U.S. patent number 3,655,143 [Application Number 05/015,336] was granted by the patent office on 1972-04-11 for turret mounted flying splice unwind.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Dowington Division Beloit Corporation. Invention is credited to Robert L. Wallis.
United States Patent |
3,655,143 |
Wallis |
April 11, 1972 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
TURRET MOUNTED FLYING SPLICE UNWIND
Abstract
Unwinder for rolls of paper having individual tape drives
engaging the peripheries of the rolls for unwinding the rolls at a
uniform linear velocity. The rolls are carried at opposite ends of
a turret mounted for adjustable movement about a horizontal axis
and moved into its selected position of adjustment by power. The
turret support sets of diametrically opposed core shaft chucks for
core shafts carrying the rolls of paper. As one roll of paper is
being unwound the turret is moved into position to pick up a new
roll. The new roll is then positioned in the position formerly
occupied by the expiring roll. As the expiring roll is unwound to
within a few inches, a knife on a splice arm is activated to shear
the end of the expiring roll. A roll on the splice arm is then
moved to engage the end of the expiring roll with the new roll and
splice the end of the expiring roll to the new roll and carry the
new roll to the sheet run.
Inventors: |
Wallis; Robert L. (West
Chester, PA) |
Assignee: |
Dowington Division Beloit
Corporation (Downingtown, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
21770829 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/015,336 |
Filed: |
March 2, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/555.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H
19/1868 (20130101); B65H 19/1821 (20130101); B65H
2402/64 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65H
19/18 (20060101); B65h 019/16 () |
Field of
Search: |
;242/58.1,58.2,58.3,58.4,58.5 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gilreath; Stanley N.
Assistant Examiner: Gerstein; Milton
Claims
I claim as my invention
1. In an unwinder for rolls of paper,
a main frame,
a turret supported on said main frame for rotation about a
horizontal axis,
power means on said main frame and operatively connected with said
turret for positioning said turret about said horizontal axis into
a plurality of operating positions,
parallel core shafts carried by said turret adjacent opposite ends
thereof, each being adapted to support a roll of paper for free
rotation in an unwinding direction,
separate power means for each roll of paper for individually
unwinding the rolls of paper on said core shafts independently of
sheet tension comprising,
an endless orbitally traveling flexible tape in association with
each core shaft,
individual elongated support means for each tape,
means mounting said elongated support means for movement about an
axis parallel to the horizontal axis of movement of said
turret,
said mounting means being mounted on opposite sides of said
horizontal axis between said horizontal axis and said core shafts
and positioning each support means closely adjacent a roll of paper
supported on a core shaft,
an individual tape drive roller mounted for rotation about the axis
of pivotal movement of each elongated support means,
an individual tape idler roller mounted on the free end of each
tape support means,
said tape drive and idler rollers having the tape trained
thereabout,
means for simultaneously driving the tape drive rollers at the same
rates of speed,
means selectively operable to engage a tape with the periphery of
an individual roll of paper on an associated core shaft and drive
the roll of paper in an unwinding direction comprising,
an individual cylinder for each elongated support means, mounted
for movement about said horizontal axis,
each cylinder having a piston rod extensible therefrom pivotally
connected with an associated mounting means for engaging an
associated tape with a periphery of the roll to be unwound and
maintaining the tape in engagement with the periphery of the roll
to be unwound during the entire unwinding operation of the
roll.
2. The unwinder of claim 1,
wherein the turret includes a pair of parallel spaced beams,
wherein the support for said turret on said main frame includes a
horizontal transverse shaft rotatably mounted on said main frame
and having said beams fixed thereto intermediate the ends of said
beams,
wherein the power means positioning the turret about the axis of
the shaft comprises a motor mounted on said main frame and a drive
connection from said motor to said shaft, and
wherein core shaft chucks are mounted at the outer ends of said
beams and serve to support the core shafts and rolls for free
rotation relative to said beams.
