Wire Injector Motorized Pulley Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cored wire injectors are expensive, difficult to use and repair, and have a short service life due to the need for customized motors and numerous parts, making them costly to manufacture and operate, and they lack a simple mechanism for precise measurement and handling of cored wire.
Innovation Solution
A wire injector apparatus with a motorized pulley assembly and idler wheels, where a motor drives a pulley and belt system to rotate drive wheels, and idler wheels engage and disengage to manage the wire, reducing the need for customized motors and minimizing parts, allowing for precise wire feeding and measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If customized motors are used for each wire path in known wire injectors, then the wire injector can precisely control wire feeding, but the manufacturing cost and operational cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by using a single motor that can drive multiple drive wheels through a common belt system. This one motor performs the function of what would traditionally require multiple customized motors, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining precise wire feeding control through the belt transmission mechanism.
2Measurement precision
If customized motors are located between core wire paths, then wire feeding control is achieved, but servicing becomes more expensive and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the motor from the complex interior space between wire paths and relocates it to an accessible external position. This extraction allows the motor to remain functionally connected to the drive wheels through the belt system while being easily accessible for servicing and maintenance from the outside of the wire injector apparatus.
3Measurement precision
If multiple pneumatic actuators are used for each wire path, then wire handling precision is improved, but the number of parts increases and service life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple pneumatic actuators into a single motor-driven belt system. Instead of having separate actuators for each wire path, the single motor drives multiple drive wheels through a common belt, reducing the total number of parts while maintaining precise wire handling control through the distributed drive wheel arrangement.
4Measurement precision
If more parts are used in wire injectors, then wire feeding control is achieved, but the frequency of failures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the pneumatic actuator components from the wire injector system, replacing them with a motor-driven belt and drive wheel arrangement. This extraction of problematic components reduces the total number of parts that could fail, thereby increasing system reliability while maintaining wire feeding control through the simplified mechanical transmission system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces manufacturing and operational costs, simplifies servicing, and enhances the reliability and precision of cored wire injection into steel ladles, addressing the limitations of existing wire injectors by using fewer parts and a more accessible motor placement.
Implementation Method 1
a motorized pulley assembly having a pulley and a belt whereby said pulley rotatably engages said belt and a drive shaft actuated by said pulley assembly
Implementation Method 2
a drive wheel impelling a wire in said first wire path or said second wire path
Implementation Method 3
a first idler wheel engagable with said wire in said first wire path. Still further, the wire injector has a second idler wheel engagable with said wire in said second wire line path
Data Source
AI summary
A wire injector apparatus for impelling wire or injecting wire is provided. The wire injector has a motorized pulley system connected to a drive wheels for moving the wire laterally through the apparatus. Further, upper and lower idler wheels are arranged about the drive wheels to engage the wire with the drive wheels. A clamp connects the upper idler wheels to the lower idler wheels such that a single actuated lever can control and position multiple upper and/or lower idler wheels. Wire line paths for moving the wire are provided intermediate to the drive wheels and the idler wheels. The arrangement of the components of the wire injector allows for customizing the number of idler wheels and drive wheels to, in turn, provide any number of wire line paths for impelling or injecting any number of wires.