US2200000A - Art of winding flexible material - Google Patents

Description

y 7, R. M C. JOHNSTONE 2.200.000

' ART OF WINDING FLEXIBLE MArERIAL v Filed Sept. 10, 1937 8 Shuts-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y.

naaznr nc C.JOI/NJTONE R. we, JOHNSTONE 'AR'I OF WINDING FLEXIBLE MATERIAL May 7, 1940.

Filed Sept. 10, 1937 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ROBERT M'c c. Jomvsrouz A TTORNE Y.

R. we. .JOHNSTQNE 1m or WINDING FLEXIBLE ua'rsaun- I Filed Sept. '10, 19:57

'- 8 Shasta-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY May 7, 1940. R. we. JOHNSTONE ART or WINDING FLEXIBLE mITEaIAL '8 Shuts-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 10, 1937 INVENTOR Raamr he a. Jul/Mam! ATTORNEY May 7,1940.

' R. M'QC JOHNSIONE 2.200.000 ART or wmbipe rmxmpflumzxtm Filed Sept. '10)- 1937 a Shuts-SH s ot a- 'INVENTQR.

Roasmr rfc cummqarms BY ATTORNEY.

y 4 R. we. JOHNSTONE 2.200.000

' ART or wmnme FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Filed Se t. 10, 19:57 a Shoqts-Shoet 7 INVENTOR. fioa'smnccmum'rous ATTORNEY.

Patented May 1, 1940 UNITED ST TES PATENTDFFICE 2.200.000 aar'or wmnmo mxmm MATERIAL Robert M00. Johnstone, Short Hills, N. 1., alsilnor to Cameron Machine Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York 7 Application September 10, 1937. Serial no. 103,190

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 242-456) what follows, there are special problems in connection with the production of rolls of adhesive tape, it follows by no means that the methods and means employed in the solution of such problems are to be limited to the narrow field of adhesive tapes. The main object and feature of the invention is to obtain small rolls of narrow flexible material in great quantities and at a rapid rate. The invention therefore has to do not merely ll with the winding function as such, but also with the quick assembling and disassembling of core members or spools with respect to a winding arbor because the length. of time consumed in winding material on a set of spools is relatively short owing to the small diameter of the wound.

material, and it is therefore preferable that the operator be able, during the short time consumed in winding material, to discharge the filled spools from the arbor and to arrange a new set of empty spools on a winding arbor. So, likewise,

as little time as possible should be lost in'substituting a new set of spools for those filled and threading the material on the new spools.

The invention consists of the methods and means, a preferred form of which is disclosed in the specification and drawings.

In said drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine look ing in the directionof arrow 1 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on the line 2-2,

Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same, parts being broken away and parts shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of an upper fragmentary portion of Fig. 1 taken from the opposite side of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the machine on the line 5-5, Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is'a diagrammatic elevation of the spooling mechanism, parts being shown in crosssection;

Fig. 7 is a similar view, of the upper portion of Fig. 6 showing the web-severing operation;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the web-severing Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary portion offl Fig. 7 showing the method of severing the tapes at the end of one spooling operation;

Fig. 10.15 a transverse section of one of a 55 series of empty spools subsequently to their in what I shall movement into winding position and after the free ends of the unwound tapes have been tucked into close contact with the core members or pools;

, Fig. 11 is a side elevation of Fig. 10; 6 Fig 12 is an'enlarged vertical section-onthe line l2-i2 ofFig. 3, showing the slip friction clutch whereby increased power is applied to the games at the beginning 'of each winding opera- Fig. 13 is a fragmentary front elevation of the machine showing the power-controlling devices;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged front elevation of the lower left-hand portion of Fig. 13, with the con- 1.

trols in changed positions;

Fig. 15 is a view. similar to Fig. 14', showing the controls in other positions;

" Fig. 16 is a top plan view of the spool loading box, parts being broken away and parts shown in section;

Fig. 17 is an end elevation of Fig. 16, parts being brokenaway and parts shown in section; Fig. 18 is a vertical section on the line i'8--l8, of Fig. 16, parts being broken away andparts shown in section;

- 26 Fig. 19 is a vertical section on the line f9l9,

of Fig. 16; I

Fig. 20 is-a transverse section of one of the empty spools in position on the arbor prior to its locking engagement therewith;

30 Fig. 21 is a similar section showing the interlocking connection porting arbor;

Fig. 22 is a vertical longitudinal section of between spools and sup- Flg. 21; and

Fig. 23 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the arbor sleeve and spool locking device. It will facilitate an understanding of the invention if, at the outset, I give a brief outline of the sequence of operations or steps and supplement it later by a more detailed description.

