Improvements in or relating to a method of packaging fuse cord, apparatus therefor, and to a new and improved package of fuse cord

摘要

729,932. Packaging fuse cord. IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, Ltd. June 17, 1953 [June 23, 1952], No. 18638/52. Class 94 (1). [Also in Groups XXI and XXII] Lengths of fuse cord are wound to form helical coils of frusto-conical shape which are nested one within another in a cylindrical container. As shown, the fuse cord 6 is fed through a stationary guide 5 and wound on a hollow mandrel 1 having a helically-grooved frustoconical portion and a cylindrical end portion formed with a tapered slot 4, the groove running out of pitch at 2 and terminating adjacent a knife 3. The mandrel is carried by a threaded shaft 8 mounted in an internally-threaded bearing block 11 formed with external splines 10 engaging similar internal splines of a pulley 9 driven by a reversible electric motor, the pulley being located by a further bearing block 12. A cylindrical container 7 is supported at each end by a carriage 15 running on wheels 16, the carriages being secured together by the bolts 17 and being reciprocable towards and away from the mandrel by a lever operated by an air cylinder 18. At the commencement of each winding operation, the carriages are in the position shown in full lines and the mandrel is in the extreme right position with its larger end engaging a motor control switch 141 and the slot 4 presented upwardly. After the free end of the cord has been engaged in the slot, the motor is started by a push-button switch to cause the mandrel to rotate anti-clockwise as viewed from the right to wind the cord in the groove. The winding operation terminates when the knife 3'comes opposite a soft iron roller 20 and the cord is severed from the supply, but the mandrel continues to rotate until an adjustable collar 13 on the shaft engages a motor control switch 14 and it is brought to rest in the broken-line position within the container. The switch 14 also actuates the air cylinder 18 to cause the container to be moved to the right to the broken line position so that the coil is nested within the coil inserted by the preceding operation and the contents of the container are displaced by a distance equal to the diameter of the cord. The front wheel of the carriage 15 is arranged to operate a further motor-control switch 14SP11/SP which starts the motor in the reverse direction so that the mandrel is rotated clockwise to free itself from the coil and return to the starting position determined by the engagement of its larger end with the switch 14SP1/SP. The latter also actuates the air cylinder 18 to cause the container to be returned to the starting position. The first coil is received in a helically-grooved frusto-conical recess in a cylindrical member (not shown) which is slidable in the container and provides the necessary resistance to movement of the coils. This member drops out of the left-hand end of the container when the pile of coils is complete.