GB2342719A - Fabrics etc measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

A material measuring device for measuring the length of a strip of material dispensed from any one of an array of rolls of material mounted on a vertical rack. The device comprises a meter (9, fig.2) supporting for example wheels 10 biased against a guide plate 11, dispensed material being pulled between the guide and the meter. The guide 11 and meter 9 are mounted on a bracket 1 which may be releasably secure to the rack (32,33) in a range of positions. The meter 9 may be located on the rack adjacent any one of the rolls in a position in which a strip of material drawn from the adjacent roll passes between the wheels and guide as it is drawn from the roll.

Description

MATERIAL MEASURING DEVICE The present invention relates to a material measuring device and in particular to such a device which is suitable for measuring the length of a strip of material dispensed from any one of a plurality of rolls of material mounted on a rack.

Materials such as fabrics for clothes, soft furnishings and floor coverings are generally stored on horizontal bars which are mounted in racks, each rack supporting a series of rolls in a vertically spaced array. When it is desired to cut a length of material from any one roll, it is known simply to pull the material from the roll, measure the required length of material after it has been pulled from the roll, cut the material and then to rewind unwanted material back onto the roll. Measuring the length of dispensed material after it has been pulled from the roll is not very easy and accordingly it is often the case that rather than dispensing material directly from the rack on which the rolls are normally stored the rolls are lifted from the rack and taken to a measuring table. Material is then pulled from the roll across the table and through a conventional meter. Such meters are well known and often comprise for example a meter body located between two wheels, the rims of the wheels resting on the table such that as material is pulled beneath the wheels the wheels rotate. The number of rotations of the wheels is counted by the meter and that number is converted into a length measurement.

The known table-mounted metering arrangements work perfectly satisfactorily but are disadvantageous in that to be used rolls of material must be carried to the measuring table from the normal storage racks. Not only does this require the expenditure of a significant amount of labour but in addition rolls of material which have been removed from the normal racks to have length removed from them are not stored in their normal positions on the racks. This is particularly important in modem large scale retail outlets where retail customers select material by viewing the material on the normal storage racks.

It would be highly advantageous if reliable metering devices could be mounted on the storage racks adjacent each of the material roll storage location but this would be undesirable firstly because of the large expenditure involved in providing a large number of meters and secondly because the appearance of the storage racks would be impaired if the rack supported a large number of metering units.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the problems outlined above.

According to the present invention, there is provided a material measuring device for measuring the length of a strip of material dispensed from any one of a plurality of rolls of material mounted on a rack, comprising a meter for providing a measure of the length of a strip of material drawn past the meter, and means for releasably securing the meter to the rack in a range of positions such that the meter may be located on the rack adjacent any one of the rolls in a position in which a strip of material drawn from the adjacent roll may pass and be measured by the meter as it is drawn from the roll.

The securing means may comprise a clamp, for example a clamp comprising a bracket defining a first clamp surface and an over-centre lever supporting a second clamp surface. The lever may be moveable to an over-centre position in which the two clamp surfaces are securely held a predetermined distance apart and a released position in which the spacing between the clamp surfaces is greater than the predetermined distance. The predetermined distance will correspond to the thickness of a vertically extending frame member of the rack to which the metering unit is adapted. Such vertically extending frame members may be of square section, in which case the clamp surfaces are planar and parallel, whereas if the vertically extending frame member of the rack is of circular cross-section the clamp members will be concave and shaped to fit the circular cross-section of the frame member.

One of the clamp surfaces may be adjustably mounted to enable adjustment of the predetermined distance. A guide may be located adjacent the meter, the meter being arranged to measure the length of a strip of material drawn between the guide and the meter. The meter may be biased against the guide and the meter may comprise at least one wheel which bears against a strip of material pulled between the wheel and the guide. The guide may comprise a plate an edge of which extends parallel to rolls supported on the rack and defines a datum position for material drawn past the meter.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying illustrations, in which: Figure 1 is a view an embodiment of the present invention placed on a flat surface; Figure 2 is a view of the device shown in Figure 1 mounted on a rack, showing the manner in which the device is clamped to a vertical frame member of that rack ; Figure 3 is a view of the arrangement of Figure 2 from the other side of the meter and after a length of material to be metered has been pulled between the meter and a material guide; and Figure 4 is a view of the arrangement shown in Figure 3 from directly in front of a rack on which the material to be measured is supported.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated device comprises a bracket I supporting tubular bars 2 and 3 which are secured to the bracket by bolts 4 and 5.

