JPH0422822B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a method for continuously supplying elongated material;
More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for splicing label support webs in automatic pasting machines.

(Prior Art) Automatic applicator machines of the known type have an applicator head,
An elongated web carrying pressure sensitive adhesive coated labels is fed to the head from a supply reel. The labels are removed from the web one at a time by passing the labels near a sharp knife in the applicator head, and then the article to be applied is passed on a conveyor past the head to apply the label thereto. After the label is peeled off by the application head, the support web is
Reach the take-up reel.

The advent of high speed pressure sensitive application systems means that the run time between reel changes has been reduced. Therefore, it has become desirable to be able to change reels without stopping the applicator or supplying labels.

There are currently two ways to continuously drive the reel supplied to the applicator.

In a first system, known as the dual label feeding method, the label feeding is done by two reels fed into a label unit that operates alternately. That is, when label unit 1 provides a label, label unit 2 is loaded with a new reel. When a reel runs out in unit 1, unit 2 is automatically switched to supply, thus leaving unit 1 idle so that it can be reloaded with a new label reel.

The second system is that when a supply reel is exhausted, the web end is connected to the web introduction end of a new reel. This connection ensures problem-free passage of the label transport web through the application head.
And must be made strictly to preserve the necessary space for the label. This is usually done by stopping the end of the expendable reel, carefully connecting this end to the pre-cut lead-in end of the new reel, and then securing the two ends with adhesive tape. However, this procedure is difficult for today's high-speed application systems.
In particular, it is difficult to accomplish this satisfactorily without stopping the applicator. To accomplish this, the supply from the depleted reel of labels is accumulated in an accumulator in such a way as to expose the end of the supply, and thus either manually or automatically is added to the lead-in end of a new reel of labels. Pass it on. The splicing operation takes place under machine operation and the supply of labels is unwound from the accumulated buffer stock of labels, thus allowing continuous operation of the machine.

To overcome the above-mentioned difficulties, a method for connecting a first reel of elongated material to a second reel is proposed in US Patent Application No. 850,222 filed by the inventors. According to this, the end of the first reel is placed in an overlapping relationship with the end of the second reel, the free end of the end of the first reel is fixed to an adjacent part of the second reel, and the second reel is The end of the first reel is cut off to be equivalent to the free end of the first reel.

With this arrangement, there is no need to ensure that the ends are accurately precut and carefully connected to each other. It is only necessary to ensure proper overlap, so that when cutting the end,
Accurate connection is accomplished automatically. Correct connection is therefore achieved in a particularly simple, convenient and fast manner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method applicable to the connection of label support webs, which allows the connection to be made quickly and accurately.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a first reel of elongate material having predetermined initial inner and outer diameters, a first reel of elongate material having a predetermined initial inner diameter and an outer diameter, a first reel of elongate material having a predetermined initial inner diameter and an outer diameter, a first reel of elongate material having a predetermined initial inner diameter and an outer diameter, a first reel of elongated material having a predetermined initial inner diameter and an outer diameter, a first reel of elongated material having a predetermined initial inner diameter and an outer diameter; and continuously feeding said elongated material to an expanding reel formed on a coplanar external rotating disk and having an inner diameter larger than said predetermined initial outer diameter, having a tip and providing a second reel of elongate material having said predetermined initial inner and outer diameters; when said first reel is exhausted and said expanding reel has an end, said second reel is inserted into said expanding reel; The expansion reel is disposed on the central axis, and the distal end of the expansion reel is connected to the distal end of the second reel.

Connecting the end of the expansion reel to the introduction end of the second reel may be done manually or automatically.

The method also includes withdrawing material from the expansion reel at a rate slower than the rate at which material is fed from the first reel to the expansion reel. Further, the method detects the amount of material in the expanding reel, then stops feeding material thereto when this amount exceeds a predetermined amount, and then when this amount is less than the predetermined amount. This includes resuming supplies there.

In Figure 1, the first reel 10 is shown as all of the elongate material 11 has just been unwound to be fed to an applicator (not shown). Between the first reel 10 and the applicator, material 11 is accumulated as shown at 12. This accumulation 12 is achieved by splicing the end 13 of the material 11 onto the introduction end 14 of the material 15 provided to the second reel 16. The material 11 is unwound from the store 12 and spliced at one end 13, 14, and then the end of the material 15 from the second reel 16 is spliced onto the tip of another reel until the next splicing is required. Material 15 is fed into the store 12 at a slightly faster rate than the material is unwound from it so as to restore the store 12 .

