US2179517A - Control mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 14, 1939.

N. PELOSI CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 50, 1937 A'I'TORNEY5 Patented Nov. 14, I939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE can Can tion of New Jersey Company, New York, N. Y., a corpora- Application December 30, 1937, Serial No. 182,638

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a machine line control mechanism and has particular reference to controlling the actuation of a machine or machines operating on flat sheet or web material passing therethrough by detecting variations from a single, uniform thickness in the material and thereupon stopping the machine.

In the manufacture of various types of articles which are produced from flat stock for example in the form of a continuous web as fed from a supply roll or the like, considerable difficulty has been encountered from the web breaking or unexpectedly coming to an end. At other times the web may have been pieced together by overlapping of broken ends or by a patching together of parts of the web. Such extra thickness of the stock may result in damage to certain parts of the operating machine if permitted to be fed through in the usual manner.

The present invention contemplates the overcoming of these difliculties and insures only standard web conditions by detecting any break in the web or by detecting any extra thickness. After such detection and before the web has gone too far to cause damage either to the article being produced or to the machine, operations are terminated and the machine is stopped.

An object, therefore, of the invention is the provision in a machine for feeding and operating on a web of material, of a line control mechanism which detects when a break occurs in the web or when an extra thickness is encountered therein and thereupon stops further feeding of the web until the difficulty has been removed so that damage to the machine will be prevented.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a schematic perspective view of a web feeding machine including a line control mechanism embodying the instant invention and showing a web of material being fed from a supply roll, the view having parts broken away and also including a wiring diagram which is associated with the control mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the control mechanism with its cover removed and with parts broken away and parts shown in section, the view also showing a portion of the web of material in proper position; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially along the broken line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawing illustrates a portion of a machine for feeding a web of material A from a supply 5 roll B, the web passing through a line control mechanism or detector C. The supply roll B of material may be horizontally supported on a shaft I carried in suitable bearings formed in a. main machine frame i2. 10

The web A is unrolled from the supply roll B and is preferably fed through the machine by a pair of horizontally disposed feed rollers l5 which are mounted on shafts l6 carried in suitable bearings formed'in the main frame H. The shafts 15 are rotated in unison by any suitable means such as meshing spur gears or the like. The lower shaft I6 is rotated by a pulley l1 which is preferably driven by a belt IS. The belt takes over a pulley I9 mounted on the rotor shaft 2| of an 20 electric motor 22.

The detector C is housed in a casing 25 formed on a bracket 26 which is secured to the main frame l2 between the supply roll B and the feeding rollers l5 and adjacent the path of travel of 25 the web A. The casing is provided with a cover 21. The detector includes a bell crank lever 3| having a long vertically disposed leg 32 which is located within the casing 25 and a short horizontally disposed leg 33 which extends outside of 30 the casing through an opening 34 formed in the bottom thereof. The bell crank lever is mounted on a pivot pin 36 carried in the casing 25.

Provision is made for preventing dust or other foreign matter from entering the casing 25 through the opening 34. This is eifected by trans- -verse webs 38 which are formed on the lever 3|.

The webs slide against flat side wall sections 39 and curved wall sections 4| in the casing 25 around the opening 34 and also in the cover 21. .These webs entirely block oif the opening while permitting the rocking movement of the bell crank lever.

At its outer end the short leg 33 of the bell crank lever 31 carries a roller which is mounted on a shouldered screw 46 threaded in the short leg. This roller 45 cooperates with a stationary roller 41 mounted directly below it on a shouldered screw 48 which is threaded into a lug 49 formed on the bracket 26. v s 50 The web of material being detected passes between these rollers 45, 41 as shown in the drawing. The movable roller 45 is pressed against the web, which in turn is pressed against the stationary roller 41, by a compression spring Si numeral 93 is connected which is carried in a spring barrel 52 threaded into a boss 53 formed in the casing 25. The inner end of the spring presses against the long leg 32 of the bell crank lever 3| and is retained against displacement in a cup 54 formed in the leg.

The upper end of the vertical leg 32 of the bell crank lever 3| is provided with a pair of electric contacts 56, 51 disposed on opposite sides of the leg, Contact 56 is located adjacent a cooperating contact pin 58 which is yieldably retained in a bore 59 formed in a shouldered stud 6| lockedby a nut 62 in an insulating sleeve 63. The sleeve 53 is threaded into the casing 25 and is held in place by a lock nut 64. v

The yieldable contact pin 58 is backed-up by a compression spring 65 disposed in the bore 59 of the stud 6|. The contact pin 58 is retained against undue displacement by a short pin 66 held in the stud and which extends into a slot 61 formed in the contact pin 58. An electric terminal nut 68 is threaded on the outer end of the stud 6|.

The other leg contact 51 is disposed adjacent a yieldable contact pin 12 which is similar to the pin 58 and which is similarly retained in a stud held by a nut I3 within an insulating sleeve 14. The sleeve 14 is also threaded into the ca ing 25 and is held in place by a lock nut 15. An electric terminal nut 16 is secured on the outer end of the stud. The detector terminals 68, 16 are connected by a wire 11.

Provision is made for regulating the gap or space between the .terminals 56, 51 and their cooperating yieldable contact pins 58, 12 so that the desired sensitive operation of the detector may be had. This is effected by loosening the nuts 64, 15 on the insulating sleeves 63, 14 and turning the sleeves the desired amount. After such an adjustment the sleeves may be locked in place by the nuts 64, 15.