:Flrst of all, the core members or spools are supported indepecndently of thewinding arbor all a loading box 49 (Figs. 16 to 23) after which a winding arbor is inserted 45 through the spools, said arbor consisting of a sleeve 48 and an inner shaft 54 which by a relative rotational movement lock the spools in po- .sition on the sleeve. This is of great advantage especially as here the core members or spools 50 the new spools.

rest (see diagrams Figs. 6, 7, 9, 10 and i1). The rotatable head is turned thereby moving an arbor with spools, thathave been filled, out of driving relation with gear 35 and bringing the arbor with the new spools into driving relation with said gear at the same time bringing the surface of the empty spools against a taut portion of the unwound material. The surface of the spools can be provided with prongs to catch and retain the material but in the present instance this is unnecessary as the material is tacky and therefore adheres firmly to the surface of the spool. The material extending between the two sets of spools is now severed transversely and a long brush 12 is employed to sweep the loose ends of material on the wound roll against the periphery of the roll, and the loose ends of material adjacent the new spools are tucked into position by means of a long tucker blade H. The machine can now be started up to wind material on The arbor containing the spools already filled is now removed from the machine and placed in the left-hand empty compartment of the loading box (Fig. 16) where by a quick movement the spools are released and stripped from the arbor, which latter is then reloaded in the other side of the box, and the described sequence of operations is then'repeated.

Coming now to a more detailed description it will be seen that Fig.1 shows a roll or web of material which passes over a power-driven roller 26 to a spreader 21. As shownin Fig. 5, said web passes from spreader 21 to and over a guide roller 28 and from thence under a slitter drum 23 between which and a transverse series of cutters 33, the web is slitted longitudinally to form a multiplicity of strips or tapes. As the strips or tapes pass upwardly with their con-'- tiguous lateral edges in juxtaposition, alternate strips or tapes are diverted over a lower guide roller 3| to a lower spooling mechanism to be hereinafter described while the remaining strips or tapes continue their movement upwardly about an upper guide roller 32 to an upper spooling mechanism. In this way the strips or tapes are formed into separate groups of laterallyspaced tapes arranged in a predetermined order in which they are to be separately spooled.

The upper and lower spooling mechanisms are substantially similar in construction so that .a description of the upper one will serve for both. Journaled in opposite side frames 33 and 34 is a transverse head 35, said head being provided at one end with a shaft or journal 36 (Fig. 3) which extends through and projects beyond side frame 33. Mounted at the outer end of shaft 36 is a lever 31 whereby the head and spool supports (to be presently described) are shifted through arcs of 180 degrees after each spooling operation. Keyed to shaft 36 at the outer surfaceof side frame 33 is a locking disk 38 which, as shown in Fig. 4, is provided with diametrically opposite notches 33 for receiving a spring-pressed bolt or detent 40 in a housing 4| mounted on the side frame, the head being thereby locked in a stationary position after each rotational shift. Oppositely-presented cutter blades 42 are suitably arranged on the head for severing the tapes or strips between the filled and empty spools in the manner to be hereinafter explained. Rigidly connected to head 35 at opposite ends, within side frames 33 and 34 are bearing frames or spiders 43 which carry fixed bearing members 44 and removable bearing caps 45 for journaling the spool-supporting arbors, said bearing caps being pivotally mounted on spider frames 43, under the constraint of'toggles 46 which are stabilized in either position of the cap bearings by means of tension springs 41..

Referring now to Figs. 16 to 23 of the drawings, spool-supporting or winding arbors are provided, each of said arbors, in the form here illustrated, consisting of an inner shaft 54, an outer sleeve 48 within which the shaft is turnable, and a tapered band or thimble 54b which retains the sleeve against axial displacement on the shaft and facilitates the insertion of the arbor into the winding cores which are here shown in the form of spools 56 arranged in predetermined laterally-spaced order. For the purpose of re- ,leasably locking the spools to the arbor in any desired arrangement, suitable means are provided such, -for example, as that shown in Figs. 20, 21, 22 and 23. As there shown, sleeve 43 is provided with opposite series of holes or sockets 5i having portions of the surrounding metal on set by a peening operation to form flanges 5la (Fig. 23) for limiting the outward displacement of spool-engaging locking members, here shown as balls 52 disposed in said holes or sockets. For

limiting the inward movement of balls 52, shaft 54 is provided with oppositely presented flattened surfaces 54a, the construction being such that in the relative positions of the parts shown in Fig, 20, the spools may be readily placed on and removed from the arbor while, in the positions of the parts shown in Figs. 21 and 22, the spools are locked to the arbor by permanently deforming the sheet material. of the spools by the protrusion of balls 52. For the purpose of facilitating these operations and more especially for enabling the spools to be mounted on the arbor in a predetermined laterally-spaced order in a rapid and accurate manner, a loading box 43 is provided in which stationary spool supports 53, in the form of open bearings to engage the outer surfaces of the spools, are arranged in the.