The position of the bars 2 and 3 about the axes of the bolts 4 and 5 can be adjusted by slackening off the bolts 4 and 5, positioning the bars as desired, and then re-tightening the bolts.

The bar 2 is connected to a spring plate 6 by bolts 7 and 8. A meter body 9 is mounted on the spring plate 6, a pair of meter wheels 10 being mounted on a shaft extending through the meter body 9. The meter has a display which is incremented with each rotation of the wheels about the wheel axes.

The bar 3 supports a guide plate 11 a lower edge 12 of which projects beyond the wheels 10. The wheels 10 bear against the outer surface of the bar 3 with a force determined by the deflection of the spring plate 6. This can be controlled by turning the bar 2 to a desired position and locking the bar in that position. The plate 11 may also be positioned in any desired angular orientation by rotating the bar 3 and locking the bar in position with the bolt 4.

The bracket 1 supports a flange 13 defining a first clamp surface 14 which faces a second clamp surface 15 defined by a metal plate 16 mounted on a threaded rod 17. The threaded rod 17 extends through a lever 18, the position of the second clamp surface 15 being adjustable by adjustment to nuts 19 and 20 between which the lever 18 is sandwiched. The lever 18 is pivotal about a pin 21 mounted on a bracket 22 which is secured by bolts 23 to a flange 24 extending from the bracket 1. A clamp actuating handle 25 is mounted on a further lever 26 that is pivotal about a pin 27. A pivotal link 28 extends between pivot pins 29 and 30 mounted respectively on the levers 26 and 18. The link 28 supports a flange 31. In the configuration of the components shown in Figure 1, the clamping arrangement is in a released condition.

The clamping arrangement can be moved to an over-centre clamped condition by moving the lever 26 anti-clockwise in Figure 1 until it bears against the flange 31.

Referring to Figures 2 to 4, these show the device of Figure 1 mounted on a rack. As shown in Figure 4, the rack comprises end-boards 32 and 33, the board 32 supporting a vertical square section tube 34 and the board 33 supporting a vertical square section tube 35. The tubes 34 and 35 support hooks 36 which receive the ends of bars 37 and 38 on which material to be dispensed can be rolled. Figure 2 shows the lower bar 38 engaged in a lower hook 36 and an upper bar 37 resting on an upper hook 36. The hooks are resilient and sized so that a bar supporting a roll of material can be placed on the hooks and pushed down into engagement with the hooks. This prevents the bars being inadvertently knocked upwards unintentionally. Given that the bar 37 is shown before it has been pushed down into full engagement with the associated hook 36 the bar 37 is not horizontal as in the case of the bar 38. Of course once the bar 37 is pushed downwards into the associated hook 36 both the bars 37 and 38 would be horizontal.

In a normal application, a warehouse will be filled with racks typically at least two meters high each supporting for example six, eight or ten rolls. When it is desired to dispense material from any one roll, the device of Figure I may be carried to the rack on which the roll from which material is to be dispensed is supported and clamped to the rack immediately adjacent that roll. In Figure 2, a length of material is shown which has been pushed to one end of the roll 37 so as to make it easier to see details of the metering device. That same roll is shown in Figures 3 and 4 as pushed to the end of the bar 37 adjacent the metering device. It will be appreciated that in normal cases the roll of material to be dispensed will extend substantially the full length of the roll 37.

When material is to be dispensed, it is simply pulled from the roll over the guide plate 11 and beneath the wheels 10. The leading edge of the material to be measured is aligned with the edge 12 of the guide plate and the meter is reset to zero.

Material is then pulled from the roll, causing the meter wheels 10 to rotate. Once the measure indicated by the meter has reached a desired value, no further material is pulled from the roll and the material is marked or cut adjacent the edge 12 of the guide plate 11. The material can then be further cut or torn so as to separate material downstream of the guide plate edge 12 from material remaining on the roll. The short length of material extending between the guide plate 11 and the wheels 10 can then be pulled back by turning the roll in the appropriate direction. The dispensed material can then be delivered to the customer and the metering device is available for reuse at a different location.

