Device and method for winding a strand-shaped winding material

Abstract

Device (1) for winding a strand-shaped winding material, such as a continuously extruded tube (3), preferably made of plastic, onto a winding drum (5), comprising: a support (23), a laying arm (27) mounted on the support (23), over which the winding material is transferred to the rotating winding drum (5) by winding during a back-and-forth laying movement of the laying arm (27), a laying arm bearing which guides the laying arm (27) in a laying direction (V) relative to the support (23), and a restoring device (61) which, when the laying arm (27) is deflected relative to the support (23), imparts a restoring force to the laying arm (27) in order to pretension the laying arm (27) against a winding loop (17) last placed on the winding drum (5).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for a method of winding a strand-shaped material, such as a continuously extruded tube, preferably made of plastic, onto a rotating winding drum. With regard to the material being wound, such as an extruded plastic tube, for example, a cable protection tube in which a fiber optic cable can be laid protected, it is important, among other things, to keep the material in stock in lengths of several hundred meters in limited space. It is known to wind the material onto a winding drum or spool and unwind it on-site as needed. For reasons of production efficiency, the winding process follows directly after the manufacturing process, in particular the extrusion, of the material being wound, so that the freshly extruded plastic material leaves a cooling station without being cut to length and is fed to the winding device.The winding process itself is then usually controlled by an operator and, if necessary, manually manipulated.

[0002] When using cable protection conduit as winding material, a standard wooden winding drum is typically employed. The cable protection conduit wound onto the wooden drum is delivered to construction sites for installation as needed. Such inexpensive, standardized wooden winding drums, or other types of winding drums, have proven particularly useful on construction sites due to their relatively low price and potential for reuse. However, these winding drums exhibit rotationally asymmetrical axial and radial runout due to imbalances in the side flanges and the drum core. Because of the geometric irregularity of the winding drum, current technology requires operator monitoring and manipulation of the winding material.Automation has not yet been achieved, not only due to unpredictable geometric variations in low-priced drums, but also because the material properties of plastic pipes only stabilize after a longer curing period. This makes the winding characteristics of the plastic pipe difficult to predict both during and after winding due to changes in material properties following extrusion. Such individual winding parameters require operators with many years of experience in monitoring and manipulating the material being wound. To date, even a near-fully automated winding process without manual operator assistance has not been possible, especially at winding speeds exceeding 100 meters per minute.

[0003] In automation technology, winding methods and winding devices are known in which electrical cables are wound onto geometrically precise reels. EP 0203046 B1, for example, discloses a cable winder in which a guide arm, directed towards the winding reel, has several arm segments connected to each other by means of multiple joints. However, it has been shown that in the known winding automation processes, ideal conditions exist for both the cable and the winding reel, particularly with regard to the geometry of the winding reel and the material properties of the material being wound. Wire winders, in particular, are products of high material quality and uniform material properties, which is why higher costs are incurred to use ideally geometric, unbalanced winding reels.It was found that the known automated winding techniques cannot be successfully used when the material being wound and the winding drum have unpredictable material and geometric properties.

[0004] A winding device for yarn is known from US 2,243,624 A. An automatic cable winding device is known from DE 24 41 090 A1. A winding machine for electrical wire is known from DE 26 49 029 A1. A cable laying device with a cable guiding mechanism is known from US 4,421,284 A, which has a guide roller and means for applying a downward force through the cable feed path at an inclined angle opposite to the laying direction of the cable. A device for winding cables onto drums is also known from DE 33 08 283 A1, which has a laying hand that guides and presses the cable onto the drum core or a previous winding layer in the receiving area.

[0005] The object of the invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to provide a device and a method for winding a strand-shaped winding material such as a continuously extruded tube, preferably made of plastic, onto a winding drum, whereby automation is to be achieved in which manual intervention by an operator can be avoided as far as possible.

[0006] This problem is solved by the features of independent claims 1 or 8.

[0007] The invention provides a device for winding a strand-shaped material, such as a continuously extruded tube, preferably made of plastic, onto a winding drum. The winding drum according to the invention comprises a support on which, for example, electronic components of the device can be arranged. The support can also simply serve as a mounting point for attaching a gripper arm of an actuator or a handling device, such as a robot. Preferably, the support has a rail for a rail-carriage arrangement. Furthermore, the winding device according to the invention has a feed arm mounted on the support, over the end of which the material is transferred to the rotating winding drum during an axial, in particular linear, reciprocating movement of the feed arm.Preferably, the axial reciprocating movement is purely linear and essentially parallel to the axis of rotation of the winding drum. In particular, the winding drum-side end describes the axial linear reciprocating path between the two opposing side flanges of the winding drum. Facing away from the winding drum, the laying arm has a receptacle for receiving the material being wound, which in particular exits an extrusion station continuously. The receptacle can be formed, for example, by a star-shaped arrangement of several, in particular four, free-running rollers. The receptacle can additionally have a support structure on which, for example, electronic components or pneumatic damping systems for mounting the laying arm can be attached.

