US3009664A

US3009664A - Side register control for moving web

Info

Publication number: US3009664A
Application number: US677094A
Authority: US
Inventors: William F Huck
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-08-08
Filing date: 1957-08-08
Publication date: 1961-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1978-11-21

Description

Nov. 21, 1961 w. F. HUCK 3,009,664

SIDE REGISTER CONTROL FOR MOVING WEB Filed Aug. 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .34 2 52 56 4 4 I 2 L 28 I :35 ei= 48 f 50 24 I 20 i k g l2 I i E 4 P /Q z I 5 I K 2 8 E L V i A i VALV INVENTORI W. F Huck,

ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1961 w. F. HUCK 3,009,564

SIDE REGISTER CONTROL FOR MOVING WEB Filed Aug. 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M0706 11 r f 1 QAEVEQS/NG I CONTIZOlLE/Z //4 MAM lo I\ l. HUTU OFF ' 52 //0v r/Melz,

\ INVENTORI W. F. Huck.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofitice 3,009,664 Patented Nov. 21, 1961 3,009,664 SIDE REGISTER CONTROL FOR MOVING WEB William F. Huck, Forest Hills, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to William F. Huck, doing business as Huck Company, New York, N.Y.

Filed Aug. 8, 1957, Ser. No. 677,094 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-57.1)

This invention relates-to the maintaining of accurate side register of a moving web, and more particularly to apparatus for sensing variations in the lateral position of a moving web and automatically adjusting the lateral position to compensate for variations within a relatively wide range.

In the applicants Patent No. 2,779,591, issued January 29, 1957, a device is described wherein parallel idler rollers are arranged transversely on opposite sides of a moving web and are tilted with respect to the width of the web to move the web laterally and compensate for web side register deviations. The tilting movement of the rollers is controlled by a mechanism Which senses side register variations in terms of the relative position of a edge of the moving web and an orifice through which a stream of air passes. This side register control apparatus has small mass and is sensitive and delicately responsive within a limited range of deviations from proper side register, providing accurate web side location within its range at all times. However, the apparatus is powerless to compensate for web side register variations which carry the web outside of the compensating range. Such deviation from proper side register may take the form of a continuous tendency of the web to move laterally in one direction. This tendency would require repeated attempts by the side register compensating mechanism to maintain the proper side registration, but ultimately the apparatus would reach the limit of its range, at which point the apparatus would be powerless to compensate for further variation in the lateral position of the web.

In the printing, paper and cloth processing, and similar industries, the moving web is generally supplied from a large roll of the web material supported on a suitable rollstand. Some of the rollstands in operation heretofore have incorporated manually actuated means for adjusting the lateral position 'of the rolls as the web unwinds, but such means are generally crude, requiring frequent adjustment and almost constant attention of the operator. Attempts have been made to provide automatic systems for adjusting the lateral position of the supply rolls, but such systems have operated upon the principle of direct control of the rollst-and adjusting means by delicate misalignment sensing devices. Since the web rolls are usually very heavy, often weighing a ton or more, it has been found impractical to move such heavy masses in response to delicate misalignment impulses.

The present invention overcomes the deficiencies and failings of the prior art by taking advantage of the combined eifects of coarse and vernier side register control mechanisms, and it is accordingly a principal object of the invention to provide such a system.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the aforesaid type which is delicately responsive to web side register variations within a limited range and which is operative through a coarse side register adjustment mechanism to maintain the lateral variations of the web position within that range.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the aforesaid type which incorporates a vernier side register control mechanism of the type employing a pair of rollers engaging the web on opposite sides thereof, and a coarse side register control mechanism which operates by varying the lateral position of the web supply roll.

An additional object of the invention is to provide automatic apparatus of the aforesaid type wherein the roll position adjusting mechanism is actuated automatic-ally when the vernier adjustment mechanism reaches predetermined positions within its operating range.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device for adjusting the lateral posit-ion of a web supply roll incrementally with variable intervals of operation and non-operation.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide automatic apparatus of the aforesaid type with provision for manual adjustment when desired.

These and other objects of the invention and the manner in which they are accomplished will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate an exemplary embodiment, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a preferred form of the invention shown somewhat diagrammatically.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 in the direction of the arrows, with the supply roll indicated in phantom.

