing belts are entrained,
- f) there being a first drive motor, driving timing pulleys rotatably carried by the frame and operatively connected with the first drive motor to be driven thereby, and said timing belts respectively entrained on said driving timing pulleys,
- g) and including secondary drive means including a second motor and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof, and computer control means for first operating said second motor to adjust the position of said upper and lower conveyors, and for then operating the first motor to advance said conveyors,
- h) there being means including spring means exerting yieldable force against said assemblies, in opposite directions toward one another and toward the wire.
- 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises an elongated element on which said assemblies are slidably mounted.
- 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said element comprises a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame to be rotated by said secondary drive means, and structure carried on the shaft for controllably yieldably urging said assemblies toward one another.
- 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said structure comprises urging means in cooperative engagement with the shaft, and spring means between the urging means and said assemblies to exert yieldable force against said assemblies, in opposite directions toward the wire.
- 5. In apparatus for processing wire, the combination comprising:
- a) conveyor means for displacing the wire endwise, said conveyor means including first upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) and first upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said conveyors,
- c) there being frame means including guide means on which said assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said conveyors via said assemblies, in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- e) said assemblies including driven timing pulleys on which said timing belts are entrained,
- f) there being a first drive motor, driving timing pulleys rotatably carried by the frame and operatively connected with the first drive motor to be driven thereby, and said timing belts respectively entrained on said driving timing pulleys,
- g) and including secondary drive means including a second motor and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof, and computer control means for first operating said second motor to adjust the position of said upper and lower conveyors, and for then operating the first motor to advance said conveyors,
- h) and wherein said assemblies include driven timing pulleys on which said timing belts are entrained.
- 6. In apparatus for processing wire, the combination comprising:
- a) conveyor means for displacing the wire endwise, said conveyor means including first upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) and first upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said conveyors,
- c) there being frame means including guide means on which said assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said conveyors via said assemblies, in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- e) said assemblies including driven timing pulleys on which said timing belts are entrained,
- f) there being a first drive motor, driving timing pulleys rotatably carried by the frame and operatively connected with the first drive motor to be driven thereby, and said timing belts respectively entrained on said driving timing pulleys,
- g) and including secondary drive means including a second motor and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof, and computer control means for first operating said second motor to adjust the position of said upper and lower conveyors, and for then operating the first motor to advance said conveyors,
- h) and wherein the wire is displaceable by the conveyors along an endwise axis, and including cutter blades located for movement toward and away from said axis, and blade drive means operatively connected with the blades to displace them toward and away from said axis, to controllably sever the wire.
- 7. In apparatus for processing wire, the combination comprising:
- a) conveyor means for displacing the wire endwise, said conveyor means including first upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) and first upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said conveyors,
- c) there being frame means including guide means on which said assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said conveyors via said assemblies, in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- e) said assemblies including driven timing pulleys on which said timing belts are entrained,
- f) there being a first drive motor, driving timing pulleys rotatably carried by the frame and operatively connected with the first drive motor to be driven thereby, and said timing belts respectively entrained on said driving timing pulleys,
- g) and including secondary drive means including a second motor and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof, and computer control means for first operating said second motor to adjust the position of said upper and lower conveyors, and for then operating the first motor to advance said conveyors,
- h) and wherein said conveyors include endless belts having stretches extending in the direction of the wire at opposite sides thereof.
- 8. In apparatus for processing wire, the combination comprising:
- a) conveyor means for displacing the wire endwise, said conveyor means including first upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) and first upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said conveyors,
- c) there being frame means including guide means on which said assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said conveyors via said assemblies, in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- e) said assemblies including driven timing pulleys on which said timing belts are entrained,
- f) there being a first drive motor, driving timing pulleys rotatably carried by the frame and operatively connected with the first drive motor to be driven thereby, and said timing belts respectively entrained on said driving timing pulleys,
- g) and including secondary drive means including a second motor and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof, and computer control means for first operating said second motor to adjust the position of said upper and lower conveyors, and for then operating the first motor to advance said conveyors,
- h) and wherein the conveyor means includes second upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire, and spaced from said first upper and lower conveyors in the direction of wire travel, and wire cutter means located between said first conveyors and said second conveyors.