[0008] The winding device according to the invention also has a laying arm bearing that guides the laying arm, particularly in the axial laying direction, relative to the support. The winding device according to the invention has a restoring or pre-tensioning device which, in the event of a deflection of the laying arm, particularly from a neutral position of the laying arm relative to the support, caused in particular by the axial growth of the winding layer on the winding drum, generates a restoring or pre-tensioning force, particularly elastic and in particular substantially axially directed, and transmits this force to the laying arm in order to press the laying arm laterally against the winding loop most recently placed on the winding drum.

[0009] The return mechanism and the laying arm bearing pre-tension the laying arm in such a way that it bears axially against the winding, particularly the last winding loop laid, exerting pressure, especially at its end on the winding drum side. The greater the deflection of the laying arm relative to the support, the stronger the return force that creates the axial pre-tension.

[0010] In the neutral position, preferably no restoring force acts on the laying arm and thus on the last wound loop. Preferably, the restoring force generated by the restoring device acts continuously on the last wound loop during the entire back-and-forth laying movement of the laying arm. The restoring force, and thus the continuous axial preload of the winding drum-side end of the laying arm against the wound loop, presses the last wound loop axially against the immediately adjacent wound loop, resulting in a compact, gapless winding structure. The compliance in the laying direction achieved by the laying arm bearing, combined with the elastic restoring preload against the laying direction, allows for a change in the position of the laying arm caused by the gradually building winding on the winding drum.In the winding process according to the invention, the laying arm does not perform an actively defined, and in particular controlled, positioning procedure, but rather adapts flexibly and continuously to the geometric features and material-specific characteristics of the winding. In a further development of the invention, particularly reliable automation of the winding process can be achieved at high processing and winding speeds of up to 100 m / min and beyond. In addition to the translational flexible mounting in the laying direction, the laying arm can also be flexibly mounted in a vertical direction.

[0011] The mounting of the laying arm preferably allows purely translational adjustment of the support-side end of the laying arm and, optionally, purely translational vertical movement of the support-side end of the laying arm. Additionally, the laying arm could optionally be pivoted around its support-side end by means of a corresponding pivoting mounting on the support side, whereby pivoting movement in both an axial and a vertical plane is permitted. This pivoting mounting must allow a pivot amplitude of only a few degrees, in particular less than 20°. The longer the longitudinal extension of the laying arm, the smaller the pivot amplitude in the vertical and horizontal directions needs to be.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a winding drum-side end of the laying arm, which may for example be designed as a free-running engagement wheel, is designed such that, due to the restoring force during the axial back-and-forth laying movement, in particular during the entire back-and-forth movement, the winding drum-side end comes into a particularly constant lateral contact with a lateral side of the last laid winding loop that is at least partially free circumferentially, so that, in particular, the laying arm is deflected stepwise by the axial extent of a winding loop in the axial laying direction, depending on the axial growth of the winding to be laid, i.e., depending on the axial deflection from the neutral position.In accordance with the axial deflection, the restoring device generates a restoring pressure force, which is communicated via the winding drum-side end of the laying arm to the lateral side of the last laid winding loop.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the restoring device comprises a spring that can be controlled or adjusted, in particular by the control and / or regulating device. This spring generates, and in particular calculates and sets, an elastic restoring force when the laying arm is deflected from its neutral position into a deflected position. It should be understood that a controllable spring can generate a restoring force even without the laying arm deflecting from a neutral position. The restoring force is oriented such that its direction of action is parallel to the axial laying direction, in particular parallel to the axis of rotation of the winding drum. To ensure that the restoring device presses the end on the winding drum side against the last wound loop laid, the direction of action of the restoring force is opposite to the laying direction.

[0014] The restoring force preferably serves only to pre-tension the laying arm axially against the winding and to support it against that winding. Returning the laying arm to its original position relative to the carrier is preferably achieved by a positioning device holding the carrier, such as a robot, which, when a deflection threshold or a maximum restoring / pre-tensioning force is exceeded, adjusts the carrier relative to the deflected laying arm.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the restoring device is formed by a pneumatic actuator, in particular by a pair of pneumatic actuators, one of which is responsible for generating the restoring force in each axial laying direction. The pneumatic actuator can be coupled to a control and / or regulation device to receive additional control signals related to operation or winding, in order to actively increase or decrease the restoring force and thus the preload force relative to the amount that would otherwise be established according to the axial deflection.

[0016] Preferably, the restoring device is connected to a control and / or regulating device so that the restoring force and thus the preload force is kept essentially within a defined limit range, in particular constant, during winding.

[0017] During winding, the restoring force is generated incrementally due to the yielding bearing of the laying arm. If a limit threshold within a given range is exceeded, the restoring force can be gradually reduced without eliminating the restoring force / preload, ensuring that the restoring force always remains within the predetermined limits. Reducing the restoring force is achieved by adjusting the beam's position relative to the laying arm.

[0018] In a further development of the invention, the return device has a control and / or regulating device for adjusting the return force / preload, for example by adjusting the spring characteristic of the return device, and / or a control for adjusting the deflection amplitude of the laying arm. The respective control and / or regulating device can be coupled to a sensor that detects the deflection of the laying arm from the neutral position and communicates this information to the control and / or regulating device, such as a microcomputer. For example, with a constant spring characteristic of the return device, the microcomputer can define a target deflection, according to which a control process is initiated.

