Apparatus producing constant cable tension for intermittent demand

Patent · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:865367

Lauritzen, Ted ^[1]

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1. Lafayette, CA

The disclosed apparatus produces constant tension in superconducting electrical cable, or some other strand, under conditions of intermittent demand, as the cable is unreeled from a reel or reeled thereon. The apparatus comprises a pivotally supported swing frame on which the reel is rotatably supported, a rotary motor, a drive train connected between the motor and the reel and including an electrically controllable variable torque slip clutch, a servo transducer connected to the swing frame for producing servo input signals corresponding to the position thereof, a servo control system connected between the transducer and the clutch for regulating the torque transmitted by the clutch to maintain the swing frame in a predetermined position, at least one air cylinder connected to the swing frame for counteracting the tension in the cable, and pressure regulating means for supplying a constant air pressure to the cylinder to establish the constant tension in the cable, the servo system and the clutch being effective to produce torque on the reel in an amount sufficient to provide tension in the cable corresponding to the constant force exerted by the air cylinder. The drive train also preferably includes a fail-safe brake operable to its released position by electrical power in common with the servo system, for preventing rotation of the reel if there is a power failure. A shock absorber and biasing springs may also be connected to the swing frame, such springs biasing the frame toward its predetermined position. The tension in the cable may be measured by force measuring devices engageable with the bearings for the reel shaft, such bearings being supported for slight lateral movement. The reel shaft is driven by a Shmidt coupler which accommodates such movement.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4504023
• OSTI ID: 865367
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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absorber
accommodates
air
air cylinder
air pressure
amount
amount sufficient
apparatus
apparatus comprise
apparatus comprises
bearings
biasing
brake
cable
clutch
common
comprises
conditions
conducting electric
connected
constant
control
controllable
corresponding
counteracting
coupler
cylinder
demand
devices
disclosed
disclosed apparatus
drive
drive train
driven
effective
electrical
electrical cable
electrical power
electrically
electrically controllable
engageable
establish
exerted
fail-safe
failure
force
force exerted
frame
including
input
input signal
input signals
intermittent
intermittent demand
lateral
lateral movement
maintain
means
measured
measuring
measuring device
measuring devices
motor
movement
operable
pivotally
pivotally supported
position
power
power failure
predetermined
predetermined position
preferably
pressure
pressure regulating
preventing
produce
produces
produces constant
producing
provide
reel
reeled
regulating
released
rotary
rotary motor
rotatably
rotatably supported
rotation
servo
servo control
shaft
shmidt
shock
signals
signals corresponding
slight
slip
springs
strand
sufficient
superconducting
superconducting electrical
supplying
supported
swing
tension
thereon
torque
train
transducer
transmitted
unreeled
variable