FIGURE 3 is a simplified schematic diagram of an electrical operating circuit which may be employed in the system of the invention,

Briefly stated, the objects of the invention are accomplished by providing a web side register control system which incorpoartes a vernier mechanism and a coarse mechanism. The vernier mechanism preferably includes a pair of parallel rollers arranged transversely of the web on opposite sides thereof at a convenient location displaced from the web supply roll. The rollers may be tilted with respect to the width of the web to cause the moving web to be adjusted in lateral position to compensate for variations from a desired side register. Variations in lateral position are sensed by a pneumatic mechanism which adjusts the position of the pair of rollers automatically. The coarse control mechanism operates upon the supply roll itself, adjusting the position of the supply roll whenever the operation of the vernier mechanism is such as to tend to carry it outside of its limited range, within which it is highly sensitive and delicately responsive to web register deviations. A timer may be provided to impart an incremental mode of operation to the mechanism for adjusting the lateral position of the heavy supply roll, and provision is made for also operating the latter mechanism in response to manual actuation.

Referring to the drawings, a web 10 is unwound from a supply roll 12 and after passing over an optional idler roller 13 is moved in the indicated direction by a pair of drive rollers 14 which rotate in opposite directions and engage the web on opposite sides as shown in FIGURE 2. The drive mechanism for the web does not per se constitute the invention and may take any conventional form. The supply roll 12 of web material is wound on a core 16 supported on conical end pieces 18 which are rotatably mounted on flanged sleeve bearings 20. The bearings are held in position on a roll supporting shaft 22 by a pair of rings 24 fixed to the shaft as by set screws 26. Shaft 22 is mounted for motion along its axis with respect to a frame 28 by a pair of sleeve bearings 36.

One end of shaft 22 is pivotally connected as by a pin 32 to a lever 34, the shaft end being slotted as shown in FIGURE 2 to accommodate the end of lever 34 and to provide freedom for pivotal motion between the lever and the shaft. Lever 34 is pivoted on a pin 36 at some point intermediate the ends of the lever, the pin being held by a yoke arm 38 pivoted at 49 on the frame 28. The remaining end of lever 34 may be formed as a yoke as shown in FIGURE 2 to support a feed nut 42 through which is threaded a drive screw 44. One end of the drive screw is connected to a universal joint 46 to which is connected the drive shaft 48 of a reversible motor 50 mounted on the frame 28 as indicated. Motor 50 may be an electric induction motor of the three-phase wound rotor type, and in a practical form of the invention a motor rate at HP. has been employed successfully.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that energization of the motor 50 will cause the feed screw 44 to rotate in one direction or the other depending upon the direction of rotation of the motor, and that rotation of the feed screw will cause relative translation of the feed nut 42 along the screw, tilting lever 34 about its fulcrum 36 and causing the roll supporting shaft 22 to reciprocate within its sleeve bearings 30, thereby changing the lateral position of the supply roll 12. Any tendency of the pin 32 to move the shaft 22 laterally due to the pivotal motion of the lever 34 is prevented by pivot-a1 movement of arm 38 about pivot 40. It will thus be seen that lever 34 and arm 38 constitute a compound mechanical movement for adjusting the position of shaft 22 along its axis, universal joint 46 accommodating any misalignment of shaft 48 and feed screw 44. If desired, the feed nut 42 may be mounted on lever 34 'for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the axes of

pins

32 and 36. The mechanical advantage of the compound movement will be determined by the position of the fulcrum of lever 34 and the drive speed ratio of the feed nut with respect to the motor.

As will be explained more fully hereinafter, motor 50 is arranged to be energized under the control of a pair of

switches

52 and 54 which may be constituted by singlepole single-throw microswitches mounted on a spur 55 of the frame 28. The switches are actuated by a cam 56 fixed to a bracket 58. Bracket 58 and a companion bracket 60 constitute a support for a pair of parallel rollers 62, which, together with other parts to be described, constitute the vernier adjustment mechanism of the invention. The rollers 62 are arranged transversely of the web and on opposite sides thereof as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Suitable bearings (not shown) are provided to allow rotation of rollers 62 about their respective axes on the bracket supports 58 and 60. The brackets are pivotally conected at 64 and 66 to a pair of supporting

arms

68 and 70, each of which has an end pivotally supported on the frame 28 as at 72 and 74. It will be noted that the axes of the

arms

68 and 70 converge toward the rollers as shown in FIGURE 1. Movement of the arms about their pivots 72 and 74 on the frame causes move ment of the rollers 62 laterally of the web, and at the same time causes the rollers to tilt with respect to the width of the web due to the mutual angulation of the

arms

68 and 70. For example, if in FIGURE 1

arms

68 and 70 are rotated clockwise, to the positions indicated by the phantom lines, the rollers 62 will tilt counterclockwise, with bracket 58 moving to the left and bracket 60 moving to the right.

