초록 ▼

An elongated article such as a rope or cord having a series of fairings spaced apart along its length is produced in a continuous manner by the method and apparatus of the present invention. The rope comprises a core having a plurality of yarns surrounded by a layer of resilient material, and a brai

An elongated article such as a rope or cord having a series of fairings spaced apart along its length is produced in a continuous manner by the method and apparatus of the present invention. The rope comprises a core having a plurality of yarns surrounded by a layer of resilient material, and a braided jacket surrounds the core and anchors the fairings thereto. The fairings are provided by a resilient fairing yarn which is fed toward the core and which is manipulated by a needle during braiding of the jacket to cause each fairing to have a base portion anchored between the jacket and the resilient layer of the core and streamer portions extending outwardly from the base portion. The needle is mounted for reciprocation parallel to the moving core upstream of the braider, and the fairing yarn passes through the eye of the needle and a first length is displaced through the path of movement of the braid yarns into engagement with a gripping assembly located downstream of the braid yarns. The gripping assembly holds the first length of fairing yarn so that as the needle retracts, another length of braid yarn is pulled through the needle-eye. Continued operation of the braider causes the jacket to be applied around the portion of the fairing yarn engaged with the core, thereby forming the base portion for the next fairing. A control system is disclosed for synchronizing movement of the needle with the displacement of the rope and for adjusting of the spacing between the fairings. In another embodiment, a method and apparatus is disclosed for producing a faired article which does not have a separately-formed core.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of manufacturing an elongated structure having a core and a plurality of flexible members extending outwardly from the core at spaced intervals along its length, comprising the steps of: advancing the core axially in a forward direction, applying a jacket to said core as it advances axially

A method of manufacturing an elongated structure having a core and a plurality of flexible members extending outwardly from the core at spaced intervals along its length, comprising the steps of: advancing the core axially in a forward direction, applying a jacket to said core as it advances axially, laying axially along said core as it advances a portion of an elongated flexible member to form a base for said flexible members while disposing a first length of said member laterally with respect to said base portion through a guide moveable alongside said core, displacing said guide with said first length of said flexible member forwardly relative to said moving core and into a limit position beyond said base portion, gripping said displaced first length at said forward limit position, retracting said guide rearwardly while said displaced length is gripped at said limit position to cause a second length of said member to be drawn through said guide and to extend rearwardly from said forward limit position, causing said first and second lengths to be displaced laterally inward toward said core while maintaining said member gripped at said location to form a said member into a loop extending laterally of the core, and continuing said jacket-applying step rearwardly of said inwardly-displaced lengths of said member as said core advances to cause the base portion of an axially-adjacent member to be formed, whereby the members are applied to the core in a continuous process. Apparatus for producing a structure having a series of flexible members extending therefrom at spaced intervals along its length, comprising: means for advancing an elongated core axially in a forward direction, means moveable in a path about said core to apply a jacket thereto as said core advances, guide means adapted to slidably receive a flexible member at a location spaced from the core and to define a first length of said member extending away from said core, means connected to said guide means for reciprocating the same through said path from a home position located rearwardly of said path to limit position located forwardly of said path, means for gripping said flexible member at said limit position and holding the same while said reciprocating means returns said guide means to its home position for drawing a second length of said member through said guide means, and means engaging and displacing a rearward portion of said lengths of said member inwardly against said core to form said member into a loop extending away from said core, whereby the apparatus produces a structure with a series of laterally-extending flexible members each having a base portion fastened securely to the core by the jacket.