3. The unwinder of claim 2, including aligned posts mounted in each
of said beams on opposite sides of the center thereof, one pair of
posts extending downwardly of said beams and the other pair of
posts on the opposite side of the centers of said beams extending
upwardly therefrom, and wherein the drive rollers for said tapes
extend across each pair of posts and are rotatably mounted thereon,
wherein the elongated support means comprise parallel support arms,
mounted on said drive shafts, and wherein the piston rods
extensible from the cylinders are connected with at least one of
each pair of support arms intermediate the ends thereof.
4. The unwinder of claim 3, including a splice arm disposed beneath
one of said core shafts at the outgoing end of the machine and
having a splice roll thereon engageable with a new roll on a
respective core shaft, means pivoting said splice arm for movement
toward and from a new roll and engaging said splice roll with the
new roll, means training the expiring roll over said splice roll,
whereby said splice roll may press the trailing end of the expiring
roll into engagement with the new roll to effect splicing of the
leading end of the new roll to the trailing end of the expiring
roll.
5. The unwinder of claim 4, including a knife pivotally mounted on
said splice arm for movement about an axis coaxial with the axis of
rotation of said splice roll and extending across said splice roll
for the full width thereof, and fluid pressure operated cylinder
and piston means for moving said knife to shear the end portion of
the sheet of the expiring roll as spliced to the new roll, to
enable the winding operation to be continued.
Description
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION
Unwinder for large diameter rolls of light weight tension sensitive
materials, such as tissue paper and splicing the expiring roll to a
new roll, in which rolls are carried on a turret, movable to pick
up a new roll as an expiring roll is unwound, and to position the
expiring roll to be spliced to the new roll to carry on the
unwinding operation, and in which tension on the sheet is relieved
by individual driven flexible tapes selectively engaged with the
peripheries of the rolls and mechanically controlling the unwinding
roll independently of sheet tension.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel
and improved form of unwinder for continuous unwinding of rolls of
paper and the like, arranged with a view toward maintaining the
continuity of the unwinding operation and driving the expiring roll
by a flexible tape, maintaining continuous surface contact with the
unwinding roll.
A further object of the invention is to provide an unwinder and
splicer for rolls of paper in which the uniformity in the unwinding
speed of the rolls is mechanically controlled by driving the roll
by a driven endless tape pressed into engagement with the
peripheral surface of the roll.
A still further object of the invention is to improve upon the
continuous operation unwinders heretofore in use, by relieving
tension on the sheet during driving thereof and avoiding the
necessity of the application of brakes to the rolls, by the use of
an endless traveling tape serving as both a driving means for the
rolls and a speed control means therefor.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an unwinder
for the continuous unwinding of rolls of paper in which the
peripheral speeds of two rolls are matched by the use of endless
tapes engaging and driving the peripheral surfaces of the rolls to
enable the splicing of the trailing end of the expiring roll to the
leading end of the new roll with no interruption in the unwinding
operation.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be
readily apparent from the following description of a certain
preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be
effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel
concepts of the disclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of an unwinder
constructed in accordance with the principles of the present
invention; and
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic end view of the unwinder shown in FIG.
1.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION
In the embodiment of the invention diagrammatically illustrated in
the drawings, I have shown a turret unwinder and flying splice 10
including a pair of parallel spaced posts 11 and 12 having pillow
boxes 13 and 13a mounted on the respective tops thereof and forming
bearing supports for a transverse horizontal turret shaft 14.
The turret shaft 14 forms a mounting and positioner for a turret 15
in the form of a pair of laterally spaced beams 16, 16 keyed or
otherwise secured to said turret shaft intermediate the ends of
said beams. The beams 16, 16 have aligned facing chucks 17 and 18
mounted at each end thereof and extending inwardly therefrom. Each
pair of chucks 17 and 18 forms a support for a core shaft 19, for a
roll of paper 20. The checks 17 and 18 may be of various
conventional from engaging within the ends of a core shaft 19. The
chucks 18 may be actuated by a fluid pressure cylinder 21 mounted
on and extending outwardly of a beam 16, and moving the chuck 18
within the end of a core shaft 19, upon the application of fluid
under pressure to the head end of the cylinder 21. The chucks for
the core shaft are conventional, so need not herein be shown or
described further. Fluid under pressure may be supplied to the
chucks 18 through air passageways (not shown) which may extend
along the shaft 14 and through suitable fluid connections, in any
suitable manner. The core shaft 19 may be surrounded by a tubular
shell (not shown). The leading end of the paper web is initially
threaded around the tubular shell of the core shaft and suitably
clamped thereto.
