US2624573A

US2624573A - Web handling mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2624573A
Application number: US102095A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rice Ernest Granville
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-06-29
Filing date: 1949-06-29
Publication date: 1953-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 1970-01-06

Description

Jan. 6, 1953 E. G. RICE 2,624,573

WEB HANDLING MECHANISM 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed June 29. 1949 WMHHDM Jan. 6, 1953 E. G. RICE 2,624,573

WEB HANDLING MECHANISM Filed June 29. 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Jan. 6, 11953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEB `HANDLING MECHNISM Ernest Granville Rice, Chicago, Ill.

Application June`29, 1949,'Seria`lNo. 102,095

4 Claims.

This invention relates to web handling mechanism of a type adapted to support a great 'length of web moving at high speed in connection with a printing press or the like, and it has for its object the provision of a new and improved arrangement by which a web may be led lthrough a circuitous path of very great length Within la housing through which heated air is 'forced so as to permit a plastic coating or the like/to dry on one face of the web While running at high speed through the housing, Vwith the device 4asa whole arranged compactly so as to take "up a minimum of room, and with the web supported at substantially all points by means engaging only one face of the web, whereby the web isput into condition to be printed without danger of any smudging effect.

For accomplishing lthis purpose, I have provided a novel construction comprising a great number of rollers positioned for supporting an endless belt in helical form `comprising two or more helical portions arranged so that when a web of paper is attached to the face of the belt at any point therealong such 'web is carried through a long circuitous path within'the'housing corresponding to the pattern Vof .the helical form of the belt. vIn my improved arrangement, the shafts for the rollers supporting one helical belt portion are prolonged so as to support also a second set of rollers adapted to receive a second helical belt portion, angle-bars being provided for transferring the belt from one set of rollers to the other set so that `a single endless belt is effective for carrying a web a plurality of times about the helical pattern.

It is one of the objects of my invention to `improve devices of this type in sundrydetails hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by Which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side face view of my improved construction and arrangement, with the face of the housing removed for clearness of illustration.

Fig, 2 is a horizontal sectional View through 'the arrangement of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view'of the device as seen `from the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the angle-bar means at-about the middle of the device as 'seen from the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vdetail view showing lthe arrangement of the means for driving the belt supporting rollers of the device.

Fig. 6 is another view showing the'arrangement of the ydriving means; 'and Fig. 7' is a plan view showing diagrammatically the arrangement of theangle barsat the middle portion of the device.

Referring to the several figureslof the .drawings,in which corresponding partsare indicated by the same referencecharacters, 2U, 2l, .22 fand 23 indicate-'spaced sidewalls of the `housings or chamber-s 24 vand 25, within which an endless belt 26 is mounted so as to carry a web of v.paper or the like through -a circuitous path of great length for enabling the web to be subjected vto adrying operation while `moving at high'speed through v'the housing. I have provided .my improved arrangementparticularly for drying a plastic coatingfapplie'd to one vface of a web, but the arrangement may of course beused Afor any purpose `for which it vis adapted. For drying purposes, I prefer to employ heat so as to have a maximum drying effect and thus cut .down .the length ofthe path through which vthe Webmust be carried `for a `predetermined drying eiiect. For some ltypes of plastic coating, I prefer :to apply a temperature of about 250 degrees F. for ab'out40 seconds, followed by the application of altemperatureof about.350 degrees F.1for .about 2'() seconds, as.nearly .as these conditions `can .be .effected readily without ltoo 'much trouble and expense, -theprecise'timing .being vin at least some cases non-critical.

In mypreferred device, I employ a greatinum ber of rollers for supporting and driving thebelt which is arranged in two for more portions, with each portion in the form of a helix, and with .the several helical portions connected in series with each other `by portions of the belt led transversely about angle-bars. In vthe arrangement I employ, the -supporting rollers for the several helical portions ofthe endless belt are mounted on the same supporting shafts and are alldriven in the same direction, this being vpossible by reason `of the fact that vone helical portion of the belt is arranged with successive loops of Vdecreased size inwardly, while the helical portion of vvthe belt -connected directly therewith is arranged with successive loops of ,increased size inwardly.

In the arrangement shown, I have provided sixteen rollers -2'l rotatably mounted in position in the housing 25 by means of shafts 28 and arranged for 4supporting the outside loop of the endless belt 26, such sixteen rollers being connected for lrotation in'unison with each other by means of an endless chain 29 operating on sprocket 'gears 30 carried by said shafts 28. Other vrollers. 3l also rotatably mounted in position by means of said shafts 28 are arranged for supporting the belt 26 in successively smaller loops, with the rollers of successive loops connected by means of

endless chains

32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 operating on sprocket gears 31 carried by said shafts 28. The several loops of the endless belt as just described are connected for rotation in unison with each other by means of endless sprocket chains 38 (see Fig. 6) operating with suitable sprocket gears carried by certain of the shafts 28. In the arrangement shown, several sets of the sprocket chains 38 are provided at circumferentially spaced points about the housings, four sets of such sprocket chains being ernployed with the chains arranged in radial position. By the use of this arrangement, comprising six chains in the form of loops and four sets of radially positioned connecting chains, the great number of supporting shafts for the belt are driven all in the same direction and all completely in unison with each other.