- 9. The combination of claim 8 including
- i) second upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said second conveyors,
- ii) there being second frame means including guide means on which said second assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- iii) there being second timing belts operatively connected with said second assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said second conveyors via said second assemblies, in different positions of the second assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof.
- 10. In apparatus for processing wire, the combination comprising:
- a) conveyor means for displacing the wire endwise, said conveyor means including first upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) and first upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said conveyors,
- c) there being frame means including guide means on which said assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said conveyors via said assemblies, in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- e) said assemblies including driven timing pulleys on which said timing belts are entrained,
- f) there being a first drive motor, driving timing pulleys rotatably carried by the frame and operatively connected with the first drive motor to be driven thereby, and said timing belts respectively entrained on said driving timing pulleys,
- g) and including secondary drive means including a second motor and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof, and computer control means for first operating said second motor to adjust the position of said upper and lower conveyors, and for then operating the first motor to advance said conveyors,
- h) and wherein said guide means includes:
- one elongated guide which is fixed relative to said frame means
- a second elongated guide extending parallel to said one guide, said second elongated guide defining an axis of rotation about which the secondary guide is rotatable
- said second guide yieldably coupled to said assemblies to increasingly urge said assemblies toward the wire in response to said rotation of said second guide.
- 11. The combination of claim 10 including springs positioned to exert yieldable force on said assemblies, and nuts having threaded engagement with said second guide to controllably tension the respective springs, in response to controlled rotation of the second guide.
- 12. The combination of claim 11 including means for allowing independent adjusting rotation of the nuts on the second guide to selectively and adjustably tension the springs.
- 13. The combination of claim 12 including shoulders on each nut spaced about the axis of the second guide, and holders movable into engagement and disengagement with said shoulders.
- 14. In apparatus for processing wire, the combination comprising:
- a) conveyor means for displacing the wire endwise, said conveyor means including first upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) and first upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said conveyors,
- c) there being frame means including guide means on which said assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said conveyors via said assemblies, in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- e) said assemblies including driven timing pulleys on which said timing belts are entrained,
- f) there being a first drive motor, driving timing pulleys rotatably carried by the frame and operatively connected with the first drive motor to be driven thereby, and said timing belts respectively entrained on said driving timing pulleys,
- g) and including secondary drive means including a second motor and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof, and computer control means for first operating said second motor to adjust the position of said upper and lower conveyors, and for then operating the first motor to advance said conveyors,
- h) and wherein said endless conveyors also comprise timing belts.
- 15. The combination of claim 14 wherein said conveyors include two spaced upper rotors on which the upper endless conveyor is entrained, and two spaced lower rotors on which the lower endless conveyor is entrained, the upper assembly carrying said two upper rotary and the upper conveyor, and the lower assembly carrying the two lower rotors and the lower conveyor.
- 16. In apparatus for processing wire, the combination comprising:
- a) conveyor means for displacing the wire endwise, said conveyor means including first upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) and first upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said conveyors,
- c) there being frame means including guide means on which said assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said conveyors via said assemblies, in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- e) said assemblies including driven timing pulleys on which said timing belts are entrained,
- f) there being a first drive motor, driving timing pulleys rotatably carried by the frame and operatively connected with the first drive motor to be driven thereby, and said timing belts respectively entrained on said driving timing pulleys,
- g) and including secondary drive means including a second motor and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof, and computer control means for first operating said second motor to adjust the position of said upper and lower conveyors, and for then operating the first motor to advance said conveyors,
- h) and wherein there are only two of said timing belts.
