JPS62264146A - Continuous supply method and device for slender material - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for continuous feeding of elongated material, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for splicing label support webs in automatic applicators.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Automatic applicator machines of the known type have an applicator head into which an elongated web carrying pressure sensitive adhesive coated labels is fed from a supply reel. The labels are removed from the web one at a time by passing the labels near a sharp knife at the applicator end, and then the article to be applied is passed through a conveyor head to apply the label thereto.

The support web reaches the take-up reel after the label has been removed by the applicator head.

The advent of high speed pressure sensitive application systems means that the travel time between reels has decreased. 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 feed, thus leaving unit 1 idle so that it can be reloaded with a new label reel.

The second system is such that when a supply reel is used up, the web end is connected to the web introduction end of a new reel. This connection must be made strictly to ensure problem-free passage of the label transport web through the applicator head and to preserve the necessary space for the label.Normally, the end of the consumable reel is stopped and this This is done by carefully connecting the end to the pre-cut introduction end of the new reel and then fixing the two ends with adhesive tape. however.

This procedure is difficult to perform satisfactorily with today's high-speed application systems, especially without stopping the applicator.

To accomplish this, the supply from the depleted reel of labels is accumulated in an accumulator in such a way that the end of the supply is ashes, and the lead-in end of the new reel of labels is thus added either manually or automatically. Pass it on. The splicing operation is carried out under machine operation and the supply of labels is unwound from an accumulated M'll 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 first end of
Cut it so that it is equivalent to the free end of the reel.

With this arrangement, there is no need to ensure that the ends are precisely pre-cut and carefully connected to each other, it is only necessary to ensure proper overlap, so that when cutting the ends , the accurate connection will be fulfilled automatically. Correct connection is thus achieved in a particularly simple, convenient and fast manner.

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

(Structure of the Invention) The present invention provides a method for continuously supplying an elongate material comprising the step of supplying the elongate material from a first reel having predetermined initial inner diameters and outer diameters. feeding said elongated material (26) to an expanding reel (28) having an inner diameter larger than the original outer diameter;
a second reel (25) of material (26) having said predetermined initial inner and outer diameters within said expanding reel (28);
), and then the end of the expanding reel (28)
It is characterized in that it is connected to the tip of the reel (25).

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 expanding reel at a rate slower than the rate of feeding material from the first reel to the expanding reel. It also includes stopping the supply of material there when a predetermined amount is exceeded, and then restarting the supply there when this amount is less than the predetermined amount.

The invention also provides a series of elongated materials with drive means (21, 22, 23) for rotating and positioning a first reel (25) of said material (26) having a predetermined initial inner and outer diameter. In the target supply device, the drive means (2
1, 22, 23), on which a stationary collecting surface (24) is provided, on which an expanding reel (28) having an inner diameter larger than said predetermined initial outer diameter is provided. It is formed by the material (26) unwound from the reel (25), and the material (26) is formed from the expanding reel (28).
). Connecting means for connecting the end of the expanding reel to the introduction end of the second reel when the device is driven and positioned by the driving means may comprise manual or automatic application means.

The unwinding means may be capable of unwinding material from the expanding reel at a slower rate than the speed at which the material is fed thereto from the first reel.

The device also senses the amount of material in the expanding reel and then stops feeding the material thereto when the amount exceeds a predetermined amount and then when the amount is less than a predetermined amount. This includes resuming the supply thereto.

The drive means comprises disks having coaxial and coplanar inner and outer diameters;
It includes a central shaft adapted to support the first or second reel. This central shaft is rotatable by an inner disk. The drive means also includes drive means for rotating the disk.

In FIG. 1, all of the elongated material 11 is pasted l1l (
Material 11 is accumulated as shown at 12 between the first reel 10 and the applicator, showing the first reel 10 just being unwound to be fed to a machine (not shown). 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.

i′ of material 11! ? Unwind from I12, one end 13
. The material 15 is fed into the storage 12 at a slightly faster rate than the material 15 is fed to the storage 12 at a rate slightly higher than the rate at which the material 15 is fed.

