GB2106856A

GB2106856A - Wrapping coils of metal sheet

Info

Publication number: GB2106856A
Application number: GB08221583A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hiroshi Kataoka
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-08-07
Filing date: 1982-07-26
Publication date: 1983-04-20
Also published as: FR2511649A1; GB2106856B; DE3229397A1; JPS5830912A; FR2511649B1; CA1215633A; JPS6144730B2

Abstract

A sheet(s) of packaging paper cut to required dimensions is wound about a winding shaft (2), and the winding shaft is placed along a metal sheet coil (C) to permit the winding shaft to pass round the coil while unwinding the packaging paper to wrap the outer periphery of the coil. During the time the winding shaft (2) passes round the outer periphery of the coil (C), the rearward end (S2) of the packaging paper remains temporarily fixed eg. by nip rollers (4) in the vicinity of the coil and when the winding shaft (2) is stopped with the forward end (S1) of the packaging paper urged against the coil surface, a separate keep member (5, 5a) is advanced along the peripheral surface of the coil to superpose and adhere the now released rearward end (S2) of the packaging paper to the aforesaid forward end (S1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method and apparatus for wrapping the outer periphery of a metal sheet coil This invention relates to a method and apparatus for wrapping the outer periphery of a metal sheet coil.

For example, in a steel mill, a rolled thin steel sheet is wound into a coil which is packaged with a sheet of packaging paper for shipment. The various steps required to complete a coil are highly automated, but the final packaging step relies totally upon human hands. This involves two operations, one wherein a sheet of packaging paper which is wider than the coil width is wound once about the outer periphery of the coil and forward and rearward ends thereof are superposed and adhered to each other, after which the cylindrical packaging sheets extending from the ends of the coil are tucked in towards the end of the coil, and the other wherein the inner periphery of the coil is also covered with a separate sheet of packaging paper. The present inventor has already proposed an invention for mechanizing the aforementioned tucking-in operation of the cylindrical packaging sheet.The present invention proposed herein relates to the operation for winding a sheet of packaging paper once about the outer periphery of a coil. Normally in this operation, two operators are present to cut a wide sheet of packaging paper with right and left tuck-in portions thereof added to the coil width into a rectangular shape, though depending on the size of the coil, and one end thereof may be horizontally pulled and stretched by two operators to wind it about the coil without making twist or distortion. Since the width of the packaging paper is much greater than that of the coil, this is a cumbersome operation wherein it is difficult to accurately wind and adhere the packaging paper to the coil.However, as this is not a continuously carried out operation, it is not by nature suitable for mechanization, and therefore the packaging of the outer periphery of the coil has been done manually by skilled operators.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an easy and accurate method in which a sheet of packaging paper is wound once about and fixed to the outer periphery of a metal sheet coil.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel wrapping method which comprises winding a sheet of packaging paper of required length for the outer periphery of a metal sheet coil about a winding shaft, winding the packaging paper about the coil while unwinding the same from the winding shaft, and superposing and adhering the forward and rearward ends of the packaging paper to each other.

It is another object pf the present invention to provide an automated device in which a sheet of packaging paper which is wider than the coil width is wound about the coil so that cylindrical packaging sheets project from the ends end of the coil, and the full lengths of the forward and rearward ends of the packaging paper are positively superposed and adhered to each other.

To attain these objects, the present inven tion provides a method and apparatus for wrapping the outer periphery of a coil,. charac terized in that a metal coil is passed over a horizontal supporting shaft to raise and sup port it thereon; a winding shaft with a sheet of packaging paper of required length wound thereabout is placed along the peripheral sur face of said coil and the rearward end of said packaging paper is temporarily fixed at a position slightly apart from the peripheral sur face of the coil; said winding shaft is passed once around the coil so that the packaging paper is wound about the outer periphery of said coil while unwinding the same from the winding shaft and a portion in the vicinity of the forward end of the packaging paper'its restrained on the coil surface by said winding shaft; and a keep member is advanced along the peripheral surface of the coil to superpose and adhere said temporarily fixed rearward end of the packaging paper to said forward end of the packaging paper.

Figures 1 to 4 illustrate various stages of the packaging method in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 5 is a front view of one embodiment of the packaging apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 6 is a front view for explanation of the operation of principal parts of the appara tus.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the lower half portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 5.

