GB1580428A

GB1580428A - Apparatus for strapping rolls of sheet material

Info

Publication number: GB1580428A
Application number: GB567176A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1976-02-13
Filing date: 1976-02-13
Publication date: 1980-12-03
Also published as: DE2706219A1; FR2340857A1

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR STRAPPING ROLLS OF SHEET MATERIAL (71) I, GEOFFREY DUNCAN LETHABY CAMPBELL, a British Subject of 138 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16 9PW, do hereby declare the invention, which was communicated from Acme Interlake Engineering Corporation, a corporation organised under the laws of the State of Illinois, United States of America, of 1-2 Avenue des Arts, 1040 Brussels, Belgium, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to apparatus for applying bands of strapping through the eyes and around the outsides of rolls of sheet material. The apparatus is especially suitable for banding rolls of sheet metal, such as sheet steel, with steel straps but is in no way restricted to these materials.

It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus which, at least in a preferred form is capable of: i) applying bands of strapping to rolls of random sizes, varying in length and internal and external diameters.

ii) applying the bands flat against the surfaces of the rolls and so that, at the ends of the rolls, the bands are substantially radial with respect to the roll.

The present invention consists in apparatus for applying bands of strapping in loops through the eyes and around the outer surfaces of rolls of sheet material, the apparatus comprising a roll strapping station, means at the strapping station for so supporting rolls that the longitudinal axes of rolls that differ in diameter all lie in a single plane containing a fixed line with which a line along the outer surface of each roll and parallel to the axis substantially coincides, a framework supporting rails which are to one side of the strapping station and are inclined at an angle of substantially 45" to the said single plane, a carriage sup- porting a strapping head and movable on the inclined rails, means for moving the carriage between a rest position remote from the strapping station and operative positions at the strapping station, and a strap guiding track capable of forming a continuous flat loop openable to enable a track section or sections to be inserted through the eye of a roll at the strapping station and closed therein to complete the loop through the eye and around the outside of the roll, the strap track being mounted on the carriage for movement therewith and extending from the carriage with the central plane of the loop substantially parallel to the fixed line and at right angles to the said single plane, a near side of the strap track loop being adjacent to the strapping head and a far side of the strap track, which includes the track section or sections to be inserted through the eye of the roll, being remote from the carriage, and the arrangement of the apparatus being such that when the carriage is moved on the rails until the central plane of the strap track loop contains the axis of the roll, the strapping head and the near side of the strap track adjacent to it occupy an operative position close to the surface of the roll.

Control means is preferably provided for automatically controlling the operation of the various parts of the apparatus in the required sequence once a roll has been delivered to the strapping station.

The range of dimensions of rolls which the apparatus can bind may be increased by providing means for adjusting the spacing of the far side from the near side of the strap track so that the strap track is adjust able in size in the direction radial of the rolls Means may be provided for adjusting this spacing progressively as the carriage advances towards its operative positions.

The adjustment may be provided by mounting the far side and end portions of the strap track slidably on the carriage while the near side of the strap track is in fixed relation to the carriage. During at least part of the travel of the carriage the far side of the strap track may be maintained substantially in the plane of the roll axes.

The maximum length of roll which can be bound by the apparatus is determined mainly by the axial dimension of the strap track loop and the extent to which the strap track sections can be separated. One way in which this separation can be provided is by mounting the or each far side strap track section for movement with respect to the remainder of the strap track, in the direction of its own length.

The control means may include a sensor for detecting the proximity of the strapping head to the roll and may be used to enable the control means to arrest approach movement of the carriage along the rails when the strapping head reaches the operative position that is appropriate to the diameter of the roll. The control means may include means for determining the extent of the approach movement of the carriage to the operative position and for storing this determination to be used as a measure of the outside diameter of the roll, for the purpose of controlling means for rotating the roll about its axis through the angle necessary to enable the apparatus to apply a predetermined number of successive bands evenly spaced around the periphery of the roll. The means for rotating the roll may, for example, be power-driven rollers by which the rolls are supported at the strapping station.

In a convenient form of apparatus according to the invention the rolls are presented to the strapping station with their longitudinal axes horizontal and, whatever the roll diameters, lying in a substantially vertical plane. The lowermost parts of the rolls all lie nearly at the same level and so that a line along the bottom of each roll substantially coincides with the fixed line which is at that level and also lies in the vertical plane. The rails are inclined at an angle of substantially 450 to the vertical plane and the central plane of the strap track is at an equal angle to the rails so that it is horizontal throughout the movement of the carriage. The rest position is at the highest point of the travel of the carriage along the rails.