[0019] In a further development of the invention, the restoring force is adjustable. This is achieved, for example, by moving the carrier relative to the laying arm, which is supported by the laid winding, in particular by the last winding loop laid. For this purpose, the winding device according to the invention comprises, in particular, a handling or positioning device, such as a robot, with at least two, preferably three, axes of movement, preferably in a vertical axis of movement and in a horizontal axis of movement in the laying direction of the laying arm, in particular parallel to the axis of rotation of the winding drum. The positioning device positions the carrier relative to the laying arm, which is supported by the laid winding, thereby increasing or decreasing the elastic restoring force acting between the laying arm and the carrier.Preferably, a control and / or regulating device is provided for the winding device, which sets the restoring force and, in particular, only triggers the following of the carrier relative to the laying arm displaced by the winding increase by means of the actuating device when the laying arm has exceeded a predetermined deflection path or a deflection threshold along the carrier.

[0020] Preferably, the winding device comprises a tracking device according to which the carrier is guided in the axial laying direction after the elastic restoring force has built up, in accordance with the increase of the winding in the axial direction. For this purpose, the tracking device has the positioning device that holds the carrier.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the laying arm bearing is formed by a slide-rail arrangement. This slide-rail arrangement ensures linear guidance of the laying arm relative to the support, essentially parallel to the axis of rotation of the winding drum relative to the support. The rail is formed on the support side, while the slide is implemented on the laying arm side. The return mechanism is located between the slide and the rail, such that the corresponding force transmission points of the return mechanism are arranged on the slide and the rail. The laying blade of the laying arm is attached to the slide, while the handling device engages the rail of the support to allow for readjustment of the support relative to the laying arm.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the winding drum-side end is mounted such that, at least during a portion of the reciprocating movement, and preferably for the entirety of the reciprocating movement, particularly up to the change in winding direction, the winding drum-side end is driven along the winding path by the axially expanding winding layer, forming a substantially axial lateral contact with a free lateral side of the winding loop last wound on the winding drum. In this way, a correctively flexible behavior of the winding arm required for automation is achieved, which closely approximates the manual manipulation of an experienced operator. This ensures that, in particular, geometric imbalances of the winding drum or the winding do not impair an automated winding process.The end on the winding drum side is preferably formed by a wheel freely rotatable on the laying arm, at least part of which projects beyond the laying arm to make contact with the still free lateral side of the last wound winding loop, and which is driven in the direction of rotation solely by the winding drum or by the material already wound on the winding drum. In the laying direction, the wheel is carried along the laying path by the continuously axially increasing winding layer and displaced axially. The wheel rolls on the winding drum or the already completely laid winding layer, at least under the influence of the weight of the laying arm.

[0023] Furthermore, a preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an positioning or release device that, at least during the laying movement, positions the laying arm near the side flange of the winding drum at a "positive" angle of inclination away from one side flange relative to the horizontal radial extent of that side flange, and pivots the laying arm towards the opposite side flange at a "negative" angle of inclination away from the other side flange during the back-and-forth laying movement. The positioning device is preferably formed by the handling device, such as the positioning robot, which positions the support to perform the desired pivoting movement around the winding loop contact. The pivot axis of the pivoting movement is preferably located in the region of the winding drum-side end of the laying arm. The pivot point can move along the back-and-forth laying path. It is sufficient to set a release angle of 1° to 20°.Corresponding to the clearance angle, the rotatable laying direction of the laying arm, defined by the laying arm bearing, is also inclined relative to the axial direction, with the inclination angle being greatest at the axial ends of the back-and-forth laying movement and decreasing during the back-and-forth laying movement, just like the clearance angle, disappearing approximately halfway through the laying path and subsequently increasing again, particularly gradually.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a positioning device for the laying arm is provided for operational positioning, particularly during a change of direction in the back-and-forth laying process. This device is used to position the laying arm vertically relative to the winding drum. The positioning device cooperates with a displacement sensor to detect at least one predetermined position of the laying arm along the laying path. Optionally, upon reaching the at least one predefined position, the displacement sensor causes the positioning device to raise the laying arm away from the winding drum or from the layer of winding already placed on it by at least approximately half the thickness of the material being wound, preferably by approximately one thickness or more than one thickness, and at most by twice the thickness of the material.The positioning device for the laying arm can have a pivot bearing, particularly a vertical one, for the laying arm, with a pivot axis of the laying arm located on the support side. The pivot bearing can be implemented, for example, by allowing a laying arm blade on the winding drum side to pivot vertically relative to the base of the laying arm on the support side. Furthermore, the positioning device for the laying arm can have a lifter for raising the pivot axis vertically, particularly linearly. The lifter is formed, for example, by the handling device, such as the positioning robot, which engages the support to raise the support, including the pivot axis of the laying arm, vertically and linearly. To ensure that the pivotable winding drum-side end is included in the lifting action, the pivot bearing has a stop that limits the lowering of the winding drum-side end of the laying arm.The pivot bearing allows, on the one hand, a flexible contact sequence of the winding drum-side end on the already laid winding layer and thus free contour following of the already laid winding layer and its radial imbalances; on the other hand, the contact stop limits a lowering of the winding drum-side end from the support onto the winding layer by a maximum of half the winding material thickness, should the winding drum-side end get between two laid adjacent winding loops.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a winding material brake is arranged on the laying arm, which imparts a braking force to the winding material before it reaches the winding drum in order to pre-tension the winding material. The braking force can be adjusted operationally, in particular by a control and / or regulation system.