Figures 8 and 9 are respectively a front view and a side view of the winding shaft supporting arm, and the rotating and stopping mechanism.

Figure 10 illustrates the forward end of a horizontal supporting shaft in the embodi ment.

The construction and working mode of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figs. 1 to 4 illustrate the wrapping method in accordance with the present invention. The solid line of Fig. 1 shows two states, one wherein a metal sheet coil C is passed over and supported on a horizontal supporting shaft 1 in a floating condition, and the other wherein a winding shaft 2 about which a sheet of packaging paper S of required length is wound is brought near the peripheral sur face of the coil C, and if an adhesive 3 has not yet been applied to the rearward portion of the packaging paper S, the adhesive is applied thereon and the rearward end S2 thereof is temporarily fixed at a position slightly away from the peripheral surface of the coil C. The temporarily fixing operation is in this case achieved by nipping rollers 4, 4.

A lower tray 9 is in the position to which it is returned after the coil C has been raised to the level of the horizontal supporting shaft 1.

The phantom outline in Fig. 1 shows the state wherein the winding shaft 2 is being rotated so as to wind the packaging paper S about the outer periphery of the coil C while unwinding the packaging paper S therefrom.

Before iong the winding shaft 2 make a pass about the coil C and reaches a position in the vicinity of its starting point, and the forward end S, of the packaging paper is also disengaged from the winding shaft 2 and turned down on the peripheral surface of the coil C as shown in Fig. 2. When the winding shaft 2 has come to retain and restrain a portion in the vicinity of the forward end S1 on the peripheral surface of the coil C, the rotation of the winding shaft 2 is stopped.

Then, a keep member 5 which has been withdrawn beforehand so as not to impede the rotation of the winding shaft 2 is moved upwardly of the coil C. The temporary fixing of the packaging paper by the nipping rollers 4, 4 is loosened as shown in Fig. 3, and the rearward end S2 of the packaging paper is moved forward by means of a tip roller 5a of the keep member 5 which is moved along the peripheral surface of the coil C and the rearward end S2 is superposed on and adhered to the forward end S, of the packaging paper as shown in Fig. 4.

If the winding shaft 2 is a hindrance when the rearward end S2 of the packaging paper is superposed on and adhered to the forward end S, of the packaging paper on the coil C by the tip roller 5a of the keep member 5, the winding shaft 2 can be moved away therefrom along the peripheral surface of the coil C.It will be of course understood that with respect to the position at which adhesive is applied, there is a suitable superposing allowance at a forward portion of the packaging paper S which makes a pass about the outer periphery of the coil C and an adhesive is precoated thereon The term "application of the adhesive" used herein includes not only normal coating with an adhesive but also spraying of a paste, applying of a one-sided adhesive tape to the outside at the rearward end of the sheet of packaging paper, and applying of a doublesided adhesive tape to the inside at the rearward end of the packaging paper as shown.

Also, the term "temporarily fixing the rearward end S2 of the packaging paper" used herein includes not only the use of the nipping rollers 4, 4 but also the use of other nipping means, attracting means, pins, etc. In fact, any means can be used so long as it can fix the rearward end of the packaging paper during the winding operation of the packaging paper by the winding shaft 2, and human hands can be also used to this end as the case requires.

Also, the tip of the keep member 5 for urging forward the rearward portion of the packaging paper along the outer periphery of the coil C need not necessarily be the roller 5a but, instead, can be a pressure end such as a mere plate edge.

It should be noted that when the rearward end S2 is superposed on the forward end S, of the packaging paper as shown in Fig. 3, they are not superposed on each other properly if the forward end S1 is curled. To prevent this, it is necessary to avoid storing that packaging paper S as wound in a small diameter coil as this will cause curling. In practice, a sheet of packaging paper S of required length is wound in a relatively large diameter coil and when used, a rod is inserted therethrough so as to function as a winding shaft. It is preferred however that a sheet of packaging paper from an original sheet of packaging paper be wound on the winding shaft in a direction opposite the curling direction at a position upwardly of the coil C.In this manner, the forward end S, of the packaging paper extending beyond the winding shaft 2 does not curl up from the outer periphery of the coil C as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 because the curling tendency of the original sheet of packaging paper remains.

