666,317. Winding webs. WALDRON CORPORATION, J. Jan. 19, 1948 [Aug. 25, 1947], No. 1574/48. Class 100 (i). [Also in Group XXXIV] A web winding machine comprises a winding drum over which the web passes and a core on which the web is wound into a roll by peripheral contact with said winding drum, the weight of said core and roll initially being supported by said winding drum, carriages for slidable bearings in which the core is journalled, guide tracks along which said carriages are movable, means for providing an initial winding pressure between the roll and the drum in addition to the weight of the roll and core at the beginning of the winding operation, means controlling movement of the carriages along said guide tracks away from said winding drum in response to increase in diameter of the roll up to a predetermined diameter, the initial winding pressure being rendered ineffective as a winding pressure when said roll attains said predetermined diameter, said pressure then being applied with the weight of the core and the roll to said guide tracks, and further means controlling movement of said carriages still further along said guide tracks in response to increase in diameter in excess of said predetermined diameter. The drum D is driven continuously through a chain 16 and a gear box 19 such that a web W passing between the drum and a mandrel core M is wound into a roll. The core M is journalled at each end in bearings 25 slidable in a carriage C, the carriages C being slidable along inclined slotted tracks 20. Each carriage C has depending teeth 24 engaging an endless chain J driven in the slot of each track by a sprocket 28. When the roll increases in diameter the bearings 25 slide upwardly relatively to the carriage C so that the bearings 25 lift slidably mounted riders H which provide an initial winding pressure. Opening of a valve V either manually by a handle or automatically by the riders H starts the drive of the chains J to move the carriages C away from the drum D and permit the bearings 25 and riders H to descend, thus permitting valve V to close, this operation being repeated until the roll reaches a predetermined diameter such that the bearings 25 due to their displaced position to the right of the drum axis no longer tend to slide upwardly but tend to push the carriages with the chains J away from the drum. The sprockets 28 are keyed to a shaft 30 also carrying a freely rotatable sprocket S driven by a chain 35 from a reduction gear R. The reduction gear R is driven by a planetary gear P comprising a pinion continuously driven by a motor 39 and meshing with planet gears journalled in a carrier, the planet gears engaging an internally toothed ring gear the periphery of which is braked by brake shoes controlled by a rod attached to a diaphragm within a vacuum tight casing 29. One side of the diaphragm communicates with a vacuum pump 42 connected by conduits to the valve V and a second valve B. When either valve V or B is opened to the atmosphere the vacuum in the casing 29 is released such that the shoes brake the ring gear and the planet gear carrier is rotated to drive the gear R. After the predetermined diameter has been attained, the weight of the riders H, the roll and the core M is carried by the tracks 20. Further increase in diameter causes displacement of the chains J and rotation of the sprockets 28 to take up lost motion between the sprocket S and a disc secured to the shaft 30, the valve B thus being opened to cause further driving of the chains J until the tension in the chains J is relaxed, so that the disc and sprocket are permitted under spring influence to resume their former positions before the lost motion was taken up; consequently the valve B is closed and the chains 35 are not driven until the operation is repeated as a result of a further increase in roll diameter. Thus intermittent motion of the carriages C ensues until they disengage the chains J and tip forward so that the core M engages hooks 57 carried by arms 58 keyed to a rotatable shaft 60 carrying arms 61 pivoted to piston rods 62 of hydraulic cylinders 63. A valve connected to the cylinders may be operated manually or automatically by engagement of the core M so as to place the ends of each. cylinder in communication with each other so that the weight of the roll rotates the arms to lower the roll. The carriages C are then returned manually to the other end of the tracks, carriage supporting members 68 operated by a hand lever 74 being provided to raise the carriages and riders H while a fresh core M is being loaded. The carriages are then lowered such that the core M contacts the web W on the winding drum D.