CN112272645B

CN112272645B - Apparatus and method for reel handling

Info

Publication number: CN112272645B
Application number: CN201980038347.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: J·贝克曼
Original assignee: Kraft Foods Schweiz Holding GmbH
Current assignee: Kraft Foods Schweiz Holding GmbH
Priority date: 2018-06-27
Filing date: 2019-06-19
Publication date: 2023-05-30
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-19
Also published as: AU2023200930A1; CA3102272A1; AU2019295562A1; EP3814258A1; CA3102272C; CN112272645A; WO2020005664A1

Abstract

A multi-functional spool changing tool (10) is provided for use with a robotic arm (20), such as a cooperating robotic arm, to change a film roll on a packaging device. The tool includes a first portion (18) capable of accessing, supporting, transporting and storing the spool by contacting the outer periphery of a partially complete or complete spool of material and a second portion (22) capable of accessing, supporting, transporting and storing the core of a depleted or partially depleted spool of material by contacting the outer periphery of the depleted spool or core of material or the outer periphery of material remaining on the partially depleted spool. Preferably, but not necessarily, the tool does not have an independently movable part.

Description

Apparatus and method for reel handling

Technical Field

Described herein are apparatus and methods for reel processing, particularly using a tool optionally attached to a robotic arm configured to remove a depleted reel core and place a new reel on a spindle of a packaging apparatus.

Background

Packaging devices are commonly used to form packages of items such as food from flexible materials such as films. The flexible material may be provided on a reel that is placed on a spindle of the packaging apparatus for unwinding and further processing. Once the reel is exhausted, the core of the reel is removed from the spindle of the packaging device and a new material reel can be placed on the spindle. However, film reels can weigh 15 pounds to 50 pounds or more, which can make them cumbersome to handle. The spool may have an outer diameter of, for example, about 30 inches, and the core may have a diameter of about 1 inch to 4 inches, although the spool and core may have a variety of sizes.

One method for automating handling of film reels is to manipulate the reels with cores. For example, U.S. patent 4,934,624;5,265,999; and 6,276,629 discloses an automated handling apparatus for placing spools onto spindles by attaching or grasping cores.

A mixing method for handling reels is disclosed in us patent 9,120,636. This patent discloses first gripping the periphery of the reel and then inserting the spindle through the central opening, but then moving the reel to the packaging machine via the spindle. More specifically, this patent discloses the use of a pair of clamping arms to clamp a spool between the clamping arms by contacting the perimeter of the spool. The spindle is inserted into the central opening of the spool while the spool is held by the clamping arm. The clamping arm moves the spool together with the spindle into a carriage in which the spool is supported by the spindle. The clamping arm is then released from the periphery of the clamping reel and then rotated so that the abutment of the clamping arm can then lift the reel by the spindle and move the reel from the stand to the packaging machine via the spindle.

A different method of handling the spool is disclosed in us patent 8,353,662. This patent discloses the use of a suction head at the end of an articulated robotic arm to move the spool instead of using a core to lift the spool. A mechanical gripper is provided in the central portion of the cleaner head for removing the core. Thus, the cleaner head comprises a portion for handling the reel by contacting the side of the reel, and a different portion for removing the depleted reel core. However, there are moving parts associated with the suction head. For example, a mechanical gripper includes a jaw and an actuator. Moreover, the suction head contacts the side of the reel.

Another method is disclosed in us patent 5,249,757. Similar to the' 662 patent just disclosed above, this patent discloses the use of a clamping device having a tubular fitting for contacting the periphery of the spool. The clamping device also has a mechanism for removing the core of the depleted spool. However, this patent discloses that the accessory and the mechanism for removing the depleted reel can be moved via pressurized actuation.

Disclosure of Invention

A multi-function spool changing tool is provided for placing a spool of material on a spindle of a packaging apparatus and removing a core of a depleted spool of material from the spindle. The tool comprises a first set of one or more operable structures arranged to lift the material reel by contacting an outer periphery of the material reel, support the material reel during movement towards the packaging device, and place the material reel on the spindle. The tool further includes a second set of one or more operable structures at least partially different from the first set of operable structures, the second set of one or more operable structures being arranged to pull the core from the spindle by contacting an outer periphery of the core of the depleted spool of material and to support the core during movement of the core away from the packaging apparatus.

