United States Patent Inventors John E. Nordgr'en Fulton, N.Y.;
Hans Wirth, Milwaukee, Wk. 872,873
Oct. 31, 1969 Dec. 28, 1971 The Black Clavnon Company Hamilton, Ohio Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee WEI-WINDING APPARATUS 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.
Int.
Field of Search 242/56, 56 A, 64, 65, 67.1, 67.5, 755, 75.51, 75.53
[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,580,717 1/1952 Ballou 242/67.5 X 2,943,806 7/1960 Phelps 242/56 3,298,624 1/1967 Schott, .lr. 242/64 3,478,975 1 1/1969 Penrod 242/64 3,494,163 2/1970 Wight 242/7551 X Primary ExaminerStanley N. Gilreath Assistant Examiner- Werner H. Schroeder AttameyMarechal, Biebel, French 8: Bug;
ABSTRACT: Web-winding apparatus including a reel on which a roll being wound is contacted by a rider roll, and a potentiomer associated with the rider roll monitors the roll buildup and controls a DC-indexing motor to rotate the winding roll away from the rider roll to maintain substantially constant pressure between the rider roll and the winding roll. A control circuit controls the acceleration and deceleration of the indexing motor as the rolls are being changed to permit web tension to be maintained constant.
Patented Dec. 28, 1971 FIG-l INVENTORS JOHN E. NORDGREN &
HANS WIRTH WEB-WINDING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In conventional web-winding apparatus, a rotatable reel carrying two or more roll core spindles receives a web of paper or the like on one of the roll cores, with the spindle on which the core is mounted being driven to wind the web on the core. A rider roll is mounted in a position adjacent the reel and contacts the winding roll to assist in the winding process. An attempt is made to maintain a constant pressure between the rider roll and the winding roll by providing the rider roll with a limit switch which trips as the rider roll moves upwardly in response to an increase in diameter of the roll. Tripping of this limit switch causes an AC motor to be energized to move, or index, the reel so that the winding roll moves downwardly away from the rider roll. The downward movement resets the limit'switch on the rider roll and causes the indexing motor to stop. The rider'rollis then again moved upwardly by the buildup on the core until the limit switch is again tripped and the process is repeated. Thus the indexing movement is an inter- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A DC motor is used to index the reel and the roll cores carried thereby, and a potentiometer is used to sense any change in position of the rider roll in a direction generally normal to its axis. Since the potentiometer permits an essentially constant monitoring of the rider roll position and the DC motor provides a relatively slow speed, essentially constant indexing movement for the reel, changes in web tension and rider roll pressure are substantially diminished.
The DC motor also provides improved control over the indexing of the reel for purposes of roll change since the indexing speed can be controlled and the motor decelerated prior to the reel approaching the proper position.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved web-winding apparatus in which a DC motor is used to index a winding reel to maintain the web tension substantially constant throughout winding; and to provide an improved web-winding apparatus wherein the same DC motor is used for the purpose of roll change thus permitting positive positioning of the reel by controlling the speed at which the reel moves and decelerating the motor prior to the reel moving into final position.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view of web-winding apparatus incorporating the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a different position of some of the components; and
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship of the various components of the system to each other.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 the web-winding apparatus is shown as a base supporting the usual pair of end stands 11 on which is mounted the reel 12 comprising a main shaft 13 and a pair of reel arms 15, only the near end stand and reel arm being shown. The opposed ends of the reel arms 15 carry roll core spindles 17 or chucks adapted to receive removable roll cores, shown as a new core 18 and a core 19 on which the roll 20 is being wound.
The reel arms 15 carry separate motors 22 each having a belt or chain-driving connection 23 to one or the other of the spindles 17. The speeds of these motors are controlled by a conventional system in response to variations in the tension of the web W being wound. Such speed control system is shown diagrammatically as including a tension-sensing idler roll 25 and an associated force transducer mechanism 26 connected with the speed control 27 for the motors 22.
The reel 12 is rotated to carry the spindles 17 between winding and unloading positions by an indexing drive motor 30 having a driving connection 31 with the reel 12. In accordance with the invention, this motor 30 is a DC motor, and its control system 33 includes means for sensing the position of the outer circumference of the roll 20. In the embodiment shown herein, this sensing means includes a potentiometer 35 operated by a rider roll 40 which engages the upper surface of the winding roll throughout the winding operation.
As shown in FIG. 1, the rider roll 40 is carried by a pair of arms 41 secured to a pivot shaft 42 joumaled in supports 43 on a frame 44 mounted separately from the end stands 1] on the base 10. The arms 41 also carry an idler roll 45 at their outer ends which is wrapped by the web as it approaches the rider roll 40, and the web is guided to the idler roll 45 by a series of other rolls in including the tension-sensing roll 25 and two intermediate idler rolls 46 and 47.
The frame 44 also supports the enveloper and knife assembly, which comprises a pair of arms 50 pivoted at 51 in the frame 44 to swing between the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the web is to be cut from a fully wound roll and transferred to a new core which may be detennined visually or by any of the controls conventional in this art, the parts are moved to the position shown in FIG. 2 in which the new core 18 is engaged by the rider roll 40 through the web, and the roll 52 at the outer ends of the arms 50 lifts the web into enveloping relation with the core 18. With the parts in this position, the knife mechanism 55, which is pivoted on the axis of roll 52, is operated by the cylinder 56 to cut the web and to direct its cut leading end around the surface of the core 18 so that the web starts to wind thereon, essentially as shown in Marczincsin U.S. Pat. No. 2,787,427.
The movements of the rider roll 40 and its supporting arms 41 resulting from the increase in the diameter of the winding roll are utilized during the winding of each successive roll to control the operation of the indexing motor 30 through the potentiometer 35. The control shaft of the potentiometer 35 carries an operating wheel 60, which may be a sprocket or cog wheel capable of being driven by a chain 61 or timing belt. This chain or belt also loops a driving sprocket 62 or cogwheel which is fixed on the pivot shaft 42 or to one of the arms 41 so that it rotates in direct response to movement of the arms 41.
In the practice of the invention, the system is so adjusted that in a predetermined reference position of the arms 41 wherein the rider roll 40 is adapted to engage the surface of the winding roll 20, the indexing motor 30 would be stopped.
However, since the web is being would constantly on the roll 20, this roll will increase in diameter, and to maintain the rider roll 40 in the same position, the indexing motor 30 will run almost continuously at a low speed. If the roll increases in diameter faster than the indexing motor 30 moves the roll 20 downwardly, the rider roll 40 will then move upwardly, changing the position of the potentiometer to increase the speed of the indexing motor 30. Thus, any movement of the arms 41 will cause adjustment of the potentiometer 35, and the circuitry is such that this adjustment will cause the motor 30 to run in the direction to rotate the reel 12 counterclockwise at the proper speed as viewed in the drawing, and thereby to enabit: the rider roll to return toward its reference position.
The advantages of the invention are best understood by comparison with the conventional practice, wherein an AC motor is used as the indexing motor for the reel under the control of a limit switch operated by movement of the supporting mechanism for a rider roll, as shown, for example, in Phelps U.S. Pat. No. 2,943,806. With such a system, the indexing motor makes intermittent starts and stops, which necessarily produce changes in the length of the web approaching the winding reel. Even though such changes are not extensive, they must still be compensated for by the speed control for the spindle 17 on which the winding roll is being supported. Unless the timing of such changes and compensatory speed adjustments is precise, which is difficult to achieve in practice, the result will be differences in tension during winding which are sufficient to cause differences in hardness of the wound roll.
in contrast with the prior practice, the control system of the invention is such that relatively slight movement of the rider roll will cause the motor 30 to operate at correspondingly slow speed. In fact, the motor 30 is readily controlled to run virtually constantly at such slow speed that the tension on the web is maintained essentially constant, and any changes in web tension which occur do so slowly enough that the drive motor 22 for the winding roll has adequate opportunity to adjust its speed accordingly.
