Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus winds multiple strand ends on a bobbin, strands of the ends forming a band. A pair of metering wheels accept said plurality of strand ends from tensioned supply spools and equalize their lengths. The metering wheels are rotatable on angularly inclined axes such that the band proceeds on a helical path. A rotation sensor on the metering wheels senses the speed of the band. A threading assist clamp is mounted for helical displacement on a threaded crank arm for placing the strands on the metering wheels as a group, the clamp being removable from the crank arm to accomplish threading downstream of the metering wheels. A traversing mechanism and bobbin drive wind the band on the bobbin, the traversing mechanism having a compensating pulley and a reciprocating pulley driven by distinct thread pitch areas along a common shaft. A processor senses rotation of the metering wheels and controls both a bobbin drive motor and a reversing servo motor for rotating and reversing the common shaft. The processor can be responsive to an operator interface for winding bobbins under direction from the operator interface, and can produce management reports.

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First Claim