ES2261624T3 - BAND DEVELOPMENT DEVICE FOR BAND ROLLS. - Google Patents

Abstract

The unwinding device for web rolls comprises: two pairs of mobile arms (45A, 45B) for supporting rolls (B0, B1, B2, B3) of web (N0, N1, N2, N3) each with members (51A, 51B) for engaging the rolls; a supporting structure (3, 11) for said pairs of arms; two lateral stations (13, 15) for loading full rolls; and an intermediate station (17) for unloading the used rolls. <??>The structure presents a supporting crosspiece (11) along which the pairs of arms (45A, 45B) translate, the crosspiece developing over said two lateral stations and said intermediate station. The arms are developed downwards from said crosspiece. Furthermore, means are provided to align the roll engagement members carried by the arms with the axis of the roll to be engaged by said members. <IMAGE>

Description

Band unwinding device for band rolls.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a support of rolls, that is, a device for unwinding rolls of material in band to be supplied to a production line. In Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a roll holder or a roll unwinding device to unwind a band sent to an inverter, that is, to a system for making corrugated cardboard.

The invention also relates to a procedure to unwind a band that comes from rolls and sends to a processing line and, particularly, to procedure to manipulate the rolls in the device unrolling

Description of the prior art

Continuous bands are processed in many sectors industrial to feed a processing line that works continually. Band rolls must be arranged in one position unwind and be replaced by new rolls whenever rolls run out or need to be replaced by rolls that have different characteristics for any reason.

In particular, in the production sector of corrugated cardboard, the so-called "wet end" section of the production line, that is, the section that groups the machines that undulate the paper bands, glue them producing bands smooth so as to form the layer or layers of the corrugated cardboard and dry the resulting band, must be fed by a series of rolls of band corresponding to the number of layers of paper or sheets necessary to form corrugated cardboard. For example, they should Provide three paper bands at the same time to make cardboard single wave wavy

Band rolls must be replaced frequently, not only when they are finished but also specifically according to the rapid succession of production cycles Industrial This is because the line often performs tasks very small in this industrial sector for very short times, so that the paper rolls to be supplied to the inverter must be replaced between one task and another. The substitution because different tasks may require Different types of paper. Therefore, the substitution phase of roll is a critical aspect of the production cycle and affects the total hourly production regime to the point that also a modest reduction in the time needed to replace a roll it can be a considerable advantage in terms of productivity.

The rolls that are extracted from the device band unwinding to be replaced by others after performing a task and before starting the next task they are reused at a later time when required to Perform other tasks. This aspect - particularly in the sector of the band unwinding devices or supports of rolls of a corrugated cardboard production line - entails additional difficulty that it is necessary to manipulate rolls of considerably variable diameter with the same device. This it is because a medium used roll that is unloaded after perform a task, can be reused and inserted as a new Roll in the cycle of a later task at a later time. Therefore, the unwinding device must be capable of handling rolls of different diameters.

To accelerate the change of the roll between a task and the next task or when a roll is finished during a task and needs to be replaced by a new roll, they have been designed systems in which the unwinding device comprises two side stations loading new rolls and a station central discharge for the finished roll or the roll you need be replaced to perform a different task with respect to current. Examples of unwinding devices of this class are described in the documents US-A-4,919,353, US-A-5,004,173 and JP-A-7-157156. These unwinding devices are equipped with two pairs of pivoting arms that take the rolls of the charging stations lateral and take them to a unwind position and - to end of the task - deposit them at the unloading station.

These known systems employ systems of lifting and lowering of rolls in loading stations and in the unloading station to allow the manipulation of rolls with considerably variable diameters. The lifting means are arranged in a pit under the floor. This makes the complex and expensive system.

In order to accelerate the replacement of a roll, the document JP-A-11-11749 describes a unwinding device equipped with a pair of pivoting arms that take and raise the roll, whose device is equipped with a diameter sensor that detects the diameter of the roll to be loaded onto the unwinding device and controls the movement of the arms according to the measured diameter value.

In the document US-A-4,706,905 describes a roll holder or unwinding device for inverters which is equipped with two pairs of arms that take the new rolls of mobile cars on which the rolls that have to be replaced. In order to adapt to considerably variable diameters of the rolls, the arms they are equipped with a pivoting movement on an axis horizontal that is parallel to the roll axis, and with a movement of raising and lowering the pivot axis of the arms. He System is complex. In addition, the use of two pairs of arms that they work only in two stations makes the change of roll a long operation with negative effects on the production regime total of the processing line in which the roll stands

The document US-A-4,930,713 describes a support of rolls or paper roll unwinding device for an inverter that faces the problem of the variability of diameter of the rolls mounting two arm walls on shafts pivots that, in turn, are equipped with a movement eccentric. In this way, the centers or cones that equip the distal ends of the arms, that is, the ends that are opposite the pivot axis, they can move along a vertical path Also, in this case, the system is complex and, additionally, does not allow high speeds during the roll change operation.

The document EP-A-0700854 describes a device of unwinding or roll support for inverters in which the car that carries the scrolls move reciprocating in a direction that is orthogonal to the pivot axis of the arms a in order to manipulate rolls of variable diameter. System translation of the car that carries the rolls is particularly complex. In addition, also in this case, the system presents only two loading and unloading stations and the operations of Change of rolls are consequently slow.

The document EP-A-0968945 describes a device of unrolling or roll support for inverters that solves the problem of manipulating rolls of variable diameter a again changing the position of the horizontal pivot axis of the arms that take and deposit the rolls. The system is complex and, also in this case, due to the presence of only two loading and unloading stations, replacing the Rolls is slow and negatively affects the production regime.

In the document JP-1-127550 describes a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

Objects and summary of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a roll holder or roll unwinding device specifically intended for inverters, that is, to stop systems make corrugated cardboard, to overcome device problems traditional and that particularly reduce the time required for replace rolls and efficiently handle rolls whose diameters can also vary considerably, using a simple structure

In this description and the attached claims, the term device unwinding refers generically to a device for receive a roll of band that is supplied to a current system down. The term thus includes the device commonly called "roll support" in this specific technical field.

These and other objectives and advantages, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art by the text next, they are obtained in practice with a device unwinding of web rolls according to claim 1.

The means to align the grip elements with the roll axis they can consist of a system to lift and lower the rolls arranged to the ground level, which raises the rolls from the ground to the arms, and vice versa. This solution gets high speeds of the production regime. According to a form of different embodiment of the invention, the means for aligning the roll grip elements supported by the arms with the shaft of the roll that has to be grabbed each time by the arms can be made in the form of an extension and shortening system for arms. In other words, the arms can extend and shorten telescopically to approach the resting plane of the rolls that have to be seized and, consequently, lead to the element of grip at the height of the axis of the roll to be grabbed, despite of the diameter of the roll. With a device of this class, the cycle Roll replacement is extremely fast and mobility vertical of the arms, by a respective elongation and shortening, allows easy handling of rolls with a variable diameter without the need for complex systems of arm drive and no need for lifting means vertical roll, which increases the cost of the system and have that staying said systems in trenches located below the level ground.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the transverse support piece can accommodate a splicing device to join the trailing edge of a band of a first roll in phase unwinding to the leading edge of a one second band roll that is waiting. Any one can be used type of splicing device, for example as described in the US-A-3,858,819.

The transverse support piece can be supported by means of vertical uprights thus forming the piece transverse and uprights a gantry structure containing the two side stations and the central station. This configuration makes the device compact and effectively delimits the work area, increasing the security of the system.

In practice, considering the axial dimension large of the rolls, the cross piece comprises two beams Parallels equipped each with guidance means for arms and supported each by a pair of vertical uprights.

In a possible advantageous embodiment of the invention, the arms of each pair are subject to an element transverse equipped with a guide that is orthogonal to the piece transverse support, the arms of each pair being mobile at length of the transverse element to approach each other and distance from each other. In addition, the cross element is mobile on said guiding means of said beams forming the piece cross. The mobility of the arms along the element transverse confers an approach and distance movement with respect to the roll to the centers carried inferiorly by the arms to axially grab the roll or release it after processing

The lengthening or shortening of the arms can be obtained with an appropriate extensible telescopic structure which can be equipped with means that prevent reciprocal movement of the components of said structure around the axis of the arm respective.

A unwinding device of the type described herein can be used to implement a procedure of supplying a web material to an inverter for the production of corrugated cardboard, comprising the following stages:

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arrange a first roll of band in a first side loading station;

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grab said first roll with a first pair of arms;

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move said first horizontally pair of arms and said first roll towards a discharge station intermediate.

In practice, with three seasons, two side loading stations and a discharge station in intermediate position, the procedure may comprise following phases:

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position a second roll of band in a second side loading station, the station being arranged intermediate discharge between the first and second station of lateral load;

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grab said second roll with a second pair of arms;

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splice the first roll band to the band of the second roll and cut the band of the first roll when the First roll of band needs replacing;

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go down vertically said first roll and unload it at said stations intermediate discharge, freeing it from the first pairs of arms;

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distance the first roll from the intermediate discharge station;

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move the second horizontally roll from the second charging station to the station intermediate discharge

If the arms are extensible, the procedure according to the invention provides that the roll is grasped by the arms and, consequently, be raised vertically by the arms so that move to the intermediate discharge station. Conversely, if the arms are not extensible, the roll rises towards the arms by vertical lifting means and, therefore, is seized by arms to move to the discharge station intermediate.

Other advantageous embodiments of the device and the method according to the invention are exposed to then and in the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be better understood from the description and attached drawings, which show a way of practical non-limiting embodiment of the invention. In particular, in the drawing:

- Figures 1A-1D show a side view of a unwinding device according to the invention in four different operating positions;

- Figure 2 shows a section according to the plan horizontal II-II in Figure 1A;

- Figure 3 shows a section according to III-III in Figure 1A; Y

- Figure 4 shows an enlarged section according to IV-IV of Figure 3.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

The example of this illustrates a system in which the arms are lengthened telescopically and the rolls are seized by the arms and raised vertically before being transferred from the charging station to the unloading station. As mentioned previously, giving up the advantage of additional simplicity of the system, the roll can be lifted by a lifting system vertical to bring it to a height, which is substantially fixed, to which are arranged the means of grip of the roll carried by the arms.

The unwinding device shown in The drawing illustrating this example comprises a structure of support gantry, usually indicated by the number of reference 1. The gantry structure comprises four uprights 3, 5 arranged on the vertices of a rectangular plane of the device. The uprights 3 are reciprocally joined by a beam 7, while the uprights 5 are reciprocally joined by a beam 9. The two beams 7 and 9 form a transverse piece, which is usually indicated by reference number 11, of the structure of porch comprising four uprights 3, 5.

Three stations to introduce and extract rolls of band are arranged under the crosspiece 11 inside of the rectangular plane delimited by the four uprights 3, 5. The reference numbers 13 and 15 designate two side stations that will be referred to herein as "charging stations laterals ", and reference number 17 indicates a station intermediate arranged between the two side loading stations, which will be referred to herein as "download station side".

The rolls are inserted in each charging station side by means of any manipulation device, not illustrated in detail, for example by means of a car arranged approximately at ground level P or by any other system. A similar arrangement is provided to extract the intermediate discharge station rolls. As shown in the Figure 2, the rolls are inserted in the charging stations laterals 13, 15 by means of a movement that is parallel to the axis of the roll and come from the same side of the gantry structure 1 according to arrows f13 and f15. The rolls intended to leave the intermediate discharge station 17 can be extracted therein address according to which they are inserted in the charging stations lateral, or in the opposite direction, as shown by the arrows f17 and f17 '. The second solution is adopted when the device is arranged next to an obstacle that prevents the free access to stations 13, 15, 17 from one side of the device, for example when the device is arranged nearby of a perimeter wall of the plant.

Two transverse elements 21A and 21B, one of which (21A) is particularly visible in Figure 3 and is will describe in more detail then it moves along of the two beams 7, 9 that define the cross piece 11. The Element 21B is substantially symmetric and will not be described with detail. In the example shown, the cross member 21A it comprises a hollow tubular beam 23 to whose ends are applied respective plates 25. The two plates 25 have crazy rollers 27 that roll on a guide 29 that forms a single piece with the respective beam 7 or 9. Guide 29, which forms a single piece with the beam 7, forms at the bottom a zipper 31 with which gears a pinion 33 driven by a reduction motor 35. A bar of torsion 37, coaxial to hollow tubular beam 23, transmits movement to a pinion, also indicated by the reference number 33, which meshes with a rack, indicated again by the number reference 31 and integral with a guide 29 attached to beam 9.

A guide 41 forms a single piece with the beam tubular 23, orthogonal to the crosspiece 11 formed by the beams 7, 9, to which two slides 43 are connected. The two slides move on the guide 41 as a result of an actuator of piston cylinder or other appropriate actuator (no shown) to approach each other and distance each other throughout guide 41.

Each slide 43 has an extendable arm. The two arms supported by each of the two elements transverse 21 are generally indicated by the numbers of reference 45A and 45B. Each of them develops in direction vertical descending below the crosspiece 11. Each arm extensible 45A, 45B is formed by two tubular elements, a external tubular element 46 and an internal tubular element 48, respectively. A key 49, integral with the tubular element internal 46, fits into a longitudinal recess 47 of the tubular element internal 48 to prevent the relative rotation of the two elements telescopic tubular The roll grip elements are supported by the lower end of the extendable arms 45A and 45B, the elements in this embodiment consisting of centers respective 51A, 51B to grip the tubular core of a roll of band. Each of the two extendable arms 45A, 45B is equipped with a 55-cylinder hydraulic piston actuator that controls the elongation and shortening of the respective arm 45A and 45B, whose cylinder is fastened to the slide 43 and whose rod of piston is attached to the respective center.

A splicing device, that is, a device for joining the two bands of two different rolls and cut the band of one of the two rolls to be replaced, it is arranged inside the cross piece 11. The device for splice, schematically designated with reference number 61, It is not illustrated in detail and can be done using any known solution, for example as described in the document US-A-3,858,819.

Fixed crazy rollers 63, 64, 65, 66 for the belt and two mobile guide rollers 67, 68 subjects on a car 71, which moves parallel to the crosspiece 11 on the two beams 7, 9, are arranged on the crosspiece 11 for the purposes indicated below.

The operation of the device described in this point will now be described with reference to the figures 1A-1D. Figure 1A shows a situation in which a roll B0 has just been arranged in a condition to supply the band N0, which is wound on it, to an inverter (not shown). The roll B0 is held by the arms 45A, 45B of the first pair and has been raised from the handling device that carries the roll to side loading station 13. Thus, roll B0 You can turn freely by pulling on the band N0.

A roll B1 of band N1 is inserted into the side loading station 15 during an appropriate phase. The edge previous band, designated with reference number T1 (in the configuration shown in figure 1A), has not yet been arranged so that it is spliced to the band N0 of the roll B0.

After starting to unwind the B0 band, the arms 45A, 45B that support said roll move from left to the right going from the side loading station 13 to the station intermediate discharge 17, as shown in Figure 1B. In this position, roll B0 continues to supply the band with the inverter N0 that is rolled over it. In the example shown, roll B1 it was inserted into the side loading station 15 before translation of arms 45A, 45B supporting the roll B0 from station 13 until station 17, it being understood that roll B1 can insert also after the translation of roll B0. In the Figure 1B, the leading edge T1 of the band N1 wound on the roll B1 was arranged in the splicing device contained in the B0 cross piece for splicing at a later time when roll B0 must be replaced by roll B1. To arrange the band N1, roll B1 is seized by the centers of the respective arms 45A, 45B and raised by shortening the arms. In this way, the Roll B1 is free to rotate on its axis to carry the edge previous T1 of the N1 band to the splicing device.

Figure 1C shows a subsequent phase in the duty cycle in which the roll B0 is arranged in the device of handling associated with intermediate discharge station 17 by means of a vertical extension stroke of the arms 45A, 45B. In Figure 1C, the arms are shown in their position of maximum extension This means that, in this example, roll B0 It was downloaded after being sold out. However, this situation It is only one of those that can occur. The roll B1 is unwinding your band N1 because, between the configuration shown in Figure 1B and the configuration shown in Figure 1C, the band N0 has been spliced to the band N1. This operation is known for Yes and it does not require a particular description here.

In Figures 1B and 1C, arms 45A, 45B which support roll B1 are shown in a substantially position retracted because the roll B1 has a high diameter. Without However, as mentioned above, rolls handled by The device according to the invention can have any diameter. Consequently, roll B1 (like roll B0 in Figures 1A, 1B) can have any diameter. It can be easily grasped by arms 45A, 45B and brought to the elevated position by shortening the arms

Again in Figure 1C, an additional roll B2 of band, which at the moment is still resting on the device handling, meanwhile has been arranged in the charging station side 13. The roll will be seized by the arms 45A, 45B of the pair left (in the drawing) as soon as they release the roll B0 finish at the intermediate discharge station, shorten and move horizontally to the side loading station 13. This movement also releases the finished roll B0, which can move away from intermediate discharge station 17. The references N2 and T2 indicate the band wound on the roll B2 and the leading edge of the band, respectively.

Figure 1D shows a configuration subsequent in which the roll B2 is seized by the respective arms 45A and 45B and raised from the handling device that took it to the side loading station 13. The leading edge T2 of the N2 band has been arranged at the head of the splicing device that has previously moved to this end towards the limb left of the support structure and, consequently, towards the right. They unwind like this a few meters from the N2 band to allow the leading edge T2 to be arranged in the splice area of the two bands N1 and N2.

Figure 1D shows that roll B1 was moved horizontally along the crosspiece 11 by the arms respective 45A, 45B from the side loading station 15 to the intermediate discharge station 17. After this transfer, side loading station 15 is free to insert a roll additional B3. The latter is drawn with a dotted line in the Figure 1D to indicate that it can be inserted in a moment later. In addition, by way of example, the roll is shown with a diameter that is smaller than before. Reference numbers N3 and T3 designate the band and the respective leading edge.

The next operation is to splice the free leading edge T2 of the band N2 to the band N1 preceding the Roll B1 and cut the end of the latter. The residual roll B1 (or its finished tubular core) will then be lowered by extending telescopically the respective arms 45A, 45B at the station intermediate discharge, so that arms 45A, 45B are available to grab the roll B3. The residual roll B1 is distanced from intermediate discharge station 17 to allow move the roll B2 from the side loading station 13 to the central station 17, from where the unwinding of the band N2.

As described, it is obviously understood that, on the one hand, the device according to the invention can be used to handle rolls B of any diameter simply by lengthening and shortening arms 45A, 45B. The reciprocal approach and the arm spacing 45A, 45B of each pair are used, by other side, in a way known per se to grip axially also rolls of variable axial length.

In addition, the presence of three stations arranged side by side and the possibility of moving the arms to along the cross piece 11 they are used to carry out Extremely fast roll change cycles with benefits considerable in terms of hourly production regime.

The possible alignment of the rolls that can present the axis not perfectly parallel to the union line of the axes of the centers 51A, 51B, can be made using actuators independent for the translation movement of the arms 45A, 45B along the respective cross member 21 of the following way: the arms are lengthened or shortened to carry the centers or cones 51A, 51B at the height of the axis of the rolls and they keep at a reciprocal distance that is greater than the length axial roll. One of the two arms (for example, arm 45A) at this point it approaches the roll to insert the respective center 51A in the core of the roll. The cross member 21A (or 21B) moves by dragging the roll with the corresponding center to rotate it on a vertical axis. The opposite end of the roll is approximately stationary. The movement ceases when the other center 21B (or 21A) is aligned with the respective end of the tubular roll core of the roll and can fit into he.

It is understood that the drawing shows a possible embodiment of the invention and that can be realized numerous changes in construction and layout without departing from this of the scope of the present invention. The possible presence of reference numbers in the appended claims have the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the claims with reference to the above description and the attached drawings and not limits the scope of protection represented by the claims.

Claims (7)

1. Roll unwinding device band that comprises

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two pairs of moving arms (45A, 45B) to support rolls (B0, B1, B2, B3) of band (N0, N1, N2, N3), each arm being provided with elements (51A, 51B) to grab the rolls;

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a support structure (3, 11) for said pairs of arms;

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two side stations (13, 15) to load full rolls;

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and an intermediate station (17) to download the used rolls;

wherein said structure has a transverse support piece (11) along which said pairs of arms (45A, 45B) are moved, said transverse piece being developed on the two side stations and the intermediate station; wherein said arms develop downward from said transverse piece; and in which means are provided for aligning the roll gripping elements supported by the arms with the axis of the roll to be grasped by said elements; characterized in that said transverse support piece houses a splicing device (61) for splicing the trailing edge of a band of a first roll of unrolling to the leading edge of a band of a second roll that is in a waiting situation; and because on said transverse piece (11) there are fixed crazy rollers (63, 64, 65, 66) and mobile guide rollers (67, 68) held on a carriage (71) that moves parallel to the piece transverse (11) on two beams (7, 9) that form said transverse piece (11). 2. Unwinding device according to claim 1, characterized in that said arms can be lengthened or shortened, the elongation and shortening of the arms forming the means for aligning the roll gripping elements with the axis of the rolls. 3. Unwinding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said transverse support piece is supported by vertical uprights (3), the transverse part and the uprights forming a gantry structure containing the two side stations and the central station . 4. Unwinding device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said transverse piece comprises two parallel beams (7, 9) each equipped with guiding means (29) for said arms. 5. Unwinding device according to claim 4, characterized in that the arms of each pair are connected to each other by a transverse element (21A; 21B) equipped with a guide (41) that is orthogonal to said transverse part (11), being movable the arms of each pair along the transverse element to reciprocally approach and distance each other; and because said transverse element (21A; 21B) is mobile over the guiding means (29) of said beams (7, 9). 6. Unwinding device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said arms is equipped with an actuator (55) that controls the movement of elongation and vertical shortening, and has a telescopic structure (46-49) with an external tubular element (46) and an internal tubular element (49), the upper part being attached to said transverse element (21) and the lower end being equipped with a center (51A, 51B) to grip the
roll. 7. The unwinding device according to claim 6, characterized in that said telescopic structure comprises means (47, 49) for preventing the reciprocal rotation, on the axis of the respective arm, of said internal and external tubular elements.