US3409241A

US3409241A - Web winding machine with cut-off

Info

Publication number: US3409241A
Application number: US626758A
Authority: US
Inventors: John J Farrell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-03-29
Filing date: 1967-03-29
Publication date: 1968-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 1985-11-05

Description

Nov. 5, 1968 J. J. FARRELL 3,409,241

WEB WINDING MACHINE WITH CUT-OFF Filed March 29, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I W W L mm-wmk ATTORNE Y5.

Nov. 5, 1968 J. J. FARRELL WEB WINDING MACHINE WITH GUT-OFF Filed March 29, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY M mm \r wk,

AT TORNEY$.

Nov. 5, 1968 J. J. FARRELL 3,409,241

WEB WINDING MACHINE WITH CUT-OFF Filed March 29, 1967 r 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 w QM INVENTOR BY \M \NM mwaxsm ATTORNEYS.

NOV. 5, 1968 FARRELL 3,409,241

WEB WINDI NG MACHINE WITH CUT-OFF Filed March 29, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 92 FIG. 7.

236 INVENTOR mm r AT TORNE Y5 Nov. 5, 1968 J. J. FARRELL 3,409,241

WEB WINDING MACHINE WITH CUT-OFF Filed March 29, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 y'aa! INVENTOR BY M .\M.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3 409,241 WEB WINDING MACHINE WITH. CUT-OFF John J. Farrell, 40 Abby Lane, Green Brook, NJ. 08812 i Filed Mar. 29, 1967, Sci. N0. 626,758

15 Claims. (Cl. 24256) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure is of a winder having a turret with two or more cores on which a continuously supplied web is Wound and with provisions for cutting the web when the winding on one core is complete and transferring the winding of'the web to an empty core without interrupting the web feed downstream from a knife or shear that makes the cut. The winder has a shear with which is associated guiding means including a shroud for guiding the new end of a cut web around the circumference ofan empty core, and the guiding means is adjustable for cores of different diameter. Part of the cutting shear is moved out of the path along which a full core moves as the turret turns to shift the full core out of winding position and to bring an empty core into wind position.

7 Brief description of the invention This invention is an improved flying transfer winder. One object of the invention is to incorporate a shear into the winder and obtain faster and uninterrupted changeover from a fully wound core to a new and empty core.

The shear blade that is fixed during the shearing operation is carried on an arm by which the blade is moved out of the way during transfer of a full core away from winding positionand the substitution of an empty core at the winding station.

The movable shear blade deflects the new end of the cut web toward a baffie that serves as guide means for starting the wrapping of the new end of the web on an emptycore. The guide means are constructed so that a cushion of air eliminates friction of the web on the baffle. There is a decreasing clearance between the baflle and the core as the baflie extends around the core in the direction in which the core turns to wind, and this decreasing clearance guides the new end of the web into its initial contact with the empty core and holds the web against the core to start the wrapping on the empty core.

The guide means include also springs that hug the circumference of the core around a part of the circumference and these springs are movable out of the way when using a small core that does not require the extra length of the bafiles that the springs supply.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

Brief description of the drawings In the drawings, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views;

in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a greatly enlarged side elevation showing the shear assembly of the flying transfer apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a front view of the operating mechanism shown at the top of FIGURE 4 for swinging the arm and 3,409,241 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 blade of the shear out of the way full core from the winding position;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary, enlarged view showing the movable shear blade illustrated in FIGURES l and 4 and the operating mechanism for the shear blade;

FIGURE '7 is a greatly enlarged view of the shear and the web guide means as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, and illustrating the operation of the invention with cores of different diameter; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary, detailed sectional view on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7 and illustrating the means for adjusting the fixed blade of the shear.

FIGURE 9 is a rear view part of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 7 for latching the arm that carries one of the shear blades.

FIGURES 10 and 11 are sectional views on the lines 1010 and 1111 of FIGURES 1 and 10, respectively.

prior to transfer of a Detailed description 0/ the invention The apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 includes a winder 20 having a frame 22 which rests on a floor 24 or other underlying support. The opposite sides of the frame 22 are connected together by transversely extending connec- IOIS 26.

