US2860839A - Web winding machine - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 18, 1958 F. c. BOWER WEB WINDING MACHINE 5 Shets-Shet 1 Filed Feb. 24. 1953 a m F FIG-4 INVENTOR FRED C. BOWER ATTORNEYS Nov. 18, 1958 F. c. BOWER 2,860,839

was WINDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 24, 1953 I s Sheets- -Sheet 2 FIG-6 'INVENTOR FRED C. BOWER BWMJZWF% ATTORNEYS Nov. 18,- 1958 F. "c. BOWER WEB WINDING MACHINE- 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 24. 1953 FIG-H FIG-1O V FIG-13 FIG-12 PRESSURE 96 SWITCH REGULATNG VALVE INVENTOR.

FRED C.BOWER ATTORNEYS United States Patent WEB WINDING MACHINE Fred C. Bower, Fulton, N. Y., assignor to The Black- Clawson Company, Hamilton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 24, 1953, Serial No. 338,519

7 Claims. (Cl. 24256) This invention relates to winders for web materials, and it has special relation to continuous winding apparatus for plastic film.

The invention is especially related to the transfer of a plastic web from a completed roll in a continuous winder to a new core for the purpose of starting Winding on the new core without reduction in speed. It is important in handling such materials, particularly in the case of thin plastic film, to establish an even start of the web on the core without having the material fold back on itself, since if there is afold back or like objectionable edge condition on the starting end of the web on the core, the resulting uneven thickness of material on the core tends to emboss, Wrinkle or otherwise undesirably impress the succeeding layers of material wound thereover. This condition is especially noticeable in handling thin or soft plastic film, since fold back on the core may result in impressing a sufi'icient number of layers of the film in the rollto spoil a considerable length of film.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide apparatus and a method for continuously winding plastic and other web materials which will assure 'a smooth and even start of the web on each new core and which will effect continuous control and guiding of the Web to the roll as it winds thereon in such manner as to give smoothly and evenly wound rolls under high speed operating conditionstwith minimum tendency to undesirable pressure conditions throughout the winding roll.

An additional object of the invention is to provide such apparatus and method which will effect smooth and even severing of the web from the full 'roll and transfer the severed leading end of the web to a new core under controlled conditions preventing fold back of the web and causing the severed web end to adhere to the new core for the desired smooth and even winding start thereon while at the same time not requiring the use of an adhesive.

It is another object of the invention to provide a continuous winder for web materials wherein the mechanism for transferring the advancing web from a full roll to a new core includes a knife element for severing the web by movement across its path and a brush element mounted to follow the knife in such manner as to smooth the resulting cut leading end of the web against the core with sufficient pressure to force out air from between the core and the web and thereby to cause the web end to adhere to the core and to starting winding thereon.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a continuous winder forplastic and other web materials in which smooth and even winding is facilitated by guiding the web to the winding roll on a guide roll positioned in closely spaced relation with the winding roll and in which the spacing between the guide roll and the winding roll is'maintained substantially constant by a sensing mechanism including an air leak port adapted to be closed by the winding roll when the space between the surfaces of the two rolls decreases below a desired minimum.

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It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved method of continuously winding plastic and other web materials in which smooth and even starting of each new roll on a new core is promoted by smoothing the cut leading end of the web against a rotating new core in the direction of rotation of the core and with sufiicient pressure to force out air from between the web and the core and thus to cause this end of the web to adhere temporarily to the core for a sufiicient interval to start winding thereon. v

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic view in side eleing the several stages of winding a roll and then cutting and transferring the web to a new core;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a portion of the roll severing and transferring mechanism; Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the mechanism for sensing the relative positions of the wind-' ing and guide rolls in the winder of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 and looking from right to left in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 12-12 of Fig. 11 and;