Power is applied to the system of chains and rollers by means of endless chains 39 and 40 driven by co-operating electric motors 4| and 42, through intermediate endless chains 43 and 44, said motors 4| and 42 being adapted to run in synchronism with each other so as to apply the power evenly and smoothly at a plurality of points.

Within the chamber or housing 25, the endless belt 26 is driven in clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1, with each succeeding loop of the belt of decreased size as compared with the loop ahead of it. Within the housing 24, the belt is arranged in reverse order, being driven in clock-wise direction, with each succeeding loop of the belt of increased size, supported by rollers 45 carried and driven by the shafts 28. As is best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the connection between the inner end of the portion of the belt positioned in chamber or housing 25 and the inner end of the portion of the belt positioned in chamber 24 is effected by the use of angle bars 46 and 41 and a roller 48. The connection between the outer end of the portion of the belt positioned in chamber 25 and the outer end of the portion of the belt positioned in chamber 24 is effected in turn by the use of angle-

bars

48 and 50 and a roller 5| (see Fig. 3).

In tracing the course of the belt 26 through its two circuitous paths through the chamber or housing 24 and the chamber or housing 25, it will be noted that the belt moves upwardly from a loosely mounted roller 52 (see Fig. 1) to a driven roller 53, whence it moves toward the right in Fig. 1 through a plurality of loops supported by rollers 21 and 3| to the innermost one of the rollers 3| at 3|a. The belt passes inwardly from said roller 3| over and sidewise about the anglebar 46, upwardly and sidewise in the opposite direction about the roller 48, then over and toward the left in Fig. 4 about the `angle-bar 41, from which it moves upwardly in an oblique direction over the adjacent roller 3| at 3 Ib. From this roller 3| the belt moves through a plurality of loops supported by the rollers 3| and 21 to a roller 54 loosely supported by one of the shafts 28 (at the left in Fig. 2), whence the belt moves toward the left in Fig. '3 over and sidewise about the angle-bar 58, thence downwardly about the roller and sidewise in the opposite direction from said roller 5|, and then under and about the angle-bar 49, from which it moves again to the roller 52.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a web 55 of paper passing over a loosely mounted roller 56 and thence downwardly and toward the right into effective engagement with the belt 2S so as to be carried about the complete circuitous path of said belt 26. When the web has been carried about the entire length of the belt for a preparatory threading operation, its leading end is detached from the belt and carried from the housing 24 over a roller 51, after which it may be Wound into a roll or otherwise used as may be desired. After the web has been threaded through its path and disconnected from the belt at the leading end of the web, the web continues to move forwardly with the belt by its frictional engagement with the belt, as will be readily understood.

In my preferred arrangement as shown, I have provided a plurality of ducts 58 for introducing heated air into the chambers or housings 24 and 25 at their lowermost portions, and have provided ducts 59 for withdrawing the air from the housings. The air thus introduced into the housings is to be heated to the desired temperature, and is to be forced into and through the chambers at the desired pressure for bringing about the desired drying effect.

While I prefer to employ the form and arrangement of parts as shown by the drawings and as above described, the invention is not to be limited to such form and arrangement except as the same may be specifically claimed, it being understood that changes might well be made without departing from the invention.

I claim:

l. In a device of the type described, the combination of a framework, a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted in transverse position on said framework, an endless belt, a plurality of rollers xedly mounted on said shafts with the shafts and rollers so positioned as to support a portion of the belt in helical form comprising a. series of loops, a plurality of other rollers xedly mounted on said shafts in spaced relationship to said first-named rollers for supporting another portion of said belt in helical form comprising a second series of loops alongside of said firstnamed portion, means including angle-bars for leading the belt sidewise from one of said sets of rollers to the other set, means including anglebars for leading the belt sidewise from said other set of rollers to said one set, and means for driving all of said shafts at the same surface speed of rotation.

2. A device of the type described as specied in claim 1, in which the means for leading the belt sidewise comprises one set of such means connecting together the outer loops of the two helical portions and another set of such means connecting together the inner loops of said two helical portions of the belt.

3. In a device of the type described, the combination of two housings in spaced relationship alongside of each other, a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted in transverse position in said housings, an endless belt, a plurality of rollers xedly mounted on said shafts in one of said housings with the shafts and rollers so positioned as to support a portion of said endless belt in helical form, a plurality of other rollers fixedly mounted on said shafts in the other of said housings for supporting another portion of said end less belt in helical form alongside of said firstnamed portion, means including angle-bars for leading the belt sidewise from each of said sets of rollers to the other set so as to provide portions of the belt in both of said housings, and means engaging said shafts at points between said housings for driving all of said shafts at the same surface speed.

4. In a device of the type described, the combination of a framework, a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted in transverse position on said framework, an endless belt, a plurality of rollers fixedly mounted on said shafts with the shafts and rollers so positioned as to support a portion of the belt in helical form comprising a series of loops, a plurality of other rollers fixedly mounted on said shafts in spaced relationship to said first-named rollers for supporting another portion of said belt in helical form comprising a second series of loops alongside of said firstnamed portion, means including angle-bars for leading the belt sidewise from each of said sets of rollers to the other set, means for driving the shafts of each of said different loops at the same surface speed, and means for driving the shafts of the diierent loops of the belt at the same surface speed.

ERNEST GRANVILLE RICE'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS