Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a method and
apparatus for restoring cores, and more particularly,
cores utilized for accommodating a roll of paper.
Newsprint and other paper used for printing
is generally shipped from the paper mill in large
rolls. When the rolls are made up at the paper mill,
they are wound on a tubular core. Typically the cores
are made of liner board and are usually provided with
metal caps of the type described in U. S. Patent
5,271,258, issued December 21, 1993 to Bernier et al.
In the press room or other printing plant,
the roll is mounted on an unwind apparatus with the
core of the roll journaled on mandrels. Once the web
of paper has been unwound from the core, the core is
generally discarded or returned to a paper mill to be
recycled as waste fiber. The core caps are first
removed and restored for further use or sold for scrap.
The paper rolls are wound and unwound at
high speeds and are, therefore, susceptible to
misalignment while being wound, resulting in improper
registry on the printing press, requiring constant
alignment correction. A slight inconsistency in the
outer diameter of 0.25 inches will cause the paper web,
when being wound, to move away from the end of the core
that includes the portion with the larger diameter. It
is important, therefore, that the outer diameter be
constant and retain its circular cylindrical configura-
tion. Likewise, the inner diameter must not vary so
that the axis of rotation is at the true center of the
core and thus the roll of paper. Any out-of-center
rotation will cause similar winding and unwinding
problems.
Thus, it has not been contemplated to reuse
a winding core once it has been utilized once other
than to cut the core down to a smaller size. It has
been found that after a single use, the winding core
has been somewhat damaged. Even though such damage may
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appear negligible, the distortions in the outer
diameter or center of rotation are usually
unacceptable. Thus, the practice in industry is to
discard the winding cores once a roll of paper web has
been unwound therefrom. The discarded single use
winding core is then returned to the paper mill as
scrap liner board to be recycled as paper fiber.
It is an aim of the present invention to
reclaim discarded winding cores and to restore such
cores to acceptable standards such that the restored
winding core can be reused as a winding core.
It is a further aim of the present invention
to provide a method for restoring winding cores.
It is a further aim of the present invention
to provide an apparatus to economically restore such
discarded winding cores.
It is a still further aim of the present
invention to provide an improved winding core with
superior dimensional parameters compared to
conventional winding cores.
A method in accordance with the present
invention comprises the steps of collecting used
winding cores, passing each core through a station for
trimming the ends of each core, passing each core
through a coning station for centering the core in
relation to its outer diameter, grinding the outer
surface of each core to a constant diameter equivalent
to an outer diameter standard less the thickness of a
finishing web of fiber material, providing a finishing
web of fiber material with a length corresponding to
the length of the winding core being restored and
having a width equal to the circumference of the core
being restored, and wrapping the finishing web of paper
about the core being restored.
In a more specific embodiment of the present
invention, the method includes the steps of
recuperating used cores, selecting the winding cores by
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grade and length, passing each core through a core tip
puller station for removing the steel tips from the
ends of the cores, trimming the ends of the cores to
remove crimping portions thereof, passing each core
through a coning station for centering the cores in
relation to their outer diameter, forming a female
joint socket at one end thereof and a complementary
male joint socket at the other end thereof, joining the
cores end to end with adhesive to form an elongated
multiple-length core master, grinding the outer surface
of the core master to a constant diameter equivalent to
a predetermined outer diameter standard less the
thickness of a finishing web of paper, providing an
elongated web of finishing material equivalent to the
length of the multi-length core master, and wrapping
the web about the core with adhesive so as to provide a
constant outer diameter equivalent to the predetermined
standard, and then cutting the multi-length core master
to desired core lengths.
An apparatus in accordance with the present
invention comprises a cutting table for trimming the
ends of each winding core wherein saw means are
provided for cutting off the ends of each core in order
to remove any crimping marks, a coning station
downstream of said cutting table wherein coning means
are provided for centering the individual cores in
relation to their outer diameters, grinding means for
grinding the outer surface of the core to a
predetermined constant diameter, and means for wrapping
a finishing web of paper on the ground surface of the
core, including a table for laying an elongated web of
finishing paper having a length corresponding to the
length of the core and a width corresponding to the
circumference of the core, and means for wrapping the
finishing web of paper on the core with adhesive.
An apparatus in accordance with a more
specific embodiment of the present invention comprises
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a cutting table having a pair of spaced-apart cutting
saws whereby the distance between the cutting saws can
be adjusted to the equivalent of the length of the core
being trimmed less the accumulated length of the
portions of the ends to be trimmed, a coning station
including a pair of spaced-apart heads each adapted to
engage opposite ends of a trimmed core for the purpose
of forming complementary female and male joints on the
opposite ends of the core, means downstream of the
coning station for joining the cores end to end to form
a master core of a predetermined length representing
multiple cores, a grinding station being arranged
downstream thereof and including feeding means for
feeding the so-formed master core by a rotating
grinding wheel for grinding the core to a predetermined
constant outer diameter, and the means for wrapping a
finishing web of paper including a skiver for skiving
the longitudinal edges of the web of finishing paper,
means for applying glue to one surface of the web to be
in contact with the core, the web wrapping station
including a table, a web feeder for feeding a
predetermined length of web onto the table from a
continuous roll, means for picking up and laying the
core master on the web, means for wrapping the length
of web about the circumference of the core master with
the skived edges overlapping, and means for cutting the
core master into predetermined core lengths.