2a and 2b, a device for continuous feeding of elongated material is shown embodying the accumulation and splicing principle described above, in which case the device 20 is mounted on or integral with a central shaft 22. It is provided with an internal disk 21 which is shaped like a cylindrical shape. The outer disk 23 and the stationary cylindrical aggregating surface 24 are arranged concentrically with respect to the inner disk 21 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 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, typically drives the inner and outer disks 21 in the same direction and at the same speed.
23, the disc 21 being driven in the opposite direction and/or at a different speed than the disc 23 as required, the material 26 being fixed or rotating around the central shaft 22. It is unwound from the upper rotating reel 25 and then guided through the aperture 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 . To ensure a sufficient amount of material 26 on the expanding reel 28, a detector 29 is provided. The detector 29 is operated to detect the loss of material 26 in the expanding reel 28 by sensing the radial thickness of the reel 28, and detects the presence of material 26 in the expanding reel 28 if it is less than or exceeds a predetermined amount. Stop or drive the internal disk 21 again. 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 piled up 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 disk 21 and detects the diameter of the upper hole 25, and a logic device 38
The motor speed or gear mesh is adjusted to match the decreasing speed of the diameter. Another protection to prevent the material 26 from unwinding irregularly is placed under the outer disk 23 so that the material 26 is not unrolled on the reel 25.
by a detector 39 which can be operated to detect the direction of rotation of the material 26 as it is conveyed from the material 26 to the expanding reel 28. 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 has a predetermined amount in expansion reel 28 . The rotation of the internal disk 21 and reel 25 is repeatedly stopped and re-driven so as to accumulate, and while the supply from the reel 25 is stopped, the diameter of the expanding reel is reduced by maintaining the supply to the pasting machine. I'll go.

When the reel 25 is reduced to a predetermined low level, the detection 2ii 29 indicates that all of the material 26 has expanded to the reel 28.
The rotation of the internal disc 21 is maintained until the disc 21 is moved to a position where the disc 21 is stopped. The distal end of the material 26 is exposed to the inner surface of an enlarged reel 28, which has a diameter larger than the predetermined original inner diameter of the supply reel 25, and a new supply reel having the same predetermined original inner and outer diameters. It is mounted on the central shaft 22 and the material introduction end thereon is connected to the end of the material 26 in the expanding 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 a splice is made, 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 apparatus 20 may also be equipped with an unwinding aid 30, as shown in more detail in FIG. Particularly in the case of reels of adhesive labels where the adhesive oozes or flows out, or where static electricity is generated within the reel, the zero mechanism 30 which can counteract such unwinding is necessary. 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. This shaft 31. A cross arm 32 is connected to the cross arm 32 by a friction clutch 33. A finger 34 is suspended from the cross arm 32 by a slide 35 with a built-in spring. The slide 35 is received in the measuring path 36 in the cross arm 32,
The fingers 34 are then biased elastically inwards so that they are always pressed against the reel 25, regardless of the diameter of the latter. The internal disk 21 rotates and the material $
-126 is unwound from the reel 26 rotating thereon, the fingers 34 are moved near the surface of the reel 25 to release the material 26 therefrom. As the finger 34 rotates in a direction opposite to that of the reel 25, the resistance created by the internal bias tends to cause the *t* clutch 33 to slip and wind itself onto the reel core until the forward rotation of the finger 34 ceases. After enough turns have been unwound from reel 25 to reduce center pressure, finger 3
4 forward rotations are re-IM'd.

As an alternative to, or in addition to, the unwinding assist mechanism 30, the device 20 may be modified as shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment with a flat inner disk 20 in the arrangement described above. The weight of the outer layer of material 26 of the reel 25, which may be integrally formed with the central shaft 22 or replaced by a conical plate attached to the central shaft, is such that the reel 25 The tendency to assume shape supports the downward sliding of continuous rotation of the members n26 relative to each other. This also supports the unwinding of material 25 around the outermost part. Depending necessarily on the nature of the material t125, the basic device 20 may be used without any unwinding aid or with an unwinding aid'a lateral 30 and/or 40.

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

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

Regarding the variable speed motor, this is the motor and disc 2
1 may be used in multi-speed systems without any intermediate gears.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a schematic illustration of the accumulation and splicing principle, FIGS. 2a and 2b are respectively a top and perspective view of an embodiment of the device of the invention, and FIG. 3 is an additional diagram showing more details. Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus of Figures 2a and 2b with an unwinding assist mechanism, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment; 21.22.23... Drive means, 24... Stationary collecting surface, 25... Second reel, 26... Elongated material, 2
8... Expanding reel. 1 to 24 Patent Attorneys 1) Black Oil Cylinder 1 Figure 2 Q Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A first tube having predetermined initial inner and outer diameters.
In a continuous method of feeding elongated material from a reel, said elongated material (26) is subsequently fed to an expanding reel (28) having an inner diameter greater than said predetermined initial outer diameter. and feeding into said expanding reel (28) a second reel (25) of material (26) having said predetermined initial inner and outer diameters; a second reel (25). (2) continuous supply of elongated material with drive means (21, 22, 23) for rotating and positioning a first reel (25) of said material (26) having a predetermined initial inner and outer diameter; In the apparatus, the driving means (21, 22
. ), characterized in that it is provided with unwinding means capable of unwinding the material (26) from said expanding reel (28).