Fig. 13 is a schematic view illustrating the operation of the mechanism of Fig. l012 in controlling the operation of the winder.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 illustrates somewhat diagrammatically a continuous winder of the gen eral type referred to above. The base frame indicated generally at 15 and 16 supports a reel including a shaft 17 and a pair of arms 18 at each end of the shaft adapted to carry a plurality of cores on which the web material is to be wound, and Fig. 1 shows the reel as supporting a substantially full roll 19 and a new core 20. The reel arms 18 at the back of the winder also support a pair of motors 22 connected through transmissions 23 with core supports, such as spindle noses (not shown), to-drive the cores at the same surface speed as the advancing web 25 to be wound and guide rolls 26 on the reel arms at either side of shaft 17 support the web during transfer to a new core. The reel shaft 17 is rotatably supported on the frame 15 and is provided with means' such as the motor 27 and driving connection shown diagrammatically at 28 in Fig. l for rotating the reel to carry successive new cores to the roll starting position while simultaneously carrying the filled roll to the top position shown in Fig. 1 for removal and replacement by an empty core. a

The web 25 is guided to the winding roll around a pairof guide rolls shown as an anvil roll 30 and an idler roll 31 both carried by arms 32 pivotally mounted in the frame by a rock shaft 33 and carrying counter-weights 34 at their lower ends. their retracted position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6 and their normal operating position is controlled by a fluid pressure cylinder 35 mounted on the frame and connected with shaft 33 through the piston rod 36 and lever 37. An adjustable stop 38 on one or both of the arms 32 engages a portion of the frame as shown in Fig. 2 to locate the arms 32 in their desired operating position, and the arms are also connected by a torque tube 39.

The arm 32 at the front of the winder is shown as carry Patented Nov. 18, 1958 Movement of arms 32 between ing a yardage counter driven by roll 30 through a sheave 41 and belt 42 for registering the amount of web material wound on each roll. The part 43 in Figs. 1 and 2 is a bracing connection between the two sides of the base frame.

The anvil roll 30 acts as an upper enveloper roll during roll changing, and there is also a lower enveloper roll 44 which is desirably a cylindrical brush when the winder is used for winding light plastic film since it minimizes undesirable pressures on the film. The brush roll 44 is carried by arms 45 which are pivotally mounted in the frame by a rock shaft 46 controlled by a hydraulic cylinder 47 having its piston rod 48 pivoted to an arm 49 secured to shaft 46, and an adjustable stop 50 on one or both of the arms 45 is adapted to engage a portion of the frame as shown in Fig. 2 to locate arms 45 with roll 44 in its desired position for roll changing. The roll 44 is driven at the same surface speed as the web by a motor 52 connected through chain 53 with a double sprocket 55 on shaft 46 from which a chain 56 drives sprocket 57 on the journal of roll 44. The roll 44 and the anvil roll 30 act together to establish the position of a new core for starting winding, and they also'control the passage of the web during roll starting as described hereinafter.

The knife assembly for severing the web and effecting transfer of the cut web to a new core is indicated generally at 60 and is carried on the ends of a pair of curved arms 61 pivoted on the frame at 62. Each arm 61 acts effectively as one arm of a bell crank lever having its other arm 63 connected to the piston rod 64 of a fluid pressure cylinder 65 supported in the frame by brackets 66. Cylinders 65 are operable as shown to swing the knife arms between their retracted position shown in Fig. 1 and their operating position shown in Fig. 2 for roll starting. A spring 67 is connected as shown to counter-balance the weight of the knife assembly in its retracted position, and a dashpot unit 68 of any suitable type may also be provided as shown for reducing the shock at the end of each operating stroke of the knife assembly, i. e., from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

The knife assembly 60 includes a blade 70 which extends the full width of the web and is carried by a bar 71 bolted or otherwise secured to the ends of the arms 61. This blade 70 is thus the leading part of the knife assembly as it is raised or swung in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, and it acts to sever the web as it swings across the path of the web. The knife assembly also includes a brush 75 comprising multiple rows of bristles in a common mounting indicated generally at 76 and bolted or otherwise secured to the knife arms 61 just behind the knife blade 70. These bristles 75 are so located and proportioned that when the knife arms swing from their retracted to their advanced position, the bristles will engage with light but firm pressure against the surface of a new core carried by the reel at the roll starting station of the winder.