Optionally, the tool has an axis of rotation about which the tool is rotatable to move between: a first orientation whereby the first set of operable structures is arranged to lift the spool of material and place the spool of material on the spindle; and a second orientation different from the first orientation, whereby the second set of operable structures is arranged to remove the core of the depleted spool of material from the spindle.

In one aspect, the tool includes one or more rear support members, wherein the first set of operable structures includes a first set of tines protruding with respect to the one or more rear support members for supporting the spool of material, and wherein the second set of operable structures includes a second set of tines protruding with respect to the one or more rear support members for supporting the core.

In another aspect, the reel change tool includes one or more rear support members, wherein the first set of operable structures includes a first set of tines protruding relative to the one or more rear support members for supporting the reel of material, and wherein a pair of second sets of operable structures are provided, wherein each of the pair includes a second set of tines protruding relative to the one or more rear support members for supporting the core.

In another aspect, the reel change tool includes one or more rear support members, wherein the second set of operable structures includes a first pair of tines protruding with respect to the one or more rear support members and a second pair of tines protruding with respect to the one or more rear support members, the second pair of tines being different from the first pair of tines, and wherein the first set of operable structures includes the first pair of tines and the second pair of tines.

In any of the foregoing aspects, the second set of tines may include a pair of tines spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the core for supporting the core during movement of the core away from the packaging apparatus.

Optionally, the first set of tines and the second set of tines have at least one tine in common.

Optionally, at least two of the tines of the second set of operable structures may be connected by a bridge spaced apart from the one or more rear support members. Optionally, at least two of each pair of the second set of tines may be connected by a bridge. The one or more bridges may each have an arcuate cutout configured to pull the core from the spindle.

In one aspect, the first set of operable structures includes a front support and a rear support separated by a plurality of spacers by a distance sufficient for the spool of material to be supported between the front support and the rear support by at least the plurality of spacers.

Optionally, the second set of operable structures includes at least a front support. Still optionally, the front support may include an arcuate cutout configured to pull the core from the spindle.

Any of the tools described herein may not include independently movable components.

Any of the tools described herein may be attached to a robotic arm.

Optionally, the tool or arm may comprise a flexible pusher for closing an access door to the spindle of the packaging device.

Methods of using the tools described herein may include lifting a spool of material using a first set of one or more operable structures, moving the spool of material toward a spindle of a packaging device, and placing the spool of material on the spindle; rotating the tool from the first orientation to the second orientation; and using a second set of one or more operable structures to pull the core of the spool of material off the spindle and move the core away from the packaging apparatus.

The method may further comprise the steps of: moving the tool away from the spindle of the packaging device after the step of using the first set of one or more operable structures; and moving the tool toward the spindle of the packaging device after dispensing at least some of the material from the spool of material.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a robotic arm with a reel change tool attached and showing the robotic arm moving a spool of material supported by the reel change tool toward a spindle of an unwind stand of a packaging apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the robotic arm of FIG. 1, but showing the material reel inserted onto the spindle of the unwind stand of the packaging apparatus and the robotic arm moving the now space-time reel change tool away from the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the robotic arm of FIG. 1, but showing the spool of material having been depleted such that the core remains on the main shaft of the unwind stand of the packaging apparatus and the robotic arm moving the empty spool changing tool toward the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the robotic arm of FIG. 1, but showing the core having been removed from the main shaft of the unwind stand of the packaging apparatus using the reel change tool and the core now supported by the reel change tool being moved away from the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the reel change tool of FIG. 1 showing the reel change tool supporting a reel of material;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the reel change tool of FIG. 1 showing the reel change tool supporting the core of the depleted spool of material;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the reel change tool of FIG. 1, wherein the tool supports the core of a depleted spool of material;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the reel change tool of FIG. 1, showing the tool empty;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative reel change tool;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the alternative reel change tool of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of the alternative reel change tool of FIG. 9, showing the tool support material reel (shown in phantom); and

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the alternative reel change tool of FIG. 9, showing the tool supporting the core (shown in phantom) of a used material reel.

Detailed Description

A multi-functional spool changing tool is provided for use with a robotic arm, such as a cooperating robotic arm, to change a film roll on a packaging device. The tool includes a first portion capable of accessing, supporting, transporting and storing a spool by contacting an outer periphery of a partially complete or complete spool of material and a second portion capable of accessing, supporting, transporting and storing a core of a depleted or partially depleted spool of material by contacting an outer periphery of a depleted spool or core of material or an outer periphery of material remaining on a partially depleted spool. Preferably, but not necessarily, the tool does not have an independently movable part.