The turret shaft 14 is rotatably moved in position to bring an end
of the turret 15 in position to pick up a core shaft and roll of
paper thereon, and elevate the roll of paper into position to be
unwound by a flexible drive tape 23. A motor 24 which may be a
fluid pressure operated motor, is provided to turn the turret 15
into its selected operative positions by the supply of fluid under
pressure to said motor, under the control of suitable valve means,
which may be manually or sequentially operated in a manner
well-known to those skilled in the art, so not herein shown or
described. Said motor is shown as mounted on a bracket 25 extending
from a speed reducer housing 26. The speed reducing housing 26 is
mounted on an elevated base 27 extending laterally outwardly of the
post 11, and shown in FIG. 2 as formed integrally therewith. A
shaft 29 extends from the speed reducer housing 26 and has a spur
pinion 30 thereon, meshing with and driving a spur gear 31, keyed
or otherwise secured to the turret shaft 14. The reduction gearing
in the speed reducer housing 26 may be a suitable type of
self-locking gearing, to lock the turret beams 16, 16 in position
during an unwinding operation.
A separate endless flexible unwinding tape 23 is in association
with each end of the turret beams 16 to engage the peripheral
surface of a roll of paper supported on the associated chucks 17
and 18 and core shaft 19, to unwind the roll of paper in either
position A or position B, shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The
tapes 23 are each trained about a drive drum 32 mounted on a
transverse shaft 33, intermediate the ends of said shaft and
rotatably driven thereby. Each shaft 33 is in turn mounted adjacent
its opposite ends on bearing supports 35 on the outer ends of posts
36 mounted on the beams 16. The posts 36 are mounted on opposite
sides of each beam 16 and are spaced equal distances from the axis
of rotation of the turret shaft 14. Each pair of posts 36 and shaft
33 form a support for a pair of parallel spaced arms 37, mounted
for free movement about the shaft 33 and supporting an idler shaft
39 at the free ends of said arms. The arms 37 in association with
each tape 23 are mounted for free adjustable movement about the
axis of this shaft 33, and support a transverse shaft 39 at their
outer ends, which has an idler drum 40 mounted thereon,
intermediate the ends of said shaft.
The shafts 33, drums 32 and tapes 23 are driven at the same rates
of speed by sprockets 86 keyed or otherwise secured to said shafts,
and an endless drive member, such as a drive chain 87. Said drive
chain is trained about said sprockets and about a drive sprocket 88
suitably mounted on a sleeve 89 journalled on the shaft 14 for free
rotation with respect thereto. A tension idler 90 in association
with each sprocket 86 and on opposite sides of the sprocket 88,
maintains tension on the chain 87 to effect the drive of the two
sprockets 86 from said chain. The tension idlers 90,90 may be
conventional and may be suitably urged into meshing engagement with
the endless chain 87 to maintain a uniform tension on the chain 87
and to maintain the chain in mesh with the drive sprocket 88 and
driven sprockets 86, in any suitable manner and not herein shown or
described in detail since it forms no part of the present
invention.
A sprocket 91 is suitably secured to the sleeve 89 to effect the
drive to said sleeve. The sprocket 91 is meshed with an endless
chain 92, which may be driven from the mill power shaft or from an
independent drive motor and speed reducer (not shown).
The tapes 23 and arms 37 on opposite sides of the center line of
the unwinder and turret 15 are each moved into position to engage
the peripheral surface of a roll of paper by individual fluid
pressure operated cylinders 41 having pistons (not shown) therein
and piston rods 42 extensible therefrom. Each piston rod is pivoted
at its outer end to an arm 37 as by a pivot pin 43.