Next, the packaging apparatus in accordance with the present invention, which is an apparatus embodying the aforementioned wrapping method, will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 10.

Fig. 5 shows one embodiment of the packaging apparatus, which is designed to be adoptable to a metal sheet coil C of any size.

Original packaging sheets SO of three different widths are pre-loaded at upper locations, and a required amount of packaging paper may be drawn out of any one or any combination of the original sheets. This embodiment involves a method previously developed by the present inventor and incorporates therein creasing rollers 8 for delivering a sheet of packaging paper while pre-applying accurate creases to the left and right edges (tuck-in portions) thereof, which however have no direct relation to the present invention.

It is designed so that a sheet of packaging paper delivered from any of the original sheets SO may be moved down vertically between guide rollers 7, between rollers 6 with cutting edges artd between nipping rollers 4 and then wound in the required length about the winding shaft 2.

Principal parts provided on the apparatus include a coil supporting mechanism 11 wherein the axial hole of a metal sheet coil C is slipped on a horizontal supporting shaft 1 to raise and support the coil C, a winding shaft supporting arm 1 2 wherein the winding shaft 2 and a rotating and driving portion therefor are attached to an arm end so that the winding shaft 2 is parallel with the horizontal supporting shaft 1,-said winding shaft supporting arm being swung and stopped within a plane at right angles to the horizontal supporting shaft 1, a mechanism for swinging and stopping said winding shaft supporting arm 1 2 (Figs. 8 and 9), a mechanism 14 for adjusting the swinging radius of the winding shaft 2, a mechanism for winding a required length of packaging paper about the revolving winding shaft 2 without adherence of the paper thereto, that is, a winding and guide belt mechanism 15, nipping rollers 4, 4 as a mechanism for temporarily fixing the rearward end of the packaging paper, means for applying an adhesive on the required surface of a rearward portion of the packaging paper, which is in this case a paste injection device 16, an urging mechanism 1 8 for thrusting a tip roller 5a as a pressure end out of a vertically adjustable and pivotal guide mechanism 1 7, etc.

The coil supporting mechanism 11 is a well-known mechanism, in which in the illustrated embodiment, two such mechanisms are opposed to each other and two horizontal supporting shafts 1 confront each other to support a single coil C therebetween, as shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 10 shows an example in which the diameter of the horizontal supporting shaft 1 may be enlarged while being adjusted to the axial hole of the coil. When a threaded rod 1 9 with symmetrical right and left threads is rotated, opposed tops 20, 20 are moved towards or away from each other to protrude or retract four radially movable members 21. Each of the movable members 21 has a ring 22 formed from a coiled spring retained in an outer peripheral groove thereof to impart a returning force thereto.

The winding shaft 2 in the illustrated embodiment is journalled between two opposed winding shaft supporting arms 12 as shown in Fig. 7 and is rotated with a suitable winding torque by means of a motor 23 mounted on one supporting arm 12, a magnetic powder clutch 24 and a transmission mechanism.

It will be noted that the magnetic powder clutch 24 not only serves as a torque control mechanism when a sheet of packaging paper is wound but as an unwinding brake when the packaging paper is passed round while winding it about the outer periphery of the coil C to produce a suitable unwinding resistance.

The winding shaft supporting arm 1 2 is brought into sliding engagement with a stepped groove formed in the front surface of a turret disc 25 whose axis is common with the horizontal supporting shaft 1, and a rack portion of the winding shaft supporting arm 12 is driven by the pinion of a gear motor 26 for relative movement. This relative movement causes adjustment of the swinging radius of the winding shaft 2 so that the latter may assume a suitable position adjusted to the outside diameter of the coil C.

The turret disc 25 with the winding shaft supporting arm 1 2 may be rotated and stopped by means of a gear motor 27 mounted on the top of a mount of the coil supporting mechanism 11. Thereby, the winding shaft 2 may be swung about the outer periphery of the coil C and stopped.

The guide belt mechanism 1 5 for winding the packaging paper S moved down from above as shown in Fig. 1 about the winding shaft 2 revolved by the motor 23 is a wellknown mechanism, which is swung, when not in use, about the supporting shaft 28 to a waiting position shown in Fig. 6.