In another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an apparatus for wrapping a layer of
material about a cylinder including an elongated frame,
a material web feeding means at one end of the frame
for feeding a predetermined length of web of material
horizontally and longitudinally of the frame, the web
having a width equal to the circumference of the
cylinder, glue means for applying adhesive to the web,
means for picking up and positioning a cylinder over
the web of material on the elongated frame so that the
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axis of the cylinder is parallel to the longitudinal
axis of the web of material, means for bringing the web
of material and the cylinder into contact such that the
adhesive will engage the surface of the cylinder, and
means for rotating the cylinder so that the web of
material is wrapped completely about the cylinder.
A winding core for transporting a web of
paper in accordance with another aspect of the present
invention comprises a circular cylindrical tube having
ends and a predetermined circumference, the tube having
a first spiral fiber board substrate and a web of fiber
board material having a length equal to the length of
the tube and a width corresponding to the circumference
of the tube, the web of material having skived
longitudinal edges, wherein the web of material is
wrapped about the tube and forming a longitudinal seam
made up of the longitudinal skived edges of the web
that have been overlapped.
Having thus generally described the nature
of the invention, reference will now be made to the
accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration,
a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a series
of stations for partially restoring a winding core;
Fig. 2 is a top elevation of the apparatus
shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a top elevation of a station shown
in Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a further
station shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the station
shown in Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top elevation of a
further station in the restoring of the winding core
which would be downstream of the apparatus shown in
Figs. 1 and 2;
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Fig. 7 is an elevation of the station shown
in Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a further
station utilized in the restoring of the winding cores
downstream of the station shown in Figs. 6 and 7;
Fig. 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of the
station shown in Fig. 8;
Fig. 10 is a top elevation of a further
station associated with the station shown in Figs. 8
and 9;
Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of
a detail of the station shown in Fig. 10;
Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a
detail of the station shown in Fig. 8;
Fig. 13 is a transverse cross-section of the
station shown in Fig. 8 and taken along line 13-13 of
Fig. 8;
Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary
elevation, partly in cross-section, of a detail of the
station shown in Fig. 8; and
Fig. 15 is a block diagram showing the steps
in accordance with the method of the present invention.
Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is
shown a core preparation table 10 having an inlet table
22 on which previously used or discarded cores C can be
stored after they have been sorted according to grade
and length.
For instance, the winding core C, which is
normally made of a fiber board material, can come in
different crush resistant categories, such as 400 lbs.,
500 lbs., or 750 lbs. Eighty per cent of the winding
cores are in a range of 55 inches, but this might vary.
Most cores will have metal end caps at each end of the
core C. Thus, a preselected batch of discarded used
cores C are located on table 22 upstream of metal tip
puller station 12.
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Downstream of the metal tip puller station
12 is a trimming station 14 made up, in the present
embodiment, of two identical but reversed saw tables
for trimming the ends of the cores. The next
downstream station is a coning machine 16 best seen in
Figs. 4 and 5. The coning machine 16 serves to form a
male joint on one end of the core C and a female socket
at the other end.
Station 18, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, serves
to press a series of cores C together to form a core
master CM. Downstream of the press machine 18, as
shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is a grinder 20. Finally, to
complete the process, a core wrapping apparatus 100, as
shown in Figs. 8 through 14, is located downstream of
the grinder 20.
Referring now to Figs. 1 through 5, the
inlet table 22 is provided with a hydraulically
operated gate member 24 associated with a slightly
sloped table surface to allow cores C to advance one by
one towards the metal tip puller station 12. As shown
in Fig. 3, the metal tip puller station 12 includes
track 28 and a carriage 30 which travels on the track
28. Puller head 32 is located on one end of the frame,
as shown in Fig. 3, and an identical puller head 34 is
located on the carriage 30. The carriage 30 will move
towards the puller head 32 when a core is located on
the frame 26 to engage the ends such that the puller
heads will engage the metal tips, and the carriage 30
will retract to remove the metal tips from the core C.
The metal tips will be dumped from the respective
puller heads 32 and 34 into a storage bin 23 for
restoration of these metal tips.
The core C then advances through to station
14. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, one end of the core
will be cut by saw 38 as it comes off feed table 36.
The purpose of the saw 38 is to remove one end of the
core which may have crimp marks, such as from the metal
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tips or caps. The core then passes through the next
saw 44 in station 14 to cut off the other end of the
core in a like manner. These circular saws 38 and 44
are readily available. The core is trimmed on both
ends to be reduced to 48.5 inches from an original 55
inches.
The core C then moves on feeding table 37 to
be engaged by the coning station 16. As shown in Figs.
