US3568944A

US3568944A - Winding machine

Info

Publication number: US3568944A
Application number: US798712A
Authority: US
Inventors: Orrin H Besserdich
Original assignee: FMC Corp
Current assignee: FMC Corp
Priority date: 1969-02-12
Filing date: 1969-02-12
Publication date: 1971-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-09
Also published as: CA926841A

Abstract

A winding machine, of the vertical type having double winding drums and a spindle cradled between the winding drums to frictionally drive a web onto the spindle, is provided with an automatically operated power lift mechanism on the spindle. As the roll accumulates on the spindle and its weight increases, the lift mechanism offsets a predetermined part of the weight of the roll so that it maintains a condition of optimum pressure on the web being fed between the winding drums and the roll. The same lift mechanism lifts the finished roll off the winding drums to unwind part of the web from the roll so that the web can be conveniently severed above the drums, thus leaving ample web to start a new roll. When the machine is in operation, an automatic guard shields the nip between the roll and the winding drum which is exposed to the operator.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Orrin H. Besserdich Green Bay, Wis. 798,712

Feb. 12, 1969 Mar. 9, 1971 FMC Corporation San Jose, Calif.

WINDING MACHINE 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

u.s. Cl... Int. Cl Field of Search References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1963 Patterson, Jr. et al.

3,282,526 11/1966 Daly 3,306,547 2/1967 Reidetal Primary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian AttorneysF. W. Anderson and C. E. Tripp mechanism lifts the finished roll off the winding drums to unwind part of the web from the roll so that the web can be conveniently severed above the drums, thus leaving ample web to start a new roll. When the machine is in operation, an automatic guard shields the nip between the roll and the winding drum which is exposed to the operator.

PATENTEDMAR 9197: 3568,5144

sum 1 BF 4 INVENTOR. ORRI N H. BESSERDIOH ATTORNEYS PATENIED MAR 91971 SHEET 2 BF Q PATENTED HAR 9 |97| SHEET BF 4 wmnmc MACI-HNE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION u The present invention concerns winding machines, and more particularly to drum winders for paper and the like. In the prior art, a vertical winding machine with double winding drums is usually provided with devices which are intended to control tension and frictional driving contact on the web. This type of control is particularly important in the rewinding of sanitary tissue paper into large diameter, uniform density mill rolls, because the end product must be as large and soft as possible. Thus, the mill roll winding operation must not tension or compact the fibers in the web such that successive winding and other operations cannot attain the desired product. While all of the factors which affect the web quality are known problems in the prior art, the practical, structural solution of the problems are often relatedto the cost and complexity of the winding machines, especially if the machines are fully adjustable for handling a variety of different paper stocks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A power mechanism and control circuit provide a continuously and automatically variable force lifting a part of the weight of a mill roll being wound on the core shaft to maintain optimum pressure on the incoming web traveling between the mill roll and a winding drum supporting the roll. Another aspect of the invention is that the power mechanism unrolls a length of web from a finished roll so that the web can be severed from a convenient location and still leave ample free web to start the next roll. A further feature is an automatic nip guard when the machine is used in a winding operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side elevation of the winding machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the machine shown in FIG. 1. MG. 3 is a vertical section taken along lines 3-3 on FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the air control circuit. FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic operational views similar to FIG. l, and respectively illustrate the beginning of a new mill roll, and the removal of a completed mill roll.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The winding machine 10 FIGS. I and 2) may be coupled to various web feed means such as the discharge end portion 12 of a printing machine, not shown, which feeds a printed web W of tissue over a discharge roller 14. From the discharge roller M, the web W is fed into the winding machine 10 around idler rollers 16 and I8, and around driven

rollers

20 and 22 which are located between the idler rollers. Conventional and selectively operable air operated slitters 23, one of which is shown in FIG. 3, cooperate with the roller 22 to slice the web longitudinally when required. Fed upward over a driven winding drum 24 which coacts with a second driven winding drum 26, the web is initially secured to a paperboard core tube 28 mounted on a winding spindle 29 and cradled in the nip of the winding drums. Being thus driven by frictional engagement with the winding drums, a mill roll R is wound on the core tube 28 in a manner similar to other double winding drum vertical winding machines, such as the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat, No. 3,282,526. As later described in detail, the subject matter of the present invention includes automatically operable power mechanism which, after the roll R attains a predetermined diameter (and hence weight), continuously relieves part of the weight of the enlarging roll so as to maintain predetermined frictional engagement with the

winding drums

24 and 26, and to provide a predetermined compression of the fibers in the web being wound on the drum.