A portion of the frame 22. the left hand portion in FIGURE 1, has a track 30 of inverted V cross-section; and there is a carriage 32 which slides along the track 30. The carriage 32 has an inverted V groove 36 (FIG- URE 3) which fits the track 30 to prevent transverse movement of the carriage 32 on the track.

A cylinder and piston motor 40 is connected with a lug 42 extending inward from the frame 22. The motor 40 has a piston rod 44 connected by a pivot connection 46 to a lug 48 extending downward from the lower part of the carriage 32 between the rails 30. Thus the operation of the motor 40 moves the carriage 32 back and forth along the rails 30. In FIGURE 1, the carriage 32 is shown at the right hand limit of its movement, the piston rod 44 being fully extended.

' On the carriage 32 there are

rolls

51, 52 and 53. These rolls form a loop accumulator, The

rolls

51 and 52 have axles 54 which are at fixed positions on the carriage, and the roll 52 has an axle 56 carried in a bearing of a movable block 5 which is urged upwardly by a spring 60.

A web 62 of material to be wound passes under the

rolls

51 and 53 and over the roll 52. As tension on the web 62 increases, the spring 60 yields to permit the roll 51 to move downward and to reduce the length of the loop; and as tension on the web 62 slaekens, the spring 60 pushes the roll 51 upward to maintain the tension of the web 62.

On the carriage 32 there are

feed rolls

66 and 67. The roll 67 is below the web 62 and is driven by a pulley 69 through a belt 70 which is operated by a motor 72.

The upper roll 66 is carried by an arm 74 which swings about an axle 76. The arm 74 is moved angularly about the axle 76 to shift the roller 66 into and out of contact with the web 62 which passes between the

rolls

66 and 67.

There is a motor 78 for moving the arm 74. When the motor 78 is energized, it moves the roll 66 downward so that the roll 66 presses the web 62 against the roll 67 and produces friction for feeding the web 62. When the motor 78 is not energized, the web 66 passes across the roll 67 with little or no friction and the

rolls

66 and 67 do not feed the web.

The carriage 32 also supports a shear assembly including a movable blade 82 and a backing blade 84. This backing blade is the fixed blade of the shear assembly when shearing, but the backing blade is carried on an arm 86 which swings about a pivot 88 in response to operation of a motor 90 which is connected with the arm 86 by a bell crank 92.

The purpose of the arm 86 is to swing the backing blade 84 out of the way, for purposes which will be explained later, at certain times during the operation of the apparatus. The pivot 88 is supported by a cross beam 96 which extends between opposite sides of the frame ofthe carriage 32.

The construction of the Winder 20 is merely shown diagrammatically since the details of the construction form no part of the present invention. It is sutficient to understand that the winder has a circular turret arm 98 at each side of the winder. The circular turret arm 98 has gear teeth around its circumference which mesh with gearing 100 driven by a motor. This comprises the drive for the turret arms 98, the arms on both sides of the winder being driven in synchronism.

Each of the turret arms 98 rotates about an axle 102; and each of the turret arms support drive spindles 104 which have chucks for holding the opposite ends of cores 106 on which the web is wound. The spindles 104 are power driven but for purposes of clearer illustration this guide is shown diagrammatically as a motor 108 connected with each of the spindles 104.

The right hand core 106 in FIGURE 1 is shown fully wound with a spiral of the web 62 and the apparatus is shown in position ready to cut the web adjacent to the empty core 106 at the left hand side of the turret arm 98 preparatory to starting a wrap of web on the empty spindle 104 in a manner which will be described in connection with the other views. The full core 106 is removed from the spindles 104 and replaced with an empty core while the web is winding on the other core.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the loop accumulator shown in FIGURE 1, but without the web 62. There is a transverse column 112 below the roll 52 which constitutes part of the structure of the frame of the carriage 32.

FIGURE 3 shows two of the

rolls

52 and 53 and shows the motor 72. The principal purpose of this view, however, is to show the tracks 30 along which the carriage 32 slides to .move it toward and from the winder.