The shaft 14 has diametrically opposed brackets 45 thereon and
spaced on opposite sides of the transverse center line thereof. The
brackets 45 may be bifurcated and have trunnion pins 46 extending
from opposite sides of the respective cylinder 41, pivotally
mounted thereon and forming pivot supports for said cylinders. The
brackets 45 are secured to the shaft 14 in a suitable manner to
turn therewith and move with the turret 15 as said turret is moved
into its pick-up or its unwind position. Fluid under pressure may
be admitted to the head ends of said cylinders under the control of
suitable valve means (not shown) to engage a traveling tape 23 with
the periphery of a roll 20 and rotate the roll in an unwinding
direction by engagement of the tape with the periphery of said
roll. It should here be understood that pressure is maintained in
the head end of the cylinder associated with the roll driven in an
unwinding direction to engage the tape 23 with the roll with a
uniform pressure during unwinding thereof and thereby move the
associated tape 23 from the full position shown in FIG. 1 to the
dotted line position shown in this Figure.
The beams 16 of the turret 15 also have posts 47 extending
therefrom, parallel to the posts 36. As shown in FIG. 1, one post
47 extends downwardly from each beam 16 on the opposite side of the
center line of the turret from the post 36. Another post 47 extends
upwardly of the opposite side of each beam 16 and on the opposite
side of the transverse center of the turret from the downwardly
extending posts 47. The posts 47 on each side of the turret 15 have
bearing brackets 48 on the ends thereof forming bearing mountings
for a transverse shaft 49 having an idler roll 50 for the web
mounted thereon, and extending between the posts 47 for the width
of the web.
The web is trained from an expiring roll 20 at one end of the
turret about the idler 50, and from said idler about a splice roll
51 on a splice arm 53. From thence the web is trained over an idler
roll 55 and downwardly therefrom under an idler 56 to the sheet
run.
The splice arm 53 is transversely pivoted intermediate its ends on
bearing supports 57 on the top of a base 59 for said splice arm.
The splice arm 53 may be of a generally bifurcated form in plan
having an open portion (not shown) to accommodate the web to pass
therealong and over the idler 55 downwardly to the idler 56.
The splice arm 53 is moved about the axis of a pivot shaft 58 into
a retracted position and into a splice position, to move the splice
roll 51 to effect splicing of the end of the expiring roll to the
leading end of a new roll, by operation of a fluid pressure
cylinder 60 having a piston (not shown) therein and having a piston
rod 61 extensible therefrom and pivotally connected to an actuating
arm 63 secured to said splice arm as by a pivot pin 65. The
actuating arm 63 is fixedly connected to the splice arm 53. The
head end of the cylinder 60 is pivoted to a bracket 66 extending
upwardly of a base plate 67 of the base 59, as by a pivot pin
69.
Laterally spaced knife arms 70 are pivotally mounted at opposite
ends of a shaft 71, forming a bearing support for the splice roll
51. The knife arms 70 carry a knife 73 at the end thereof, which
extends for the width of the sheet and is effective to shear the
trailing end of the expiring sheet as spliced to the leading end of
a new roll 20. The knife is actuated by a fluid pressure operated
cylinder 74, having a piston (not shown) therein and a piston rod
75 extensible therefrom and connected with a bracket 76 extending
rearwardly of said knife arm 70. The opposite end of the cylinder
74 is pivotally mounted to a depending end portion 72 of the
actuating arm 63 as by a pivot arm 78.
Means are provided for locking the splice arm 53 from movement
toward a new roll 20, which includes a lock arm 77 engageable with
a hardened block 79 at the lower rear end portion of the splice arm
53. The hardened block 79 has a recessed portion 77a extending
across the lower rear corner into which fits the lock arm 77, when
the splice arm 53 is locked in the extended position shown in FIG.
1. The lock arm 77 is pivoted for movement about the axis of a
transverse shaft 80 and is moved into locking position by a
cylinder 81 having a piston (not shown) therein and a piston rod 82
extensible therefrom and pivotally connected at its free end to an
arm 83, to move the lock arm into and out of position to engage the
hardened block 79, and lock the splice arm 53 from moving to a
splice position and to release said splice arm to effect splicing
of the end of the expiring roll to a new roll of paper. The
cylinder 81 is transversely pivoted to a bracket 85 carried by the
base 59, as shown in FIG. 1.