desired predetermined order in which the spools are to be mounted in the-rotatable head of the winding mechanism. The spools having been placed on said supports, the arbor is next inserted endwise through said spools until an enlargement or collar 60 near its outer end enters a recess 6| in the side wall of loading box 43 with the arbor resting in coaxially alined bearings 62 (ill and 63 in the opposite side walls of the loading box. If desired, pivoted latches acan be used to hold the arbor down'in bearings 62 and 63.

.Keyed to the shaft 54 is a spur gear 55 which meshes with a larger spur gear 56 which turns on a fixed stub shaft mounted on said side wall of the loading box. A lever 51, which is acted upon by a spring 53 that tends to retain it in' peripheral groove 63 extending approximately degrees about the axis of the sleeve. A pin 31 presented into this groove from gear 55, is moved in a counterclockwise direction from its position shown in Fig. 17 to the upper end of said groove by the rotation of shaft 54 between its successive positions with respect to sleeve 43 I shown in Figs, 20 and'21 respectively.

two groups of empty spools are shown at the right in Figs. 16 andl'l, the coaxiallyarranged spools on one arbor being disposed in staggered relation to the similarly arranged spools on the other arbor. After lever 31 on the 'right has been depressed to impart a quarter turn in a clockwise direction (Fig. 17), to lock the .core

members to the spools,-both groups of spools with their arbors are removed from the loading box and are'in readiness to be placed in the upper and lower spooling mechanisms respectively of the winding machine. It will be understood that, when cores 80 are locked to sleeve 48 by the turning movement of shaft 84, pin 81 abuts against the end oi slot 83, and that the parts remain in this position when the arbor is inserted in the winding machine. Therefore, when power is applied by the winding machine to gear 88 on shaft 84, the rotation of the latter will drive sleeve 43 through 31 and 38 in unison with said shaft. According to Fig. 5, the righthand spools in the upper and lower spooling mechanisms have been filled and spiders 43 with their interposed heads have been moved, while the winding action is discontinued, through an angle of 180 degrees from position Fig. 6 in readiness for the tapes to be severed between the filled and empty spool groups in the manner indicated in Figs. '7 and 9. In so doing, the clockwise displacement of the filled spools causes a portion of the wound material to be unwound from the filled spools and causes the tapes to be drawn taut over the cutter blades 42 by which they are out under the pressure of a hand-applied roll 88 as it is moved lengthwise of the cutter blade. As shown in Fig. 8, the roll may be journaled in a hood 10 provided with a handle. After the tapes are thus severed, the loose ends on one side of the cutter blade are pressed into contact with the drums oi the empty spools by a multiplex sweep comprising a transverse bar 'II and curved bladeslla which conform to the curvature of said drums. For the purpose of wiping the free ends of the severed tapes on the opposite side of cutter 42 into contact with the wound tapes, an elongated brush I2 maybe applied thereto while the arbor is being turned by means of a spanner wrench I5. For convenience in using said brush, it may be suspended by ropes I3 from overhead pulleys and counterbalanced by a weight 14. Upon completion of the spooling operations as described, the arbor or arbors which carry the filled spools, are removed from the winding mechanism and placed in bearings 82 and 83 shown at the left in Fig. 16 with notches 88 in enlargements 80 of the sleeves in engagement with the fixed pins 84, the pins 01 on the spur gears 88 being disposed at the upper ends of arcuate recesses 88. A depression of lefthand lever 51a produces an unlocking movement of shafts 84 within sleeves 48, said unlocking 'movement being substantially similar to but in a reverse direction with respect to the locking movement produced by lever 81. 'The balls 82 are now relieved from an outward displacing pressure due to the clearance afforded to them by flattened surfaces 840. .The arbors are then retracted endwise from the spools which are stripped therefrom by a side wall of the loading box. It is clear from the foregoing description "that the empty spools are rapidly and easily arranged in predetermined order in one side of the loading box wherein they are simultaneously loaded upon arbors which may be quickly and easilymounted in the winding mechanism and expeditiously wound, after which the wound cores or spools are removed from said winding mechanism and are stripped from the arbors to fall into the other side of the box from which they may be taken and wrapped for the market.