A first embodiment of the reel change tool is shown in fig. 1-8. The reel change tool 10 comprises a first set of one or more operable structures arranged to lift the material reel 2 by contacting the outer periphery of the material reel 2, support the material reel 2 during movement towards the packaging device 6, and place the material reel 2 on the spindle 8. The reel change tool 10 further comprises a second set of one or more operable structures, at least partly different from the first set of operable structures, arranged to pull the core 4 from the spindle 8 by contacting the outer periphery of the core 4 of the depleted material reel and to support the core 4 during movement of the core 4 away from the packaging device 6. The tool 10 has an axis of rotation about which the tool 10 is rotatable to move between: a first orientation whereby the first set of operable structures is arranged to lift the material reel 2 and place the material reel 2 on the spindle 8; and a second orientation, different from the first orientation, whereby the second set of operable structures is arranged to remove the core 4 of the depleted spool of material from the spindle 8.

Turning to details of the first embodiment of the reel change tool 10, a first set of operative structures includes a front support 12 and a rear support 14 spaced apart a distance by a plurality of spacers 16a-16e, as shown in fig. 5-8. This distance is sufficient for the material reel 2 to be supported between the front support 12 and the rear support 14 by at least a plurality of spacers 16, such that the reel 2 is supported between the front support 12 and the rear support 14, wherein the weight of the reel 2 is to a large extent supported by some of the spacers 16a-16c, as shown in fig. 5. In other words, the spacers 16a-16c support the spool 2 in a vertical direction, while the front support 12 and the rear support 14 provide lateral support for the spool 2. The rear support 14 may include attachment locations for connecting a tool to the robotic arm 20.

The front support 12 and the rear support 14 are plate-shaped in appearance. The rear support 14 may be generally rectangular with rounded corners. However, the front support 12 has a pair of upwardly facing

arcuate edges

18 and 22. The first larger one of the arcuate edges 18 spans almost from one side of the front support 12 to the other. The second, smaller one of the arcuate edges 22 is shaped to deviate from the first arcuate edge 18. The second arcuate edge 22 is sized to support the core 4 of the depleted spool of material by the outer periphery of the core of the depleted spool of material as shown in figure 6. More specifically, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, there is a pair of

spacers

16a and 16b positioned adjacent the smaller arcuate edge 22 for supporting the core 4 of the depleted spool of material. As shown in fig. 5, the pair of

spacers

16a and 16b cooperate with a third spacer 16c for supporting the spool 2. The remaining pair of

spacers

16d and 16e provide additional support for the front support 12 and the rear support 14.

The purpose of the first larger arcuate edge 18 being discontinuous due to the second smaller arcuate edge 22 is twofold. The first larger arcuate edge 18 provides access to the second smaller arcuate edge 22 while maintaining the latter relatively close to the axis of rotation. As shown in fig. 5, the raised end of the first larger arcuate edge 18 also provides stability to the spool 2 by contacting the spool 2 at a sufficient span and height relative to the spool's core 4 when supported in the tool 10. In addition to the upwardly facing

arcuate edges

18 and 22, the front support 12 also includes downwardly facing arcuate edges for weight reduction purposes.

The spacer 16 may be a bolt or the like, with or without a sleeve disposed therearound. Other configurations of the spacer 16 may be used, such as an element provided with internal threads at each end. As shown in fig. 7 and 8, a pair of spacers 16 may be provided, one adjacent each end of the front and

rear supports

12, 14. The spacer 16 joins the front support 12 and the rear support 14 together at a distance sufficient to position the spool of material 2 between the

supports

12 and 14. Thus, for a wider roll than shown, spacers of increased length than shown may be used. The spacer 16 is preferably closer to the lower edge than the top edges of the

supports

12 and 14, so that more height of the

supports

12 and 14 is available for supporting the material reel 2.

As described above, the reel change tool 10 is preferably attached to a robotic arm 20, as shown in fig. 1-6. Preferably, although not necessarily, the robotic arm 20 is a cooperative robot or a part of a cooperative robot. One example of a robotic arm is available from the robotic robot of you, denmark, europe, denmark.