[0026] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for winding a strand-shaped material, such as a continuously extruded tube, preferably made of plastic, onto the winding drum. In the method according to the invention, the material is transferred to the rotating winding drum by means of a back-and-forth movement of the winding arm relative to a support. The winding arm is guided in the winding direction relative to a support. When the winding arm is deflected from a mounting position relative to the support, a restoring force directed in the axial winding direction is generated, which acts against the winding placed on the winding drum.

[0027] The method according to the invention is preferably defined on the basis of the above-mentioned operational and / or functional aspects of the winding device according to the invention.

[0028] Further preferred embodiments are specified in the dependent claims.

[0029] Further properties, features and advantages of the invention are explained by the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a device for winding a continuously extruded plastic tube onto a winding drum in an initial operating state in which a first winding layer is deposited on the winding drum; Fig. 2a a perspective view of the winding device according to Fig. 1 shortly before the operating state of a winding direction change; Fig. 2b a perspective detail view of the engagement of a winding drum-side end of a laying arm on the winding and the winding drum according to the operating state after Fig. 2a; Fig. 3a a perspective view of the winding device during the operating state of the winding direction change; Fig. 3b a perspective detail view of the winding drum-side end of the laying arm according to the operating state after Fig. 3a; Fig. 4a a perspective view of the winding device in the operating state after the winding direction change; Fig. 4b a perspective detail view of the winding drum-side end of the laying arm according to the operating state after Fig. 4a; Fig. 5 a perspective view of the winding device with axes of movement of a support of the winding device and of the laying arm; Fig. 6. A top view of the winding device in the operating state of the winding direction change according to Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b; Fig. 7 a perspective top view of the support of the winding device according to Fig. 1; Fig. 8 a perspective side view of the carrier according to Fig. 7; Fig. 9 another perspective view of the carrier after Fig. 7 with regard to an eddy current brake for the wound material in a passive operating state; and Fig. 10 the perspective side view of the carrier according to Fig. 7 with the eddy current brake in an active operating state.

[0030] In Fig. In the invention, the winding device is generally designated by reference numeral 1. The winding device 1 serves to wind a continuously extruded plastic tube 3, such as a so-called cable protection tube, from an extrusion station (not shown in detail) onto a winding drum 5, whereby the aim is to achieve the most uniform winding possible without gaps between the individual winding loops 17 and with a substantially constant winding pitch of one plastic tube width per revolution, as is the case, for example, in the Fig. 1 to 4b is shown.

[0031] The winding drum 5 comprises a substantially cylindrical drum core 7, to each of whose two axial ends a lateral, radially extending side flange 11a, 11b is attached. Concentric to the rotational symmetry of the winding drum 5, a rotation axis 13 of the winding drum 5 is fixed in position (relative to a reference base B on which the winding device 1 stands), about which the winding drum 5 rotates to carry out the winding process. The rotation axis 13 defines an axial direction, which is also referred to below to define movements of movable components of the winding device 1.

[0032] For economic reasons, the standardized winding drum 5 is often made of wood, whereby the drum core 7 as well as the side flanges 11a, 11b may deviate slightly, but not negligibly, from an ideally symmetrical shape. The cylindrical drum core 7 may exhibit radial runout, while the side flanges 11a, 11b may exhibit axial imbalances. Winding drums 5 made of other materials, such as plastic, also frequently deviate from an ideally symmetrical rotational shape, either randomly or due to the manufacturing process.

[0033] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the extruded plastic tube 3 is already wound around the drum core 7 in an initial winding position, covering more than half the axial circumference of the winding drum 5. The winding loop most recently applied to the drum core 7 will be designated with the reference numeral 17. Until the next winding loop is completely wrapped around the drum core 7 and has formed a lateral surface, the winding loop 17 has a circumferentially free axial lateral side 18, which will be the primary reference point in the following description, particularly at approximately the 12 o'clock position (contact with the engagement wheel 43).

[0034] The plastic tube 3 is continuously extruded cylindrically along its length and can have an outer diameter of 5 mm to 30 mm or 40 mm. The thickness of the plastic tube 3 can be approximately 10% to 60% of the outer tube radius. The plastic tube 3 is continuously formed in an extrusion station (not shown) and passes through a cooling line (water bath) into the winding device 1, which may be preceded by a plastic tube (3) buffer system (not shown). This buffer system is designed to compensate for different conveying speeds of the plastic tube 3 in its longitudinal direction during the extrusion process and during winding.The buffer system (not shown) can, for example, be designed as a vertical pendulum which, through the vertical displacement of a deflection wheel, can compensate for excessively low or high speeds of the winding device 1 relative to the extrusion device by allowing the deflection wheel to assume a higher or lower vertical position. In this way, a buffer section for the extruded plastic tube (3) can be achieved for a continuous manufacturing process before it enters the winding device 1.

