Method and device for manufacturing a wire cord

1. A method for manufacturing a wire cord, said method comprising the steps of:

bundling a plurality of wires in a bundling means in such a way to form a bundle of wires wherein said wires lie closely side-by-side in one plane;

crimping said wires by passing said bundle of wires between meshing toothed surfaces; and

twisting together said plurality of crimped wires along a twisting path, wherein said meshing toothed surfaces are located at the beginning of said twisting path, and wherein said twisting together starts between said meshing toothed surfaces.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

at the entrance of said meshing toothed surfaces, said wires still lie closely side-by-side in one plane; and

at the outlet of said meshing toothed surfaces, said wires are crossing one another.

3. A machine for manufacturing a wire cord, said machine comprising:

a bundling means for bundling a plurality of wires, wherein said bundling means is configured in such a way as to force said plurality of wires to form a bundle of wires wherein said wires lie closely side-by-side in one plane;

a crimping means located downstream of said bundling means, said crimping means comprising crimping wheels with meshing toothed surfaces for crimping said wires; and

a twisting means for twisting together said wires along a twisting path, wherein said crimping means is located at the beginning of said twisting path, and wherein said twisting together starts between said meshing toothed surfaces.

4. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein said bundling means is located between 30 mm to 60 mm from the point where said bundle of wires enters between said meshing toothed surfaces.

5. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein said bundling means is a bundling die with an aperture, said aperture being dimensioned in such a way as to force said plurality of wires to lie closely side-by-side in one plane.

6. The machine according to claim 5 , wherein said bundling die is located between 30 mm to 60 mm from the point where said bundle of wires enters between said meshing toothed surfaces.

7. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein in said meshing toothed surfaces two successive teeth with a tooth thickness t are separated by a gap with a gap width g, and said tooth thickness t and said gap width g satisfy following relation: 2t<g<4t.

8. The machine according to claim 7 , wherein said wires have a diameter D and said tooth thickness t and said diameter D satisfy following relation:

2D<t<4D.

9. The machine according to claim 8 , wherein said wires have a diameter D between 0.2 and 0.1 mm.

10. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein said crimping means comprises a pair of crimping wheels with meshing toothed surfaces for crimping said wires, the distance between said crimping wheels in said pair being finely adjustable, so that the penetration of the teeth of one wheel into the gaps of the other wheel is adjustable.

11. The machine according to claim 3 , wherein said twisting means comprises:

a rotor that can be rotated about a rotor rotation axis; and

a deflection pulley supported on said rotor, said deflection pulley forming the end of said twisting path, wherein the latter is substantially co-axial to said rotor rotation axis.

12. A machine for manufacturing a wire cord, said machine comprising:

a support structure;

a rotor with a first rotor end and a second rotor end, said rotor being supported by said support structure in such a way as to be capable of rotating about a rotor rotation axis;

a cradle supported between said first rotor end and said second rotor end, in such a way as to be capable of freely rocking about said rotor rotation axis, whereby said cradle remains immobile in rotation when said rotor is rotated;

a plurality of wire unwinding devices supported by said cradle;

guiding means mounted on said cradle for guiding a plurality of wires from said unwinding devices towards said rotor rotation axis;

a bundling means mounted on said cradle for bundling said plurality of wires from said unwinding devices, wherein said bundling means is configured in such a way as to force said plurality of wires to form a bundle of wires wherein said wires lie closely side-by-side in one plane substantially within said rotor rotation axis;

a crimping means mounted on said cradle downstream of said bundling means, said crimping means comprising crimping wheels with meshing toothed surfaces for crimping said wires substantially within said rotor rotational axis;

a twisting means for twisting together said wires along a twisting path, wherein said crimping means is located at the beginning of said twisting path, said twisting means comprising a first deflection pulley supported on said first end of said rotor, in such a way as to be capable of twisting together said plurality of wires in said twisting path, which extends from said first deflection pulley to said pair of crimping wheels;

first flyer arm connected to said first rotor end an a second flyer arm connected to said second rotor end, said first and second flyer arm being capable of guiding the twisted wires about said cradle from said first rotor end to said second rotor end;

a second deflection pulley supported on said second end of said rotor, in such a way as to be capable of guiding said twisted wires coming from said second flyer arm axially out of said second rotor end; and

a pulling means for pulling said twisted wires out of said second rotor end.