DK145905B - APPARATUS FOR PREPARING A MATERIAL COAT, ISSUE A MOVIE SHEET - Google Patents

Description

(19) DENMARK (J ^)

| J | (12) PUBLICATION <ιι> 145905 B

DIRECTORATE OF THE PATENT 06 BRAND

(21) Application No. 144/75 (51) int.CI.3 B 65 H 17/20 (22) Submission day 3 · & per. 1975 6 03 D 3/08 (24) Race day 5 · Apr. 1975 (41) Aim. available Oct. 5; 1975 (44) Posted on Apr 11 1983 (86) International application no.

(86) International filing day (85) Continuation day - (62) Master application no. -

(30) Priority 4 Apr 1974, 457829 * US 9 · Oct. 1974 * 515244, US

Mar 10 1975 * 555961, 'DS' (71) Applicant HENRY F. HOPE, Willow Grove, US: STEPHEN F. HOPE, Willow Grove, US.

(72) Inventor Same.

(74) Associate Engineer Hofman-Bang & Bout ard.

(54) Apparatus for conveying a web of material, in particular a film = strip.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for conveying a web of material, in particular a film strip, and of the kind specified in the preamble of claim 1, which apparatus is particularly used for conveying film strips in photographic developer equipment.

We aim at an apparatus that can work with the highest possible ® efficiency, with low power requirements and with the least possible clapping

D

n o d- <145905 2 and blur, vibration and deflection. This object is achieved by the apparatus of claim 1.

Especially when many rollers are driven via long cogwheels, these properties are essential. Eg. the power saving means that a smaller, manageable motor can be used and the recorded electrical power is reduced. This is of particular importance in developing tanks that operate 24 hours a day. Film types that require a relatively long stay in the developer tank require a very large number of rollers, in order to comply with a certain minimum speed of the film, and even a small saving of power loss per unit. roller can therefore be of great importance. In connection with the above example, the other mentioned requirements are: blur, vibration, etc. reveal.

Swedish Patent Specification No. 306,234 discloses an apparatus comprising separate worm drives for each of the actuating members.

If the apparatus according to the prior art should comprise a sufficient number of rollers, there would be a large number of worm drives which, as is well known, involve relatively large transmission losses and veils. Furthermore, this known apparatus comprises power transmitting means, the transmission or part diameter of which is smaller than the respective drive means, which increases the number of necessary intermeshing teeth.

The apparatus according to the invention comprises relatively large force-transferring means which reduce the number of teeth engaging. These power transmitting means are either directly engaged or interconnected via intermediate wheels, as further specified in claim 2. The power transmitting means are arranged on respective shafts which also carry drive means which directly drive the insulated ones to the other side. groups of driven, swivel bodies.

Another essential feature of the construction according to the invention is that relatively small group drive gears allow each group drive gear to drive a relatively numerous group of rollers which are mutually dense, preferably within a range, corresponding to the periphery of the respective transmitting gears. so that a compact apparatus can be obtained, although it contains many rollers. A similar advantage cannot be obtained with the prior art, which, assuming that the transmission known from it is used, would take up a lot of space and require a very large volume of developer liquid in the case of a developer tank.

The apparatus according to the invention thus indicates both a power-saving and a volume-saving construction, especially when it contains a large number of rollers as opposed to the relatively few number of rollers shown per section in the prior art.

In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus has at least one side support plate in which is mounted a plurality of rollers for advancing a material web, such as a film. A number of large power transmitting gears are mounted on the support plate and are simultaneously operated by a single power source. Each power transmission gear drives a small group drive at the same orbital speed. Each group drive engages with a group of powered satellite wheels that drive a plurality of synchronization feed rollers. Preferably, the group gears are arranged symmetrically around the group drive and mounted on a second side support plate. The rollers have such peripheral speeds that the web is conveyed at substantially uniform speed.

- i 145905 4

When dividing the load into a number of groups, a number of short cogwheels are provided. The short gears provide small gears. These cogwheels also cause less accumulation of lever effects and lower bearing load, which makes it possible to operate the entire apparatus with less power.

While the drive sprockets usually have the same pitch circle diameter, it may often be desirable for some of the transmitting gears to have different pitch circle diameters. If necessary, they can all have different cross-circle diameters. In all such situations, the pitch circle diameter of a power transmitting gear will be several times greater than the circle circle diameter of the associated drive gear.

The term "web" is to be understood in the description and claims to mean any strip or plate of material which carries information which may be applied by radiation (light, x-rays, etc.), light, magnetism or otherwise. This information may, upon elicitation, be visible or audible or otherwise detectable. The web may consist of a synthetic material such as plastic, a cellulose material such as paper, or another carrier for the information to be elicited.

The invention will be explained in greater detail by the following description of some embodiments, with reference to the drawing, in which: 1 is a perspective view of a roll-up apparatus formed with a gear system according to the invention; FIG. 2 the same, seen from the left, on a larger scale, fig. 3 is a right side view, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1, in the direction of the arrows shown; FIG. 5 is a rear view of a cogwheel system according to the invention; FIG. 6 shows the same, perspective, fig. 7 is a front view of the same; FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, with eccentric drive connection, FIG. 9 shows another embodiment with chain or belt tension; FIG. 10 is an embodiment of the embodiment of FIG. 7, with tapered gears; FIG. 11 is a section through a modified embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention; FIG. 12 shows the same from the left in the same way as FIG. 2, while FIG. 13 shows the same, seen from the right.

Figures 1-4 show an apparatus 10 intended to convey a material web 15, e.g. a film having a right side carrier plate 12, a left side carrier plate 14, and a system of conveyor rollers mounted between these plates for conveying the web. The rollers are arranged so that the web 15 will be transported downward along a vertical path between pairs of rollers 50, 51; 42, 44; 94, 86; 96, 88; 112 ;? 114, 116; 118, 112; and 122, 124; between rollers 126, 128, 130, 132 and then upwardly between the shown pairs of rollers 134, 136; 138, 140; 114, 142; 144; 96, 92; 94, 90; 42, 46; 152, 154 and 153. For further control of the material web, a set of fixed guides 52 is also arranged in the usual manner. 4. In many cases, the roller assembly 10 will be introduced into an aggressive environment, e.g.

6 145905 a chemical solution whose surface is shown at 75 in FIG. 4. All parts are therefore made of materials that are not attacked by the liquid. In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, the web 15 is a photographic material, such as a film strip for live images, fixed images or X-rays.

An input wheel 18, FIG. 5 is driven by a power source not shown, e.g. em electric motor, e.g. over a toothbrush. The gear 18, the shaft 20 of which is mounted in the side plates, engages an upper large drive wheel 22. In one embodiment, the gear 18 may have forty teeth, while the large wheel 22 has eight teeth, so that it will run half as fast as the input wheel 18. The wheel 18 drives the vertically arranged large identical drive wheels 22, 54, 54 'and 54 ". Reversing wheels 56 and 56' are inserted in known manner as needed to cause the drive wheels 54, 54 'and 54" to run. with the desired direction of rotation. In this way, the driving force for the entire unit is transmitted through these large drive wheels.

The drive wheel 22 is secured to a shaft 24 which is mounted in the two side plates 12 and 14 and extends beyond both of these to receive the drive wheel 22 outside the right plate 12 and a groove gear 26 outside the left plate 14. The drive 26 is attached to the shaft 24 and will therefore follow the drive wheel 22. The drive 26 serves as the driving gear for a top group 28 of satellite wheels.

The drive 26 is preferably made with sixteen teeth which, in conjunction with the eight teeth on the wheel 22, will give a ratio of 5: 1. 4, that the shaft 24 has no direct connection to any of the rollers and that it is in the middle of the assembly 10 so that it will not interfere with the advance of the web 15.

As discussed above, the ratio of the divider circle diameter in the large drive wheels - or the diameter of a crank, where such is used as discussed later - - and the diameter of the divider circle in the groove pedicle is greater than 1: 1. Turnover ratios of 3: 1, 4: 1 and 5: 1 have proved advantageous. Other turnover ratios can also be used where desired. It should also be noted that this ratio does not have to have the same value for all gear pairs in the apparatus. It is often desirable that the turnover ratio

7 U590B

varies between the different gear pairs. Eg. For example, one or more pairs may have a ratio of 1: 5, 1: 4, 1: 3 or other desired fraction or multiple thereof. Where it is deemed desirable, each pair of gears may have its particular ratio of turnover differently from the other pairs.

An intermediate wheel 30 engages the drive 26 and again drives two diametrically opposed roller drives 32 and 34. The drives 32 and 34 drive their respective shafts 36 and 38 with the rollers 46 and 44 disposed thereon, while the middle wheel 30 drives the roller 42 through its shaft 40. The small roller drives 32 and 34 are preferably made with sixteen teeth and will therefore run at the same rotational speed as the drive 26, since all three drives have the same number of teeth and all engage the sprocket 30. The associated rollers 44 and 46 will therefore run in rate and at the same peripheral speed.

The upper group 28 may, as shown, contain a plurality of auxiliary wheels 48, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43 and 45 which serve to drive the auxiliary rollers 50, 51, 152, 154 and 153 which may be desirable or necessary to guiding the material web 15 in and out of the roller assembly 10 automatically. The wheels 35 and 39 engage the upper group drive 26 and drive the other wheels 37, 41, 43, 45 and 48 in a manner known per se. The inner guides 52 are arranged in the usual manner to guide the material web 15 between the rollers in connection with the rollers and to enable automatic operation without any clamping, bulging or other irregularities.

In FIG. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the system described above with a group of satellite wheels can be repeated in a similar manner as many times as may be required to guide the material path. The next large drive wheel 54 is driven by the input wheel 18 over the first drive wheel 22. When the two upper center rollers 42 and 94 are to run with the same turnaround, a reversing wheel 56 is used. The drive wheel 54 will run at the illustrated embodiment with the same speed and turnaround as the first drive wheel 22. Drive wheel 54 is connected over its shaft 58 to a next group drive 60 disposed outside the side plate 14. Drive 60 engages two intermediate wheels 62 and 64 driving roller shafts 66 and 68.

The center wheel 62 is engaged by two roller drives 70 and 72 driving 8 145905 associated with roller shafts 74 and 76. The rollers 94, 90 and 86 are driven therewith. The middle wheel 61 drives its shaft 68 and is engaged by two roller drives 78 and 80 driving two roller shafts 82 and 84. Each group of satellite wheels thus receives propulsion from its particular of the large drive wheels.

Thus, the different groups of rollers are driven by different groups of gears which derive their torque from different power transmitting drive wheels in the main transmission line.

Each group decreases only the power required to operate the associated rollers. The total power for operation of all the roller groups is transmitted through large diameter sprockets. This keeps the main line free of a large part of the gear turnover and bearings in the system. The large gears in the main line cause low tangential forces and bearing loads and thus low power loss. This allows the use of smaller motors or structures of longer conveyor systems without the suspension and the veil found in known systems, such as the prior art mentioned.

The roller shafts 68, 82 and 84 drive the small feed roller 88, the small return roller 92 and the center roller 96; Thus, the combination of the gears 62, 64, 70, 72, 78 and 80, all of which receive drive from the group drive 60, constitute the second group of satellite wheels 98 which in design and operation correspond to the first group 28. Similarly, several subsequent gr-upper 98 'and 98 "which are also driven from the first input wheel 18 are designed simply by inserting several large drive wheels 54' and 54"; 3, and associated turning wheels 56 'for operating corresponding shafts 58' and 58 ". In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, a turning wheel is not inserted between the two large drive wheels 54 'and 54". These two drive wheels will therefore run with the opposite direction of rotation.

In the embodiment shown, only four power transmitting gears 22, 54, 54 'and 54 "are driven directly by the input wheel 18.

From these large drive wheels 22, 54, 54 'and 54 "the required power is delivered to independent and separate groups of satellite wheels 28, 98, 981 and 98", fig. 2. Instead of a long continuous series of gears for moving the rollers according to the usual technique, in which all the gears 26, 30, 45, 32, 34, 35 »37, 39, 41, 43, 9, 48, 60, 60 ", 60", 62, 62 ", 64, 64", 64 ", 70, 70", 72, 72 ", 78, 78", 80, 80 ", 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, In conventional manner, 63, 67, 69, 71 and 73 would be driven in a series of common drive means, the apparatus according to the invention provides a simplified gear system which works with greatly reduced power requirements.

In the apparatus according to the invention, the same group principle is always used, according to which a large drive wheel 22, 54, 54 'or 54 "is used to drive a shaft 24, 58, 58' or 58" with a smaller group drive 26, 60, 60 'or 60 ". Each of these group drives again serves to drive one or more center wheels 30, 62, 62 ", 62", 64, 64 'or 64 ", thus forming separate and independent satellite wheel groups 28, 98, 98' and 98". While the gears in a single group preferably do not engage with gears in other groups, if desired, such engagement may be formed between two or more of the groups without violating the scope of the invention.

Around each of the group drives 60 and 60 'are grouped a plurality of gears which are connected, directly or partly, to drive the associated rollers. The intermediate groups 98 and 98 'shown are typical and suggest a preferred module design in which the assembly 10 can easily be made larger or smaller by insertion or deletion of groups 98 and 98' with associated large drive wheels 54 and 54 'and shafts 58 and 58'.

As best seen in FIG. 2 and 3, it is group drive 26, which knows. the shaft 24 is connected to the drive wheel 22, the power source for the upper group 28. The drive 26 directly engages the roller gears 35, 39 and 30 and indirectly with the gears 32, 34, 37, 41, 43, 45 and 48. The wheel 43 is not used for to operate a roller, but serves to drive the sprocket 45 and to enable proper positioning of the roller 153 for automatic movement of the web 15. The roller 50 is operated as shown in the usual manner by frictional contact with the roller 51 and does not require any driving sprocket. The various rollers are positioned for optimum treatment of the web. In accordance with the invention, the gears for operating the rollers are formed in the various groups of satellite wheels. At the top of the assembly, all input rollers and output rollers are driven by the wheels of the group 28 through the large drive wheel 22.

10 14590S

The lower large drive wheel 54 "drives the lower group 98" which is adapted to drive all the rollers which serve to turn the male 15 at the lower edge of the assembly 10 and return it in a U-shaped path. The group drive 60 "on the shaft 58" engages the gears 62 "and 64" which again directly drives the small roller gears 53, 55, 59, 65, 65, 69 and 71 and indirectly drives the roller gears 51, 57, 61, 67 and 73 It is to be understood that the group 98 shown "represents only one method of reversing a material web, and that the invention is not limited thereto. The system of turning rolls can be designed in many different ways within the scope of the invention.

The drive wheel 54 drives through its shaft 58 the group drive 60, which again drives the group 98. By means of the drive wheel 54, the rollers 86, 94, 90, 88, 96 and 92 are driven around their respective shafts 76, 66, 74, 84, 68 and 82. The next large drive wheel 54 'similarly drives the rollers 112, 110, 144, 116, 114 and 142. The two groups 98 and 98'; belonging to the two drive wheels 9, 54 and 54 'are practically similar. After the height of the assembly 10, the required number of groups of this type can be used.

The total thrust required to rotate all gears and rollers is transmitted from the input wheel 18 to the upper drive wheel 22. All the drive wheels 22, 54 54 'and 54 "are large gears and fill virtually the entire width of the support plates 12 and 14 between them. flanges 100 and 1001. The largest dimension of the large drive wheels is thus determined by the width of the side plates.

By using the largest possible power transmission wheels within the available space, the number of bearings and cogs in the main line for power transmission is reduced to the least possible. This in turn leads to small power losses and improves the efficiency of the device.

The use of large power transmission gears also contributes to the reduction of blur, clatter and vibration in the system.

The ratio of the divider circle diameter in the large drive wheels 22, 54, 54 'and 54 "and in the roller gears 32, 34, 70, 70', 72, 72 ', 78, 78', 80 and 80 'is greater than 1, as shown in FIG. Such an exchange ratio between the power transmitting wheels and the roller drives reduces the gears being transmitted from the input side to the load side, thereby substantially avoiding the clatter and resulting markings on the film.

FIG. 5, 6 and 7 show another embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention, designated 200, in which there is a single support plate 202 for both the power transmitting gears and the groups of satellite wheels. An input wheel 204 is driven by a power source (not shown), such as an electric motor capable of operating over a toothed belt, and runs in the direction indicated by an arrow 206. The input wheel has its shaft 208 housed in the support plate 202 and engages a large drive wheel 210 running in the direction shown by an arrow 212. This wheel 210 is secured to a drive shaft 214.

The wheel 210 is either directly engaged with an adjacent large drive wheel 216 of the same size, or there is also inserted as shown a turning wheel 218 which will drive the wheel 216 in the direction shown by an arrow 220. This second drive wheel 216 is attached to a drive shaft 222.

A similar third large drive wheel 224 is driven by the wheel 216 over a turning wheel 228. This third wheel 224 drives a third drive shaft 230 for power transmission as described below.

As shown in FIG. 5, the three shafts 214, 222 and 230 pass through the support plate 202 for receiving group drives, respectively 232, 234 and 236. These shafts normally run in suitable, not shown, bearings or bushings in the plate 202.

Each of the small group drives operates a group of satellite wheels, designated 238, 240 and 242, respectively. These groups are preferably of the same construction, but this is not necessary. Each group includes a plurality of separate gears driven directly or indirectly by the group drive. The individual gears again drive a variety of shafts for different purposes, e.g. for conveying a material web, for mixing, for power transmission and for similar purposes. It should be understood that although only three groups 238, 240 and 242 have been shown, more or less can be used as required.

12 145905

Groups 238, 240 and 242 shown are designed in a uniform manner, which is why only the first group 238 is to be described in detail.

Two center wheels 244 and 246 engage the first group drive 232 and are preferably diametrically opposed. Each of the intermediate wheels 244 and 246- again engages a different pair of drives, 248, 250 and 252, 254, respectively, each pair being also diametrically opposed. Lines through the centers of each of these pairs will be perpendicular to a line through the centers of the intermediate wheels 244 and 246. All the gears 244, 246, 248, 250, 252 and 254 are attached to shafts 256, 258, 260, 262, 264, respectively. and 266 for various purposes. These shafts are mounted in the plate 202 and project from it to deliver torque at a point of application. The various shafts may be equipped with rollers, mixers, propellers, gears, etc. as needed, to perform a given function. The shafts 214, 222 and 230 can also be extended for driving purposes if necessary, see fig. 6th

The combination of large drive wheels 210, 216 and 224 and groups of satellite wheels driven by these through the coaxially connected group drives 222, 234 and 236 provide the same advantages as that of FIG. 1-4.

It will be understood that instead of a series of engaging gears as shown in FIG. 3 and 7 may be used other power transmitting means. In FIG. 8 is e.g. shown three large drive discs 282, 284 and 286 performing the same function as the power transmitting gears. These slices are driven by a common connecting rod · ..

288, which are driven by a suitable power source not shown, and which are connected eccentrically to the discs at respective pins 290, 292 and 294 thereby driving drive shafts 283, 285, and 287. These drive shafts serve as coaxial connections to unshown group drives which again operates groups of satellite wheels as described above. In this embodiment, instead of the dividing circle diameter, the diameter of the crank c circle must be counted, namely the circle described by the pin 290 and the corresponding circles. This crank circle diameter should be as large as possible and preferably at least three and preferably about five times the sub-circle diameter of the coaxially connected group drives.

13 145905

FIG. 9 shows yet another embodiment with a belt drive or chain drive 305 driven by an input wheel 303 on a shaft 302 and transmits power directly to large power transmitting wheels 296, 298 and 300. If necessary, known tensioning rollers or wheels 304 and 306. can be used. this way, the large drive shafts, 297, 299 and 301, respectively, will run in synchronism.

FIG. 10 shows an embodiment in which a power source not shown drives a drive shaft 324. A number of tapered drives 326, 328 and 330 are mounted on this shaft. These tapered drives engage large conical gears, 318, 320 and 322, respectively on shafts. , 319, 321 and 323, respectively.

The principle of separating roller groups and reducing the force on gears and bearings can be applied whether the system contains cylindrical gears, worm gears, tapered gears, chain drive, toothed belts or articulated joints.

In all of the embodiments heretofore described, gears are used in the satellite groups and gears intervening between the group gears and the other gears driving rollers or shafts for other working mechanisms. It is to be understood that other means, such as friction washers, may be used instead of gears. In such cases, the earlier comments regarding the section circle diameter will instead relate to the diameters of the force transmitting friction surfaces.

FIG. 11, 12 and 13 show yet another embodiment of a gear driven roller system in which a number of large gears 340, 341, 342, 343, 344 and 345 mounted on a support plate 346 are directly engaged and driven by an input wheel 347 Each of the large gears drives a shaft 348, 349, 350, 351, 352 and 353 respectively.

The driving force of these large gears is transmitted to separate groups of satellite wheels 354, 355, 356, 357, 358 and 359 at an opposing support plate 360 as described above. On each of said shafts is attached a group drive, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365 and 366, respectively, for operating all the gears in each of the associated satellite groups, e.g. roller drives 367, 368, 369, 370, 14 US905,371 and 572 in group 356.

Transport rolls, e.g. rollers 373, 374, 375, 376, 377 and 378, fig. 11 driven by the gears of the group 356 serves to pass a material cock 379 through the system. If necessary, as shown above, the input and output rollers shown at the top and the rollers at the bottom may not be used.

In this embodiment, the large gears 340, 341, 342, 343, 344 and 345 are all in direct engagement with no turned-in turning wheels. In order to cause all the rollers to run in the correct direction for advancing the web 379 in the directions shown by arrows 380 and 381, a change of the direction of rotation is required in certain places. This is done here in certain of the satellite groups, in which groups 354, 356 and 358, Fig. 12, are inserted pairs of turning wheels 382, 383, 384, 385, 386 and 387.

It has been found that in this embodiment, the advantages are even more pronounced than in the embodiments where reversing wheels are used between the large drive wheels. This is believed to be due to the fact that a further reduction in the number of gears and points of engagement in the main transmission line has been achieved here. In this embodiment, all the gears in this main line can also be designed with the desired properties, namely large diameter, 1: 1 ratio and maximum tooth count.