Such motion is imparted to the rollers 62 through the connection of bracket 60 to the rod 76 of a piston (not shown) mounted reciprocauively within a cylinder 78. Cylinder 78 is secured to the frame 28 as by bolts 80, and a slot 82 is provided in the frame for the passage of the piston rod 76. Connection of the piston rod to the bracket 60 may be made through a link 84 pivoted at its ends to the rod and the bracket, respectively. Such connection will accommodate misalignment of the axes of the rod 76 and bracket 60 which will occur during the movement of the rollers 62 as described.

Movement of the piston of cylinder 78 is controlled by a valve 86 interposed within an air conduit 88, one end of which is connected to an air supply (which may be a source of positive or negative air pressure) and the other end of which terminates in an orifice 90 formed in a plate 92 supported on the frame 28 by an arm 94.

Orifice 90 in cooperation with the adjacent edge of the web 10 constitutes means for sensing the lateral position of the web, the web passing over the plate 92 as shown in FIGURE 2. When the web side register is proper, the web will occlude part (perhaps half) of the orifice 90 and will impede the flow of air through the orifice to or from the air supply. Lateral movement of the web with respect to the orifice will vary the amount of occlusion and thereby actuate the valve 86 so as to operate the system within cylinder 78 and tilt the rollers 62. Tilting of the rollers produces lateral movement of the web, and the sense of tilting in response to a web register deviation of a particular direction is chosen to cause the web to move laterally in the opposite direction.

The exact manner in which the web misalignment is sensed and varied by the vernier control mechanism may be as described in my aforementioned patent, and the vernier adjusting mechanism may include the features of air orifice adjustment and piston damping found in that patent as well as the other refinements described. While the mechanism described in the patent utilizes a pair of diverging arms for supporting the rollers and a bell crank for connecting the piston to the rollers, it will be seen that the operation is substantially the same.

The vernier web register control mechanism just described is extremely sensitive and delicately responsive within its operating range. The operating range of the mechanism is determined inter alia by the maximum travel of the piston rod 76 and the angulation of the

arms

68 and 70. At the extremes of the operating range, the rollers 62 will be tilted maximally in opposite senses with respect to the width of the web. The shape of cam 56 attached to roller supporting bracket 58 is made such that when the rollers 62 are tilted to a position near or at the limit of their extreme counterclockwise movement, the arm 54a of switch 54 will be deflected sufiiciently by the rise on cam 56 to close the switch. At or near the extreme clockwise tilting position of the rollers 62, the am 520 of switch 52 will be deflected sufiiciently by the rise on cam 56 to close switch 52. It will be recalled that

switches

52 and 54 are in the energization circuit for motor 50, and the direction of rotation of the motor 50 is determined by which of

switches

52 and 54 is closed.

Referring to FIGURE 3, motor 50 may be connected to a conventional three-phase supply through a conventional reversing control 96. Such controllers are well known and may operate to drive the motor in one direction when a first control line 98 is energized and in the reverse direction when a second control line 100 is energized, the motor remaining stationary when neither of lines 98 and 100 is energized. In practice, the reversing controller may include relays which switch the phase connections of the motor with respect to the supply when the relays are operated. Voltage may be applied to line 98 or from an input line 102, which in practice, may be one of the three-phase lines, since the rclays of the reversing controller 96 will normally be operated by the potential across two of the phase lines. The input of the circuit will include a master switch 104 having an off position, an automatic position, and a manual position. In the off position the blade 106 of the switch merely rests on an isolated contact. In the automatic position the blade connects line 102 to a conductor -8 connected to

switches

52 and 54 in parallel. Neglecting the timer 110 for the moment, it will be seen that with switch 104 in the automatic position, the closing of switch 52 or switch 54 will energize either line 98 or line 100 and will cause motor 50 to operate in one direction of the other. Such energization of motor 50 will cause lateral movement of the supply roll supporting shaft 22 in the manner previously described, and the connection of

switches

52 and 54 in the circuit is such that the supply roll is moved in the direction which will bring the lateral position of the web back within the range of the vernier adjusting mechanism comprising the rollers 62.

When heavy rolls of paper or cloth are utilized, it is very difficult to adjust the position of the rolls to the proper degree by operating the adjusting mechanism continuously for as long as one of

switches

52 and 54 is closed. The inertia of the supply roll (as well as any inherent delay in the control mechanisms) will tend to cause over-compensation, which is as undesirable as under-compensation. In accordance with the principles of the invention, the foregoing problem is solved by imparting an incremental motion to the supply roll to adjust its lateral position. In the preferred form of the invention, this motion is obtained by utilizing timer 1 10 of convention-al form per se, which applies voltage to line 98 or line 100 incrementally as long as the associated

