US3125310A

US3125310A - Aytofinxv

Info

Publication number: US3125310A
Authority: US
Current assignee: Jiffy Enterprises Inc
Publication date: 1964-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-17

Description

March 17, 1964 J MARGUUS 3,125,310

UNWIND STAND Filed Sept. 4, 1962 INVENTOR. JOSEPH M MARGUL/S a/zlpzf ie ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,125,310 UNWIND STAND Joseph M. Margulis, Jiffy Enterprises, Inc., 150 N. 13th St, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Sept. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 220,994 10 Claims. (Cl. 242-553) This invention relates to an unwind stand and, more particularly, to an unwind stand incorporating a storage means for reels of ribbon-like material adapted to be un- Wound.

Heretofore, the commercially available unwind stands were of the type which facilitated the unwinding of one reel at a time. When one reel had been completely unwound, it was necessary to remove a core thereof and substitute a new reel to be unwound. The machinery adapted to receive the ribbon-like material is inoperative While the reels are being changed. This results in a material down time.

The unwind stand of the present invention incorporates a storage means for storing a large number of coreless reels which are to be unwound. A rotatably mounted hub is provided for supporting the reel which is being unwound at any particular time. As soon as the reel is unwound, a new reel is shifted from the storage means onto the hub. Thereafter, the free end of the previously unwound reel may be connected to the leading end of the reel to be unwound. I have found that the present invention substantially reduces the down time of the machinery and eliminates a substantial amount of material handling associated with changing and moving reels.

For ease in maneuverability, the unwind stand of the present invention may have a frame mounted on wheels so as to be a mobile unwind stand. If desired, the frame may be provided with a braking device to prevent the unwind stand from moving during the unwinding operation. Preferably, a plurality of unwind stands are utilized sequentially so that a fully loaded unwind stand may be substituted for an unwind stand on which all of the reels have been unwound.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel unwind stand.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel unwind stand having a storage means for reels to be unwound.

t is another object of the present invention to provide a novel unwind stand which facilitates more rapid unwinding of reels with minimum down time. I

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel unwind stand for coreless reels of ribbon-like material.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the unwind stand of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation view of the unwind stand illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 33 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 44 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along the lines 55 in FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 an unwind stand designated generally as 10. The unwind stand includes a frame 12. The frame 12 is rectangular in shape and is provided with a wheel 14 at each corner thereof. A foot-operated braking device 16 is provided on the frame 12 to maintain the frame 12 in any predetermined position on a floor.

The frame 12 supports an upright standard 18. A pair of reinforcing

struts

20 and 22 interconnect the frame 12 and the standard 13. The standard 18 is preferably a channel member which is U-shaped in transverse cross section. The frame 12 is provided with a handle 24. The lower end of the handle 24 is bifurcated and pivotably connected to the frame 12. The upper end of the handle 24 is releasably embraced by a bracket 25 on the standard 18.

The standard 18 supports an arm 26 in cantilever fashion therefrom. The arm 26 is part of a storage means for supporting reels to be unwound. Such storage means includes a semicylindrical support member 28 disposed above the arm 26 and interconnected therewith by a strut 27.

A pair of angle iron plates 39 and 32 are secured to opposite sides of the standard 13 at the upper end thereof. A pair of rollers 34 is rotatably supported by the plate 30. A pair of rollers 36 is rotatably supported by the plate 32. The axes of rotation for the

rollers

34 and 36 form the four corners of a square.

As shown more clearly in FIGURE 3, the standard 18 is spaced from the member 28 for a sufficient distance so as to enable a hub 38 to be rotatably supported therebetween by the

rollers

34 and 36. The hub 38 is preferably a pair of rings interconnected at spaced peripheral points by struts. The hub 38 is provided with first and second sets of

guide members

40 and 42.

The first set of guide members 40 includes a plurality of U-shaped members having their free ends secured to the outer peripheral surface of the hub 38. Each of the U-shaped members lies in a single plane. Preferably, the free ends of the U-shaped members of the set 46 are fixedly secured to the hub 38. The second set 42 of U-shaped members lies in a second plane spaced from the first-mentioned plane thereby defining a channel within which a reel will be disposed when the reel is being unwound. The free ends of the U-shaped members of the set 42 are preferably removably interconnected with the hub 33. As shown more clearly in FIGURE 4, the free ends of the U-shaped members of set 42 extend through holes in the hub 38.

While each of the sets 4% and 42 is illustrated as comprising four sets of U-shaped members, a greater or lesser number of such members may be provided as desired. A plurality of levers 44 are pivotably supported from the frame 38 at spaced points therearound by pivot pins 46. As shown more clearly in FIGURE 4, one end of a link 48 is pivotably connected to each arm 44. The other end of link 48 is connected to a spring 50. The opposite end of spring 50 is connected to an car 52 on the hub 38.

The lever 44 is connected to one end of the pivot pin 46 as shown more clearly in FIGURE 5. A cam 54 is connected to the other end of pin 46. In the position of lever 44 in FIGURE 4, the cam 54 is between the inner and outer rings of the hub 3%. When the lever 44 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 45 in FIGURE 4, to a position beyond top dead center where it will remain, the cam 54 will be in an inactive position. The spring 50 biases lever 44 and cam 54 to a position wherein cam 54 extends radially outwardly for contact with a reel 56.

