Apparatus and method for continuously winding a length of material into a helical form

摘要

An apparatus for continuously winding a length of material into a helical form includes a frame structure and a plurality of rollers mounted on the frame structure. Each roller has a non-grooved surface with portions of a different diameter, a longitudinal axis and oppositely positioned first and second ends, and the plurality of rollers are arranged about a winder axis in a substantially circular fashion. The rollers are individually rotatably driven and the first and second ends of each roller are offset with respect to one another as viewed from one end of the respective roller along a line parallel to the winder axis and passing through the longitudinal axis of the respective roller at the one end of the respective roller. The method includes continuously feeding a length material onto a plurality of rollers that are arranged in a substantially cylindrical manner about a winder axis so that the outer surfaces of the rollers define a cylindrical winder surface about which the material is to be wound. The individual rollers are individually driven about respective axes that are non-parallel to the winder axis to thereby cause the material to be automatically wound in a helical manner about the winder surface and to continuously move along the length of the rollers.