Figs. 3-8 illustrate diagrammatically the operation of the winder to wind a roll of the web material and then to effect transfer of the web from a full roll to a new core. Fig. 3 illustrates the normal winding position with the winding roll 19 nearing completion. During this operation, the knife assembly and the roll 44 are retracted. The speed of the motor 22 driving roll 19 is controlled in a suitable manner to maintain constant surface speed of the winding roll, and such means are shown diagrammatically as including a dancer roll 80 supported by a loop of the web between idlers 81 and 82 and having a cooperating counterweight 83. Since such speed controls are well known, more detailed description thereof is believed unnecessary.

While the roll 19 is thus winding as shown in Fig. 3, a new core is loaded in the upper pair of reel arms, and when the roll 19 is substantially completed, the roll changing cycle is initiated, which may be done automatically through a starting switch actuated by the yardage counter 40 or by a manual push button switch. The motor 22 driving the new core 20 is started to bring the new core up to web speed at the start of the roll change, and also the arms 32 are rocked to retract the anvil roll 30 to a position outside of the path of rotation of the reel. Figs. 2 and 4 show the parts in these rela tive positions.

Rotation of the reel is stopped when the new core 2%) reaches the roll starting position, and anvil roll 30 is then returned to its normal winding position. This movement of the reel will bring the rotating new core 20 into engagement with the web running to the winding roll 19 and the return movement of roll 30 will guide the web into overlapping relation with a substantial portion of the new core as shown. Next the arms 45 are raised to bring the brush roll 44 into pressure engagement with the new core to hold the traveling web against the core preparatory to the severing and transferring steps, and Fig. 5 shows the parts in these relative positions.

After these positions of the core and the guiding rolls are established, the knife cylinder 65 is atcuated to raise the knife arms as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The propertions of the parts are such that the knife moves in a path closely adjacent the new core 20 and between the new core and the winding roll, thus severing the web just beyond the new core. This cut leading end of the web continues to travel by reason of its envelopment of the driven new core and its pressure engagement with the new core effected by the brush roll 44. At the same time, since the brush 75 follows the knife blade and moves in the direction of rotation of the new core, it presses this cut end of the web against the rotating new core with a smoothing and brushing action tending to force out any air which may be present between the web and the core and thus causing momentary adhesion of the web to the core, as shown in diagrammatic detail in Fig. 7. This adhesion need last only for a moment, since as soon as the core has rotated through somewhat less than one-half a revolution following severing of the web, the cut web end will be overlapped by the web traveling over anvil roll 30 so that the winding will automatically continue. The final step of the transfer is to return the knife arms and the brush roll 44 to their normal retracted positions, and the roll 85 continues to wind on core 20 as shown in Fig. 8.

Throughout the winding operation, it is important for optimum results that the web be uniformly guided onto the winding roll, and the invention provides means for effecting this desired result by maintaining the surface of the winding roll in a substantially constant closely spaced relation with the surface of the anvil roll 30. More specifically, the invention provides means for sensing the relative spacing of the adjacent surfaces of the anvil roll and the winding roll, and this sensing means actuates the reel motor 27 intermittently to index the reel in the direction to move the winding roll away from the anvil roll as the diameter of the winding roll increases. At the same time, this sensing effect is obtained without contact with the winding roll such as might otherwise tend to cause undesirable pressure conditions therein.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 10-13, a bracket is clamped on the torque tube 39 extending between the arms 32 which support the anvil roll 30, and this bracket is keyed in fixed angular position on the torque tube as indicated at 91 in Fig. 10. The bracket 90 includes a pair of outwardly extending arms between which a block 92 of generally L-shape is pivoted on a pin 93. A tube 95 extends through the block 92 and is connected at its lower end by a line 96 with a source of pressure air, which may conveniently be the same air source from which the several cylinders 35, 47 and 65 are operated.