, Suitable means for supplying power to the machine, may be provided by a belt-driven pulley I8 (Figs. 3 and 13) constructed and-arranged to transmit power intermittently through a clutch 18a to a spur pinion Il. -An axial thrust cam I8 for actuating said clutch may be operated by a sprocket I8 over which a chain 30 is movable by a treadle II. A gear 82 is driven by pinion I'I, said gear being keyed to a transverse shaft 33 upon which vdrum 28 of the web-slitting device is mounted. Keyed to shaft 83 on the opposite side of the machine, is a power-distributing gear 84 which meshes with a gear 38 (Figs. 1, 3 and 5). A driving sprocket" which is driven by spur gear 88 is connected by a chain 31 to a follower sprocket 88. A friction coupling 08 (Fig. 2) is interposed between sprocket 08 and roller 26 (Fig. 1). A spur gear 80 (Figs. 1 and 12), driven by spur gear 84, transmits power through a slip fraction clutch 8I to a spur gear 82. A small pinion 83 (Fig. 1) which is driven by gear 82, is keyed to a spindle 84 Journaled in side frame 34, a spur pinion 85 being also keyed to spindle 84 on the inner side of said frame for driving the upper spooling mechanism. A similar train of gears comprising gear 86, slip friction clutch 81 (Fig. 3), gear 88, and gear 88, connects power distributing gear 84 to a pinion I for driving the lower spooling mechanism. Driving pinions 88 and I00 are suitably located to mesh with gears 86 on the outer ends of winding arbors as said arbors are moved successively into winding position in the upper and lower spooling mechanisms by successive rotational movements of spider frames 43. Keyed to drum shaft 83 is a spur gear IOI (Figs. 3 and 4), said gear being connected to pull rollers 3| and 32 for the upper and lower spooling mechanisms, respectively, through a gear I02 on an intermediate shaft I03, friction block I04 keyed to shaft I03, pinion I freely rotatable on shaft I03 under the adjustable pressure of a disk I08, an idler I01, and pinions I08 and I08, the latter of which are carried by pull rollers 3| and 32 (Figs. 3 and 4). A

In machines of the character described above, whenever the winding operation is interrupted for any purpose such, for example, as the replacement of filled winding cores or spools by empty ones, there is a tendency during the rest periods for the material to cling to the rollers and drums which guide said material through the machine. This condition is especially noticeable in cases where the material is coated with adhesive and the tacky surfaces are permitted to come to rest in contact with said rollers and drums. In consequence it is readily seen that to break down this bonding tendency between the material and the rotary membersover' which it passes calls for the application of considerable power for this purpose alone. For the purpose of applying additional power for breaking this bonding or clinging tendency after each stoppage of the machine, there are means of suitable construction which operate automatically, to increase the applica-' tion of power whenever the winding operation is initiated and to reduce the application of power to a nning normal when the material is running f eely through the machine. For this purpose, a cam-operating treadle I III shown at the left in Fig. 13 to be normally held in elevated position by a yieldable hanger III, is connected by an inclined link II2 to one arm of a bellcrank II3, the other arm of said bellcrank being connected by a link rod II to one arm of a second bellcrank II5. Extending upwardly from the other arm of the second bellcrank, is a rod IIG which is connected at its upper end to the outer end of a cam actuating arm I". Fig. 3, the arm II1 when depressed imparts an angular displacement to a cam member H8 and a consequent axial displacement to acomplementary cam member II9. As shown in Fig. 12, the outward displacement of cam member II9 compresses a spring I20 and thereby increases the pressure between friction disks 9| and thus provides for momentarily increasing the driving power delivered to the gear 92 whenever the treadle I III is depressed for delivering more power to the driving gear 95 for the upper spooling mechanism. As the machine accelerates, gear 90 moves in a direction counter to the angular displacement of cam H3 and operates thereon by friction to return it to its normal position and thus permits the spooling operation to continue under normal power. A similar increase in the driving power of the pinion I00 for the lower spooling mechanism, may be provided for as follows. A radial arm I2I on cam member H8 is connected by a rod I22 to a radial arm I23 on a cam memberl24 of the lower spooling mechanism. Cooperating with cam member I24 is another cam member I25, a relative turning movement between said cam members serving to increase the yieldable pressure applied to friction coupling 91 between spur gears 95 and 98. For the purpose of maintaining oscillatable cam members H9 and I25 in definite rotational relation to each other while at the same time permitting them to be displaced axially to a limited extent, a rod I26 is mounted in side frame 34 (Fig. 3), a perforated connection plate I21 being mounted on the outer end of said rod with a limited amount of lateral play. An arm I29 projects radially from clutch member H9 and is pivotally connected at its outer end to plate I2I through one of the perforations at a distance from one end of a connecting rod I29 which is connected thereto through another perforation. The other end of rod I29 is pivotally connected to the outer end of a radial arm I30 carried by cam member I25.