The unwind stand of the present invention is utilized as follows:

Preferably a pair of unwind stands is utilized in conjunction with one another for supplying ribbon-like ma terial to any one of a wide variety of devices. While one unwind stand is associated with the device, a second unwind stand is being loaded. When an unwind stand is loaded, a plurality of coreless reels 56 of ribbon-like material will be supported by the member 28 and one of the reels 56 will be between the sets of

guide members

46 and 42, as shown more clearly in FIGURE 3. When the reel 56 between the guide members 49 and 42 is unwound, the free end thereof will be held and a new reel will be placed between the guide members 43 and 42. In order to place a new reel 56 from the supply on member 28, each of the U-shaped members of the set 42 will be removed.

The members of the set 42 will be removed by squeezing the free ends towards each other and then removing the members in a radially outwardly direction. Each lever 44 will be rotated in a counterclockwise direction in FIGURE 2 to place the cams 54 in their inactive positions. Since the outer peripheral diameter of the hub 38 is in line with the outer peripheral surface on the member 28 as shown more clearly in FIGURE 3, the next adjacent reel 56 will be reciprocated to a position juxtaposed to the guide members of set 40. Thereafter, the guide members of set 42 will be replaced and the levers 44 will be rotated to the solid line position in FIGURE 2. Thereafter, the tape or other material preventing the unwinding of the coreless reels will be removed and the free end of the newly replaced reel will be connected to the free end of the previously unwound reel.

As soon as one of the reels 56 is unwound, a new reel will be moved from the member 28 to a position between the guide members of the

sets

40 and 42. By providing an unwind stand having a storage means thereon for accommodating a large number of reels of ribbon-like material, the necessity for having a large number of unwind stands and reel cores is eliminated. Further, the conversion from one reel to another may be accomplished in a rapid, efficient manner. As soon as all the reels 56 on the unwind stand 110 have been unwound, the unwind stand may be pulled by means of handle 24 to a loading position and a new unwind stand 10 placed in a position to feed ribbon-like material to the consuming device.

While a reel is being unwound, the springs 50 bias the earns 54 wherein they project radially outwardly beyond the periphery of the hub 33 and contact the inner peripheral surface of the reel 56 to prevent relative rotative movement between the reel 56 and the hub 38.

The consuming device may be any one of a wide variety of devices adapted to utilize ribbon-like material. The ribbon-like material of the reels 56 may be fabric, sheet metal, plastic, etc.

The present invention may be embodied in other spe cific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An unwind stand comprising an upright support means, a hub rotatably mounted on said means, a storage means on said support means, said storage means being adapted to support reels adjacent said hub, first and second guide members on said hub, said hub being adapted to support a reel between said guide members, and said second guide member being radially removable from said hub so that reels may be moved from said storage means onto said hub.

2. An unwind stand in accordance with claim 1 wherein said storage means is a semi-cylindrical support memher, the outer peripheral surface of said support member substantially coinciding with the outer peripheral surface of said hub.

3. An unwind stand in accordance with claim 1 wherein said upright support means is a standard, a frame, said standard being supported by said frame, and wheel means on said frame to render the same mobile.

Cit

4. An unwind stand comprising an upright support means, a hub rotatably mounted on said means, a storage means on said support means, said storage means being adapted to support reels adjacent said hub, first and second guide members on said hub, said hub being adapted to support a reel between said guide members, said second guide member being removably supported by said hub so that reels may be moved from said storage means onto said hub, said second guide member being a U-shaped member having its free ends extending through holes in said hub, and the resiliency of the material of said U- shaped member biasing the free ends away from each other.

5. An unwind stand in accordance with claim 1 wherein said upright support means is a standard, said hub being rotatably supported between said standard and said storage means.

6. An unwind stand in accordance with claim 1 including an arm supported from said upright support means in cantilever fashion, and said storage means being disposed on said arm, said hub being disposed between said storage means and said support means.

7. An unwind stand in accordance with claim 1 including a plurality of levers, each lever being pivotably connected to said hub and biased to an operative position, each lever being connected to a cam adapted to extend radially outwardly beyond the periphery of said hub in an operative position of said levers, said cams being adapted to contact the inner peripheral surface of coreless reels to prevent relative motion between the coreless reel being unwound and the hub.

8. An unwind stand comprising an upright support, a hub rotatably supported by said support, a storage member', an arm projecting through said hub, one end of said arm being connected to said support, the other end of said arm being interconnected with said storage member, said storage member being adapted to support a plurality of coreless reels to be unwound, radially outwardly directed guide members on said hub, and one of said guide members being removably connected to said hub to facilitate removal of a reel from the support member and disposition of the same on said hub.

9. In an unwind stand comprising a rotatably mounted hub, a storage support member adjacent said hub, the outer peripheral surface of said support member being substantially in line with the outer periphery of a juxtaposed portion of said hub, said storage member being adapted to support a plurality of coreless reels to be unwound, radially outwardly directed guide means on said hub, said guide means including radially removable members which enable a coreless reel to be transferred from said storage member onto said hub, and selectively operable cam means on said hub for contacting the inner peripheral surface of a reel on said hub.

10. An unwind stand comprising an upright support means, a hub rotatably mounted on said means, a storage means on said support means, said storage means being adapted to support reels adjacent said hub, first and second guide members on said hub, said hub being adapted to support a reel between said guide members, said second guide member being removably supported by said hub so that the reels may be moved from said storage means onto said hub, said storage means having its outer peripheral surface coinciding with the outer peripheral surface of said hub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,186,027 Olson June 6, 1916 1,403,123 Leedy Jan. 10, 1922 1,614,595 Boe Jan. 18, 1927 1,917,641 Fairchild July 11, 1933 2,396,805 Schwartz Mar. 19, 1946 2,444,780 Lathan et al July 6, 1948