- 17. In apparatus for processing wire, the combination comprising:
- a) conveyor means for displacing the wire endwise, said conveyor means including first upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) and first upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said conveyors,
- c) there being frame means including guide means on which said assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said conveyors via said assemblies, in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- e) said guide means including
- one elongated guide which is fixed relative to said frame means
- a second elongated guide extending parallel to said one guide, said second elongated guide defining an axis of rotation about which the second guide is rotatable
- said second guide yieldably coupled to said assemblies to increasingly urge said assemblies toward the wire in response to said rotation of said second guide,
- f) there being springs positioned to exert yieldable force on said assemblies, in opposite directions toward one another and toward the wire and nuts having threaded engagement with said second guide to controllably tension the respective springs, in response to controlled rotation of the second guide,
- g) there being means for allowing independent adjusting rotation of the nuts on the second guide to selectively and adjustably tension the springs,
- h) and including shoulders on each nut spaced about the axis of the second guide, and holders movable into engagement and disengagement with said shoulders.
- 18. The combination of claim 17 including a first drive motor, driving timing pulleys rotatably carried by the frame and operatively connected with the drive motor to be driven thereby, and said timing belts respectively entrained on said driving timing pulleys.
- 19. The combination of claim 18 wherein said guide means extends vertically so that said assemblies are vertically movable toward and away from one another, said driven and driving timing pulleys having parallel extending axes, the axis of each driving timing pulley spaced substantially horizontally from the axis of its associated driven timing pulley, whereby said timing belts accommodate to said relative movement of the assemblies toward and away from one another.
- 20. The combination of claim 18 including shaft means and gearing operatively coupled between said drive motor and said driving timing pulleys, whereby one driving pulley is rotated in one rotary direction, and the other driving pulley is rotated in an opposite rotary direction.
- 21. The combination of claim 18 including secondary drive means on the frame means and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof.
- 22. The combination of claim 21 wherein said secondary drive means is coupled with said assemblies via said guide means.
- 23. The combination of claim 22 wherein said secondary drive means comprises one of the following:
- a motor drive
- a manually rotatable drive.
- 24. The combination of claim 18 including shafts for said driving and driven pulleys, and wherein said timing belts and said driving and driven pulleys and the shafts are the only means to transmit drive from said first drive motor to said conveyor means.
- 25. The combination of claim 18 including secondary drive means including a second motor and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof, and computer control means for first operating said second motor to adjust the position of said upper and lower conveyors, and for then operating the first motor to advance said conveyors.
- 26. In apparatus for processing wire, the combination comprising:
- a) conveyor means for displacing the wire endwise, said conveyor means including first upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) and first upper and lower assemblies for carrying and controllably driving said conveyors,
- c) there being frame means including guide means on which said assemblies are supported and guided for relative movement toward and away from one another,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit rotary drive to said conveyors via said assemblies, in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- e) said assemblies including driven timing pulleys on which said timing belts are entrained,
- f) there being a first drive motor, driving timing pulleys rotatably carried by the frame and operatively connected with the first drive motor to be driven thereby, and said timing belts respectively entrained on said driving timing pulleys,
- g) and including secondary drive means including a second motor and coupled with said assemblies for effecting said relative movement thereof,
- h) computer control means for controlling said motors, and
- i) spring means for urging said assemblies relatively oppositely, and toward the wire.
- 27. The combination of claim 26 including guide means that extend vertically, whereby said assemblies are vertically movable toward and away from one another, said driven and driving timing pulleys having parallel extending axes, and whereby said timing belts accommodate to said relative movement of the assemblies toward and away from one another.
- 28. The combination of claim 27 including shaft means and gearing operatively coupled between said drive motor and said driving timing pulleys, whereby one driving pulley is rotated in one rotary direction, and the other driving pulley is rotated in an opposite rotary direction.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/149,221 filed Nov. 8, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,148 which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08/022,981 filed Feb. 25, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,485 which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/857,972 filed Mar. 26, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,683 which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/659,557 filed Feb. 22, 1991, now abandoned which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/611,057 filed Nov. 9, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,673.
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Continuations (1)
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Date |
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Parent |
149221 |
Nov 1993 |
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Continuation in Parts (4)
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22981 |
Feb 1993 |
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857972 |
Mar 1992 |
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659557 |
Feb 1991 |
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611057 |
Nov 1990 |
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