Claims
- 1. The method of operating apparatus for processing wire, said apparatus 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 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 of at least one assembly toward and away from the other assembly,
- d) there being timing belts operatively connected with said assemblies to transmit drive to said conveyors,
- said method including:
- i) adjusting the relative position of at least one of the upper and lower assemblies to relatively close said upper and lower conveyors toward one another,
- ii) feeding a wire between said conveyors while the conveyors are closed toward one another so that the conveyors engage opposite sides of the wire,
- iii) then advancing the conveyors by operation of said timing belts, to advance the wire,
- iv) then processing the wire being advanced by the conveyors after the wire advances beyond the conveyors.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said advancing of the conveyors is effected to maintain wires of different diameters extending along a predetermined axially extending travel path as the wires of different diameters are advanced and processed.
- 3. The method of claim 1 including providing cutter means for processing the wire, operating the cutter means to cut off a forward end section of the wire, leaving a rearward remainder portion of the wire having a cut forwardmost end thereof at a known position at the cutter means, for subsequent processing.
- 4. In the method of processing wire, the steps comprising
- a) displacing wire of a first diameter endwise along a travel path for processing by cutter means, and subsequently displacing wire of a second diameter endwise along the same said travel path for processing by said cutter means,
- b) providing upper and lower endless conveyors and operating said conveyors to advance said wires and to maintain the same endwise travel path for both wires, without adjusting the relative position of the conveyors by external means to compensate for change in wire diameter,
- c) said operating of the conveyors including urging said conveyors toward one another to engage opposite sides of the wires for centering the wires in alignment with said travel path, as the wire is advanced by the conveyors.
- 5. The method of claim 4 including maintaining an axis of said travel path along which both wires travel axially, along their travel paths.
- 6. The method of claim 4 including providing and operating cutter means to cut off a forward end section of the wire, leaving a rearward remainder portion of the wire having a cut forwardmost end thereof at a known position at the cutter means, for subsequent processing.
- 7. The method of claim 4 wherein said operating of the conveyors includes providing drive means for the conveyors with timing belts operated in anti-backlash drive transmitting mode.
- 8. The method of operating apparatus for processing wire, said apparatus 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) and drive means to transmit drive to said conveyors in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- said method including
- i) positioning the assemblies to receive the wire between upper and lower conveyors, closed toward one another,
- ii) feeding the wire between the conveyors while the conveyors are closed toward one another so that the conveyors engage opposite sides of the wire, for axial advancement,
- iii) the assemblies positioned so that wires of different diameters, when fed between the conveyors, will have the same axis of advancement,
- iv) then advancing the conveyors by operation of said drive means,
- v) then processing the wire advanced by the conveyors.
- 9. The method of operating apparatus for processing wire, said apparatus 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) and drive means to transmit drive to said conveyors in different positions of the assemblies associated with said relative movement thereof,
- said method including
- i) positioning the assemblies to feed the wire between upper and lower conveyors, closed toward one another,
- ii) loading the wire between the conveyors by placing the forward end of the wire at the entrance formed by the closed conveyors, so that the closed conveyors engage opposite sides of the forward end of the wire, for axial advancement,
- iii) the assemblies positioned so that wires of different diameters, when fed between the conveyors, will have the same axis of advancement,
- iv) then advancing the conveyors by operation of said drive means,
- v) then processing the wire advanced by the conveyors.
- 10. The method of claim 9 including providing and operating cutter means to cut off a forward end section of the wire, leaving a rearward remainder portion of the wire having a cut forwardmost end thereof at a known position at the cutter means, for subsequent processing.
- 11. The method of operating apparatus for processing wire having sheathing, said apparatus comprising
- a) two conveyor means for advancing the wire axially endwise, each said conveyor means including upper and lower endless conveyors engageable with opposite sides of the wire, the upper and lower conveyors of at least one said conveyor means including endless belts, and
- b) blade means for severing the wire and for cutting into said sheathing, said blade means being located between said two conveyor means,
- said method including:
- i) operating at least one of said conveyor means to feed a first said wire having said sheathing endwise forwardly into proximity to the blade means,
- ii) operating the blade means to sever the first wire, thereby to form forward and rearward first wire sections,
- iii) operating the blade means to cut into sheathing on said wire sections, thereby forming sheathing sections,
- iv) operating both said conveyor means to displace said wire sections endwise oppositely, thereby to remove said sheathing sections from the wire sections.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein there is a second said wire having said sheathing and having a diameter that is different from the diameter of said first wire, the first wire having been advanced along a predetermined travel path, and including the further steps:
- v) operating at least one of the conveyor means to feed the second said wire having said sheathing endwise forwardly along said travel path into proximity to the blade means,
- vi) operating the blade means to sever the second wire, thereby to form forward and rearward second wire sections,
- vii) operating the blade means to cut into sheathing on said second wire sections, thereby forming sheathing sections,
- viii) operating both said conveyor means to displace said second wire sections endwise oppositely, thereby to remove said sheathing sections from the second wire sections.