The nipping rollers 4 for temporarily fixing the rearward end S2 of the packaging paper upwardly of the coil C are supported on the forward ends of a pair of right and left pivotal arms 30 which swing about the pivot 29 in the illustrated embodiment, and the clearance between the rollers is opened and closed by means of a hydraulic cylinder. During the time the packaging paper S passing down from above is being wound about the winding shaft 2, the clearance of the nipping rollers 4, 4 is brough to the position shown in Fig. 5 towards which the packaging paper S moves directly down.When winding is completed, the winding shaft 2 is moved down to a position near the outer periphery of the coil C by the movement of the supporting arm 1 2 thereof and starts rotating, whereas the pivotal arm 30 is moved down and swung as shown in Fig. 6 by the operation of the hydraulic cylinder 31 and the nipping rollers 4, 4 also stop at a position slightly apart from the peripheral surface of the coil C.

The rearward end S2 of the packaging paper wound about the winding shaft 2 is temporarily fixed by the nipping rollers 4, 4, after whicfrlhe winding shaft 2 is passed along the outer periphery of the coil C while unwinding the packaging paper and stops with the forward end S, of the packaging paper held on the upper surface of the coil C as shown in Fig. 6, then the urging mechanism 1 8 having a pressure means similar to the tip roller 5a of the keep member in Figs. 2 to 4 functions.

The right and left guide mechanisms 1 7 of the urging mechanism 18, which are cylindrical in the illustrated embodiment for guiding the tip roller 5a between the tips of the right and left keep members 5, are placed in sliding engagement with the keep members 5.

The right and left cylindrical guide mechanisms 1 7 are vertically pivotally movably mounted by pivots 32 on right and left lifting members 33, which are synchronously moved up and down along a column 35 by the associated rotation of respective lifting drive screws 34.

The level of the tip roller 5a of the keep member is preadjusted by turning the screw 34. When the tip roller 5a is moved to ride on the upper surface of the coil C as shown in Fig. 6, the keep member 5 and guide mechanism 1 7 are slightly pivotally moved and the guide mechanism 1 7 is lightly pressed down by the fluid pressure cylinder 36 in such a manner that the upper surface of the coil may be pressed down by a suitable force.

The forward and rearward ends of the packaging paper S are effectively urged (bonded) by the tip roller 5a of the urging mechanism when the superposed packaging papers are supported from below. The forward and rearward ends of the packaging paper which rest on the upper surface of the coil C are bonded by pressure of the tip roller 5a but edge portions of the packaging paper extended from the end of the coil C towards both sides, that is, the portion S3 of Fig. 7 cannot be pressed and bonded.

Since said edge portions are tucked in towards the center along the end of the coil, the forward and rearward ends sometimes do not require bonding. However, in the illustrated embodiment, after the edge portions have been completely bonded to finish the outer peripheral packaging paper into a cylindrical configuration, the edge portions are orderly tucked in by the precise tucking process developed by the present inventor.

Therefore, the forward and rearward ends of the edge portion S3 of the packaging paper are also urged by means of the tip roller 5a similarly to the portion on the coil. That is, backing plates 37 may be inserted and retracted from the right and left upwardly of the edge portion S3, and directly below the position at which the forward and rearward ends of the packaging paper are superposed as shown in Figs. 5-7.The backing plates 37 rest on a movable blocks 38 which move parallel to the horizontal shaft 1 and are moved close to each other from their withdrawn positions until they come close to both ends of the coil C, and the backing plates are returned after urging of packaging paper by the tip rollers 5a and can also be pivotally moved up and down by the pivots of the movable blocks 38 and the hydraulic cylinders 39. The movable blocks 38 are fitted on a beam 40 between the lifting members 33 and are moved towards and away from each other by the rotation of the threaded rod 41 which is formed symmetrically right and left.

When the winding shaft 2 is passed about the outer periphery of the coil C, the backing plate 37 is placed in a nearly vertical withdrawn attitude.

