WINDING LONG, SLENDER COILS BY THE ORTHOCYCLIC METHOD

Thermal probes, like certain rockets and torpedoes, contain power and guidance wire for trailing payout. This wire must be wound into long, slender coils to obtain a slim profile, with a winding pattern of high density and perfect regularity to assure reliable payout from inside the mandrel-less coils. The development of a winding capability using the orthocyclic method solved problems of maintaining complete control of the winding pattern throughout the whole coil. A collapsible, grooved mandrel was developed which can be readily removed from the finished coil for reuse. Coils were wound with diameters of up to 8.5 cm and lengths up to 79 cm with wire lengths to 2100 m.