With more detailed reference to the structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the winding machine 10 includes laterally spaced

upright posts

30 and 32, and

similar posts

34 and 36 which are interconnected by horizontal upper and

lower frame members

38 and 40, and transverse beams 42. A power shaft 44 drives the winding machine 10 from whatever machine is used to deliver the web W. The power shaft is driven in timed relation with the web and powers a gear box 46.

From the gear box, power is transmitted by a cog belt and pulley unit 48 to a stub shaft 50. By means of a cog belt drive train 51 and a V-belt drive train 53, the shaft 50 rotates the driven

rollers

20 and 22. A gear 52 on the shaft 50 meshes with a larger gear 54 on a stub shaft 56. Also secured to the shaft 56 is a variable speed belt pulley 58 which drives the

winding drums

24 and 26. For this purpose, a variable speed belt transmission 60 is mounted on the shaft 61 of the winding drum 24, and a similar transmission unit 62 is mounted on the shaft 63 of the winding drum 26. A variable speed belt 64 is trained around the pulleys of the transmissions and the pulley 58, and each transmission is provided with a static handwheel 66 for adjusting the driiing speed of its associated winding drum shaft while the machine is in operation.

In the usual manner, the web is maintained under tension by running the winding drum 26 at a peripheral speed slightly faster than the speed of the incoming web W, and the winding drum 24 at a peripheral speed slightly faster than the drum 26. Since the output speeds of the transmissions are continuously variable, it is relatively easy for an experienced operator to precisely adjust the winding drum speeds to suit any of a number of different web materials and operating conditions. The transmissions function in a similar manner when the winding machine 10 is used for unwinding operations, as later mentioned.

Secured to the inside faces of the posts 30 and 32 (FIG. 2) are T-

shaped tracks

70 and 72 which are respectively engaged by vertically

slidable carriages

74 and 76. Each carriage supports the adjacent end portion of the winding spindle 29 that extends through the paperboard core tube 28 (FIG. 1) of the mill roll R. As previously indicated, a feature of the present invention is that the mill rollbeing wound on the winding spindle is upwardly biased to offset a part of the weight of the mill roll so that a predetermined nip pressure is maintained with the

winding drums

24 and 26.

This result is obtained bymeans including a pair of air cylinders 80, each of which is fixed to the frame structure of the winding machine 10, and has its piston rod 82 coupled to one of the

carriages

74 or 76. Each air cylinder is provided with an air inlet port at 84 which admits air under pressure to retract its piston rod while a mill roll R is being wound, and thereby lift the winding spindle 29. The control circuit for the air cylinders is later described, and governs the air pressure supplied to the cylinders so that the nip pressure between the mill roll and the winding drums is maintained within a narrow range.

Vertical motion of the carriages provides rotary motion of a control cam 86 (FIG. 1). Thus, the carriage 76 forms a link in a chain loop 88 which extends upward from the carriage over a sprocket 90, the chain' being trained around three guide sprockets 92 and returning to an attachment point on the lower side of the carriage 76. An identical chain loop and sprocket unit 94 at the other side of the machine is coupled to the carriage 74. The twochain loops are interconnected for simultaneous, uniform motion by mounting the two transversely aligned sprockets 92 nearest the gear box 46 on a common shaft 96. All of the other sprocket mounting shafts are stub shafts so as to permit vertical removal of the completed mill roll.

As best shown in FIG. 3, a gear 98 is secured to the shaft 96 and meshes with a gear I00. Gear 100 is mounted on a stub shaft controlled by a ratchet I02 and a pawl 104. The ratchet and pawl allow counterclockwise rotation of the gear 100, but must be released by actuation of a hand lever I06 foropposite rotation of the gear 100. Further, the gear 100 can be rotated counterclockwise by a handwheel 1661 which is mounted outside the adjacent frame member 420. It will be noted that rotation of the handwheel 168 will lift the

carriages

74 and 76, and

that the pawl and ratchet will elevationally retain the carriages when the handwheel is released.

The utility of the foregoing operation is to lift the winding spindle 29 to an accessible position in the starting of a new mill roll. Another important feature concerning the described carriage and handwheel arrangement, and later described, is that a small amount of torque applied to the handwheel 108 when-a mill roll has been completed energizes the air cylinders 80 to lift the mill roll free of the winding

drums

24 and 26. This results in an unwinding of the mill roll so that the web above the winding drums can be severed from a convenient location and still leave ample free web to start a new roll. In contrast to this, many prior art winding machines require severing the web below the winding drums an almost inaccessible location a nd then require briefly running the machine supplying the web in order to advance sufficient web for securing its free end to another core tube for a new roll.

With reference again to the control cam 86 (FIG. 1), the adjacent sprocket 90 has a common shaft with a gear train 110 which drives the cam. By this means, the rotative position of the control cam is a function of the elevational position of the winding spindle 29. Since the spindle position is directly related to the diameter of the mill roll R, the rotative position of the control cam 86 is thus proportionate to the weight of the mill roll. This concept is utilized to adjust the air pressure admitted to the air cylinder ports 84 so that the pressure on the web between the mill roll and the winding drums is limited to only a part of the weight of the mill roll, in the'present instance about 200 pounds for a tissue web intended for facial tissues and the like.

Rotation of the control cam 86 is translated into linear motion by a lever 112 which is pivoted to the frame member 38 at 114 and has a follower roller 116 on the edge of the cam. A cable 118, adjustable lengthwise by a turnbuckle 119, is secured to the other end of the lever 112 and to the actuator of a motion transmitter MT. The motion transmitter, one suitable type of which is Model 74 N manufactured by the Moore Products Co. of Spring House, Pennsylvania, is arranged to deliver a 3-15 p.s.i. output of air pressure according to the linear position of its actuator. This pressure, through other suitable control devices, alters the pressure of the air delivered to the air cylinders 80. Before describing the control circuit of FIG. 4, reference is made to the automatic nip guard structure illustrated in FIG. 3.

The winding machine (FIG. 3) can be used for reverse operation when it is required to rewind mill rolls. In this case certain gear train changes, not illustrated, are made which results in the winding drums rotating clockwise as shown in FIG. 3 while the input shaft 44 (FIG. 1) rotates the drive pulley 48 in its same clockwise direction. An inherent danger in reverse operation is that the nip at 120 between the mill roll R and the winding drum 24 tends to draw workers limbs or clothing inward. To guard against such hazards, a nip guard shield 122 is activated by the manual operation of an air valve, not shown, to project the piston rod of a double acting air cylinder 124. The air cylinder is mounted on the inside of the near frame member 40 and has a rack 126 secured to its piston rod. A cam follower roller 128 is mounted on the end of the rack, and when the air cylinder 124 is energized as described, the roller bears against the edge of a face cam 130. The rotative position of the cam 130 varies in direct ratio to the size of the mill roll. For moving the cam, the adjacent sprocket 92 which is rotated by the chain loop 88 rotates a gear 132 that meshes with a gear 134 on the same shaft as the cam. The cam 130 thus moves the rack 126 endwise as the mill roll is payed out. Rack 126, in turn, rotates an associated pinion 136 that is secured to a cross shaft 138.

At each end portion of the cross shaft, a chain and sprocket drive unit 1410 (FIG. 2) rotates the nip guard shield 122 so that its upper edge 142 (FIG. 3) closely follows the receding face of the mill roll R and prevents anything from entering the nip it guards. The hubs 143 (FIG. 2) of the sprockets which are attached to the shield 122 are provided with internal bearings,

not shown, so that rotation of the winding drum shaft 61 is independent of movement of the shield. When use of the nip guard is not required, air is directed to actuate the drive unit and thus the other inlet port of the air cylinder 124 to retract the nip guard shield and hold it in retracted position.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the essential elements of the automatic control circuit for controlling pressure on the web between the winding drums and the mill roll, either in the winding or unwinding modes. High pressure air (about 80 p.s.i.) is transmitted from a factory supply line 144 to an ON- OF valve 146. Valve 146 controls the admission of high pressure air, through a line M8, to the previously mentioned motion transmitter MT, and to an amplifying relay AR. A suitable relay is designated Model 66 BA6 of the aforementioned Moore Products Co. The pressure supplied through the line 148 is arranged to be modified in an output line 150 of the amplifying relay according to the pressure supplied to the relay through an input line 152. Output line 150 communicates with the inlet ports 84 of the air cylinders 80 through a needle valve 154 and an ON-OF valve 156. Valve 156 has a bleed port to atmosphere in its OFF position to exhaust any air trapped in the air cylinders 80; this allows the

carriages

74 and 76 to be lowered by gravity following the removal of a full mill roll R.

Air in the input line 152 of the amplifying relay AR is controlled by the motion transmitter MT and a biasing relay BR, a Moore Products Co. Model No. 681. Thus, the motion transmitter MT is connected to the biasing relay BR through a line 158 having a needle valve 160, the latter valve being bypassed by a line 162 from the motion transmitter. For adjusting the system, pressure gauges P1, P2 and P3 are installed in the lines 150,152 and 162.

The motion transmitter MT is internally adjustable to deliver an output pressure of 315 p.s.i. in the line 158 according to the linear position of its actuator as determined by the cable 118. This output signal is capable of being adjustably biased by the biasing relay BR from l4 p.s.i. to 22 p.s.i. The amplifying relay AR produces an output air pressure in the line 150 which is 6 times the input signal supplied through the line 152 by the biasing relay BR.

Adjustment of the air control circuit is of course determined by a number of factors, such as the diameter of the air cylinders 80, the weight of the mill roll at various diameters, the weight of the

carriages

74, 76 and the winding spindle 29, and so forth.

In the present instance, the following are the significant considerations. The cam 86 is provided with a profile based on a finished mill roll diameter of 60 inches and is arranged to begin moving the actuator of the motion transmitter MT when the mill roll is approximately 10 inches in diameter because at smaller diameters the combined weight of the roll, carriage and spindle does not exceed the desired pressure of 200 pounds on the web between the mill roll and the winding drums.

Next, the weight of a finished mill roll plus the carriage assembly minus the desired 200 pounds web pressure is determined. The air pressure in the air cylinders 80 to lift the last determined weight is then calculated. A similar calculation is made for a mill roll of 24 inches in diameter, to facilitate adjustment, as will be presently described. j

The valve 156 which controls air to the air cylinders 80 is turned off and the valve 146 is turned on to supply air to the system. By rotating the handwheel 108 (FIG. 3) the winding spindle 29 is elevated to a position equivalent to a 24 inch diameter mill roll. The ratchet and

pawl

102, 104 holds the spindle in position.

Tumbuckle 119 is then adjusted to obtain a reading of 5 p.s.i. on the gauge P3. The biasing relay BR is then adjusted to obtain on gauge P1 the previously calculated pressure for the air cylinders 80 to lift a 24 inch mill roll. The winding spindle 29 is then raised to a position corresponding to a 60 inch mill roll. As the spindle is raised to this position, the control cam 86 moves the actuator of the motion transmitter MT to increase the pressure in the line 150 and indicated on the gauge Pl. Thus, the gauge Pl should indicate the previously calculated pressure to lift a 60 inch mill roll when the winding spindle 29 is at that elevation. If the last'determined pressure is slightly off, the setting of an adjustment screw of the motion transmitter MT is changed until the pressure is correct, and the system is ready to automatically perfonn its function when the valve 156 is opened and the winding'machine is placed in operation. These functions, and the previously mentioned lifting of a finished mill roll to obtain clearance to sever the web above the winding

drums

24 and 26, are diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. I

' To summarize the operation above set forth, a new mill roll R (FIG. 5) is wound by frictional contact with the driven winding

drums

24 and 26. As the roll increases in size, the winding spindle 29 moves upward and moves the chain loop 88 clockwise because the

spindle carriages

74 and 76 are connected-in the loop. This turns the sprocket 90 clockwise, and the gear train 110 thus rotates the cam 86 counterclockwise so that its follower roller 116 moves away from the rotational axis of the cam.

Lever 112 is thereby pivoted in a direction pulling upward on the cable 118, and the actuator of the motion transmitter MT is moved a like amount. By means of the FIG. 4 control circuit, the motion transmitter increases the pressure of the air admitted to the ports 84 of the air cylinders 80 so that the pressure of the mill roll against the winding drums is maintained at a predetermined weight, suchas the 200 pound pressure used in the present example for tissue rolls.

It will be recalled that the handwheel 108 (FIG 6) can be rotated by hand, when the winding machine 10 is not operating, to elevationally adjust the winding spindle 29. This capability provides a'unique feature whenthe mill roll R is fully wound and ready'to be removed from the machine. With the winding drums at rest, the operatorbiases the handwheel in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 6. This tends to raise the winding spindle 29 and therefore relieves part of the weight of the mill roll R. Since the mill roll, in effect, weighs only 200 pounds, and the mechanical advantage of the geared handwheel easily provides a force which will lift that weight, a relatively small torque applied to the handwheel elevates the mill roll. In so doing, however, the cam 86 rotates and further adjusts the actuator of the motion transmitter MT. Thus, lifting power is immediately applied to the mill roll by the air cylinders 80, and continues to be applied while the handwheel is turned. By this means, the relatively heavy mill roll, carriage and spindle assembly is elevated with very little effort to the full stroke of the air cylinders 80. Meanwhile, the mill roll is free to turn so that a freely accessible web portion 170 is unwound from the roll and exposed .between the winding drum 24 and the mill roll. This web portion is cut, the mill roll is removed, and the web left exposed above the winding drums is secured to a new core tube to begin another roll.

It is believed apparent that the winding machine 10 has unique advantages over some presently used winding machines, one advantage being in the automatic nip pressure control which is achieved in a relatively simple and inexpensive manner. A further and correlated advantage is the provision of continuously variable belt-type transmissions to drive the winding drums at any selected speed, forward or reverse, relative to the speed of the incoming web. In addition, a very important operational advantage is the feature which facilitates rapid elevation of the mill roll for removal, and at the same time exposes a portion of the web for free access and cutting without jogging operation of the machine supplying the web.

present invention has been herein shown and described, it will be apparent that modification and variation may be made without departing from what is regarded to be the subject matter of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a web winder having a frame, a pair of closely interspaced driven windin drums mounted in said frame, a winding spindle supporte by said drums and continuously translatable in response to the diameter of the web roll wound thereon by pressure engagement with said winding drums, lifting means for supporting said winding; spindle while maintaining the axis of said winding spindle substantially parallel to the axes of said winding drums, control means responsive to the diameter of the web roll for regulating said lifting means to offset part of the nip pressure between said web and said winding drums, said spindle lifting means including power means governed by said control means operable to apply a lifting force to said spindle, said control means being arranged to proportionately increase the lifting force applied by said power means as the spindle is translated in response to the diameter change in the web roll, and manually operable means for lifting said spindle to facilitate removal of the web roll, said control means being actuated by the manual lifting of said spindle to apply a lifting force to the spindle in excess of the similar force manually applied and resulting in powered movement of the completed roll away from said winding drums.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said spindle is free to rotate in an unwinding direction, the unsevered and immobile unrolled web thus anchoring the completed roll so that the rolled web pays out an accessible web portion between the winding drums and the roll, said web portion when severed leaving ample exposed web to begin a new roll.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each winding drum is powered by a continuously variable belt transmission to facilitate adjustment of the tension in the web while the web is being wound on said spindle.

4. In a web winder including a pair of driven winding drums, a winding spindle cradled between said drums with a web rolled thereon in frictional contact with said drums, power assisted spindle supporting means, and control means connected in lifting relation to said spindle supporting means and responsive to the diameter of the web roll for adjusting said spindle supporting means to regulate the nip pressure of the web with said drums, the improvement comprising manually operable means connected in lifting relation to said spindle supporting means to facilitate removal of a full roll accumulated on said spindle, said control means being actuated by the manual moving of said spindle to energize said power-assisted spindle supporting means and apply a lifting force to the spindle in excess of the similar force manually applied, said latter force resulting in powered movement of the completed roll away from said winding drums.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 and a nip guard for shielding the nip between the roll and the winding drum which is exposed to an operator, said nip guard being angularly movable about the axis of the exposed one of said winding drums, and mechanical control means connected to said nip guard and responsive to the changing positions of said spindle for continuously angularly positioning said nip guard to shield the nip between the exposed winding drum and the roll, said control means including a cam rotatably positioned according to the diameter of the roll, a rack linearly positioned by said cam, and a pinion gear engaged with the rack and arranged to angularly position said nip guard.

Claims

1. In a web winder having a frame, a pair of closely interspaced driven winding drums mounted in said frame, a winding spindle supported by said drums and continuously translatable in response to the diameter of the web roll wound thereon by pressure engagement with said winding drums, lifting means for supporting said winding spindle while maintaining the axis of said winding spindle substantially parallel to the axes of said winding drums, control means responsive to the diameter of the web roll for regulating said lifting means to offset part of the nip pressure between said web and said winding drums, said spindle lifting means including power means governed by said control means operable to apply a lifting force to said spindle, said control means being arranged to proportionately increase the lifting force applied by said power means as the spindle is translated in response to the diameter change in the web roll, and manually operable means for lifting said spindle to facilitate removal of the web roll, said control means being actuated by the manual lifting of said spindle to apply a lifting force to the spindle in excess of the similar force manually applied and resulting in powered movement of the completed roll away from said winding drums.