FIGURE 4 shows the shear assembly. This view also shows the end of the carriage 32 and shows a cut-out 116 which extends back behind the core 106 so as to provide clearance for the core. The pivot connection 88 is connected with the beam 96 by a bracket 118 fastened to the beam 96 by screws 120. The crank arm 92 is rigidly connected with the arm 86, either by being of one piece construction with it or by being keyed to the same pivot connection 88 as the arm 86. 9

Motor 90 has a piston rod 124 and a pivot connection 126 to the crank arm 92. The motor 90 is pivotally supported on a pivot connection 130 carried by a bracket 132 which is preferably welded to the cross beam 96. When the motor 90 is at one end of its stroke, the arm 86 occupies the full line position shown in FIGURE 4 and opposite ends of the arm 86 bottom against edges 130 of the frame 32. This puts the knife blade 84 in position for cooperation with the movable blade 82 to sever the web 62.

When the motor 90 operates to move the bell crank 92 counterclockwise, the pivot connection 126 moves downward into the dotted line position shown in FIG URE 4 andthe arm 86 moves up into the dotted line position to lift the knife 84 high enough to clear the core 106 when the carriage 32 moves away from the winder; that is, towards the left in FIGURE 4. A

The movable knife blade 82 is carried by brackets 132 which are connected with eccentric straps 134 surrounding eccentrics 136 on a drive shaft 140. The spacing of the eccentrics and-eccentric straps along the drive shaft 140 is shown in FIGURE 6. While only two eccentric straps are shown, it will be understood that there are a plurality of such straps at spaced points across the width of the knife 82 and the width of the knife depends upon the size of the machine and the maximum width of Web on which the machine is intended to be used.

The shaft has a pulley 142 secured to it and power is supplied to the pulley 142 from a motor 144 (FIGURE 4) carried by a plate 146 which hangs from a shaft 148 extending across a part of the carriage 32. The plate 148 is urged to swing clockwise by a spring 150 on a bolt 152 attached to a part of the carriage frame. The compression of this spring 150 maintains a tension in a belt 154 which connects a pulley 156 of the motor with the pulley 142 on the shaft 140 which drives the eccentrics 136.

In the preferred construction, the pulley 142 is connected with the shaft 140 through a single revolution clutch 160 (FIGURE 6). Such clutches are well known in the art and no description of the construction of the clutch is necessary for a complete understanding of this invention. Each time that the clutch 160 is engaged, preferably by timed operations of an air cylinder, the pulley 142 rotates the shaft 140 through one-half revolution and then the clutch disengages automatically. Thus the knife blade 82 moves upward to sever the web and remains there until the transfer cycle has been completed. The clutch is again engaged to return the blade to its original position, where it again stops.

In FIGURES 4 and 6 the knife blade 82 is shown in its uppermost position to illustrate the manner in which it cooperates with the other knife blade 84. It will be understood that in FIGURE 4 the web 62 has just been severed by upward movement of the blade 82.

At the forward end of the carriage 32 there is another roll 164 which is supported from the carriage by an axl 166 carried by brackets 168 on the front of the carriage 32. This roll 140 moves into contact with the web 62 and lifts the web as the carriage 32 advances toward the right in FIGURE 4 so that the web will extend across the top of the knife blade 82 when the knife blade is in retracted position preparatory to making a cut.

FIGURE 7 shOWs the arm 86 in more detail. In FIG- URE 4 the purpose of the illustration was to show the knife and the manner in which the arm 86 could swing counterclockwise to clear the core 106 so that the carriage could be withdrawn after a new end of a web had begun to wind on a new core. FIGURE 7 shows the baffles which are connected with the arm 86 for the purpose of guiding the new end of a severed web and for starting the wrapping of the web on an empty core.

A bafile 172 is connected with the arm 86 by a bracket 174 and pivot connection 175. An arm 178 is secured to the outside of the baffle 172 and this arm 178 has a pivot connection 180 with a piston rod 182 of a cylinder and piston motor 184.

The motor 184 is connected with the arm 86 by a swivel 186 and when the motor is operated to move the arm 178 between the full line and dotted line positions shown in FIGURE 7, the bafile 172 swings on its pivot connection 175 between the solid and dotted line positions shown. Thus when the baffle 172 is in the solid line position it is operative with the core 106 and when it is swung into the dotted line position it is in position for cooperation with a core 106 of smaller diameter.