The starting and acceleration controls are shown in Figs. 1, 13, 14 and 15. Pivotally mounted on a pin I3I at the bottom of the front end of side frame 33 is a rock bar I32 to which is connected a spring I33 which tends to retain the rock bar in one or the other of two extreme positions assumed by said bar at different times.

' Projecting normally from the rock bar is an arm I33 which is provided with an inclined upper edge I35 for temporarily preventing the downward movement of power treadle 8I until after camcontrolling treadle III] has been depressed to increase the power transmitted to the spooling mechanisms in the manner described above. A stop pin. I36 which projects forwardly from the side frame 33 in the angle between the left-hand arm of rock bar I32 and stop arm I33 is arranged to limit the movement of said rock bar in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Se-

As shown in,

. I34 from the downward path of treadle 9|.

cured to the inner wall of side frame 33 is a bracket I31 with a stop or lug I33 for limiting the upward movement of treadle 3|, said bracket being further provided with a downwardly inclined shoulder I39 for retaining treadle 3| in depressed position while the machine is running.

While the machine is at rest, the cam and power controls are in their relative positions shown in Fig. 13, the downward movement of power treadle 8I being blocked by stop arm I34 which is then in its extreme position toward the right. To start the machine after installing empty spool assemblies to replace the filled spool assemblies, treadle H0 is depressed to increase the power-transmitting capacity of friction couplings 3| and 31 through which the spooling mechanisms are driven while at the same time removing stop arm As indicated in Figs. 14 and 15, the downward movement of power-controlling treadle 3I moves rock bar I32 in a clockwise direction until the tension of spring I 33,becomes active to the right of pivot I3I when said rock bar is actuated thereby to come into engagement with stop pin I33. After treadle 8| has been sufilciently depressed to be anchored below shoulder I39 where it-remains until the spooling operation has been completed, treadle III] is permitted to reassume its upper position to permit the winding operation to continue at normalv running speed. The relative positions of the parts while the machine is running is shown in Fig. 15. As soon as the spooling operation has been completed, a slight downward and lateral displacement of treadle 3| serves to release it from the shoulder I39. As the treadle moves upwardly to its initial position shown in Fig. 13 it imparts a slight counterclockwise movement to stop arm I33 which is immediately returned to its initial position (Fig. 13) by the spring I33.

The method and means for assembling core members on an arbor are not claimed herein but form the subject matter of a divisional application Ser. No. 207,258,,fi1ed May 11, 1938.

The method and means for temporarily increasing the winding tension and the power applied to the machine are not claimed herein but form the subject matter of adivisional application Ser. No. 207,259, filed May 11, 1938.

I claim:

1. The method of winding flexible material into successive rolls which consists in winding a portion of said material on a member, interrupting the winding operation, moving said member out of winding position and moving a second member into engagement with the unwound material to thereby unwind a portion of the wound material from said first member and to create a taut portion of material that extends between said first and second members, severing the material at a point between tne two members, tucking the loose ends of the material thus formed one against the wound material on the first member and the other against the second member, and then continuing the winding operation of the material on the second member.

'2. Ina winding machine, a. rotatable head, means to support two winding arbors in spaced apart relation on said head, and two oppositely facing knives carried by said head intermediate the supporting means.

3. The method of winding a section oi flexible I material into successive rolls which consists in winding a portion of said material on a member occupying an operative position, stopping the "I r 9,290,000 winding operation, moving said member out of operative position and simultaneously moving a second member into operative position in engagement with the unwound material to thereby unwind a portion of the wound material from the first member and to create a taut portion of material that extends between the first and second 7 which the pinions of the arbors are to successively engage and disengage when said gear is stationaryand which when rotated drives that winding arbor the pinion of which is in engagement therewith to thereby wind material on said arbor;

m'ens to turn said head, while the driving gear is standing still to bring the pinion of one arbor out of mesh and the pinion of another arbor into mesh with said gear to thereby unwind material from that arbor the pinion of which is moving out of mesh with said gear and on which arbor material has been previously wound whereby a taut section of material is created between the two arbors.

ROBERT McC. JOHNSTONE.

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