PAPER FEED CONTROL SYSTEM

REGULATEUR D'AVANCE DE PAPIER EN FEUILLE

English Abstract

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ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The actuation of a machine stop mechanism or
reel splice mechanism in response to a predetermined low
reel diameter of a reel of material feeding a web thereof
to a machine is achieved by electronically counting
electrical pulses corresponding in frequency to the machine
speed and reel rotational speed, utilizing the reset
signal of the machine speed counter to reset the reel speed
counter until the reel speed corresponds to the predeter-
mined minimum diameter thereof, and thereupon generating
an output signal from the second counter as the actuation
signal. The control mechanism is reliable and inexpensive,
requiring only readily-available electronic hardware.

Claims

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The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A method of generating an electrical pulse for
actuation of a stop or splice mechanism for a machine
receiving a web of material from a reel of the same, which
comprises
establishing a first series of electrical pulses
corresponding in frequency to the speed of the machine,
electronically counting said first series of pulses
on first electronic counter means in successive predetermined
numbers thereof,
establishing an output signal from said first
counter means when each predetermined number of pulses has
been counted,
establishing a second series of electrical pulses
corresponding in frequency to the rotational speed of the
reel and hence to the diameter of the material on the reel,
establishing a predetermined minimum diameter of
said material on the reel corresponding to a predetermined
pulse frequency and at which said actuation pulse is to be
generated,
applying said output signal from said first
counter means to a second electronic counter means as a
reset signal thereto,
electronically counting said second series of
pulses on said second counter means for successively
increasing numbers of said pulses as the frequency thereof
increases with decreasing material diameter prior to the
application of said reset signal thereto, and
generating an output signal from said second
counter means as said actuation pulse when the number of
pulses counted on said second counter means achieves a
predetermined number corresponding to the predetermined
frequency and prior to the application of said reset
signal thereto.
2. The method of claim 1 including at least one
additional reel of material feeding a web of the same to
said machine and generating an independent electrical pulse
for actuation of a stop or splice mechanism for each said

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additional reel by:
establishing a third series of electrical pulses
corresponding in frequency to the rotational speed of the
additional reel,
establishing a predetermined minimum diameter of
said material on the additional reel corresponding to a
further predetermined pulse frequency and at which said
independent actuation pulse is to be generated,
applying said output signal from said first
counter means to third electronic counter means as a reset
signal thereto,
electronically counting said third series of
pulses on said third counter means for successively
increasing numbers of said pulses as the frequency thereof
increases with decreasing material diameter prior to the'
application of said reset signal thereto, and
generating an output signal for said third
counter means as said independent actuation pulse when the
number of pulses counted on said third counter means
achieves a predetermined number corresponding to the
further predetermined frequency and prior to the application
of said reset signal thereto.
3. In a cigarette-making machine wherein a tobacco
rod is wrapped in a web of paper to form a continuous
cigarette rod from which individual cigarettes are cut, said
web of paper is fed from a reel thereof to said machine;
and a control mechanism is provided to determine a
predetermined low diameter of paper on said reel for
actuation of a machine stop mechanism or a reel splice
mechanism, the improvement wherein said control mechanism
comprises:
first speed sensing means for generating a first
series of electrical pulses corresponding in frequency to
the speed of said machine,
first electronic counter means for electronically
counting said first series of pulses in successive
predetermined numbers thereof and for establishing an
output signal when each predetermined number has been
counted,

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second speed sensing means for generating a second
series of electrical pulses corresponding in frequency to
the rotational speed of the reel of material, and
second electronic counter means for receiving said
output signal as a reset signal thereto, for electronically
counting said second series of pulses in successively
increasing numbers of said pulses as the frequency thereof
increases with decreasing material diameter prior -to
application of said reset signal thereto, and for generating
an output signal as the actuation pulse for said machine
stop mechanism for reel splice mechanism when the number
of pulses counted on said second counter means achieves a
predetermined number corresponding to a predetermined
pulse frequency corresponding to a desired minimum material
diameter on the reel.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 including an additional
reel of cork tip paper also feeding said cigarette-making
machine for providing cork tipping to said cigarettes, and
wherein said control mechanism further comprises:
third speed sensing means for generating a third
series of electrical pulses corresponding in frequency to the
rotational speed of the additional reel of material, and
third electronic counting means for receiving said
output signal of said first counting means as a reset
signal thereto, for electronically counting said third
series of pulses in successively increasing numbers of said
pulses as the frequency thereof increases with decreasing
material diameter prior to application of said reset signal
thereto, and for generating an output signal as the
independent actuation pulse for said machine stop mechanism
or reel splice mechanism when the number of pulses counted
on said third counter means achieves a predetermined number
corresponding to a predetermined pulse frequency correspon-
ding to a desired minimum material diameter on the additional
reel.

Description

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~: : TITLE OF INVENTION
, .
PAPER FæED CO~TROL S~STEM
: FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a paper feed
control system, particularly useful in the manufacture of
cigarettes.
~: BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
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In the manufacture of cigarettes, a rod or braid of
tobacco particles is formed and wrapped in a paper web to
form a continuous cigarette rod which is cut into individual
cigarette lengths. The paper web is continuously fed at a
constant speed from a reel of the paper. At the present
time, in order to detect a low level of reel paper, a
mechanical system is used in which a pivoted arm engages
the reel and is positioned to actuate a shut-off switch when
a predetermined reel diameter is reached. The latter system
has been found to be unreliable, leading to wide error
margins.
I SUMM~RY OF INVENTION
The present invention provides a reliable yet
simple procedure for determining when the diameter of the
paper reel has reached a predetermined diameter. The
invention utilizes electrical signals generated by the
machine being fed and by the reel combined with counters
in a unique way to generate a signal when the predetermined
diameter is reached.
In accordance with the present invention, there is
- provided a method of generating an electrical pulse for
actuation of a stop or splice mechanism for a machine
receiving a web of material from a reel thereof when a
predetermined diameter of the reel is reached. The method
includes the establishment of a first serie~ of electrical
pulses corresponding in frequency to the running speed of
the machine, the electronic counting of the first series of
' 35 pulses on first electronic counter means in successive
predetermined numbers of pulses, and the establishment of
an output signal from the ~irst counter means when each
; predetermined number of pulses has ~een counted.
;''!; A second series of electrical pulses is established
~ 40 corresponding in frequency to the rotational speed of the
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reel and hence to the diameter of the material ~n the reel
-1 and a predetermined minimum diameter of the material on the
` reel is established corresponding to a predetermined pulse
frequency and at which the actuation pulse is to be
; 5 generated.
The output signal from the first counter means is
applied to second electronic counter means as a reset signal
thereto. The second series of pulses is electronically
counted on the second counter means for successively increa-
; 10 sing numbers of the pulses as the frequency thereof
increases with decreasing material diameter prior to the
application of the reset signal thereto.
An output signal from the second counter means isgenerated as the actuation pulse for the stop or splice
mechanism when the number of pulses counted on the second
counter means achieves a predetermined num~er corresponding
to the predetermined pulse frequency of the minimum diameter
of material and prior to application of the reset signal
thereto.
BRIEF D~SCRIPTION OF DRAWING
The sole Figure of the drawing is a schematic
bloc~ diagram of an electronic pre~erred embodiment of
the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED ~MBODIMENT
. . _ . . . _ _ . . . _ _
A control mechanism 10 is illustrated in the
drawing, suitable for use to control the actuation of a
machine stop mechanism in response to a predetermined
diameter of one or the other of two reels of material
feedin~ webs to the machine. The mechanism 10 was
particularly designed for a cigarette-making machine wherein
separate webs of cigarette wrap~ing paper and cor~-tipping
paper are fed from reels thereof to the cigarette-making
machine and it is necessary to determine when either reel
is almost empty of paper, so that a new full reel can be
substituted.
; The invention, however, is broad enough to
encompass the control of the end stop diameter of a single
reel of material feeding a web thereof to a machine of any
convenient type and is versatile enough to encompass the
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control o the end stop diameter of any of a plurality of
reels of materials feeding separate webs thereof to a machine
of any convenient type.
The mechanism 10 includes a first electronic
counter 12 which continuously receives a machine speed
signal 14 in the form of a series of electrical pulses
corresponding in frequency to the running speed of the
cigarette-making machine. Such electrical pulses may be
generated in any desired known manner. While the cigarette-
making machine usually runs at a substantially constantspeed, so that pulse frequency is substantially constant,
it will be apparent from the succeeding description that the
mechanism 10 operates independently of machine speed.
The electronic counter 12 counts a predetermined
; 15 number of the pulses whereupon a reset signal 16 is gener-
ated which resets the counter 12 to count the next
predetermined number of pulses. This counting and reset
procedure is repeated for as long as the cigarette-making
machine runs.
2~ A second electronic counter 18 continuously
: receives a first reel speed signal 20 in the form of a
series of electricàl pulses corresponding in frequency to
the speed of rotation of the first reel feeding the machine.
Such electrical pulses may be generated in any desired known
manner.
As the diameter of the first reel of material
decreases, the rotative speed of the reel increases, so
that the frequency of the pulses increases as the reel
diameter decreases. A maximum pulse frequency is predeter-
3a mined corresponding to the diameter of the first reel at
; which machine stop or splicing is desired to be effected.
The second counter 18 is also in communicationwith the reset signal 16 of the first counter 12 for reset
of the second counter 18 when the first counter 12 also is
reset. The number of signals counted by *he second counter
18 prior to reset thereof increases as the frequency increa-
ses with decreased reel diamter.
The second counter 18 produces an output control
signal 22 to actuate a machine stop mechanism, or a splicing
.
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mechanism when the maximum pulse frequency corresponding to
the desired minimum reel diameter is counted prior to actu-
ation of reset thereof by the reset signal 16 of the first
counter 12.
A third electronic counter 24 receives a second
reel speed signal 26 from a second reel of material feeding
; a web thereof to the machine and also the reset signal 16
of the first counter 12. The third electronic counter 24
operates in identical manner to the second counter and
generates an output control signal 28 for a machine stop
mechanism or splice mechanism when the second reel reaches
a predetermined minimum diameter.
The control mechanism 20, therefore, monitors
machine and reel speeds and function independent of
lS variations of the machine speed, since production of the
control signal results from a comparison of relative speeds
of machine and material reel by counters.
The electronic elements used in the mechanism, i.e.,
; speed sensors and counters, are conventional readily-
available electronic hardware and hence the mechanism 10,
as well as being reliable, is simple and inexpensive.
SUMMARY OF DISCLOSUR_ . -
In summary of this disclosure, the present
invention is directed to a paper feed control mechanism
which is simple, reliable and inexpensive and overcomes
prior art problems. Modifications are possible within the
scope o~ the irvention.
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