Referring now to the wiring diagram shown in Fig. 1 it will be observed that the detector C just described is closely associated with the electric motor 22 by certain electric circuits and instrumentalities which include a detector circuit E and a motor circuit F. The detector circuit includes a wire 8| which connects the detector terminal wire 11 to a suitable source of electric energy such as a generator 82. Generator 82 is also connected by a wire 83 to 84 which is part of a normally closed relay switch 85. The other side of the solenoid is connected by a ground wire 81 to the casing 25 of the detector C.

The relay switch 85 is also associated with the motor circuit F. For this purpose the motor circuit includes a relay switch terminal 9| which is connected by a wire 92 to the motor 22. The other relay switch terminal indicated by the by a wire 94 to a source of electric energy such as an auxiliary generator 95. The auxiliary generator is also connected by a wire 96 to the motor 22.

Thus during normal operation of the machine electric energy from the auxiliary generator 95 passes along the motor circuit held closed by the normally closed relay switch '85. This electric energy rotates the motor 22. The motor thus turns the feed rolls l5 and hence advances the web A of material through the machine, the edge of the web passing between the rollers 45, 41 of the detector C as hereinbefore described. Under these normal operating conditions the contacts 56, 51 of the detector bell crank lever 3| are disone side of a. solenoid posed midway between their cooperating yieldable contact pins 58, 12, engaging neither of them. This is effected by a proper adjustment of the detector insulating sleeves 63, 14 in accordance with the thickness of the web A being run through the machine.

If the web A should break, the broken end of the web will pass from between the detector rollers 45, 41. This permits the compression spring 5| to move the bell crank lever 3| toward the right as viewed in Fig. 2 and hence bring the lever contact 56 into engagement with the yieldable contact pin 58. This engagement immediately completes the detector circuit E and thus permits electric energy from the generator 82 to pass through the circuit and energize the solenoid 84 of the relay switch 85. I

Energizing of the solenoid 84 opens the relay switch 85 and thereby breaks the motor circuit F. Breaking of the motor circuit stops the motor and hence prevents further feeding of the web. This prevents the broken end of the web from passing between the feeding rollers l5 and thus prevents fouling of the web passing through the machine proper.

In a similar manner the feeding of the web is stopped when a thickness greater than the thickness of the stock set for passes between the detector rollers 45, 41. In this case an increase in thickness of the web will spread the detector rollers apart, thus moving the bell crank lever 3| toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2. This movement of the bell crank lever brings its contact 51 into engagement with the yieldable contact pin 12 and thereby completes the detector circuit E in the same manner as explained for a break in the web. In each instance completion of the detector circuit energizes the solenoid 94 and thus opens the normally closed relay switch 85 in the motor circuit F, thereby breaking the latter and stopping operation of the motor and further advancement of the web.

Normal feeding may be resumed when the difficulty is eliminated and the detector bell crank lever 3| is returned to normal position by the properthickness of .Web between the rollers 45, 41. This action breaks the detector circuit E. Solenoid 84 is thus deenergized and the relay switch 85 is thus returned to its normally closed position in engagement with the contacts 9|, 93. Closing of the switch is effected by a-spring 99. The motor circuit F is thereby reestablished and the motor is again set in operation.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A control mechanism for a machine operating on a web of material fed therethrough, comprising in combination feeding means including an electric motor for advancing the web through the machine, a double acting detector instrumentality having a pair of spaced contacts and also a pivotally mounted bell crank lever movable between said contacts, said lever being held in midway position between said contacts by the advancing web, a roller on an arm of said lever and engaging against one side of said web, a stationary roller supporting said web on its other 75 the engagement of said lever with either of said contacts effecting a stopping of said electric motor.

2. A control mechanism for a machine operating on a web of material fed therethrough,

comprising in combination feeding means ineluding an electric motor for advancing the web through the machine, a double acting detector instrumentality having a pair ofspaced yieldable contacts and also a pivotally mounted bell crank lever movable between said contacts, said lever being held in midway position between said contacts by the advancing web, a roller on an arm of said lever and engaging against one side of said web, means for adjusting said contacts relative to said lever, and electric circuits connecting said contacts with said electric motor, said detector instrumentality operating to shii't said lever through said roller into engagement with one of said contacts when a break occurs in said web and also operating to shift said lever through 35 said roller into engagement with the other of said contacts when an extra thickness is encountered in said web, the engagement of. said lever with' either of said contacts effecting a stopping of said electric motor.

3. A control mechanism for a machine operating on a web of material fed therethrough, comprising in combination feeding means ineluding an electric motor for advancing the web through the machine, a double acting detector instrumentality having a pair of spaced contacts and also a pivotally mounted bell crank lever movable between said contacts, said lever being held in midway position between said contacts by the advancing web, a bodily movable roller on an arm of said lever and engaging against one side of said web, an electric motor circuit connecting said motor with a source of supply of electric energy, a normally open electric detector circuit connecting said detector instrumentality with a source of supply of electric energy, and a relay switch common to both circuits and normally holding said motor circuit closed, said detector instrumentality operating to shift said lever through said roller into engagement with one of said contacts when a break occurs in said web and also operating to shift said lever through said roller into engagement with the other of said contacts when an extra thickness is encountered in said web, the engagement of said lever with either of said contacts closing said detector circuit and operating said relay switch which thereupon breaks the motor circuit and stops said motor.

NICHOLAS PELOSI.

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