The upper side of block 92 carries a gooseneck 99 connected at its lower end with the tube 95 to receive pressure air therefrom. At the upper end of the gooseneck 1s a head 100 with which the gooseneck forms an elongated hollow feeler member adapted to extend partially into the lower side of the nip of anvil roll and the winding roll in the winding position of the apparatus, and in the surface of head facing the winding roll are multiple leak ports 101 which are thus adapted to be closed bythe surface of the winding roll when the diameter of the roll increases sufficiently to extend into close relation with head 100.

With the goo'seneck 99 thus carried in predetermined relation with the anvil roll 30, closing of the leak ports 101 by the winding roll 85 will occur when the surface spacing between the surfaces of the anvil roll and winding roll has decreased below a predetermined minimum. This minimum may be accurately determined by adjust ment of the gooseneck in head 100 by controlled rotation of the block 92 through a thumb screw 105 threaded through a bar 106 secured to the arm portions of bracket 90 and provided with a lock nut 107. The upper end of thumb screw 105 engages the L-shaped extension of block 92, and in order to cushion the device from damage by'accidental contact with the winding roll, a spring 110 is mounted as shown on a bolt 111 extending through an enlarged bore 112 in the block 92 and secured at its lower end to the thumb screw 105.

Fig. 13 shows diagrammatically the operative connections for the gooseneck 99 in controlling the relative positions of the anvil roll and winding roll. The air line 96 is shown as provided with a regulating valve 115 and a pressure gauge 116, and a pressure switch 117 is also connected with this air line. This pressure switch is in turn connected as indicated diagrammatically at 118 in controlling relation with the reel motor 27, and this connection is such that whenever the diameter of roll 85 increases sufficiently to close the leak ports 101, the resulting pressure increase in the line 96 will close switch 117 and operate reel motor 27 to index the reel to a suflicient distance to cause reopening of the leak ports 101, thereby maintaining the desired effectively constant spacing between the surfaces of the anvil roll and winding roll.

It is accordingly apparent that the present invention provides a continuous winder wherein the web and the winding roll are under constant control assuring a high degree of uniformity and freedom from uneven pressure conditions both at the start of the roll and during subsequent winding. This winder is capable of handling a wide variety of web materials, and it offers special advantages for winding relatively light and thin plastic film such as is susceptible of injury unless handled with proper care. Thus while relatively thin or stiff web materials such as paper and plastic sheeting frequently may have sufficiently inherent stiffness to resist both fold back at the start of a roll and undesirable impression effects from uneven thickness in the roll, thin materials such as light plastic films are considerably susceptible to fold back and resulting injury in the roll. The present invention effectively guards against such undesirable result by means of the smooth and even start which it provides for each new roll and the constant guiding of the web and indexing of the winding roll as the winding operation continues.

While the method herein described, and the form of apparatus for carrying this method into effect, constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and form of apparatus, and that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a continuous winder for Web material including a frame and a support for a winding roll mounted for movement on said frame in a direction to shift a roll carried thereby with respect to a winding station, the combination of a guide roll adjacent said winding station for guiding the web to a winding roll on said support, and means for maintaining the surface of said winding roll in substantially constantly spaced relation with said.

guide roll comprising a drive for said support, means adjacent said winding station for sensing the position of the surface of said winding roll with respect to said guide roll, and means actuated by said sensing means for operating said drive when the space between the adjacent surface portions of said winding roll and said guide roll decreases below a predetermined minimum.

2. In a continuous winder for web material including a frame and a support for a winding roll mounted for movement on said frame in a direction to shift a roll carried thereby, the combination of a guide roll for guiding the web to a winding roll on said. support, means mounting said guide roll for movement on said frame with respect to said support, means on said mounting means for sensing the position of the surface of said winding roll with respect to said guide roll, and a'drive actuated by said sensing means for shifting said support when the space between the adjacent surface portions of said winding roll and said guide roll decreases below a predetermined minimum.

3. In a continuous winder for web material including a frame and a support for a winding roll mounted for movement on said frame in a direction to shift a roll carried thereby with respect to a winding station, the combination of a guide roll adjacent said winding station for guiding the web to a winding roll on said support, means for maintaining the surface of said winding roll in substantially constantly spaced relation with said guide roll comprising a drive for said support, means defining a leak port for pressure air adjacent said winding station and adapted to be closed by said winding roll, means for supplying pressure air to said leak port, and means responsive to closing of said leak port by said winding roll for operating said drive to cause shifting of said winding roll with respect to said guide roll when the space between the adjacent surface portions ofsaid winding roll and said guide roll decreases below a predetermined minimum.