switch

52 or 54 is closed. Thus, in a typical cycle of operation, the Vernier adjusting mechanism including the rollers 62 will move to a position near a limit of its operating range and will close either switch 52 or switch 54. The closing of one of these switches will energize the timer 110 which will begin a cycle of operation and apply a voltage from line 102 to the appropriate line 98 or 100, operating motor 50 and moving the shafit 22 of the supply roll. When the timer reaches a predetermined point in its cycle of operation, it will disconnect line 98 or 100 from line 102 notwithstanding the fact that the associated

switch

52 or 54 remains closed. Motor 50 will thus be energized for an interval and then de-energized. If, by virtue of such operation, the lateral position of the web is adjusted sufliciently to cause the sensing device (comprising the orifice 90 of the pneumatic system) to move the Vernier adjusting mechanism (comprising the rollers 62) enough to open the previously closed switch 52 or switch 54, the timer 110 will be de-energized, and motor 50 will remain de-energized until a subsequent closing of switch 52 or switch 54. If however, after a predetermined interval of non-energization of the motor 50, as determined by the timer 110, the

switch

52 or 54 remains closed, the timer will again energize motor 50 for a predetermined interval and later will again de-energize the motor for a predetermined interval.

It will thus be apparent that the roll will be adjusted laterally by increments, and that adequate time will be allowed to compensate for the inertia of the roll and any inherent time lag in the Vernier operating mechanism, so that the roll will not be moved laterally any more than is absolutely necessary to bring the Vernier mechanism back within its operating range. The timer may be constructed so that the length of the operating and non-operating intervals for the motor 50 are adjustable so as to accommodate rolls of different weight, for example. The timer may be of the drum type, for example, having adjustable length conducting segments that are spaced to provide the periods as set forth above.

When a supply roll is initially placed on the rollstand it may be desirable to position the same initially before commencing automatic operation, orindependently even after automatic operation has begun. This may be accomplished in the system of the invention by providing a pair of manually actuated switches 112, 114 (FIG. 3) which are connected to lines 98 and 100, respectively, and in parallel to the manual terminal of switch 104. When switch 104 is placed in its manual position, either of switches 1'12 and 1.14 may be closed manually to operate the motor in the corresponding direction of rotation for as long as the switch is held closed. In practice, operation of the automatic web positioning apparatus may be deferred until the drive means 14 reaches its proper operating speed, by providing a solenoid controlled valve 116 in the air supply line 88, the solenoid being energized under the control of a switch which closes when the proper operating speed is reached.

Instead of a single timer 110, two timers may be employed, these being arranged so that one controls the duration of the time that motor 50 is energized or on, and the other controls the duration that it is off, in which case the second timer will be activated when the first one completes its on timing function. The actual durations of the on and off periods so established will depend upon the particular installation, so that it is very desirable to provide independent control of the on and off intervals. For a typical installation in which the rollstand carries three rolls each weighing a ton or more, an on period of 0.3 seconds and an olf period of 10 seconds was found satisfactory, but as stated above, the durations can best be established for each machine in the light of experience.

It should be understood that while the invention as shown and disclosed herein has been described with reference to a Web unwinding from a supply roll, the principles of the invention are similarly applicable to the case of a web rewinding onto a supply roll.

While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this form of the invention without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. For example, in some instances the web may be wound onto rather than off of the roll. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiment of the invention is to be considered illustrative, rather than restrictive, and modifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are included therein.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for maintaining the side register of a moving web being drawn from a supply roll, comprising means for supporting the supply roll for rotation and for lateral movement along its axis of rotation, a transversely extending roller frictionally engageable with the web, means supporting the roller for rotation about its axis and for limited angular movement of its axis to change the direction of travel of the web, means for sensing a variation in either direction of the location of the side edge of the web and moving the roller supporting means and the roller so as to move the web laterally in a direction opposed to the variation, and additional means operable only when a limit of movement of the roller supporting means is reached, to shift the supply roll supporting means laterally in increments in a direction opposite to the variation, with a time interval between incremental movements to prevent over-compensation by the additional means.

2. Apparatus for maintaining the side register of a moving web being drawn from a supply roll, comprising means for supporting the web supply roll for rotation, additional means spaced from the roll supporting means and operating to sense movement of the web laterally out of a desired path of travel and to move the web within a narrow range in the reverse direction whereby small deviations in side edge registry may be corrected, said additional means including a web-engaging roller and an angularly movable support therefor, power means including a reversible electric motor for moving the roll supporting means laterally to effect a relatively wide lateral movement of the web in the direction of the desired path of travel, the roller support being operable only when it reaches its limit of motion to actuate said power means; and timing means for controlling the operation of the power means for moving the roll-supporting means laterally and incrementally so as to effect movements of predetermined duration and stoppages of predetermined duration, to prevent substantial over-compensation by the lateral movement of the roll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS