CA1333711C - Label auto-transfer turret rewind assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for holding a coiling tube onto a mandrel having opposed longitudinal flat surfaces, the apparatus comprising a pair of semi-circular tube insert segments, each of which is provided with an outer arcuate surface and an inner offset semi-circular arc, the center point of the inner arc and the center point of the outer arc of the segment are offset from each other by a predetermined distance, which when the outer arcs of the segments are mated to form a cylinder creates a central hole for the mandrel comprising two slightly offset semi-circles, and when the inner arcs are mated to form a circle creates offset semi-circles of the outer arcs, each of the segments being shifted sufficiently thereby to tighten against a tube when placed thereon.

Description

SPECIFICATION
GLENN E. RANDOLPH I 3 3 3 71 LABEL AUTO-TRANSFER TURRET
REWIND ASSEMBLY

BACKGROUND OF THE lN V~NllON
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for winding reels of material onto a core. More particularly, the present invention relates to an assembly for the winding of defined lengths of webs onto a resilient core adapted for engagement onto and removal from a mandrel. The invention is particularly useful in the manufacture of labels in the printing industry.
In the manufacturing of labels, after printing, it is necessary to rewind reels of label-carrying webs bearing large quantities of labels onto smaller rolls of accurate and defined quantities of labels. In actual manufacture, it requires about twice as much time and accompanying manpower to rewind the labels as to accomplish the original manufacture or printing of the labels.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transferring large reels of labels onto small rolls or cores with excellent accuracy (i.e., a specified number of labels per roll) and with less than one-fourth (1/4) the manpower required for the current label rewinding process.
The invented label auto-transfer turret rewind apparatus is basically a rotatable base plate having a plurality of protruding mandrels or spindles, each spindle adapted to receive and rotate a take-up spool, which spindles are journaled for rotation in the base. Each spindle is powered by a drive mechanism on the reverse side of the rotatable base plate. A counter controls a cut-off mechanism for accurately placing the correct number of labels on each spool. In addition, a warning system provides an audible signal when a spool is not removed by the time the spindle rotates to a specified indexed position .

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The following patents are believed to be material to the examination of the subject invention:
Yamaguchi U. S. Patent 4,055,313, entitled Apparatus for Exchanging Rewound Rolls in a Roll Slitting and Rewinding Machine, shows a longitudinal slitter and rewinder, which cuts a wide web into a plurality of narrow webs, and winds them onto a plurality of rolls.
Seelinger U. S. Patent 4,596,505, entitled Automatic Loader/Unloader for Slitter, teaches a longitudinal web slitter, and also teaches two pairs of turret-type spindles 20, 21, 22, 23.
Marshall U. S. Patent 4,518,126, entitled Take-Up Mechanism, shows a winding take-up mechanism for controlling strands or webs on tubes.
Kupper U.S. Patent 4,651,865, entitled Device for Unloading a Coil, shows multiple mandrels, but these are for textile threads. The mandrels appear to be individually driven.
Cooper U. S. Patent 4,416,426, entitled Web Treatment Apparatus, shows a rotatable turret with four mandrels which index to various positions.
Gray U. S. Patent 1,040,188, entitled Automatic Winding Machine, shows an automatic winding apparatus with multiple spindles from an earlier era.
Nichols U. S. Patent 1,484,842, entitled Slitting and Rewinding Machine, teaches another rewind apparatus, including the slitting function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a label auto-transfer turret rewind apparatus, which comprises a large disc having a plurality of core-receiving mandrels protruding from one side of the disc, each journaled for rotation within a bearing housed in the disc, the other end of each mandrel carrying a drive sheave. Two or three mandrel drive sheaves are engaged by a drive belt at any one time, the remainder being undriven, and therefore "idling". A glue unit is movable against a core on a mandrel, and has an associated cutting blade or knife. The glue unit then retracts and a knife blade passes through the region between two cores on adjacent mandrels, cutting a web, if present, and urging it against the newly glued core. The turret indexes to a new orientation. The core is wound with labels on a web, and the procedure is repeated when the core is filled with the desired number of labels. Upon indexing to an idler position, the wound core is removed manually and an empty core is placed on the mandrel. Each core has a segmented friction core holder, by which the core is gripped when the mandrel is turning, and which readily releases its grip on the mandrel upon a simple manual manoeuvre by the operator.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary object of this invention to provide a method for rewinding label-carrying webs onto small rolls or cores with extremely high accuracy, yet with a minimum of manpower.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a method for turning mandrels mounted in turret-fashion on a rotary plate, but only when in predetermined positions.
It is also an object of this invention to provide apparatus for rewinding webs of material such as label-carrying webs, which is safe and easy to operate.
It is another object of this invention to provide means for holding a core tightly on a mandrel, yet which is easy to remove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other objects will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description and the appended drawings, in which:
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Figure 1 is a front view of the label auto-transfer turret rewind assembly.
Figure 2 is a rear view of the label turret rewind assembly.
Figure 3 is an isometric view of a friction core holder in the deactivated position.
Figure 4 is an end view of a friction core holder in the activated position, showing two alternative embodiments of core holder segment connectors.
Figure 5 is an isometric view of a mandrel in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to Figure 1, a large disc 10 is mounted for rotation on a base 12, about axis 13. The disc 10 is provided with 8 label friction mandrels or spindles 14, all of which protrude from one side of disc 10 and are driven from the other side.
Each mandrel 14, which has a longitudinal flat face 16, holds a core 18, which is generally made of cardboard, fiber-board, vinyl, plastic, or other resilient material.
The core is held onto the mandrel 14 by a pair of semi-circular disc-like segments 20, 22, which have slightly offset respective centers 24, 26. Each segment 20 is identical to segment 22, but is reversed when mated.
Mandrel 14 has a pair of longitudinal flat faces 16, which accommodate the off-set centers in the non-round orientation, as shown in Figure 3. The segments preferably have an annular outer groove 30 for receiving a resilient band or 0-ring 32 to hold the mated segments together.
The reverse side of the turret rewind base 12 carries drive means, including a motor driven sheave 36, and a drive sheave arrangement in which drive belt 38 engages only two or three of the mandrel drive sheaves 40 at any one time (See Figure 2). Idler pulleys 42 are provided to create proper tension in belt 38 and the proper drive angle X

-~ 5 ~ 1 3 3 3 711 of belt 38 with regard to each sheave 40 in a driven position.
A glue unit 44 includes a glue-containing receptacle or trough 46, a roller-applicator 48 mounted at the trough so that a portion of the roller extends into the glue contained in the trough, and means for moving the glue unit laterally into and out of engagement with a core on a spindle. The glue unit is mounted on a track 50 which is connected to the frame 12, and is preferably reciprocally powered along the track by a pneumatic cylinder, not shown.
The glue unit may advantageously carry a lower glue carrier roll 52 which is partially submerged in the glue pool and contacts the roller-applicator 48 by which the carrier roll applies glue to the applicator roll 48, which allows the applicator roll to be of a smaller diameter than otherwise would be required to extend into the glue pool in the trough. In addition, the use of a carrier roll will prevent excessive glue from being applied to the carrier roll and thus to the core.
A web cutting assembly 56, including a cutting blade 58, is mounted for horizontal movement on a track 60, which is fixed to frame 12. A solenoid-actuated pneumatic cylinder 62 is connected to the blade assembly for horizontal movement along the track 60. Another solenoid-actuated pneumatic cylinder controls vertical movement of the blade. The cutting assembly includes a web guide roll 66 which controls the angle and path of the web as it is being cut. If desired, the blade 58 can be set to cut at an angle of up to 45 degrees from the vertical.
The indexing of each core-containing mandrel to the next position is automatically controlled. A counter may be provided to accurately count the number of labels on the core, whereupon when a predetermined number is reached it would generate a signal to activate movement of the cutting assembly and blade, then to index the mandrel to the next position by rotation of the disc plate to its new X