[0035] The winding device 1 according to the invention essentially consists of four main components, namely a carrier 23, a laying arm 27, a resetting device 61 and a [unclear text] Fig. 5 indicated positioning robots 71.

[0036] The laying arm 27 has a shape similar to a chainsaw, with a laying arm base 28 (actuator / motor base) and a laying blade 29 that extends from the laying arm base 28 essentially horizontally to the winding drum 5 and directly or indirectly contacts it. The laying arm base 28 has a receptacle 21 on its end face facing away from the winding drum 5 ( Fig. 6, Fig. 9 and Fig. 10) for receiving the plastic tube 3, which in particular exits an extrusion station continuously. The receiving unit 21 comprises star-shaped pairs of rollers 25, which define a threading opening to ensure horizontal and vertical threading of the plastic tube 3 into the laying arm 27. The laying arm base 28 is mainly formed by a profile support 57, which is composed of several joined support plates. Functional components of the winding device 1, such as a microcomputer, actuators, etc., can be attached to the support plates.

[0037] The support 23 movably holds the laying arm 27 and, in the illustrated embodiment, has a rail 51 to which a gripper arm of the positioning robot 71 is attached. The rail 51 cooperates with a carriage 53 of the laying arm base 28 such that the laying arm 27 can be moved back and forth along the linear carriage path.

[0038] The laying blade 29 extends predominantly in a horizontal direction, approximately perpendicular to the axial direction 13 from the laying arm base 28 towards the winding drum 5, wherein the laying arm 27 is dimensioned such that it projects in its longitudinal direction over the drum core 7 (to approximately its axial center) (viewed in relation to A).

[0039] The laying blade 29 has two vertical guide and retaining plates 31a, 31b arranged parallel to each other. A guide slot for the plastic pipe 3 is formed between the two retaining and guide plates 31a, 31b, which have a substantially constant vertical width in their essentially horizontal direction of extension. To ensure that the plastic pipe 3 can slide securely from the receptacle 21 along the laying arm 27 between the retaining and guide plates 31a, 31b, guide rollers can be rotatably mounted in the guide slot on the retaining and guide plates 31a, 31b and form a spatially defined guide channel through the guide slot.

[0040] At a winding drum-side end 33 of the laying arm 27, a pair of discharge rollers 35 with horizontal axes of rotation are still mounted in the guide gap, which ensure a guided discharge of the plastic pipe 3 from the winding drum-side end 33 of the laying arm 27 towards the winding drum 5.

[0041] A displacement sensor in the form of a contact element 37 is positioned on the upper side of the winding drum-side end 33. The contact element 37 comprises a freely rotatable contact wheel whose axis of rotation is vertically arranged. Other displacement sensor designs known from the prior art can also be used. The contact wheel has a passive operating state during the laying movement W of the laying arm 27 between the left side flange 11b and the opposite right side flange 11a, in which the axis of rotation lies in a guide slot of the laying blade 29.As soon as the contact wheel of the contact transmitter 37 engages with the radial inner surface 41 of the respective side flange 11a, 11b, the contact wheel, in particular its vertical axis of rotation, is deflected axially because the contact wheel projects axially in both axial directions at the winding drum-side end 33 of the laying arm 27 and is pivotably mounted on the laying arm 27 for axial deflection. During axial deflection of the contact wheel, the contact transmitter 37 sends an electrical contact signal to a control and / or regulating device (not shown), which processes the contact signal for further winding operation of the winding device 1.

[0042] On the underside of the winding drum end 33, opposite the top side, a gear 43 is mounted to the laying arm 27 so as to be freely rotatable. Its axis of rotation is essentially horizontal and parallel to the axis of rotation 13 of the winding drum 5. The running surface of the gear 43 is in direct rolling contact with the driven drum core 7 or with an already laid winding layer. During winding, a freely accessible side area of ​​the gear 43 bears against the axial lateral side 18 of the last laid winding loop 17 with a predominantly axial pressure preload contact.

[0043] The axial width of the running surface of the engagement wheel 43 is dimensioned such that it is larger than half the outer diameter of the plastic tube 3, but smaller than the outer diameter of the plastic tube 3.

[0044] The laying arm 27 is vertically pivotable via a support-side pivot bearing (23), which is not illustrated in detail. A support-side pivot axis S runs horizontally, at least depending on the laying path position, parallel to the rotation axis 13 of the winding drum 5. A damping unit 45 is provided to control the pivoting movement of the laying arm 27 in a vertical plane. This damping unit is attached on one side to the support 23 and on the other side to a projection 47 on the top of the laying blade 29. The damping unit 45 ensures a damped pivoting movement of the laying arm 27 about the support-side pivot axis S. A pivot stop (not shown) is provided to limit the downward pivoting of the laying arm 27 in the vertical plane onto the winding drum 5.The pivot stop ensures that the engagement wheel 43 does not become wedged between two already laid winding loops and is forced completely between them, thus preventing contact between the engagement wheel 43 and a complete winding layer underneath. The pivoting range of the laying arm 27 and the position of the pivot stop are fixed relative to the laying arm 27 such that, during the back-and-forth laying motion, the engagement wheel 43 is in rolling contact with the cylindrical drum core 7 or the last laid winding layer. However, the pivot stop prevents the engagement wheel 43 from lowering beyond half the thickness of the plastic pipe 3, thus preventing rolling contact with the last completely laid winding layer.