The robotic arm 20 may be in many different forms suitable for performing the steps described herein with respect to the manipulation of the material spool 2 and its core 4. In the example shown in fig. 1-6, the robotic arm 20 has multiple axes of rotation. Arm 20 may be attached to a base station 24, as shown in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 1, a support post 26 of the robotic arm 20 may be attached to the base station 24. The proximal arm 28 may be attached relative to the support column 26 at a proximal joint 29 and configured to rotate relative to the support column 26 in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The distal arm 30 may in turn be attached relative to the proximal arm 28 at a distal joint 32 and also configured to rotate relative to the proximal arm 28 in both the horizontal and vertical directions. A multi-directional joint 34 may be attached relative to the distal arm 30 at its end opposite the proximal arm 28. The multi-directional joint 34 may have an attachment for connection with respect to the tool 10, such as the rear support 14 of the tool 10. The multi-directional joint 34 may have multiple directions of rotation as shown in fig. 6.

As described above, the robotic arm 20 may optionally be attached to a base station 24. An exemplary embodiment of a base station 24 is shown in fig. 1. The base station 24 includes a controller 36 for the robotic arm 20, a platform 38, and may include one or more positions 40 for holding the spool of material 2. A cart 42 configured to support a row of spools may also be provided.

To add a spool of material 2 to the spindle 8 of the packaging device 6, the robotic arm 20 is used to position the spool changing tool 10 to lift the spool 2 from the base station 24. More specifically, the front support 12 and the rear support 14 of the tool 10 are aligned generally parallel to but below the surface of the material spool 2. The tool 10 is then moved upwards in a substantially vertical direction such that the reel 2 is arranged between the front support 12 and the rear support 14. As the tool 10 continues to move upward in a generally vertical direction, the spacers 16 of the tool 10 contact the peripheral edge of the spool 2 and lift the spool 2 from the base 24. As shown in fig. 1, with the reel 2 now supported by the tool 10, the tool 10 and the reel 2 are moved toward the spindle 8 by the robot arm 2. If the unwind stand 7 of the packaging device 6 has one or more doors 9 for selectively blocking access to the spindle 8, the one or more doors 9 may be opened manually or automatically. The robotic arm 20 then moves the tool 10 and the spool 2 to position the spool 2 on the spindle 8. The tool 10 is then moved substantially vertically downwards so that it no longer supports the reel 2 and subsequently away from the spindle 8. One or more doors 9, if present, may be closed. The door 9 may optionally be closed using a finger 44 (such as a flexible finger) attached relative to the robotic arm 20 or to the tool 10. The robot arm 20 then moves the tool 10 in this space time away from the spindle 8 of the packaging device 6, as shown in fig. 2.

To remove the core 4 of the depleted or otherwise at least partially depleted spool of material, the empty tool 10 of the robotic arm is moved towards the spindle 8 of the packaging apparatus 6, as shown in fig. 3. One or more doors 9, if present, may be opened manually or automatically to provide access to the spindle 8. The tool 10 is rotated about its axis of rotation relative to the robotic arm 20 to position a second arcuate edge 22 for pulling the core 4 from the spindle 8. Once the core 4 is supported by the tool 10, as shown in fig. 6, the robotic arm 20 moves the tool 10 and the core 4 away from the spindle 8 and the packaging apparatus 6, as shown in fig. 4. The core 4 may then be removed from the tool 10, such as manually or while the tool 10 is moved into a position that allows the core 4 to fall out. The tool 10 and the robotic arm 20 may then be used to place a new spool 2 of film material on the spindle 8 using the methods described previously.

A second embodiment of the reel change tool 50 is shown in fig. 9-12. The reel change tool 50 comprises a first set of one or more operable structures arranged to lift the material reel 2 by contacting the outer periphery of the material reel 2, support the material reel 2 during movement towards the packaging device 6, and place the material reel 2 on the spindle 8. The reel change tool 50 further comprises a second set of one or more operable structures, at least partly different from the first set of operable structures, arranged to pull the core 4 from the spindle 8 by contacting the outer periphery of the core 4 of the depleted material reel and to support the core 4 during movement of the core 4 away from the packaging device 6. The tool 50 has an axis of rotation about which the tool 50 is rotatable to move between: a first orientation whereby the first set of operable structures is arranged to lift the material reel 2 and place the material reel 2 on the spindle 8; and a second orientation, different from the first orientation, whereby the second set of operable structures is arranged to remove the core 4 of the depleted spool of material from the spindle 8.

Turning to details of the second embodiment of the reel change tool 50, the tool includes a rear support 52 having a plurality of

tines

54,56,58 and 60 which project outwardly from the rear support 52, as shown in fig. 9 and 10. The reel change tool 50 of the second embodiment may be attached to a robotic arm or cooperating robotic arm 20 of the type described herein.

The rear support 52 may have a central hub 62 with

arms

64,66,68 and 70 extending diagonally outward from the hub in a generally X-shaped configuration. The rear support 52 may include an attachment location, such as at the central hub 62, for connecting the tool 50 to the robotic arm 20.

Arms

64,66,68 and 70 include a pair of

upper arms

64 and 66 and a pair of

lower arms

68 and 70. The lateral sides of the rear support 52 may also be connected by

lateral supports

72, 74. The rear support 52 is preferably of generally planar configuration so that one face of the material spool 2 can be supported against it. The rear support 52 may be unitary or it may be constructed of multiple pieces that are joined together. A plurality of

tines

54,56,58 and 60 extend outwardly and are preferably generally perpendicular to the rear support.

As shown in fig. 9,

tines

54,56,58 and 60 are disposed along bottom portions of a pair of

lower arms

68 and 70. The first pair of

tines

54 and 56 are attached to one 70 of a pair of bottom arms of the rear support 52 and the second pair of

tines

58 and 60 are attached to the other 68 of the pair of bottom arms. The first pair of

tines

58 and 60 are connected at their ends opposite the rear support 52 by a bridge 76. Likewise, the second pair of

tines

58 and 60 are connected at their ends opposite the rear support 52 by a bridge 80. The

bridges

76 and 80 are preferably, but not necessarily, identical. The

bridges

76 and 80 each include

arcuate cutouts

78 and 82 configured to facilitate removal of the hub 4 of a depleted or partially depleted spool of material. Each of the pairs of

tines

54,56 and 58,60 are spaced closer together than the pairs of tines, although these dimensions may be varied to accommodate different sizes of material reels 2. As shown in fig. 9, a pair of short protruding guides 84 may optionally be provided at the ends of the pair of

upper arms

64 and 66 for supporting the upper peripheral portion of the material reel 2.

Each pair of

tines

54,56 and 58,60 respectively constitute a second set of tines and, optionally, together with the rear support 52, constitute a second set of operative features. As shown in fig. 12, each of the pairs of

tines

54,56 and 58,60 is configured to support the core 4 or a partially depleted spool of material therebetween. With such two pairs of

tines

54,56 and 58,60 provided on the tool 50, either pair may be used to remove the core 4 or a partially depleted spool of material. As shown in fig. 11, all four

tines

54,56,58,60 together form at least a portion of the first set of operable structures and are positioned to support the material spool 2 through the perimeter of the material spool, with the rear support 52 optionally being a portion of the first set of operable structures for supporting the spool 2.

To add the spool of material 2 to the spindle 8 of the packaging device 6, the robotic arm 20 is used to position the second embodiment of the spool changing tool 50 to lift the spool 2 from the base station 24. More specifically, the first pair of

tines

54,56 and the second pair of

tines

58,60 are directed toward and positioned below the spool of material 2. The tool 50 is then moved upwardly in a generally vertical direction such that the spool 2 is lifted upwardly by some or all of the

tines

54,56,58,60, thereby contacting the circumferential surface of the spool 2 and may lean rearwardly toward the rear support 52, as shown in fig. 11. In the case where the reel 2 is now supported by the tool 50, the tool 50 and the reel 2 are moved toward the spindle 8 by the robot arm 20. If the unwind stand 7 of the packaging device 6 has one or more doors 9 for selectively blocking access to the spindle 8, the one or more doors 7 may be opened manually or automatically. The robotic arm 20 then moves the tool 50 and the spool 2 to position the spool 2 on the spindle 8. The tool 50 is then moved substantially vertically downwards so that it no longer supports the reel 2 and subsequently away from the spindle 8. One or more doors 9, if present, may be closed. The door 9 may optionally be closed using a finger 44 (such as a flexible finger) attached relative to the robotic arm 20 or tool 50. The robot arm 20 then moves the tool 50 in this space time away from the spindle 8 of the packaging device 6.

To remove the core 4 of the depleted or otherwise at least partially depleted spool of material, the empty tool 50 of the robotic arm 20 is moved toward the spindle 8 of the packaging apparatus 6. One or more doors 9, if present, may be opened manually or automatically to provide access to the spindle 8. The tool 50 is rotated relative to the robotic arm 20 about its axis of rotation to position the

arcuate edge

78 or 82 of one of the

bridges

76 or 80 for pulling the core 4 from the spindle 8. Once the core 4 is supported by the tool 50, as shown in fig. 12, the robotic arm 20 moves the tool 50 and the core 4 away from the spindle 8 and the packaging apparatus 6. The core 4 may then be removed from the tool 50 manually or while the tool 50 is moved into a position that allows the core 4 to fall out. The tool 50 and the robotic arm 20 may then be used to place a new spool of material 2 on the spindle 8 using the methods described previously.

Claims

1. A multi-function spool changing tool for placing a spool of material on a spindle of a packaging apparatus and removing a core of depleted spool of material from the spindle, the tool comprising:

a first set of one or more operable structures arranged to lift a material reel by contacting an outer periphery of the material reel, support the material reel during movement towards the packaging device, and place the material reel on the spindle; and

a second set of one or more operable structures, at least partially different from the first set of operable structures, arranged to pull the core from the spindle by contacting an outer periphery of the core of the depleted spool of material and to support the core during movement of the core away from the packaging apparatus;

wherein the tool has an axis of rotation about which the tool is rotatable to move between: a first orientation whereby the first set of operable structures is arranged to lift a spool of material and place the spool of material on the spindle; and a second orientation different from the first orientation, whereby a second set of operable structures is arranged to remove the core of the depleted spool of material from the spindle.

2. The multi-function spool changing tool of claim 1 further comprising one or more rear support members, wherein the first set of operable structures comprises a first set of tines protruding relative to the one or more rear support members for supporting the spool of material, and wherein the second set of operable structures comprises a second set of tines protruding relative to the one or more rear support members for supporting the core.

3. The multi-function spool changing tool of claim 1 further comprising one or more rear support members, wherein the first set of operable structures comprises a first set of tines protruding relative to the one or more rear support members for supporting the spool of material, and wherein a pair of the second set of operable structures are provided, wherein each of the pair comprises a second set of tines protruding relative to the one or more rear support members for supporting the core.

4. The multi-function reel change tool of claim 1, further comprising one or more rear support members, wherein the second set of operable structures comprises a first pair of tines protruding with respect to the one or more rear support members and a second pair of tines protruding with respect to the one or more rear support members, the second pair of tines being different from the first pair of tines, and wherein the first set of operable structures comprises the first pair of tines and the second pair of tines.

5. A multi-function reel change tool according to any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein the second set of tines includes a pair of tines that are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the core for supporting the core during movement of the core away from the packaging apparatus.

6. A multi-function reel change tool according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first set of tines and the second set of tines have at least one tine in common.

7. A multi-function reel change tool according to any of claims 2-4, wherein at least two of the tines of the second set of operable structures are connected by a bridge spaced apart from the one or more rear support members.

8. The multi-function reel change tool of claim 7, wherein the bridge has an arcuate cutout configured to pull the core from the spindle.

9. A multi-function reel change tool according to claim 3, wherein at least two of each pair of the second set of tines are connected by a bridge.

10. The multi-function reel change tool of claim 9, wherein the bridge has an arcuate cutout configured to pull the core from the spindle.

11. The multi-function reel change tool of claim 1, wherein the first set of operable structures comprises a front support and a rear support separated by a plurality of spacers by a distance sufficient for the reel of material to be supported by at least the plurality of spacers between the front support and the rear support.

12. The multi-function reel change tool of claim 11, wherein the second set of operable structures comprises at least the front support.

13. The multi-function reel change tool of claim 12, wherein the front support comprises an arcuate cutout configured to pull the core from the spindle.

14. The multi-function reel change tool of claim 1, wherein the tool has no independently movable components.

15. The multi-function reel change tool of claim 1, wherein the tool is attached to a robotic arm.

16. The multi-function reel change tool of claim 1, wherein the tool further comprises a flexible pusher for closing an access door to a spindle of the packaging device.

17. A method of using the tool of any one of claims 1-16, the method comprising:

lifting a spool of material using the first set of one or more operable structures, moving the spool of material toward a spindle of a packaging device, and placing the spool of material on the spindle;

rotating the tool from the first orientation to the second orientation; and

the second set of one or more operable structures is used to pull the core of the spool of material away from the spindle and move the core away from the packaging apparatus.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of: moving the tool away from the spindle of the packaging device after the step of using the first set of one or more operable structures; and

after dispensing at least some material from the spool of material, the tool is moved toward the spindle of the packaging apparatus.