A preferred form of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, Figure I is an end elevation of apparatus according to the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view, Figure 3 is a rear view.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is for binding sheet metal rolls of random sizes which are brought to the apparatus by a conveyor (not shown) along which they travel with their eyes horizontal and in line with the direction of travel. The rolls, whatever their size, arrive at the apparatus with the longitudinal axes of their eyes lying substantially in the central vertical plane (indicated at 5 in Figure 1) of the conveyor.

The apparatus applies to each roll in turn angularly spaced, longitudinal bands of strapping each passing in a loop through the eye and around the outside of the roll.

The apparatus has a framework comprising a parallel pair of inclined rails 6 spaced apart and supported by pillars 7 and tie bars 8. The framework is arranged with the foot of each rail close to one side of the conveyor. A carriage 9 is mounted for movement up and down the rails 6 by hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 10 alongside each rail 6. The carriage 9 comprises box-section members 11 surrounding the rail 6 and interconnected by cross members 12, 121. The lower cross members 12 carry a strapping head 13, midway between the rails 6, and a horizontal near side section 14 of strap track 15. The near side section 14 extends to the ends of the carriage where it meets end sections 16 of the strap track 15 carried by a rectangular U-frame 17 slidably mounted horizontally in forwardly extending arms 18 of the carriage.At the forward ends of the limbs of the U-frame 17 are mounted horizontal co-axial, tubular members 19 in which are slidably mounted lance members 20 carrying far side strap track sections 21. The lance members 20 can be advanced and retracted by hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 22. When advanced through the eye of a roll to meet one another inside the eye, the far side track strap sections 21 close the strap track 15 which then extends around the outside and through the eye of the roll.

An hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 23 advances the U-frame 17 from a rearward position and returns it thereto. On each of the rails is an inclined toothed rack 24 with which is engaged a pinion 25 on the end of a cross-shaft 35 which interconnects the two pinions 25 and through a clutch 36 drives a hollow shaft 37 having at each end a pinion 38 engaging a horizontal toothed rack 39 on each of the limbs of the U-frame 17.

At the apparatus the rolls of sheet metal are supported by drive rollers 31 which can be rotated by power means (not shown) to turn the rolls of sheet metal about their central axes. If the drive rollers 31 are of the same diameter the axes of the rolls of sheet metal whatever their diameter all lie in the vertical plane 5 but if the drive rollers 31 are of different diameters the axes of the sheet metal rolls do not lie precisely in the vertical plane 5.

Control means (not shown) comprises means for signalling the arrrival of a roll to be bound at the apparatus and a sensor 40 for detecting the engagement of the strapping head 13 with the surface of the roll, timing means including a memory, and apparatus for operating the various parts of the apparatus in the correct sequence and co-ordinating their movements.

Before the start of a cycle of operations the carriage 9 is in a rest position indicated at 91 in Figure 1 at the upper end of its travel on the rails 6 and the U-frame is in the rearward position as indicated by broken lines 41 in Figure 1. The lance members 20 are in the retracted position so that there is a wide gap between the ends of the inside sections 21 of the strap track.

When the arrival of a roll is signalled to the control means the cylinders 10 begin to extend, lowering the carriage 9 down the rails 6. At the same time the cylinder 23 retracts, quickly moving the U-frame forward to its fullest extent. When the carriage 9 has been lowered to a position at which the far side track sections 21 reach the vertical plane 5, the control means engages the clutch 36 connecting the cross-shaft 35 to the pinions engaging the toothed racks on the U-frame 17. Simultaneously the control means starts its timing means.

The engaging of the clutch interconnects the two rack and pinion drives so that as the carriage 9 continues to descend the rails 6, the U-frame is gradually retracted.

Fluid actuating the cylinder 23 is allowed to flow freely into and out of the cylinder 23 to permit the movement. The overall ratio of the interconnected rack and pinion drives is so arranged that the far side track sections 21 remain for this part of their downward travel substantially in the vertical plane 5 and move downwards substantially vertically until the U-frame 17 is fully retracted, although the carriage is descending an inclined path.

The outside and inside diameters of the smallest diameter roll which can be bound by the apparatus are indicated by broken lines 26 and 27 respectively. The largest outside diameter roll, but of minimum inside diameter, which can be bound is indi cated by broken lines 261 and 27' respectively.

When the sensor detects the engagement of the strapping head 13 with the outer surface of a roll, for example of outside diameter indicated by the broken line 26, the control means stops the carriage 9, and its own timing means but retaining in its memory the time interval for which the timing means has been operating. The rails 6 are so spaced from a vertical plane 5 containing the central axis of the conveyor that the path 28 followed by the face of the strapping head 13 as the carriage 9 descends intersects the vertical plane 5 at a horizontal fixed line 30 lying in the vertical plane 5 at about the level at which the rolls, whatever their diameter, are supported by the conveyor. A line along the lowermost portion of the outer surface of each roll and parallel to the axis then substantially coincides with the fixed line 30.The rails 6, and consequently the path 28, are inclined at approximately 450 to the vertical plane 5.