[0045] The support 23 can be moved relative to the stationary axis of rotation 13 or to the stationary reference floor B of a production hall by means of a positioning robot 71, which is stationary on the reference floor B, grasping the support 23, holding it and positioning it according to the control system in accordance with the winding process.

[0046] In Fig. Figure 5 shows some of the axes of movement of the positioning robot 71, wherein the positioning robot 71 can move the carrier 23 in the horizontal direction, which corresponds to the axial direction (rotation axis 13) and essentially to the laying direction V, and linearly in inclination A, and wherein the positioning robot 71 can pivot the carrier 23 about the lateral contact K (about the rotation axis D).

[0047] The point of engagement of the engagement wheel 43 with the drum core 7 or the already laid winding layer forms an actuation point at which the laying arm 27 is axially displaced ahead of the support 23 by the axial growth of the winding layer 15. This can be described as a flexibly reacting follow-up movement of the laying arm 27, which directly follows the continuous axial laying of the winding loops 17 and the axial growth of the winding layer 15. A vertical pivoting movement about the pivot axis S, due to the contact of the engagement wheel 43 with the winding drum 5 and a radial growth of the winding layers, achieves a follow-up adjustment of the laying arm 27, which is initially mounted on the stationary support 23. The yielding movement of the laying arm 27 and the adjusting movement of the support 23 are indicated by the double arrows V, A in Fig. 5 indicated.

[0048] The positioning robot 71 holds the carrier 23 by means of the rail 51, which cooperates with the carriage 53, formed by a base plate 55 and a profile carrier 57 extending downwards from it. The carriage 53 and the rail 51 form a translational bearing whose translational laying direction V is defined essentially or approximately parallel to the horizontal axial direction (axis of rotation 13). The carriage (53)-rail (51) arrangement grants the laying arm 27 freedom of movement relative to the carrier 23 only in the laying direction V, so that the carriage 53 can only be moved in the laying direction V relative to the positioning robot 71, in particular its gripper arm (not shown).

[0049] The rail (51)-slide (53) arrangement provides axial flexibility for the laying arm 27. This axial flexibility is created by the degree of freedom in the laying direction V. To prevent the engagement wheel 43 from losing contact with the lateral side of the last laid winding loop 17 between the two side flanges 11a, 11b during the laying process, a restoring or pretensioning device 61 acts between the slide 53 and the rail 51. This device generates an elastic restoring or pretensioning force as soon as the laying arm 27 is deflected in the laying direction V from a predefined neutral position relative to the support 23, in which no restoring forces of the restoring device 61 act between the rail 51 and the slide 53, driven by the axial expansion of the winding layer 15. The magnitude of the restoring force is greater the greater the deflection of the laying arm 27 from the neutral position.The reset device 61 is formed by a pair of pneumatic actuators 63, 65, the details of which are described in the . Fig. Figures 7 to 10 are indicated. A pneumatic actuator 65 or 63 is active for generating the restoring force only in one of the routing directions V (for example, from the side flange 11a to the side flange 11b), while the other pneumatic actuator (65 or 63) is active in the opposite routing direction V (from the side flange 11b to the side flange 11a).

[0050] If the laying arm 27 is moved in the laying direction V by the periodic, horizontal laying of the winding loop 17, the end 33 of the laying arm 27 together with the carriage 53 shifts in the linear laying direction V relative to the rail 51, which during this time remains temporarily stationary in its position unaffected, until it is readjusted, for example, by the positioning robot 71 when a deflection threshold of the carriage 53 is exceeded, which reduces the restoring force of the restoring device. Due to the relative movement between the slide 53 and the rail 51, the pneumatic actuator 63 or 65 (depending on the axial laying direction) is pneumatically tensioned, so that the pneumatically elastic restoring force is generated in the pneumatic actuator 63, 65, which is communicated to the laying arm 27 via the slide 53 and finally pre-tensions the engagement wheel 43 axially against the free lateral side 18 of the last wound winding loop 17.The axial restoring preload ensures that all winding loops 17 are placed close together in the axial direction to achieve the desired uniform winding sequence, and allows for flexible adaptation to geometric and material-specific anomalies.

[0051] It is clear that the pneumatic actuator 63, 65 can also generate an actively controlled pneumatic restoring force independently of the positioning of the laying arm 27, for example by pneumatically activating the pneumatic actuator via a control and / or regulation device (not shown in detail) depending on a predetermined operating state. To achieve the simplest possible design, the pneumatic actuator 63 is uncontrolled and (only) generates elastic restoring forces when the laying arm 27 is moved from its neutral position in the laying direction V.

