U.S. patent application number 11/455844 was filed with the patent office on 2006-12-28 for apparatus for the production of reels of extendable film prestretched longitudinally.
Invention is credited to Angelo Forni.
Application Number | 20060289691 11/455844 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37106451 |
Filed Date | 2006-12-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060289691 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Forni; Angelo |
December 28, 2006 |
Apparatus for the production of reels of extendable film
prestretched longitudinally
Abstract
Apparatus for the production of reels of extendable film
prestretched longitudinally and of varying weight, from normal
reels of extendable film, characterized in that it comprises a
container (1) closed by a cover (3) inside which means for
rotatably supporting a reel (B) supplying the extendable film as
well as parallel prestretching rollers (8, 108) and a spindle (15)
for storing the prestretched film are arranged, these means being
all operated by a centralized drive unit (7) and means being
envisaged for programming the operation of the apparatus, for the
production of reels of prestretched film with the weight required
in each case.
Inventors: |
Forni; Angelo; (Riccione,
IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
STITES & HARBISON PLLC
1199 NORTH FAIRFAX STREET
SUITE 900
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
37106451 |
Appl. No.: |
11/455844 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/534 ;
242/541.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 2301/5124 20130101;
B65H 2407/10 20130101; B65H 2220/01 20130101; B65H 2220/03
20130101; B65H 18/10 20130101; B65H 2515/10 20130101; B65H 2515/10
20130101; B65H 2701/1752 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
242/534 ;
242/541.1 |
International
Class: |
B65H 18/16 20060101
B65H018/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 22, 2005 |
IT |
BO2005A000413 |
Claims
1) Apparatus for the production of reels of extendable film
prestretched longitudinally and of varying weight, from normal
reels of extendable film, characterized in that it comprises a
frame or container (1) closed by a cover (3) inside which means for
rotatably supporting a reel (B) supplying the extendable film as
well as parallel prestretching rollers (8, 108) and a spindle (15)
for storing the prestretched film are arranged, these means being
all operated by a centralized drive unit (7) and means being
envisaged for programming the operation of the apparatus, for the
production of reels of prestretched film with the weight required
in each case.
2) Apparatus according to claim 1), in which the container (1)
rests on the ground with special feet (2), is open upwards and is
closed by a cover (3) wholly or partly made of transparent material
for allowing viewing of the components inside the said container,
this cover being hinged on one end (103) of the said container (1)
and being provided at the other end with a gripping handle (203)
for raising and lowering.
3) Apparatus according to claim 2), characterized in that when the
cover (3) is in the position for closing the container (1), it is
envisaged that it activates a safety microswitch (4) which
automatically stops operation of the apparatus if the said cover is
raised during a working cycle of the said apparatus in
question.
4) Apparatus according to claim 1), in which the means for
rotatably supporting about its horizontal axis the reel (B)
supplying the extendable film consist for example of a pair of
parallel and idle rollers (5) which are positioned transversely on
the bottom of the container (1) and on which the said reel of film
(B) is rested along its generatrix.
5) Apparatus according to claim 1), in which the means for
rotatably supporting about its horizontal axis the reel (B)
supplying the extendable film are equipped, for example, with
bearing-type supports for supporting the ends of a spindle which is
mounted axially inside the said reel (B).
6) Apparatus according to claim 1), in which, parallel to the axis
of the reel (B) supplying the extendable film, the sidewalls (101)
of the frame or container (1) rotatably support a shaft (6) which
is keyed to the slow output of a gearmotor (7) which is
bracket-mounted on the outside of a said sidewall (101), a
rubber-coated roller (108) being keyed onto this shaft, and which
has keyed, on one end, a small-diameter gearwheel (9) which meshes
with a larger-diameter gearwheel (10) keyed onto the end of a
rubber-coated roller (8) parallel to the preceding rubber-coated
roller (108), positioned above the latter and rotatably supported
by a shaft (11) which connects together a pair of parallel arms
(12) mounted with the possibility of pivoting on the said drive
shaft (6), it being envisaged that the film (Z) unwound from the
supply reel (B) is conveyed around the top half of the slow
rubber-coated roller (8) and then around the bottom half of the
fast rubber-coated roller (108) so that, when passing from one
roller to the other roller, the said film undergoes the desired
longitudinal prestretching.
7) Apparatus according to claim 6), in which the gearwheels (9, 10)
may be arranged inside a special associated casing or inside a
lateral cavity of the container (1) so as to be protected,
lubricated if necessary with suitable means and replaced if
necessary if it is required to modify the relative rotational ratio
of the rubber-coated prestretching rollers (8, 108).