~ - 6 - 1333711 orientation, and activate the glue unit to apply adhesive to a newly positioned core in the standby position.
A detector, comprising a photoelectric cell 70, is focused at a location indicated by reflector 72, and is so adjusted that its beam is aimed to just miss a mandrel if it carries no core thereon. The detector is provided with an audible alarm which also controls an emergency stop for preventing further indexing of the turret apparatus until the label or web-containing roll can be removed from the mandrel at the focused position indicated at 75.
In operation, a core 18 is placed on a mandrel 14, prior to the mandrel being indexed to the location for web accumulation. As it approaches location 18A, the mandrel begins turning, as its associated drive sheave 40 is engaged by drive belt 38. Upon reaching that core location, indicated at 18A, the glue unit is activated to move horizontally until the applicator roll 48 touches a core for one core revolution, the applicator applying glue for one revolution, the exact time of the glue application being computer controlled. The glue unit retracts. When the active core is filled, the cutting unit moves forward to slice the label-containing web, the turret indexes, and the glue unit applies adhesive to the next core.
The action of the blade dropping and slicing the web actually forces the web down against the adhesive-bearing core, and immediately upon blade retraction, the core is already accumulating labels. Then the turret 10 indexes to the next station, meaning that the plate disc has revolved 1/8 of a revolution. The label-filled core 18 is removed after the turret has indexed twice, so that the associated drive sheave for the mandrel which that core is gripping is no longer engaged by drive belt 38, and the mandrel is no longer turning. The empty core is turning prior to the glue being applied, and the core is also turning while it is filling. Then when it indexes to the next station, it can be removed.
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~ 7 ~ 1 3 337 11 The elongated flat sides of each mandrel accommodate the core support segments when offset to the non-circular central orifice orientation. When the spindle 14 turns in an operative direction, it forces the split center of the core-gripping segments to assume a round configuration, rather than that of two slightly off-set half-moons.
Reverse pressure on the core will release the outward force from the mandrel and allow the core to be readily removed therefrom.
Normally a rewind machine is required for twice as much time as the original winder. A rewind machine is used to rewind the large rolls into small, easily handled rolls for a label applicator, such as a portable label applicator. Use of the subject invention allows the reduction of required personnel by at least two or three rewinder operators, with an attendant dramatic decrease in cost of label production.

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS
Alternatively, the semi-circular core support segments may be wider than shown, thus requiring only one pair of segments to support a core. When two pairs of segments are used, each opposed pair may be connected by a spacer 80, as shown in Figure 4, or by a pair of spacers 82, such as dowel rods.
A safety guard 86 may be provided to prevent contact of any person with the cutting blade.

SUMMARY OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF
THE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
From the foregoing, it is readily apparent that I have invented a method and apparatus for rewinding label-carrying webs onto small rolls or cores with extremely high accuracy, yet with a minimum of manpower, a method for turning only selected mandrels mounted in turret-fashion on a rotary plate, when in predetermined X

- - 8 _ 1333 711 positions. I have also provide apparatus for rewinding webs of material such as label-carrying webs, which is safe and easy to operate, along with means for holding a core tightly on a mandrel, yet which is readily removable with ease.
While I have shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, but any changes or modifications within the scope of the following claims are included within the invention.
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Claims (5)

1. Apparatus for holding a coiling tube having a resilient surface onto a mandrel, said mandrel having opposed longitudinal flat surfaces, said apparatus comprising a pair of semi-circular tube insert segments, and a resilient retaining means to mate the segments, each of said semi-circular segments being provided with an outer arcuate surface and an inner offset semi-circular arc, the center point of the inner arc and the center point of the outer arc of the segment being offset from each other by a predetermined distance, which when the outer arcs of the segments are mated to form a cylinder creates a central hole for said mandrel comprising two slightly offset semi-circles, and when the inner arcs are mated to form a circle creates offset semi-circles of the outer arcs, each of said segments being shifted sufficiently thereby to tighten against a tube when placed thereon.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an annular groove in the circumference of each of said segments, and a resilient fastener positioned in said groove to mate a pair of segments.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second pair of mated segments, each pair being located near opposite ends of said tube.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising segment connectors fixed to opposed segments.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said segment connectors are rods.