The system of the invention also provides significant advantages during the indexing of the reel for purposes of roll change. During this interval, control of the indexing motor is taken over by the roll change control 65, the cycle of which may be initiated manually or automatically when the proper amount of web has been wound. The control 65 causes the' rider roll arms 41 to be lifted, by fluid pressure cylinders 66, to the dotted position in PK]. 1 wherein clearance is provided for the new core 18 to be moved into roll start position by rotation of the reel through approximately 180. The control 65 causes the indexing movement of the reel to be accomplished by controlled acceleration of the motor 30, followed by similarly controlled deceleration as the reel approaches the proper position for roll change. This controlled movement of the reel allows the winding motors 22 to compensate continuously for changes in web length caused by indexing and thus the tension of the web is maintained substantially constant.
Since a DC motor is used for indexing the rolls, more precise control over the indexing position of the reel can be obtained since the speed of the motor can be varied over wide ranges. In those devices where AC motors were used to index the rolls, power to the motor is disconnected prior to the roll reaching its final position, and with the roll being allowed to move into its final position by inertia. With a DC motor, however, the rolls can be moved at high speed during most of the indexing movement, and just prior to reaching its final position, the motor will be slowed so that the roll will be positioned accurately without relying on inertia to being it into position.
When the reel has moved the new core 18 into the proper roll start position shown in FIG. 2, the control 65 causes the arms 41 to return to their reference position wherein the rider roll presses the web against the core, and it then causes operation of the arms 50 and the knife mechanism 55 to complete the transfer of the web to the new core. Thereafter the control 65 causes the arms 50 to return to their normal retracted position shown in FIG. 1, and the winding then proceeds as described under the control of the position sensing potentiometer 35.
While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.
What is claimed is:
1. Continuous web-winding apparatus comprising a reel supported for rotation about a central axis;
means in said reel for rotatably supporting a plurality of roll cores;
means for rotating said roll cores at a controlled rate to provide a substantially constant magnitude of tension of the web;
means for selectively rotating said cores to wind a web thereon;
drive means for rotating said reel to carry each of said cores to and from a winding position, said drive means including an electric motor, the speed of which can be controlled; and circuit means for controlling the speed of said drive means when in a winding position in such manner that the reel is rotated substantially continuously at a controlled speed such that tension of the web being wound on said cores is maintained at a substantially constant magnitude. 2. Web-winding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said circuit means includes means for sensing the location of the outer circumference of the web being wound on one of said cores with respect to a predetermined reference location; and
means responsive to said sensing means for controlling the speed of said drive means so that said reel is rotated to move said roll to maintain the circumference of the web substantially at said reference location throughout winding thereof.
3. Web-winding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a DC motor.
4. Web-winding apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensing means includes rider means positioned adjacent said winding position for engagement with the surface of a roll winding on the adjacent said core;
means mounting said rider means for movement with respect to said roll surface; and
means for continuously sensing the position of said rider means and providing an output to control the speed of said drive means.
5. Web-winding apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said mounting means for said rider means includes a pivotal mounting, and said sensing means is connected with said pivotal mounting for continuous sensing of the movement of said mounting and rider means.
6. Web-winding apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said drive means includes a DC motor and said responsive means comprises a potentiometer connected to regulate the speed of said motor, and means forming an adjusting connection between said potentiometer and said mounting means for said rider means.
7. Web-winding apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said mounting means for said rider means includes an arm having a pivotal mounting, said drive mans includes a DC motor, and said responsive means comprises a potentiometer connected to regulate the speed of said motor, and means forming a direct driving connection between said mounting means and said potentiometer for adjusting said potentiometer in accordance with movements of said rider means.
8. Web-winding apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said last-named means comprises a belt or chain drive including a driving wheel mounted for pivotal movement with said arm, a driven wheel connected to effect adjustment of said potentiometer, and a belt or chain forming the driving connection between said wheels.
9. Continuous web-winding apparatus comprising a reel supported for rotation about a central axis;
means in said reel for rotatably supporting a plurality of roll cores;
means for selectively rotating said cores to wind a web thereon;
drive means for rotating said reel to carry each of said cores to and from a winding position, said drive means including an electric motor, the speed of which can be controlled;
means sensing the location of the web wound on said cores with respect to a predetermined reference location; and
means responsive to said sensing means for controlling the speed at which said drive means continuously rotates said reel when in a winding position thereby to maintain the circumference thereof substantially at said reference location throughout winding.