When it is desired to splice the trailing end portion of an
expiring roll, fluid under pressure is admitted to the head end of
the cylinder 60 to engage the splice roll 51 with an adhesive tape
(not shown) previously placed across the leading end of the new
roll as the unwinding operation continues. A reflective tape 85 may
be placed along a side of the new roll at the location of the
splice tape and may reflect a source of light to effect the
sequential admission of fluid under pressure to the head ends of
the cylinders 60,81 and 74 and thereby effect automatic splicing of
the expiring roll to the new roll through a conventional control
system of a type well-known to those skilled in the art so not
herein shown or described.
In initiating the unwinding operation, the turret 15 is first
positioned by operation of the motor 24 and reduction gearing 30
and 31 by admitting fluid under pressure to said motor under the
control of suitable valves (not shown), with the end of the turret
opposite the splice arm 53 pivoted downwardly about the axis of the
shaft 14, into position to pick up a roll 20 from the floor. The
turret is then rotated about the axis of the shaft 14 in a
clockwise direction to position A shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings.
Assuming the two tapes are being driven in their orbital paths at
the same rates of speed through the drive chain 92, sprocket 91 and
chain and sprocket drives formed by the sprockets 87 and chain 88,
driving the two sprockets 86 at the same rates of speed, the
respective cylinder 41 is then supplied with fluid under pressure
to press its tape 23 into engagement with the periphery of the roll
at position A under the control of suitable valve means and drive
said roll in an unwinding direction, it being understood that the
web is trained along the splice roll 51, now in its retracted
position and over the idler roll 55 and under the idler roll 56
into the sheet run.
At a point where the diameter of the roll in position A is
considered to be at a maximum transferable roll diameter, the
turret 15 is pivoted about the axis of the shaft 14 is a
counterclockwise direction by the supply of fluid under pressure to
the motor 24, to raise the roll and position the turret to pick up
a second roll and lift this roll into position B. During changing
of the positions of the rolls, the splice arm 53 is pivoted about
the axis of the shaft 58 in a counterclockwise direction to
accommodate the turret and required roll to pass thereby. The
turret 15 is then rotated in a clockwise direction to bring the new
roll into position A. The fresh large roll is thus positioned in
position A, while the first roll now in position B is still being
unwound into the sheet run. As a few inches of web is still left on
the expiring roll in position B, the splice arm 53 is brought to
position the splice roll 51 up to about one inch of the new roll
now in position A. A piece of reflective tape is then placed along
the ends of the roll to serve as a target for a electric eye (not
shown). A splicing tape is also applied to the new roll at A. Fluid
under pressure is then applied to the cylinder 60 to apply the
splice roll to the new roll which is now driven and traveling at
the expiring speed of the roll in position B. Fluid under pressure
may also be supplied to the cylinder 74 to effect the shearing of
the trailing end portion of the sheet of the expiring roll as the
expiring roll is spliced to the new roll. The unwinding operation
may then continue to effect unwinding of the new roll in position A
until it reaches a point where a new roll may be picked up by the
turret 15.
It may be seen from the foregoing that a continuous unwinding
method and apparatus has been provided for unwinding rolls of paper
independently of sheet tension and assuring the drive of the two
tapes at the same rates of speed and avoiding the necessity of
drives to the tapes with the controls which would be necessary to
maintain the two drives at the same rates of speed and to
compensate for the reduction in peripheral surface of the rolls. It
also avoids the necessity for providing brakes for the rolls on
each end of the turret since the traveling tape serves both as a
driving means and a retarding means, and has a built-in damping or
speed control means. It may further be seen that the unwinding
stand of the present invention is particularly advantageous in
off-machine coating, where continuous production is desired and
necessary for economical operation, making the machine suitable for
unwinding tissue, due to the elimination of unwinding tension of
the sheet.
* * * * *