4. In a continuous winder for web material including a frame and a support for a winding roll mounted for movement on said frame in a direction to shift a roll carried thereby, the combination of a guide roll for guiding the web to a winding roll on said support, means mounting said guide roll for movement on said frame with respect to said support, means on said mounting means defining a leak port for pressure air located in predetermined relation with said guide roll and adapted to be closed by said winding roll, means for supplying pressure air to said leak port, a drive for said support, and means responsive to closing of said leak port for operating said drive to cause shifting of said winding roll with respect to said guide roll when the space between the adjacent surface portions of said rolls decreases below a predetermined minimum.

5. In a continuous winder for web material including a frame and a support for a winding roll mounted for movement .on said frame in a direction to shift a roll carried thereby, the combination of a guide roll for guiding the web to a winding roll on said support, means mounting said guide roll for movement on said frame with respect to said support, an elongated hollow feeler member carried by said mounting means adapted to extend partially into the nip of said rolls, said feeler memher having a port at the outer end thereof facing said winding roll and adapted to be closed by contact with said winding roll, means for supplying pressure air to said feeler member for escape through said port, a drive for shifting said support, and means including a pressure switch operatively connecting said feeler member with said drive for operating said drive in response to closing of said port to shift said winding roll with respect to said guide roll when the space between the adjacent surfaces of said rolls decreases below a predetermined minimum.

6. In a continuous winder for web material, apparatus for transferring the advancing web from a full roll to a new core comprising means for supporting said core adjacent the web advancing to said full roll, means for rotating said core at substantially the surface speed of the web, a guide roll for guiding the web into partially enveloping relation with said rotating core, means for severing the advancing web at a position closely adjacent said core and said full roll, means for smoothing the severed leading end portion of the web against said rotating core to force out air from between said core and the web and thereby to cause said end portion of the web to adhere to said core and to start winding thereon, means adjacent said guide roll for sensing the position of the surface of the winding roll on said core with respect to said guide roll, and a drive actuated by said sensing means for moving said supporting means to shift said core away from said guide roll when the space between the adjacent surfaces of said guide roll and the web winding on said core decreases below a predetermined minimum.

7. In a continuous winder for web material, apparatus for transferring the advancing web from a full roll to a new core comprising means for supporting said core adjacent the web advancing to said full roll, means for rotating said core at substantially the surface speed of the web, a guide roll for guiding the web into partially enveloping relation with said rotating core, a severing member including a knife adapted to be moved in a path substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the web at a position closely adjacent said core and between said core and said full roll, a brush carried by said severing member behind said knife and on the side of said severing member adjacent said core, means for moving said severing member in said path to cause said knife to sever the web and thereafter to cause said brush to smooth the severed leading end of the web against said rotating core forcing out air from between said core and the web and thereby causing said web end portion to adhere to said core and to start winding thereon, means mounting said guide roll for movement on said frame with respect to said support, means on said mounting means defining a leak port for pressure air located in predetermined relation with said guide roll and adapted to be closed by said winding roll, means for supplying pressure air to said lead port, a drive for said support, and means responsive to closing of said leak port for operating said drive to cause shifting of said winding roll with respect to said guide roll when the space between the adajcent surface portions of said rolls decreases below a predetermined minimum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,154,301 Fogarty Sept. 21, 1915 1,807,274 Beidler May 26, 1931 1,976,641 Vernon et al. Oct. 9, 1934 2,200,000 Johnstone May 7, 1940 2,205,498 Schwarz June 25, 1940 2,307,880 Croft et al. Jan. 12, 1943 2,361,264 Christman Oct. 22, 1944 2,512,900 Kwitek June 27, 1950 2,586,833 Kohler et al Feb. 26, 1952 2,592,090 Weaver Apr. 8, 1952

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