System and method for securing free end of wound cable

Abstract

A system for securing a free end of a cable wound on a spool includes a spooling machine having at least one spooling head for winding a length of the cable onto the spool and a stretch wrap applicator for securing the free end of the cable on the spool with stretch wrap that is pinched between the free end of the cable and the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool. A stretch wrap applicator for a spooling machine having at least one spooling head includes a housing, a roll of stretch wrap disposed within the housing and a pulling clamp for gripping and pulling a starting end of the stretch wrap so as to position the stretch wrap between a spool of wound cable having outermost windings and a free end of the cable wound on the spool. A method for securing the free end of a cable wound on a spool includes providing the spooling machine and the stretch wrap applicator, moving the pulling clamp from an initial position around a free end of the cable, gripping a starting end of the stretch wrap, moving the pulling clamp and the stretch wrap back to the initial position with the stretch wrap disposed between the free end and the outermost windings of the cable and moving the pulling clamp in a downward direction so as to pinch the stretch wrap within a nip defined between the outermost windings and the free end of the cable.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a spooling machine having at least one spooling head for winding a length of an elongate, flexible component onto a spool; and   a stretch wrap applicator configured for and operable for securing a free end of the elongate, flexible component on the spool with stretch wrap;   wherein the stretch wrap is pinched between the free end and outermost windings of the elongate flexible component wound on the spool.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the spooling machine comprises two spooling heads and wherein the stretch wrap applicator is mounted on the spooling machine for transverse movement relative to the spooling heads. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the spooling machine further comprises a rail and a drive mechanism and wherein the stretch wrap applicator is operably coupled with the drive mechanism for transverse movement along the rail relative to the two spooling heads. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the two spooling heads of the spooling machine are positioned at transversely spaced-apart locations along the rail and wherein the stretch wrap applicator is operable for transverse movement between the spooling heads. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the stretch wrap applicator comprises a pulling clamp configured for and operable for being moved from an initial position around the free end of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool and into engagement with a starting end of the stretch wrap. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the pulling clamp is affixed to the starting end of the stretch wrap sufficiently to unwrap the stretch wrap off a roll of the stretch wrap. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for moving back to the initial position while gripping the starting end of the stretch wrap such that the stretch wrap is disposed between the free end of the elongate, flexible component and the remaining length of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the stretch wrap is disposed between the free end of the elongate, flexible component and outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for moving downwardly relative to the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool so that the stretch wrap is pinched within a nip defined between the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component and the free end of the elongate, flexible component. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the pulling clamp is mounted on an angled rail and is moved downwardly along the angled rail such that the pulling clamp and the starting end of the stretch wrap are moved in a generally tangential direction relative to a periphery of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool. 
     
     
         11 . A stretch wrap applicator for a spooling machine having at least one spooling head, the stretch wrap applicator comprising:
 a housing;   a roll of stretch wrap disposed within the housing; and   a pulling clamp configured for and operable for gripping and pulling a starting end of the roll of stretch wrap so as to position the stretch wrap between a spool of wound cable having outermost windings and a free end of the cable wound on the spool.   
     
     
         12 . The stretch wrap applicator of  claim 11 , wherein the stretch wrap is pinched within a nip defined by the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool and the free end of the cable. 
     
     
         13 . The stretch wrap applicator of  claim 11 , wherein the pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for moving downwardly relative to the spool of wound cable so as to dispose the stretch wrap between the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool and the free end of the cable. 
     
     
         14 . The stretch wrap applicator of  claim 13 , wherein the pulling clamp is mounted on an angled rail that is movably attached to the housing with a predetermined angle such that the pulling clamp and a starting end of the stretch wrap are moved in a generally tangential direction relative to an outer periphery of the cable wound on the spool. 
     
     
         15 . The stretch wrap applicator of  claim 14 , wherein the pulling clamp is further configured for and operable for releasing the starting end of the stretch wrap in contact with at least a portion of the outermost windings of the cable wound on the spool so that the stretch wrap disposed between the outermost windings of the cable and the free end of the cable is wrapped around the spool as the remaining length of the cable is wound onto the spool. 
     
     
         16 . A method for securing the free end of an elongate, flexible component wound onto a spool, the method comprising:
 providing a spooling machine having at least one spooling head for winding a length of the elongate, flexible component onto the spool;   providing a stretch wrap applicator operably coupled with the at least one spooling head for applying stretch wrap to the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool, the stretch wrap applicator comprising a pulling clamp and a length of the stretch wrap;   moving the pulling clamp from an initial position around a free end of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool;   gripping a starting end of the stretch wrap with the pulling clamp;   moving the pulling clamp and the starting end of the stretch wrap back to the initial position with the stretch wrap disposed between the free end of the elongate, flexible component and outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component;   moving the pulling clamp in a downward direction so as to pinch the stretch wrap within a nip defined between the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component and the free end of the elongate, flexible component; and   cutting the free end of the elongate, flexible component and wrapping the stretch wrap around the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component until the free end of the elongate, flexible component is secured by the stretch wrap.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the spooling machine comprises two spooling heads and a transverse rail and wherein the stretch wrap applicator is configured for and operable for moving in a transverse direction along the rail relative to the spooling heads. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the stretch wrap applicator is configured for and operable for moving between a first spooling head of the spooling machine and a second spooling head of the spooling machine subsequent to securing the free end of the elongate, flexible component wound on a spool of the first spooling head. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein moving the pulling clamp in a downward direction comprises mounting the pulling clamp on an angled rail that is movably attached to the housing with a predetermined angle such that the pulling clamp and a starting end of the stretch wrap are moved in a generally tangential direction relative to an outer periphery of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising releasing the starting end of the stretch wrap in contact with at least a portion of the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component wound on the spool so that the stretch wrap disposed between the outermost windings of the elongate, flexible component and the free end of the elongate, flexible component is wrapped around the spool as the remaining length of the elongate, flexible component is wound onto the spool.