8) Apparatus according to claim 6), in which as a result of the
weight of the slow upper rubber-coated roller (8) and since the
arms (12) which support this roller are preferably unable to go
beyond the vertical position, the said rubber-coated roller (8)
cooperates by means of gravity and tangentially with the reel (B)
supplying the extendable film, so as to cause it to rotate about
its axis at the appropriate speed and in the appropriate direction
for supplying the film to the prestretching rollers.
9) Apparatus according to claim 6), in which special means are
envisaged for keeping the slow upper prestretching roller (8)
temporarily in the raised position when it is required to position
a new reel (B) of film on the special support means (5).
10) Apparatus according to claim 9), in which the torque shaft (11)
which rotatably supports the slow prestretching roller (8) projects
with one end from a sidewall (101) of the container (1), for
example through a curved slit (13) provided in this sidewall and
having a centre of curvature about the drive shaft (6), and it
being envisaged that this same projecting end of the said shaft
(11) may be retained in the raised position by means of a latch
(14) mounted externally on the said sidewall (101) which has the
said eyelet (13).
11) Apparatus according to claim 6), in which the end of the
prestretched film (Z) which leaves the fast prestretching roller (1
08) is fixed onto a tubular core (A) keyed onto a spindle (15)
which with its ends is removably supported by a pair of pivoting
parallel arms (16) keyed onto a torque shaft (17) rotatably
supported by the sidewalls (101) of the container (1), all of which
being arranged so that the said tubular core (A) tends to remain in
contact with the said fast prestretching roller (108) by means of
gravity so as to be rotationally driven by the latter, it being
envisaged that this contact condition, which is particularly useful
during the initial stage of the cycle when the said core (A) is
empty and light, is ensured by special ballast weights which are
intrinsic or associated with the spindle (15) and/or by special
resilient means.
12) Apparatus according to claim 11), in which, in order to
facilitate positioning and removal of the spindle (15) onto and
from the associated pivoting support arms (16), it is possible to
envisage the possibility of pivoting these arms upwards and causing
them to rest against a stop (18) which is integral with at least
one of the sidewalls (101) of the container (1).
13) Apparatus according to claim 12), in which special damping
means may be envisaged for braking the downwards pivoting of the
arms (16) which carry the spindle supporting the core (A) for
storing the prestretched extendable film.
14) Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it
comprises an electric control panel (19) with an activation control
device (20), a stop control device (21) and a timer (22) by means
of which it is possible to select the activity time of the
apparatus and consequently the quantity of prestretched film stored
on the tubular core (A).
15) Apparatus according to claim 14), in which special optical
and/or acoustic signalling means may be envisaged for signalling
when the said apparatus has produced the reel of prestretched film
of predefined weight, after the said timer (22) has stopped the
gearmotor (7).
16) Apparatus according to claim 6), in which a pointer (23) may be
fixed onto one end of the torque shaft (17) which projects from a
sidewall (101) of the container (1), said pointer moving along a
graduated scale provided on the outer face of the said sidewall
(101), so as to indicate the weight or the diameter of the film
stored on the tubular core (A).
Description
[0001] In order to wrap palletized loads using manually operated
dispensers or using small apparatus or machines which may not have
their own longitudinal prestretching means, at present it is
required to use reels of extendable film prestretched
longitudinally and of varying length and hence varying weight,
which are difficult to find on the market and are therefore costly.
At present there is the tendency to use prestretched film also in
wrapping machines which have their own prestretching means since it
has been shown that if an extendable film is prestretched with a
first longitudinal prestretching operation and is left to rest on
the reel for a sufficient period of time, an elastic memory return
effect is activated in the film sufficient to ensure that the said
film may undergo during use a subsequent longitudinal prestretching
operation, or so-called "restretching" operation, so as to be able
to withstand elongation greater than that which is usual, with all
the economic advantages arising from this condition.
[0002] The invention relates to an apparatus which is easy to
manufacture and low-cost and is therefore also within the price
range of small and medium-size firms, said apparatus allowing the
production of reels of extendable film prestretched longitudinally
and of any weight, using a conventional reel of extendable film
which is not difficult to procure, which has a large degree of
autonomy and which has a cost which is overall much less than that
of the reels of prestretched extendable film which can be obtained
from it and are otherwise acquired already ready for use. The
apparatus comprises a container with a cover which is entirely or
partly transparent, inside which the means for rotatably supporting
the reel of extendable film as well as the prestretching rollers
and the spindle for storing the prestretched film are arranged,
these means being all operated by a centralized drive unit. Easy
means are envisaged for programming the apparatus for the
production of reels of prestretched film with the capacity and with
the weight required in each case.
