What Are Levelwind Screws?
A levelwind screw is a more complex mechanism that is commonly used in spooling or reeling applications. It typically has a rolled left or right thread and is used in precision, high-speed operation. It’s an ingenious design that accomplishes a wide range of functions, especially in conjunction with pawls and specialized housing mechanisms.
About Pawls
A pawl is a curved lever with a free end that meets up with the teeth of a cogwheel or ratchet. The pawl ensures that the wheel or ratchet turns in one direction only.
Many pawl designs exist, for a wide range of applications. Essentially, a pawl is a small piece of metal that drops into a rotating wheel and prevents it from spinning the wrong direction. Pawls can be found in power transmission systems, fishing reels, boat winches, and many other designs that involve rotation or spooling.
Mixing The Two Together
Mechanisms that use levelwind screws and pawls often involve reeling or spooling. Many designers choose to use mechanical levelwind components instead of ones that are driven electrically or hydraulically because mechanical systems can be more reliable. Adjustments can be made more easily, with the task being as simple as changing the drive gear ratio.
Levelwind screws generally have a diamond design and can be combined with pawls to enable motion in both directions, carefully guided to ensure proper operation without accidental travel along the wrong direction at any given moment.
Possible Applications
Levelwind screws and pawls are commonly found in these types of machines and applications:
- Printing and engraving machines
- Paper-processing equipment
- Robotic systems
- Textile machinery
- Spooling and reeling systems
- Oilfield equipment
- Cable winches
Turn To REMPCO For Your Custom Needs
At REMPCO, we manufacture mechanical levelwind components and a wide selection of other quality industrial-strength machinery parts for a diverse range of applications. Our levelwind screws and pawls feature the following:
- High-tensile materials
- Corrosion resistance
- Many different diameters
When ordering, please specify your desired screw diameter and let us know about any other specifications that are pertinent to you, such as minimum clearances, total travel distances, and nominal screw sizes and threads. For all of your quality replacement parts needs, contact REMPCO today!
Additional Parts
For your convenience, we also customize other hard-to-find industrial machinery and engine components that our clients need to keep operating without long delays. These parts include:
- Precision lead screws
- Lead bars
- Threaded nuts
- Screws and nuts in many different thread styles, including trapezoidal and buttress
- Worm gear sets
- and much more!
We also offer a lead screw refurbishing service you may find helpful. Reach out to us with your questions and needs.