Next, the apparatus in the illustrated embodiment operates as follows: The metal sheet coil C is placed on the tray 9, which is then raised, and the opposed horizontal supporting shafts 1, 1 are inserted into the axial hole of the coil. The winding shaft supporting arms 12, 1 2 on both sides are interlocked and the winding shaft 2 therebetween is positioned directly below a packaging paper feeding opening (Fig. 5). Subsequently, the guide belt mechanism 1 5 is transferred from the waiting position of Fig. 6 to the position at which the winding shaft 2 is embraced as shown in Fig. 5.

The guide and drive rollers 7 are rotated to receive a sheet of packaging paper from the original sheet So suitable for the coil C. The forward end of said packaging paper is moved down between the open nipping rollers 4, 4 and wound about the winding shaft 2 driven by the motor 23 while being assisted by the guide belt mechanism 1 5. After the packaging paper has been wound through the required length about the winding shaft 2. the packaging paper is cut by the rollers 6 with a cutting edge in response to a signal from a detector (not shown), the cut end is fed to the nipping rollers 4 and the rearward end thereof is held and temporarily fixed. One surface of the packaging paper directly below the nipping rollers 4 is applied with a paste by the paste injection device 1 6.

After the guide belt mechanism 1 5 has been returned to the waiting position, the winding shaft supporting arms 1 2 on both sides are moved down responsive thereto to lower the winding shaft 2 to the vicinity of the peripheral surface of the coil C. At the same time, the pivotal arms 30 on both sides are moved down, and the nipping rollers 4 with the rearward end of the packaging paper at the forward end thereof held therebetween are stopped at a position slightly apart from the upper surface of the coil C and through which the tip roller 5a may be passed.

When the turret disc 25 is rotated to pass the winding shaft 2 along the outer periphery of the coil C, the packaging paper with the rearward end S2 temporarily fixed is unwound and wound about the outer periphery of the coil C. At this time, the magnetic powder clutch 24 produces a predetermined braking force to impart an unwinding resistance.

When the winding shaft 2 is returned to the top of the coil C, the packaging paper is wholly unwound and the rotation of the winding shaft 2 is stopped in the state wherein the forward end S1 of the packaging paper is held by the winding shaft 2 (Fig. 6). Then, the backing plates 37 on both sides are turned from their withdrawn attitude to a position lower than the upper surface of the coil C, and both the threaded rods 41 are turned so that the backing plates 37 may be moved close to each other until the inner ends thereof come to light contact with the end of the coil C. Thereafter, the upper surface of the backing plate 37 can be brought into contact with the inner periphery of the edge portion 37 of the packaging paper.It is, however, better if said upper surface is inserted into the upper position partway of winding of the packaging paper since this produces neater winding.

Next, when the push rod 5 which is preadjusted in level is advanced towards the upper surface of the coil C, the tip roller 5a forces forward the packaging paper between the nipping rollers 4 and the peripheral surface of the coil C to disengage the rearward end S2 of the packaging paper from the loosened nipping rollers 4, after which the rearward end S2 is pressed and superposed on and adhered to the forward end S, of the packaging paper on the coil C. The forward and rearward ends of the packaging paper are simultaneously bonded over the full width by the presence of the backing plates 37. The description of the returning operation for the various parts will be omitted.

The wrapping method in accordance with the present invention can eliminate the customary manual operation in which a sheet of outer periphery packaging paper cut into the required size is spread and passed over the coil, and provides easy and accurate packaging since the sheet of packaging paper may be wound without deflection or twist. Further, the rearward end of the wound packaging paper is temporarily fixed and allowed to make a pass about the winding shaft, and therefore, the packaging paper is naturally unwound from the winding shaft and wound about the outer periphery of the coil, thus providing wrapping without looseness.

In addition, the bonding operation between the forward and rearward ends of the packaging paper which has been heretofore cumbersome becomes easy and positive since said forward end is held on the peripheral surface of the coil by the winding shaft whereas said rearward end bearing an adhesive is forced to be disengaged by the keep member which enters between the temporarily fixed position slightly apart from the peripheral surface and the peripheral surface of the coil and then superposed and pressed on the forward end of the packaging paper. Momentarily when the forward end of the packaging paper wound about the winding shaft is disengaged from the winding shaft, said forward end is linearly stretched by its own elasticity and positioned along the peripheral surface of the coil, and therefore, the rear end of the packaging paper may be superposed thereon. If the winding shaft is a hindrance, it can be also moved while holding the packaging paper.