As the rolls are supported by drive rollers 31 the lowermost part of the rolls rises somewhat with increase in roll diameter, as can be seen in Figure 1. To compensate for the corresponding minor change in roll centre position the rails are set at an angle departing slightly from 450. As a result the strapping head engages rolls of different diameters tangentially and at the heights of the centres of the rolls. As the strap track 15 is horizontal the straps are applied flat to the surface of the rolls and the ends of the loops of strapping are radial to the rolls.

Reference numeral 29 indicates the point of contact between the strapping head 13 and the outer surface of a roll of the minimum outside diameter 26. The angle of inclination of the rails 6 may be modified if the axes of sheet metal rolls of different diameters do not all lie on the vertical plane 5, due, for example, to the use of drive rollers 31 of different diameters.

To return to the description of the cycle of operations, after the strapping head 13 has made contact with the outer face of the roll the control means causes the following sequence of operations. The cylinders 22 are extended to insert the far side track sections 21 into opposite ends of the eye of the roll and until the track sections 21 abut one another. The strapping head 13 then operates in known manner. It first feeds around the strap track 15 a length of strapping drawn from a supply (not shown).

When the free end of the strap has arrived back at the head position and been secured, the feeding mechanism is reversed to draw the strap inwards out of the track onto the inside and end surfaces of the roll, tighten it, form a joint between its overlapping ends at the head position and cut off the completed loop from the strapping supply.

This complete the first band. The control means causes the cylinders 10 to raise the carriage 9 slightly to disengage the strapping head 13 and outside strap track section 14 from the surface of the roll. The timed interval previously stored in the memory of the timing means is a measure of the outside diameter of the roll at the apparatus and is now used to determine the length of time for which the drive rollers 31 should run in order to rotate the roll through a predetermined angle to the next strap position, for example 1200 if three straps are required or 90" for four straps. For this operation the far side track sections 21 are not retracted from the eye of the roll and while the roll is being rotated the strapping head 13 feeds around the strap track a length of strapping for the next band.This saves time in the operating cycle.

When the drive rollers 31 have brought the roll to the new position and stopped, the carriage 9 is lowered again and the previously described cycle repeated to apply the second strap.

When the final strap has been applied and the inside track sections 21 withdrawn from the eye of the roll, the contral means causes the carriage 9 to be raised by the cylinders 10 to the rest position 91 at the top of the tracks 6 and the U-frame to be fully retracted to the rearward out-of-use position by the cylinders 23. Here the carriage 9 and the strap track 15 are well clear of the completed roll which is then taken by the conveyor beyond the apparatus and a new roll to be bound brought to it.

In Figures 1 and 2 broken lines indicate the range of sizes of rolls which can be bound by the above described form of apparatus according to the invention. The rolls can vary in length as well as diameter.

The limits of sizes are: Length 600 mm to 1650 mm.

Outside diameter 1250 mm to 2550 mm.

Minimum inside diameter 600 mm.

These limits of size are given, by way of example only, as an indication of the scale of this particular apparatus and in no way limit the application of the invention.

WHAT I CLAIM IS:- 1. Apparatus for applying bands of strapping in loops through the eyes and around the outer surfaces of rolls of sheet material, the apparatus comprising a roll strapping station, means at the strapping station for so supporting rolls that the longitudinal axes of rolls that differ in diameter all lie in a single plane containing a fixed line with which a line along the outer surface of each roll and parallel to the axis substantially coincides, a framework supporting rails which are to one side of the strapping station and are inclined at an angle of substantially 45" to the said single plane, a carriage supporting a strapping head and movable on the inclined rails, means for moving the carriage between a rest position remote from the strapping station and opera- tive positions at the strapping station, and a strap guiding track capable of forming a continuous flat loop openable to enable a track section or sections to be inserted through the eye of a roll at the strapping station and closed therein to complete the loop through the eye and around the outside of the roll, the strap track being mounted on the carriage for movement therewith and extending from the carriage with the central plane of the loop substantially parallel to the fixed line and at right angles to the said single plane, a near side of the strap track loop being adjacent to the strapping head and a far side of the strap track, which includes the track section or sections to be inserted through the eye of the roll, being remote from the carriage, the arrangement of the apparatus being such that when the carriage is moved on the rails until the central plane of the strap track loop contains the axis of the roll, the strapping head and the near side of the strap track adjacent to it occupy an operative position close to the surface of the roll.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes means for adjusting the spacing of the far side from the near side of the strap track so that the strap track is adjustable in size in the direction radial of the rolls.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the means for adjusting the track spacing is so coupled to the carriage that this spacing is adjusted progressively as the carriage advances towards its operative positions.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the adjustment of the track spacing is provided by mounting the far side and end portions of the strap track slidably on the carriage and the near side of the strap track in fixed relation to the carriage.