[0052] To keep the axial restoring force that the engagement wheel 43 presses against the free lateral side 18 of the last winding loop 17 essentially constant, the axial deflection between the carriage 53 and the rail 51 is kept essentially constant or at least within a limit range. For this purpose, a position sensor (not shown) is used, which, with the aid of a control and / or regulation device (not shown in detail), monitors a predefined minimum and maximum target deflection amplitude. If this amplitude is exceeded or fallen below, the positioning robot 71 follows the deflection movement of the laying arm 27, whereby the retraction can correspond approximately to the thickness of the plastic pipe 3. In this way, it is ensured that the elastic restoring force is reduced by the periodic build-up of the deflection as the rail 51 follows the movement.

[0053] In order to achieve the desired winding around the drum core 7 of the winding drum 5, the plastic tube 3 is subjected to a constant tensile preload force as far as possible in its longitudinal direction when winding around the drum core 7.

[0054] According to the invention, an electromagnetic brake, in particular an eddy current brake 67, is arranged on the carrier 23, in particular on the slide 53, which consists of an active operating position, as described in Fig. 10 can be seen to enter a passive operating position (see Fig. 9) can be transferred. The eddy current brake 67, which may be set and manipulated by a control and / or regulating device (not specified in detail), serves to transmit the essentially uniform tensile preload force to the plastic tube 3. For example, the eddy current brake 67 can have two magnetic rotors that rotate in an electromagnetically generated magnetic field, with each rotor being able to be extended and retracted to adjust the electromagnetic braking force. To introduce sufficient frictional deceleration forces into the plastic tube 3, a toothed belt 72 is provided, which is tensioned around two deflection pulleys of the eddy current brake 67. The toothed belt 72 has transverse teeth to ensure the desired engagement with the plastic tube 3 and the transmission of the frictional force.In an alternative design of the belt 72, a longitudinally running mountain-valley profile can also be provided, which is shaped in a form complementary to the plastic tube 3.

[0055] The following describes how a new winding layer 15, "raised" in the radial direction of the winding drum 5, is initiated when a winding layer on the drum core 7 or on an already laid winding layer has been almost completed and a "new" layer forms on top of it. Particular attention is paid to the Fig. Reference is made to sections 2a to 4b.

[0056] In Fig. 2a and Fig. Figure 2b shows an operating state in which a first winding layer 15 on the drum core 7 is almost complete. The engagement wheel 43 runs on the cylindrical drum core 7, with the axial restoring force generated by the restoring device 61 pressing the previously laid winding loop 17 axially against the adjacent winding loop. Before the last winding loop 17 of the first winding layer 15 is completed, the contact wheel of the contactor 37 engages with the inner surface 41 of the side flange 11a. As the winding process continues, the contact wheel is deflected horizontally, thereby sending the control signal from the contactor 37 to a control and / or regulating device (not shown).Upon receiving the control signal, this causes the laying arm 27 to be raised vertically by the positioning robot 71 lifting the support 23 and its rail 51 in lifting direction A essentially by no more than the thickness of the plastic pipe 3, whereby the vertical pivot stop (not shown) carries the laying arm 27 in vertical lifting direction to raise the winding drum-side end 33 of the laying arm 27 by slightly more than the outer diameter of the plastic pipe 3 above the just completed winding layer 15. This operating state of the raised winding drum-side end 33 is described in the . Fig. 3a and Fig. Figure 3b shows the deflected contact element 37. In the axial end position of the winding drum-side end 33 of the laying arm 27, there is temporarily no contact between the engagement wheel 43 and the plastic tube 3. By continuously winding, the plastic tube 3 is placed into the remaining winding gap to the side flange 11a until the first winding loop of the "new" winding layer 15 is formed. First, the freely accessible side area of ​​the engagement wheel 43 comes into lateral contact K with the lateral side 18 of the first winding loop 17 of the winding layer 15 to be laid, whereby the rolling surface of the engagement wheel 43 is briefly raised away from the already completed winding layer 15. Only after the first winding loop 17 carries the engagement wheel 43 in the laying direction V does the engagement wheel 43 lower itself, so that its rolling surface comes into rolling contact with the fully laid winding layer 15.This operating state is in the . Fig. 4a and Fig. As can be seen in Figure 4b, the engagement wheel 43 is in rolling contact with the newly laid winding layer 15 on one side, and its uncovered side area is in lateral contact K with the lateral side 18 of the first winding loop 17, thus creating a preload. In this operating state, the laying arm 27 has already been displaced axially relative to the support 23, causing the return mechanism 61 to generate the return force that presses the engagement wheel 43 against the newly laid winding loop 17. The fact that the laying arm 27 has already been deflected away from its axial end position is also evident from the position of the contact wheel of the contact transmitter 37, which is now in its passive operating state and no longer in rolling contact with the inner side 41 of the side flange 11a.

