System for maintaining the alignment of mandrels in filament winding operations

Patent · Tue Nov 06 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6183396

Robinson, S C; Dodge, W G; Pollard, R E

The present invention is directed to a system for sensing and correcting the alignment of a mandrel being wound with filamentary material with respect to the filamentary material winding mechanism. A positioned reference pin attached to the mandrel is positioned in a beam of collimated light emanating from a laser so as to bisect the light beam and create a shadow therebetween. A pair of photocells are positioned to receive the bisected light beam with the shadow uniformly located between the photocells when the pin is in a selected position. The mandrel is supported in the selected position for the winding of a filamentary material by a position adjustable roller mechanism which is coupled by a screw drive to a reversible motor. Changes in the pin position such as caused by winding growth are sensed by the photocells to provide the displacement of the roller mechanism in the direction necessary to return the mandrel to the selected position.

• Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4480798
• OSTI ID: 6183396
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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