Moreover, the wrapping apparatus provides, in addition to those advantages noted above with respect to the aforesaid method, an arrangement wherein a sheet of packaging paper can be wound on the spot and immediately permitted to make a pass about the outer periphery of the coil while unwinding the same, as a consequence of which curling caused by the winding shaft does not develope and the aforementioned method can be carried out in an ideal manner. Insofar as the required sheets of packaging paper are present, coils of various sizes can be wrapped in a fully automated fashion.

Claims

1. A method for wrapping the outer periphery of a metal sheet coil comprising-the steps of passing the metal sheet coil over a horizontal supporting shaft to raise and support the same; placing along the peripheral surface of the coil a winding shaft about which a sheet of packaging paper of required length is wound with the rearward end of said packaging paper temporarily fixed at a position slightly apart from the peripheral surface of the coil; passing the winding shaft through one round about the coil to wind the packaging paper about the outer periphery of the coil while unwinding the packaging paper from the winding shaft and holding and restraining a portion in the vicinity of the forward end of the packaging paper by the winding shaft; and loosening the temporarily fixed rearward end of the packaging paper and advancing a keep member along the peripheral surface of the coil to superpose and adhere the rearward end of the packaging paper onto the forward end of the packaging paper.

2. An apparatus for wrapping the outer periphery of a metal sheet coil comprising a coil supporting mechanism wherein an axial hole of the coil is slipped on a horizontal supporting shaft to raise and support the metal sheet coil; a winding shaft supporting arm to the free end of which are attached a winding shaft and members for rotating and driving the winding shaft, the winding shaft supporting arm supporting the winding shaft parallel with said horizontal supporting shaft and being swung and stopped within a plane at right angles to said horizontal supporting shaft; a mechanism for swinging and stopping the winding shaft supporting arm; a mechanism for adjusting the swing radius of the winding shaft; a mechanism for winding a sheet of packaging paper of required length about the winding shaft without adherence of the packaging paper thereto; a mechanism for temporarily fixing the rearward end of the packaging paper; and a pressing mechanism having a pressure end capable of being extended along the peripheral surface of the coil from a vertically adjustable and pivotal guide mechanism, characterized in that after the rearward end of the packaging paper wound about the winding shaft has been temporarily fixed, the winding shaft is passed round the coil to wind the packaging paper about the outer periphery of the coil, whereafter the rearward end is released from its temporarily fixed state and superposed on and adhered to the forward end of the packaging paper held by the winding shaft by the pressure end of the pressing mechanism.

3. An apparatus for wrapping the outer periphery of a metal sheet coil comprising a coil supporting mechanism wherein an axial hole of the coil is slipped on a horizontal supporting shaft to raise and support the metal sheet coil; a winding shaft supporting arm to the free end of which are attached a winding shaft and members for rotating and driving the winding shaft, the winding shaft supporting arm supporting the winding shaft parallel with said horizontal supporting shaft and being swung and stopped within a plane at right angles to said horizontal supporting shaft; a mechanism for swinging and stopping the winding shaft supporting arm; a mechanism for adjusting the swing radius of the winding shaft; a mechanism for winding a sheet of packaging paper of required length about the winding shaft without adherence of the packaging paper thereto; a mechanism for temporarily fixing the rearward end of the packaging paper; a pressing mechanism having a pressure end capable of being extended along the peripheral surface of the coil from a vertically adjustable and pivotal guide mechanism; and an edge backing mechanism which is moved in parallel with the horizontal supporting shaft to come close to both ends of the metal sheet coil from withdrawn positions on both sides and entering directly below the position at which the forward and rearward ends of the edges of the packaging paper are superposed, characterized in that after the rearward end of the packaging paper wound about the winding shaft has been temporarily fixed, the winding shaft is passed around the coil to wind the packaging paper about the outer periphery of the coil, whereafter the rearward end released from its temporarily fixed state and superposed on and adhered to the forward end of the packaging paper held by the winding shaft by the pressure end of the pressing mechanism.

4. Method and apparatus for wrapping a metal sheet coil substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.