[0003] Further characteristic features of the invention and the
advantages arising therefrom will emerge more clearly from the
following description of a preferred embodiment thereof,
illustrated purely by way of a non-limiting example, in the figures
of the accompanying illustrative plate in which:
[0004] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the apparatus
cross-sectioned along a vertical plane and in the rest
position;
[0005] FIGS. 2 and 3 show laterally the sole internal operating
components of the apparatus, at the start and at the end of the
cycle for production of a reel of prestretched extendable film.
[0006] From FIG. 1 it can be seen that the apparatus comprises a
container 1 which is made entirely of metal or with a metal frame
and with cushioning elements made of any material, which rests on
the ground with anti-vibration feet 2, which is open upwards and is
closed by a cover 3 which is preferably made at least partly of
transparent material, which is hinged for example at 103 on one end
of the said container 1 and is provided at the other end with a
gripping handle 203 for raising and lowering. If necessary, the
hinging pivot 103 may be designed so that the cover 3 may be easily
removed in order to facilitate the apparatus loading operations and
any maintenance operations. When, on the other hand, the cover 3 is
in the position for closing the container 1, it is envisaged that
the said cover activates a safety microswitch 4 which automatically
stops the operation of the apparatus if the said cover is raised
during a working cycle of the said apparatus in question.
[0007] The container 1 is provided internally with means for
rotatably supporting about its horizontal axis the reel B supplying
the extendable film, these means consisting for example of a pair
of parallel and idle rollers 5 which are positioned on the bottom
of the container 1 and parallel to the said hinging pivot 103 and
on which the said reel of film B is rested along its generatrix, as
shown in FIG. 2. Special means, not shown, are envisaged for
facilitating positioning, on the idle rollers 5 inside the
container 1, of the reel B which may have a considerable weight. It
is understood that, in place of the rollers 5, it is possible to
envisage other means of the known type for supporting the reel of
film B rotatable about its horizontal axis, for example means
equipped with bearing-type supports for supporting the ends of a
spindle which is mounted axially inside the said reel B and these
means may be of the sliding or pivoting type, so that they may be
positioned, not only inside the container 1, but also on the
outside thereof, for easy loading of the reel B. The container 1
has dimensions such that it is able to accommodate internally reels
B for example with a diameter of 250-450 mm. Purely by way of a
non-limiting example, the container 1 may have the following
dimensions: width about 800-1000 mm, height about 500 mm, depth
about 700 mm.
[0008] Parallel to the rollers 5, the sidewalls 101 of the
container 1 rotatably support a shaft 6 which is keyed to the slow
output of a gearmotor 7 which may be bracket-mounted on the outside
of a said sidewall 101 and on which a rubber-coated roller 108 is
keyed and which has, keyed on one end, a small-diameter gearwheel 9
which meshes with a larger-diameter gearwheel 10 keyed onto the end
of a rubber-coated roller 8 parallel to the roller 108 and
rotatably supported by a torque shaft 11 which connects together a
pair of parallel arms 12 mounted with the possibility of freely
pivoting on the said shaft 6. The gearwheels 9 and 10 may be
arranged inside a special casing or inside a lateral cavity of the
container 1 so that they are protected and may be lubricated with
suitable means and so that, if necessary, they may be replaced if
it is required to modify the relative rotational ratio of the
rubber-coated rollers 8 and 108. By means of the action of the
gearmotor 7, the rubber-coated roller 108 rotates in the direction
F1 opposite to the direction F2 of rotation of the rubber-coated
roller 8 and at a higher speed which is determined by the ratio
between the diameters of the gearwheels 9 and 10. Owing to the
weight of the rubber-coated roller 8 and the direction of rotation
F1, F2 and since the arms 12 are preferably unable to go beyond the
vertical position, the said rubber-coated roller 8 rests
tangentially by means of gravity on the reel B of film positioned
on the support rollers 5 and also causes rotation of this reel
about its axis, in the direction F3 and with the speed necessary
for unwinding from the latter the film Z which is conveyed around
the top half of the rubber-coated roller 8 and then around the
bottom half of the rubber-coated roller 108, so that when passing
from one roller to the other roller, the said film undergoes the
desired longitudinal prestretching action.
[0009] Special means are envisaged for keeping the roller 8
temporarily in the raised position when it is required to position
a new reel B of film on the support rollers 5. These means may, for
example, envisage that the torque shaft 11 projects with one end
from a sidewall 101 of the container 1, through a curved slit 13
provided on this sidewall and having its centre of curvature on the
drive shaft 6 and this same projecting end of the shaft 11 may be
easily kept in the raised position as shown in FIG. 1, by means of
a simple latch 14 mounted externally on the said sidewall 101 which
has the eyelet 13. After mounting the reel B on the rollers 5, the
latch 14 is raised so as to free the pivoting structure 11, 12 so
that the rubber-coated roller 8 comes into contact with the said
reel B, as shown in FIG. 2. It can be easily understood how, from
the position of the shaft 11 inside the eyelet 13, it is possible
to determine from outside the container 1 the state of the supply
reel B.
