Floating Dispenser for Welding Wire Tangling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Welding wire dispensing from bulk drum packages often results in tangling, especially with aluminum wire, due to residual torque and uneven pulling forces, leading to dispensing failures and process halts, as conventional lids fail to maintain consistent holding forces and allow for wire twisting, which increases tangling and jamming.
Innovation Solution
A floating dispenser system that pulls welding wire parallel to the coil laps, using a circular lid with a de-coil conduit and optional floating pins or legs to maintain consistent dispensing force and prevent tangling, ensuring uniform wire feeding and arc stability by restricting lifting forces and allowing wire to twist freely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional lid is placed on top of the coiled welding wire to hold the coils and restrict premature lifting, then wire tangling is reduced, but the lid tilts and separates from the wire column as dispensing progresses, releasing holding force and increasing tangling risk
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is designed to rotate about a horizontal axis as the wire column height decreases during dispensing. This dynamic adjustment maintains the lid's contact with the wire column and preserves holding force throughout the dispensing process, preventing the lid from tilting and separating as occurs with conventional fixed designs
Solution Approach 2:
The lid's angular position parameter changes dynamically during dispensing operation. As the wire level drops, the lid rotates to maintain optimal contact angle with the wire column, adapting the geometric parameters of the lid-wire interface to preserve holding force under varying operational conditions
2Reliability
If a heavy lid is used to increase holding force on the coiled wire, then wire tangling is reduced, but the pulling force required to dispense the wire increases and may cause wire bending
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating lid design dynamically adjusts the contact geometry between lid and wire column, optimizing the distribution of holding force. This reduces peak pulling forces required for wire extraction while maintaining reliable wire guidance and preventing tangling throughout the dispensing process
3Force
If a lightweight lid is used to reduce pulling force, then wire bending is reduced, but the lid is lifted and tilted at its outer wedge when wire near the outer diameter is pulled out, releasing holding force and increasing tangling risk
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating lid mechanism allows a lightweight lid to maintain effective holding force by dynamically adjusting its position. As wire is pulled from different locations during dispensing, the lid rotates to maintain optimal contact, preventing lift-off and tilt that would occur with a fixed lightweight lid design
Data Source
AI summary
A dispenser for drum packed welding wire comprised of numerous coils includes a circular lid having an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface is floatingly positionable on top of the packed welding wire. A frame extends from the upper surface. The frame includes a hub and a radially extending support extending from the hub to the upper surface. The hub includes an aperture. The dispenser also includes a de-coil conduit having inlet and outlet ends for guiding welding wire therethrough. The inlet end and outlet end are generally at 90° to one another. The inlet end is disposed to receive welding wire in the drum parallel to the coils, and the inlet end is moveable relative to the circular lid as the wire is fed into the de-coil conduit. The outlet end directs the fed welding wire to the aperture in the hub.