The bafiie 172 is located so that it has a substantial clearance from the core 106 in the region of the pivot connection 175; but this clearance decreases progressively in the direction in which the core 106 turns when winding a web. When the clearance between the bafilc 172 and the core 106 has decreased to a desired minimum, the further length of the bafiie 172 is concentric with the circumference of the core 106, but it preferably does not touch the core or a web which is winding on the core. In order to prevent the baffle 172 from touching the core or web, and thus producing friction and possibly scratching the web, the battle 172, along the portion which is concentric with the core 106, has an air outlet 190 through which air under some compression is discharged toward the core to produce an air cushion between the bafiie 172 and the core 106 across the entire width of the battle 172 and around that portion of the circumference of the baffle 172 which would otherwise touch the core 106.

Beyond the endfof the portion of the baffle 172 which is concentric withthe core 106, there is a spring extension 192' which is curved to hug the circumference of the core 106 or the outside of a web which is winding on the core.v This spring 192 is flexible and has a low spring rate'so thatwhen the baffle 172 is used with the smaller diameter core 106, the spring 192 will still hug the core 106, or the web, for at least a portion of the circumference' of the core 106. The air discharge outlet 190 also moves into position to maintain a blanket of air between the baffie172 and the smaller arc of the baifle which would otherwise contact with the small diameter core 106". o

'There is another bafile 196 attached to the arm 86 by a bracket'198 and 'a pivo t connection 199. An extensiohflbracket 200 attached to the arm 86 projects to the left from the bracket 198 and supports a cylinder and piston motor 202 on a swivel 204 attached to the extension bracket 200. The motor 202 has a piston rod 208 connected with a lug 210 on the baffle 196. Operation of the'motor202 swings the bafile 198 about its pivot connection 199 to move the baffle 196 into different positions for the large core 106 or the small core 106'.

' The baffle 196, like the baffle 172, has an air discharge outlet 216in position to maintain an air blanket between the bafile 196 and the core 106 or 106'. In the case of both of the

baffles

172 and 196, the air supply passage for the'air outlets 216 and 190 pass along the length of the

baffles

196 and 172 and connects with a source of compressed air through a swivel joint at the

pivot connections

199 and 175. Such connections for supplying a' fluidfrom' a fixed location to a movable element are well understood in theart and no description of them is necessary for a complete understanding of this invention. The battle 196 has aflexible leaf spring 220 extending from its free end and this spring 220 is shaped to hug the core 106 but is not required when using the small core 106 because a Web, indicated by the reference character 62, when winding on the small core 106' is in position.to' overlap the end of the web which comes beyond the bafl le 196 as will be apparent from the geometry of FIGURE 7. Thus the spring 220 is turned back into an inoperative position when using the apparatus with the small core 106'. However, when the apparatus is being used to wrap a new end portion of a web, indicated by thereference character 62a on a large core such as the core 106, the spring220 is placed in the full line position for guiding 'the free end of the web until it is ready to be overlapped by the winding web 62a forming a second layer of wrap.

FIGURE 7 also shows the way in which the movable sheariblade 82 lifts the web 62 when it cuts it. As the new end of the web continues to advance, as the result of 'the feeding by the feed rolls 66 and 67 (FIGURE 4), the web passes across the sloping top face of the blade ,84 and along a similar sloping surface 226 which leads the ,new endof the web to the guiding surface provided by the baffle 72. FIGURE 8 shows the knife or shear blade 84 and the manner in which it can be adjusted to keep the entire edge in exactly the same position for cooperation with the movable blade 82. The blade 84 is connected with o the arm 86 by bolts 230 which extend through slots 232 in the blade 84.. When these bolts or screws 230 are loosened, the blade 86, or a portion of it can be thrust in one direction by screws 234 threaded through the downwardly extending portion of the arm 86. These screws 234 thread through part of the arm 36 and have their heads in counterbores 236 of the threaded holes into which the screws fit. There are other screws 238 which extend into the blade 84 and which are held against axial movements in the blade by snap rings 240. These screws 238 thread through nuts 242 at the back of the lower 6 part of the arm 86 and can be used for pulling a portion of the blade 84 back toward the base of the arm 86 which confronts the back of the blade 84. Thus by means of these

different screws

234 and 238, the 'blade 84 can be aligned with the movable blade to always ob-, tain a clean cut across the full width of the web.

FIGURE 9 is a view looking at the opposite side of the apparatus from FIGURE 7 and showing latching mechanism that is similar at both sides of the apparatus but which is broken away in FIGURES 4 and 7 in order to show other structures.

The movable blade 82 moves up and down through a guide 248 at the top of cross beams 250 that are part of the frame of the carriage 32. This guide is preferably adjustable by screws 253 in addition to the adjustment of the backing blade 84 already described.

During a shearing operation there are forcestrying to push the blade 84 away from the blade 82; and in order to hold the blades in working relation to one another there is a latch 254 at each side of the arm 86. These latches 254 engage behind stops 256 adjustably connected with opposite ends of one of the beams 250 by bolts 258.

Each latch 254 is located in a slot 259 in the lower part of the arm 86 which carries the knife blade 84; and the latch 254 is connected, to the arm 86 by a pivot connection 260. The latch is moved angularly about the pivot connection 260 by a toggle link 262. One end of the toggle link 262 is connected to the latch 254 by a pivot 264; and the other end of the toggle link is connected to the arm 86 by a pivot 266. A cylinder-andpiston motor 268, preferably an air cylinder, has its piston rod 290 connected to a center pivot 272 of the toggle link 262. When the piston rod 270 moves upward in FIGURE 9, the toggle link 262 moves th latch 254 from the solid line position to the dotted line position, and releases the latch 254 from the stop 256.

The stops 256 at opposite sides of the apparatus are adjusted to set the clearance between the

blades

82 and 84 after the initial setting of parallelism of blade 84 in relationship to blade 82 by the construction previously described in connection with FIGURE 8.

When the apparatus is operated, the arm 86 is lowered into transfer position and it overtravels the working position of the blade 84. This carries each latch 254 beyond its stop 256, to the right in FIGURE 9. The motor 268 is then operated to lower the latch 254. The motors 90 (FIG. 4) that lower the arm 86 are then reversed; and this pulls the latches at both sides of the frame 32 up against the stops 256 and holds them there during the cutting or shearing of the web.

FIGURES l0 and 11 show rollers 278 carried by axles 280 disposed at angularly spaced locations around the. frame 22 for taking axial thrust of the circular turret arm 98. There are other rollers 284 on axles 286 attached to the turret arm 98 and serving as roller bearings between confronting

cylindrical faces

290 and 292 of the frame 22 and turret arm 98, respectively. The construction is the same at both sides of the apparatus.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made and some features can be used in different combinations without departing .from the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

'1. The combination with a turret web winder that has holders for two cores on a turret which can be rotated to move a full core around to a rearward position while bringing an empty core to a forward position, the combination with said winder of a shear assembly having upper and lower parts between the opposite sides of the turret and over and under the empty core, an arm carried by the upper part of the assembly and movable with respect to the assembly downward behind the core and partway under the core from behind said core, a first shear blade, means for holding the first shear blade in a fixed position, a second and movable shear blade carried by the lower part of the shear assembly in a position beneath the core and adjacent to the fixed blade, means guiding a web across the top of the movable shear blade and under the fixed blade as the web travels to and winds upon the core at the rearward position in the turret, means for moving the movable shear blade with respect to the fixed blade to cut the web, and guide means that deflect the new end of the web around the empty core to start the web Wrapping on the empty core.

2. The combination described in claim 1 characterized by the movable shear blade moving on its cutting stroke in a direction to deflect the web toward the empty core, the guide means including a shroud extending around the empty core in spaced relation thereto, and means for rotating the empty core to wind the web thereon as the new end of the web is deflected around the emptycore by said shroud.

3. The combination described in claim 2 characterized by means for locking the fixed shear blade in position under the empty core, and a motor for operating the looking means.

4. The combination described in claim 3 characterized by an adjustable connection between the fixed shear blade and its support at a location between the locking means and the fixed shear blade for aligning the fixed shear blade with the movable shear blade, and an adjustable stop for determining the position at which the fixed shear blade stops with respect to the movable shear blade.

5. The combination described in claim 2, characterized by the shroud extending from close to the shear to a location around a substantial part of the circumference of the empty core, and a second shroud extending for substantially the remainder of the distance around the empty core to guide the new end of the web until it passes under an overlapping portion of the web as it wraps on the empty core.

6. The combination described in claim 1 characterized by the guide means that deflect the web around the empty core having surfaces that hold the web in contact with the core around at least a substantial portion of the circumference of the core, the guide means having baffle surfaces with air between the web and baffle surface for urging the web against the core without substantial friction of the web on the baffle surfaces.

7. The combination described in claim 1 characterized by the guide means being movable into different positions for use with cores of different diameters, means for moving the guide means between said different positions, the guide means being of composite construction and having portions that move relative to one another to shorten the guide means when moved into position for use on a core of smaller diameter.

8. The combination described in claim 7 characterized by the guide means having progressively less clearance from the core in the direction of rotation of the core, and the portions closest to the core being a spring that hugs the core.

9. The combination described in claim 8 characterized by a hinge connecting the spring to the rest of the guide, the spring being movable angularly about the hinge to shift the spring into an inoperative position when using the guide with a small diameter core.

10. The combination described in claim 1 characterized by the shear assembly including a carriage movable toward and from the turret, rear portions of the assembly that move into and out of position between opposite sides of the carriage, the arm that is carried by the upper part of the shear assembly being pivotally connected thereto and movable downward behind the core and partway under the core when the carriage is in position to locate the rear portions of said assembly between opposite sides of the turret, and power-operated latch means for bolding the arm and said second shear blade in operative position with respect to the first shear blade during a shearing operation, v V v 11. The combination described in claim 10,character ized by a roller carried by the carriage and extending across the lower side of the web when the web is winding on a rearward core of the turret, said roller being in a definite position with respect to the shearblades for lifting the web into a shearing position as the carriage moves toward the turret. v I

12. Guide means for deflecting theendportion of .a web around a core at the start of a winding operation including a frame with portionsr'located on different sides of the core, a first baffie having a-curved guide surface extending partway around the circumference of the, core, said surface being progressively closer to the core as it extends in the direction in which the core turns to Wrap a web thereon, a pivot connection at the end of the battle that is furthest from the core surface, a spring at the other end of the baffle curved to hug a core of a given diameter, a second baffle having a curved guide surface extending around at least a part of the remainder of the circumference of the core, a pivot connection by which the second baffle is connected with the frame, and means for swinging both of the baffles on their pivot connections to move their ends that are remote from the vpivots inward for use with cores of smaller diameter.

13. The combination described in claim 12 characterized by the spring portion of the first baffle extending into contact with the guide surface of the second bafile, and the pivot connection of the first bafi'le being correlated with the location of the guide surface of the second bafiie to cause the spring of the first bafile to move progressively further along the second baffie in acircumferential direction away from the first bafile and radially inwa-rd as the bafiles are adjusted for cores of smaller diameter.

14. The combination described in claim 12 characterized by the second baffle having its guide surface progressively closer to the core in a direction away from the pivot connection of the second bafile with the frame, and the spring length on the first bafile being correlated with the second 'bafile so that the spring'isbent to progressively smaller radii of circumference and held in substantial contact with the circumference of cores of smaller diameter when the bafiles are moved about their pivot connections to adjust them for cores of smaller diameter.

15. The combination described in claim 13 characterized by an arcuate spring on the' end of the second bafile remote from the pivot connection and extending the guiding surface of the second baffle around most of the remaining circumference of the core not covered by the first baffie, a hinge connecting the spring on the second baffle to the other part of the second baffie and about which the spring of the second bafile swings away from the core and out of guiding position when the bafiles are adjusted for "a core of smaller diameter and a circumference thatdoes not require the extended length of the second baffle provided by its spring.

References Cited 'UNITED STATES CPATENTS LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Primary Examiner.