5. Apparatus according to any of claims 2, 3 and 4 wherein means is provided for maintaining the far side of the strap track substantially in the plane of the roll axes during at least part of the travel of the carriage.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the or each far side track section that is movable for opening the strap track is mounted slidably with respect to the remainder of the strap track for movement in the direction of its own length.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the said single plane is substantially vertical, the rails are inclined at substantially 450 to the vertical and the central plane of the strap track is substantially horizontal through the movement of the carriage.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein a point on the strapping head

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. from the surface of the roll. The timed interval previously stored in the memory of the timing means is a measure of the outside diameter of the roll at the apparatus and is now used to determine the length of time for which the drive rollers 31 should run in order to rotate the roll through a predetermined angle to the next strap position, for example 1200 if three straps are required or 90" for four straps. For this operation the far side track sections 21 are not retracted from the eye of the roll and while the roll is being rotated the strapping head 13 feeds around the strap track a length of strapping for the next band. This saves time in the operating cycle. When the drive rollers 31 have brought the roll to the new position and stopped, the carriage 9 is lowered again and the previously described cycle repeated to apply the second strap. When the final strap has been applied and the inside track sections 21 withdrawn from the eye of the roll, the contral means causes the carriage 9 to be raised by the cylinders 10 to the rest position 91 at the top of the tracks 6 and the U-frame to be fully retracted to the rearward out-of-use position by the cylinders 23. Here the carriage 9 and the strap track 15 are well clear of the completed roll which is then taken by the conveyor beyond the apparatus and a new roll to be bound brought to it. In Figures 1 and 2 broken lines indicate the range of sizes of rolls which can be bound by the above described form of apparatus according to the invention. The rolls can vary in length as well as diameter. The limits of sizes are: Length 600 mm to 1650 mm. Outside diameter 1250 mm to 2550 mm. Minimum inside diameter 600 mm. These limits of size are given, by way of example only, as an indication of the scale of this particular apparatus and in no way limit the application of the invention. WHAT I CLAIM IS:-

1. Apparatus for applying bands of strapping in loops through the eyes and around the outer surfaces of rolls of sheet material, the apparatus comprising a roll strapping station, means at the strapping station for so supporting rolls that the longitudinal axes of rolls that differ in diameter all lie in a single plane containing a fixed line with which a line along the outer surface of each roll and parallel to the axis substantially coincides, a framework supporting rails which are to one side of the strapping station and are inclined at an angle of substantially 45" to the said single plane, a carriage supporting a strapping head and movable on the inclined rails, means for moving the carriage between a rest position remote from the strapping station and opera- tive positions at the strapping station, and a strap guiding track capable of forming a continuous flat loop openable to enable a track section or sections to be inserted through the eye of a roll at the strapping station and closed therein to complete the loop through the eye and around the outside of the roll, the strap track being mounted on the carriage for movement therewith and extending from the carriage with the central plane of the loop substantially parallel to the fixed line and at right angles to the said single plane, a near side of the strap track loop being adjacent to the strapping head and a far side of the strap track, which includes the track section or sections to be inserted through the eye of the roll, being remote from the carriage, the arrangement of the apparatus being such that when the carriage is moved on the rails until the central plane of the strap track loop contains the axis of the roll, the strapping head and the near side of the strap track adjacent to it occupy an operative position close to the surface of the roll.

nearest to a roll of diameter appropriate to the operative position lies in all operative positions on a straight line parallel to the said rails, the extension of the said line meeting the said single plane at the fixed line.

9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein control means is provided for automatically controlling at least some of the operations of the various parts of the apparatus in the required sequence once a roll has been delivered to the strapping station.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the control means includes a sensor for detecting the proximity of the strapping head to the roll, a signal from the sensor being used to enable the control means to arrest approach movement of the carriage along the rails when the strapping head reaches the operative position that is appropriate to the diameter of the roll.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the control means includes means for determining the extent of the approach movement of the carriage to the operative position and for storing this determination as a measure of the outside diameter of the roll for the purpose of controlling means for rotating the roll about its axis through the angle necessary to enable the apparatus to apply a predetermined number of successive bands evenly spaced around the periphery of the roll.

12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the rolls are supported at the strapping station by power-driven rollers by which the rolls can be rotated to space the bands of strapping around the periphery of the roll.

13. Apparatus according to claim 11 and 12 wherein the control means controls the extent of the rotation of the power-driven rollers in spacing the bands evenly around the periphery of the roll.

14. Apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.