[0010] The end of the prestretched film Z which leaves the faster
rubber-coated roller 108 is fixed onto a tubular core A--for
example made of cardboard--which is supplied in a suitable quantity
with the apparatus in question. The core A is keyed onto a spindle
15 which with its ends is removably supported by a pair of parallel
pivoting arms 16 keyed onto a torque shaft 17 which is supported
rotatably by the sidewalls 101 of the container 1, all of which
being arranged so that the said core A tends to remain in contact
by means of gravity with the rubber-coated roller 108. This contact
condition, which is particularly useful during the initial stage of
the cycle when the core A is empty and light, may be ensured by a
special ballast weight incorporated in or associated with the
spindle 15 or with the use of special resilient means, not shown in
that they may be easily deduced by persons skilled in the art. As a
result of this contact between the core A and the roller 108, the
said core A is made to rotate in the direction F4 and with the
speed necessary to take up the prestretched film leaving the said
roller 108.
[0011] In order to facilitate the positioning and removal of the
spindle 15 onto and from the arms 16, it is possible to envisage
usefully the possibility of pivoting these arms upwards so as to
bring them into a rest condition against a stop 18 integral with
the inner side of at least one of the sidewalls 101 of the
container 1, as indicated in FIG. 1 by means of broken lines.
Special damping means, not shown, may be envisaged to brake the
downwards pivoting of the arms 16.
[0012] From a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be understood
how, by means of the rotation created by the centralized drive unit
7 in FIG. 1, it is possible to achieve the rotation F3 of the film
supply reel B, the rotation F1, F2 at different speeds of the
prestretching rollers 8, 108 and the rotation F4 of the cardboard
core A on which the prestretched film is stored. In FIG. 2 the
apparatus is shown at the start of a cycle, with the supply reel B
full and with the cardboard core A substantially empty, while in
FIG. 3 the apparatus is shown at the end of a hypothetical working
cycle where all the film supplied by the reel B, which is now
empty, has been prestretched and stored in the form of a reel B2 on
the cardboard core A. In order to remove the reel B2 of
prestretched film, the cover 3 is opened, the film Z is cut along
an accessible section, for example along the section situated
between the rollers 8, 108 and then the pivoting structure 16 is
rotated upwards, against the stop 18, in order to remove the
spindle 15 with the associated reel B2, following which the said
spindle 15 may be fitted with a new cardboard core and may be
repositioned on the arms 16 for the repetition of a new working
cycle.
[0013] With the apparatus it is possible to produce reels of
prestretched film of any desired weight, these involving partial
unwinding of extendable film from the supply reel B. For this
purpose, the apparatus has, associated therewith in any suitable
position also different from that shown in FIG. 1, a small electric
control panel 19 which comprises, for example, an activation
control device 20, a stop control device 21 and a timer 22 by means
of which it is possible to select the activity time of the
apparatus and consequently the quantity of prestretched film stored
on the reel A. The rotating selector of the timer 22 may show,
around it, the weight in kilograms of the film which may be stored
on the tubular core A. Special signalling means, not shown, may be
envisaged to indicate when the apparatus has produced the reel of
prestretched film of predefined weight, after the timer 22 has
stopped the gearmotor 7. A pointer 23 may be fixed onto one end of
the torque shaft 17, projecting from a sidewall 101 of the
container 1, said pointer moving along a graduated scale provided
on the outer side of the said sidewall, in order to indicate the
weight or the diameter of the reel B2 of prestretched film stored
on the core A.
[0014] It is understood that the description refers to a preferred
embodiment of the invention, with the omission of the
constructional details relating to the arrangement of the gearmotor
7 and the gearwheels 9, 10, since they may be easily deduced and
easily realized by persons skilled in the art. It is also
understood that the invention as described may be subject to
numerous constructional variations and modifications which may
refer to the use of means different from the gearwheels 9, 10 for
transmitting the different relative rotational ratio of the
prestretching rollers 8, 108. Other modifications may relate to the
container 1 and to the cover 3, so as to provide the former only
with functions of a frame for supporting the various components
described, so that it is very open on the sides, and so as to
provide the latter also with functions of a container. In other
words, the cover 3 could be designed as a kind of bell, raising of
which would provide better access to the various components of the
apparatus, both in order to facilitate arrangement in position of a
new reel B, and for removal of the reel B2 of prestretched film
produced in each case.
* * * * *