It will be appreciated that with the illustrated measuring device material can be removed from a rack directly from the roll and measured as it is removed. This saves effort and ensures that the roll is always in its normal position on display.

The described device can be attached to any display rack incorporating a square section tubular side support such as the tubes 34 and 35. The screw 17 and nuts 19 and 20 make it possible to adjust the distance between the clamp surfaces 14 and 15 when the clamp lever is in the over-centre clamping position. Of course, in applications in which racks are provided with vertical side members which are of circular rather than square section appropriately shaped clamp surfaces could be provided. The metering device may be clamped at any desired height on the vertical support structure, for example adjacent any one of a large number of vertically spaced material rolls. In the illustrated case the metering device is adapted for fixing on the right hand side of a display rack but it will be appreciated that by appropriate modification the metering device could be clamped to a vertical support member at the left hand side of a display rack.

It will be appreciated that although the illustrated embodiment of the invention incorporates an over-centre clamping arrangement, any arrangement capable of releasably securing the metering device in an appropriate position could be used. For example, the metering device could incorporate a hooking arrangement adapted to directly engage over the end of a roll from which material is to be dispensed. It may be that with such an arrangement it would be necessary to provide support for the structure against sideways displacement but this could perhaps be provided by engagement with one of the sideboards 32 or 33 in the case of the illustrated arrangement. There are some display racks in use however in which a releasable metering device can be readily and rapidly secured in position using a simple screw arrangement and such an arrangement would be in accordance with the present invention.

In the illustrated arrangement two wheels are provided to drive the counter.

One of these wheels is very close to the edge of the material to be metered and if the material was to be pulled sideways that wheel might bear directly against the guide plate 11 rather than against the material to be measured. This could generate sufficient friction for the material to be measured to be pulled beneath the remaining wheel at rate greater than the rate of rotation of that remaining wheel. To avoid this possibility the wheel 10 closest to the bracket 1 could be omitted providing the assembly was made sufficiently rigid to ensure that the remaining wheel was maintained in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the roll from which the material is to be dispensed.

In a further possible alternative arrangement, the meter could be located beneath rather than above the plate 11. In such an arrangement, a meter wheel could be located beneath an opening formed in the plate 11, and a freely rotating pressing wheel could be spring mounted above the opening so as to be pressed against the meter wheel. The pressing wheel could be mounted on a pivotal arm that could be readily swung away from the plate as an end of a length of material to be measured is placed over the plate. The pivotal arm could then be released to securely press the length of material against the meter wheel.

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS I A material measuring device for measuring the length of a strip of material dispensed from any one of a plurality of rolls of material mounted on a rack, comprising a meter for providing a measure of the length of a strip of material drawn past the meter, and means for releasably securing the meter to the rack in a range of positions such that the meter may be located on the rack adjacent any one of the rolls in a position in which a strip of material drawn from the adjacent roll may pass and be measured by the meter as it is drawn from the roll.
2. 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the securing means comprises a clamp.
3. 3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the clamp comprises a bracket defining a first clamping surface and an over-centre lever supporting a second clamping surface, the lever being moveable to an over-centre position in which the two clamped surfaces are securely held a predetermined distance apart and a released position in which the spacing between the clamp surfaces is greater than the predetermined distance, the predetermined distance corresponding to the thickness of a vertically extending frame member of the rack.
4. 4. A device according to claim 3, wherein at least one clamp surface is adjustably mounted to enable adjustment of the said distance.
5. 5. A device according to any preceding claim, comprising a guide located adjacent the meter, the meter being arranged to measure the length of a strip of material drawn between the guide and the meter.
6. 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein means are provided to bias the meter against the guide.
7. 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the meter comprises at least one wheel biased against the guide.
8. 8. A device according to claim 5,6 or 7, wherein the guide comprises a plate an edge of which remote from the rack extends parallel to the rolls supported on the rack and defines a datum position for material drawn past the meter.
9. 9. A material measuring device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.