- 13. The method of operating apparatus for processing wire having sheathing, said apparatus comprising
- a) two conveyor means for advancing the wire axially endwise, each said conveyor means including upper and lower endless belts engageable with opposite sides of the wire,
- b) blade means for severing the wire and for cutting into said sheathing, said blade means being located between said two conveyor means,
- said method including:
- i) operating at least one of the conveyor means, including said belts, to feed a first said wire having said sheathing endwise forwardly into proximity to the blade means,
- ii) operating the blade means to sever the first wire, thereby to form forward and rearward first wire sections,
- iii) operating the blade means to cut into sheathing on said wire sections, thereby forming sheathing sections,
- iv) operating one said conveyor means, including said belts, to displace one said wire section, thereby to remove one said sheathing section from one said wire section, and operating the other said conveyor means, including said belts, to displace the other said wire section, thereby to remove the other said sheathing section from said other wire section.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein there is a second said wire having said sheathing and having a diameter that is different from the diameter of said first wire, the first wire having been advanced along a predetermined travel path, and including the further steps:
- v) operating at least one of said conveyor means, including said belts, to feed the second said wire having said sheathing endwise forwardly into proximity to the blade means,
- vi) operating the blade means to sever the second wire, thereby to form forward and rearward second wire sections,
- vii) operating the blade means to cut into sheathing on said second wire sections, thereby forming sheathing sections,
- viii) operating one of said conveyor means, including said belts, to displace one said second wire section, thereby to remove one said sheathing section from said one second wire section, and operating the other said conveyor means, including said belts, to displace the other said second wire section, thereby to remove the other said sheathing section from said other second wire section.
- 15. The method of operating apparatus fop processing wire having sheathing, said apparatus comprising
- a) conveyor means for advancing the wire axially endwise, said conveyor means having wire-engaging belts, and
- b) blade means for cutting into said sheathing,
- said method including:
- i) operating the conveyor means including said belts to feed a first said wire having said sheathing endwise forwardly into proximity to the blade means,
- ii) operating the blade means to cut into sheathing on said first wire, thereby forming a sheathing section,
- iii) operating the conveyor means, including said belts, to displace said first wire endwise rearwardly thereby to remove said sheathing section from said first wire.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein there is a second said wire having said sheathing and having a diameter that is different from the diameter of said first wire, the first wire having been advanced along a predetermined travel path, and including the further steps:
- iv) operating the conveyor means, including said belts, to feed the second said wire endwise forwardly along said travel path into proximity to the blade means,
- v) operating the blade means to cut into the sheathing on said second wire, thereby forming a sheathing section,
- vi) operating the conveyor means, including said belts, to displace said second wire endwise rearwardly thereby to remove said sheathing section from said second wire.
- 17. The method of operating apparatus for processing wire having sheathing, said apparatus comprising
- a) a conveyor for advancing the wire axially endwise, said conveyor having wire-engaging belting, and
- b) blade means for severing the wire and for cutting into said sheathing,
- said method including:
- i) operating the conveyor, including said belting, to feed a first said wire endwise forwardly into proximity to the blade means,
- ii) operating the blade means to sever the first wire, thereby to form forward and rearward first wire sections,
- iii) operating the blade means to cut into sheathing on one wire section, thereby forming a sheathing section on said one wire section,
- iv) and operating the conveyor to displace said one wire section endwise, thereby to remove said sheathing section from said one wire section.
- 18. The method of claim 17 wherein there is a second said wire having said sheathing and having a diameter that is different from the diameter of said first wire, the first wire having been advanced along a predetermined travel path, and including the further steps:
- v) operating the conveyor, including said belting, to feed the second said wire endwise forwardly along said travel path into proximity to the blade means,
- vi) operating the blade means to sever the second wire, thereby to form forward and rearward second wire sections,
- vii) operating the blade means to cut into sheathing on one wire section of the second wire thereby forming a sheathing section on said one wire section,
- viii) and operating the conveyor, including said belting, to displace said one wire section of the second wire endwise, thereby to remove said sheathing section from said one wire section,
- ix) said operating of the conveyor with respect to said first and second wires being effected without adjusting the conveyor by external means to compensate for different wire diameters.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This is a division, of application Ser. No. 08/149,221 filed Nov. 8, 1993 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,148 WHICH IS A CIP OF Ser. No. 08/022,981 Feb. 25, 1993 U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,485 WHICH IS A CIP OF Ser. No. 07/977,217 Nov. 16, 1992 U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,502 WHICH IS A CON OF Ser. No. 07/765,986 Sep. 26, 1991 U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,555 WHICH IS A CIP OF Ser. No. 07/659,557 Feb. 22, 1991 ABN WHICH IS A CON OF Ser. No. 08/083,512 Jun. 30, 1993 U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,457 WHICH IS A CIP OF Ser. No. 07/611,057 Nov. 9, 1990 U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,673.
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Apr 1991 |
EPX |
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FRX |
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Divisions (1)
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149221 |
Nov 1993 |
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Continuations (2)
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765986 |
Sep 1991 |
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Parent |
83512 |
Jun 1993 |
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Continuation in Parts (4)
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22981 |
Feb 1993 |
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977217 |
Nov 1992 |
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659557 |
Feb 1991 |
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611057 |
Nov 1990 |
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