In Figures 2a and 2b, a device for continuous feeding of elongated material is shown embodying the accumulation and splicing principle described above. In this case, the device 20 comprises an internal disk 21 mounted on or integrally formed with a central shaft 22 . external disk 2
3 and the stationary cylindrical aggregating surface 24 are connected to the inner disk 2
1 and the central axis 22. A reel 25 of material 26 having a predetermined initial inner and outer diameter is arranged on the central axis 22 and is rotated by an internal disk 21 on which it is placed, and a hole 27 is formed in the surface 24. , the material 26 is unwound through the aperture into an applicator (not shown) or the like. A drive means (not shown), such as a variable speed motor, is normally operated to rotate the inner and outer discs 21, 23 in the same direction and at the same speed, although the disc 21 may be rotated in the opposite direction and/or at a different speed than the disc 23 as required. The material 26 is unwound from a rotating reel 25 on a fixed or rotating central shaft 22 and then guided through a hole 27 to an applicator or other machine. Before passing through the aperture 27, the material 26 is brought into accumulation in the form of an expanding reel 28 provided on the fixed aggregation surface 24. Sufficient amount of material 2 on expanding reel 28
6, a detector 29 is provided. The detector 29 is operable to detect the amount of material 26 in the expanding reel 28 by sensing the radial thickness of the reel 28 and detects the amount of material 26 in the expanding reel 28 if the amount is less than or exceeds a predetermined amount. Internal disk 21
Stop or restart. The external disk 23 rotates continuously during this operation. The speed of the drive means is adjusted such that the material 26 is unwound from the reel 25 faster than it is withdrawn by the withdrawal means 41 so that the material 26 is accumulated in the expanding reel 28 .

In order to maintain a reasonably constant unwinding of the material 26 from the reel 25, the variable speed motor is operated in a multi-speed system, for example by drive gear means between the motor and the disc 21. For this purpose, a detector 37 is located below the disc 21 and detects the diameter of the reel 25 thereon and, by a logic device 38, adapts the motor speed or gear engagement to the decreasing speed of said diameter. Adjust to. Another protection to prevent the material 26 from being unrolled irregularly is placed under the external disk 23, which prevents the material 26 from being unrolled irregularly.
6 is conveyed from the reel 25 to the expanding reel 28 by a detector 39 which can be operated to detect the direction of rotation of the material 26. Two or more detectors 39, arranged at an angle of, for example, 60 degrees, send signals each time material 26 passes therethrough to a logic device 38, which determines whether the device 20 operates correctly or incorrectly. This operation can be performed by distinguishing different operations or by reasonably changing the rotational speed of the disk 21. Detector 29 is operated to maintain the amount of material 26 in expansion reel 28 substantially equal to a predetermined amount, such that material 26 accumulates in the expansion reel 28 in the predetermined amount. The rotation of the internal disk 21 and reel 25 is repeatedly stopped and driven again, and while the supply from the reel 25 is stopped, the diameter of the expanding reel is reduced so that the supply to the pasting machine is maintained. go.

When reel 25 is reduced to a predetermined low level, detector 29 detects internal disk 21 until all of the material 26 has been transferred to expanding reel 28.
The rotation of the disk 21 is maintained, and then the disk 21 is stopped. The end of the material 26 is exposed to the inner surface of an expanding reel 28, which has a larger diameter than the predetermined original inner diameter of the supply reel 25. A new supply reel with the same predetermined original inner and outer diameters is mounted on the central shaft 22 and the input end of the material thereon is connected to the end of the material 26 in the expansion reel 28 . Since the external disk 23 is still rotating, the expanding reel 28 is maintained in a position opposite the collecting surface 24 while decreasing its diameter, maintaining the supply to the applicator during this operation. The ends of the material from the two reels are prealigned, either manually or automatically, and a butt splice is used.

When spliced, the internal disk 21 remains stationary until the amount of material 26 in the expanding reel 28 is below a predetermined value, and then the entire cycle of operation described above is repeated.