[0057] In Fig. 6 shows that the laying arm 27 is in Fig.6 axial end position shown in relation to the horizontal radial direction H R The laying arm 27 is inclined at an angle α, such that, starting from its winding drum-side end 33, it is inclined away from the right side flange 11a towards the center of the winding drum. This ensures that the contact wheel of the contact transmitter 37 has sufficient clearance to pivot out in order to generate and transmit the control signal without the end 33 of the laying arm 27 coming into contact with the inner surface 41 of the side flange 11a, 11b.

[0058] During the axial laying movement from the right side flange 11a to the left side flange 11b, a (positive) angle of attack α decreases, so that approximately in the axial center of the winding drum 5 the longitudinal extension of the laying arm 27 aligns with the horizontal radial direction H RThe laying arm 27, in the opposite axial laying end position, is also inclined towards the center of the winding drum 5 at a (negative) angle of attack α, in particular of the same magnitude. Even in this position, the contact transmitter 37 can be reliably triggered by pivoting the contact wheel laterally.

[0059] In both axial laying end positions of the laying arm 27, the radially extending side flange 11a, 11b does not come into movement conflict with the laying arm 27 inclined to it.

[0060] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, figures and claims can be important for the realization of the invention in its various embodiments, both individually and in any combination. Reference symbol list 1 winding device 3 plastic pipes 5 winding drum 7 drum core 11a, 11b right and left side flange 13 Rotation axis 13' Axial direction 15 winding layers 17 winding loop 18 Lateral side of 3 21 recording 23 carriers 25 pairs of rollers 27 Laying arm 28 Laying arm base 29 Laying sword or lance 31a, 31b Guide and retaining plates 33 end on the winding drum 35 delivery rolls 37 contact persons 41 Inside 43. Engagement wheel 45 Spring damping unit 47 lead 51 rail 53 sleds 55 Base plate 57 profile beams 61 Reset device 63, 65 pneumatic actuators 67 Eddy current brake 71 positioning robots 72 timing belts α Angle of attack α' Angle of inclination A correction B Reference floor D axis of rotation H R horizontal radial extension K Lateral contact Direction of rotation of 5 MS swivel axis V laying direction W Back and forth laying path

Claims

[1] Device (1) for winding a strand-shaped winding material, such as a continuously extruded tube (3), preferably made of plastic, onto a winding drum (5), comprising: a support (23), a laying arm (27) mounted on the support (23), over which the winding material is transferred to the rotating winding drum (5) by winding during a back-and-forth laying movement of the laying arm (27), a laying arm bearing which guides the laying arm (27) in a laying direction (V) relative to the support (23), and a restoring device (61) which, when the laying arm (27) is deflected relative to the support (23), imparts a restoring force to the laying arm (27) in order to pretension the laying arm (27) against a winding loop (17) last placed on the winding drum (5). [2] Device according to claim 1, in which a winding drum-side end (33) of the laying arm (27) is designed to come into lateral contact (K) with at least a section-free lateral side of the winding loop (17) of the material wound last placed on the winding drum (5), at least during the back-and-forth laying movement, so that in particular the laying arm (27) is deflected relative to the support (23) depending on the axial growth of the winding layer to be laid in the laying direction (V) and the end (33) of the laying arm (27) transmits the restoring force of the free lateral side (18) of the winding loop (17), which is essentially dependent on the deflection of the laying arm. [3] Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the return device (61) comprises a spring which generates an elastic return force when the laying arm (27) is deflected from a neutral position to a deflected position, wherein in particular the return device (61) is formed by a pneumatic actuator (63, 65). [4] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the restoring device can be controlled such that the restoring force is kept substantially within a defined limit range during winding. [5] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the restoring device (61) has a control and / or regulation device for adjusting the restoring force and / or a deflection control, which includes a displacement sensor for determining the deflection of the laying arm (27) from the neutral position and a computer which, in particular when the spring characteristic of the restoring device (61) is constant, determines a target deflection and allows it to be set. [6] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the position of the carrier (23) relative to the laying arm (27) which is supported on the laid winding can be changed to adjust the restoring force, wherein in particular the carrier (23) is positioned by means of a handling device with at least two axes of movement, preferably a vertical axis of movement and a horizontal axis of movement in the laying direction (V) of the laying arm (27), wherein in particular a control and / or regulating device triggers a following of the carrier (23) by the handling device only when the laying arm (27) has exceeded a predetermined deflection path along the carrier (23). [7] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the laying arm bearing has a slide-rail arrangement by which the laying arm (27) is guided linearly relative to the support (23), wherein in particular the rail (51) is attached to the support (23) and the slide (53) is attached to the laying arm (27), wherein force transmission points of the return device (61) are arranged on the slide (53) and on the rail (51). [8] Method for winding a strand-shaped winding material, such as a continuously extruded tube (3), preferably made of plastic, onto a winding drum (5), wherein the winding material is transferred to the rotating winding drum (5) by means of a back-and-forth laying movement of the laying arm (27), which is guided and mounted in the laying direction relative to a support (23), wherein when the laying arm (27) is deflected from a neutral position relative to the support (23), a restoring force directed in the laying direction (V) is generated, which acts against the winding laid on the winding drum (5). [9] Method according to claim 8, which proceeds according to the functioning of the winding device designed according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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