The device 20 may also include an unwinding aid 30, as shown in more detail in FIG. The purpose of this mechanism 30 is to move the material 2 from the reel 25.
The purpose is to assist in the drawing or unwinding of items 6, especially in the case of adhesive label reels where the adhesive oozes or flows out, or in cases where static electricity is generated within the reel. Such unwinding can be counteracted. The mechanism 30 comprises a central shaft 31 which rotates in a direction opposite to that of the inner and outer discs 21, 23 and at a slightly higher speed.
A cross arm 32 is connected to this shaft 31 by a friction clutch 33. The finger 3 is moved from the cross arm 32 by the spring built-in slide 35.
4 is suspended. The slide 35 is received in a side channel 36 in the cross arm 32 and is then elastically biased inwardly so that the fingers 34 are always pressed against the reel 25, regardless of the diameter of the latter. As the inner disk 21 rotates and the material 26 is unwound from the rotating reel 26, the fingers 34 pull the material 2 therefrom.
6 is moved near the surface of the reel 25 to release it. As finger 34 rotates in a direction opposite to that of reel 25, the resistance created by the internal core pressure tends to cause friction clutch 33 to slip and wind itself onto the reel core until forward rotation of finger 34 ceases. After sufficient turns have been unwound from reel 25 to reduce center pressure, forward rotation of finger 34 is resumed.

As an alternative to, or in addition to, the unwinding assist mechanism 30, if desired, the device 20 may be modified as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the flat internal disk 20 of the above-described arrangement may be formed integrally with the central shaft 22 or may be replaced by a conical plate attached to the central shaft. The weight of the outer layer of material 26 on reel 25 supports the continuous rotational downward sliding of material 26 relative to each other due to the tendency of reel 25 to take on the conical shape of plate 40. This also supports the unwinding of material 25 around the outermost shell. Depending necessarily on the nature of the material 25, the base device 20 may be used without any unwinding assist mechanism or with an unwinding assist mechanism 30 and/or 40.

The device of the invention may be an integral part of the applicator head, or it may be an independent module placed alongside and feeding any machine requiring continuous feeding of elongated material. It's okay.

The device of the invention may be integrated into the applicator or may be a separate, stand-alone device.

Regarding the variable speed motor, this may be used in a multi-speed system without any intermediate gear between the motor and the disc 21.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the accumulation and splicing principle;
Figures 2a and 2b are a top and perspective view, respectively, of an embodiment of the device of the invention, and Figure 3 is a view of the device of Figures 2a and 2b with an additional unwinding assist mechanism shown in more detail. FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of another specific example. 21, 22, 23... Drive means, 24... Stationary collection surface, 25... Second reel, 26... Elongated material, 28... Expansion reel.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A first reel of elongated material 25 to an elongated material 26 having predetermined initial inner and outer diameters.
by rotating the inner disk 21 with respect to the central axis 22 and forming an outer rotary disk 23 concentric and coplanar with the inner disk and larger than said predetermined initial outer diameter. continuously feeding said elongate material 26 to an expanding reel 28 having an inner diameter; providing a second reel of elongate material having a tip and having said predetermined initial inner and outer diameters; When the first reel 25 runs out and the expansion reel 28 has an end, the second reel is moved to the expansion reel 2.
8 on the central axis 22;
and a continuous feeding method for elongated material, characterized in that the end of the expanding reel 28 is connected to the tip of a second reel. 2 rotating internal disk 21 at a first speed to supply elongated material 26 from first reel 25 to expanding reel 28 and withdrawing said elongated material from the expanding reel at a speed less than said first speed; A method according to claim 1. 3. Detects the amount of elongated material on the expansion reel 28, and when this amount exceeds a predetermined value, stops the rotation of the internal disk 21 and the supply of the elongated material 26 to the expansion reel 28, and when the amount exceeds a predetermined value. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, including restarting the supply of elongate material to the expanding reel when the value is below. 4. A method according to claim 1, comprising sensing the diameter of the first reel 25 and adjusting the rotational speed of the internal disk 21 and the first reel 25 according to the rate of decrease of this diameter. 5 detecting the direction of rotation of the elongated material 26 as it travels from the first reel 25 to the expanding reel 28 and rotating the inner disk 21 and the first reel accordingly;
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising adjusting the rotational speed of the reel 25. 6. A method according to claim 1, comprising unwinding the elongate material 26 from the first reel 25 before feeding the material to the expanding reel 28. 7. The first reel 25 is a continuous winding of elongated material 26, and the method of uncoupling involves rotating the inner disk 21 and the first reel 25 in a first direction and moving the finger 34 between the continuous windings. 7. The method of claim 6, comprising placing the finger in a direction opposite to the first direction and rotating the finger in a direction opposite to the first direction. 8. The method of claim 7, comprising resiliently biasing the finger 34 radially inwardly of the first reel 25.