4 and 5, the coning station 16 includes a frame 48
having a track 60. A track 50 is mounted at one end of
the frame 48 on platform 49. A carriage 52 travels on
the track 50, and the carriage 52 mounts a router 56.
Router 56 is the female router, and the carriage 52
moves towards one end of the core C which is held in a
holder 58 near the end. Holder 58 is provided with
measuring devices for measuring the outer diameter of
the core. These measuring devices can measure the
outer diameter of the core 300 times a minute.
A female socket Cv is formed by router 56
with reference to the outer diameter. A router 68 is
mounted on a subcarriage 66 mounted on a subtrack 64.
The subtrack 64 is mounted on the carriage 62 which in
turn travels on the track 60 of the frame 48. An outer
diameter measuring device and holder 58 is mounted on
the carriage 62. The router 68 forms the male joint Cs
in reference to the outer diameter.
The core C is then delivered on table 69
and, in the present instance, is manually laid in the
press station 18 in a V-shaped trough 72 on elongated
frame 70. A press head 74 travels on the track 76
towards the aligned cores C in the trough 72. Adhesive
is applied to the joints Cv and Cs of each core C.
Several cores C will be located end to end on the
trough 72, and the press head 74 moves to press the
core sections in order that the jointed ends Cv and Cs
be coupled together to form a core master CM.
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Typically, a core master CM will measure 180
inches and will be handled in the remainder of the core
restoring apparatus as cylindrical core master CM.
Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, the core
master CM is passed through a grinder 20 which includes
a grinding head frame 80. Adjustable grinding wheels
86 and 88, as shown in Fig. 7 and partially in Fig. 6,
are effective for grinding the surface of the core
master CM. The grinding machine 20 may be a Cincinnati
grinding mill of the type known as Milacron (trade-
mark) Twin Grip Centerless Grinder. Each of the
grinding wheels is mounted with anti-friction profile
truing in order to precisely grind the outer surface of
the core CM to a constant outer diameter. Typically,
since the finished core should have an industry
standard of 4.010 inches outer diameter, the grinding
mill 20 will provide an outer diameter of 3.985 inches
on the cores CM. Once the finishing web of liner board
has been wrapped around the core, the core should reach
an outer diameter of 4.010 inches.
The core CM is driven past the grinding
wheels 86 and 88 by means of driven wheel assemblies 82
and 84, and the core CM is supported on idler wheel
assembly 94.
Cores that are provided with metal end caps
generally have an internal diameter of 3.072 inches.
If, however, the core is not intended to be used with a
metal end cap, the internal diameter is 3.000 inches.
Once the core CM has been ground to its
outer diameter of 3.985 inches, it is then sent to the
wrapping assembly 100. Reference is made to Figs. 8
through 14 with respect to the wrapping assembly 100.
As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the core wrapping
assembly 100 includes a frame 102. A web feeder and
glue assembly 104 is provided at one end of the
elongated frame 102. A web assembly 103, as shown in
Fig. 10, includes a roll of liner board web W being
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taken off by the feed assembly 104, and the web W
passes through a skiver 114 which includes skiving
wheels 116 shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The skiver,
depending on the thickness of the web W, will remove
from .020 and .010 off each edge WL and WR. The
skiving station is upstream from the feed and glue
station 104.
The web W moves through the feed assembly
104 and through glue bath 118 and eventually over
tension roller assembly 119, including a spring mounted
lever, and through the pair of tension rollers 120.
Frame 102 is provided with a cutting
assembly 108, as shown in Fig. 12, which includes a
cutting knife 122 on a pivoting lever 126 which moves
in association with anvil 124 in order to cut the web W
the exact predetermined length. The length of the web
W is determined by the length of the core master CM.
The width of the web W is slightly greater,
with the skived edges WL and WR, than the circumference
of the core CM, to be wrapped, so that the skived edges
WL and WR can overlap at least within the parameters of
the skived portions.
As shown in Figs. 8, 12, 13, and 14, the web
support assembly 105 includes vacuum feed conveyor 106
having suction cups 130 mounted on a vacuum box 134
which in turn is mounted to a conveyor system which
moves the vacuum box 134 with vacuum cups 130 along the
longitudinal axis of the frame 102. The vacuum cups
130 act on the web W to advance the web W to the full
extent required to cover the length of the core master
CM. Once the web W has been extended to the
predetermined length, the knife assembly 108 is
activated to cut the length of the web W. The web W is
supported on the frame by the elongated narrow platform
110, as shown in Fig. 13, and by the suction cups 130.
Once the web W has been laid out on the
frame 102 as discussed above, a core master CM~ in the
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magazine 112, is lifted by means of a core support
assembly 142.
The core support assembly 142 includes a
beam 144 which can travel laterally of the frame 102 as
will be described later. A pair of spindle assemblies
164 are mounted on the beam 144 for travel along the
longitudinal axis thereof. Each assembly 164 includes
a sleeve 156 adapted to slide longitudinally on the
beam 144, a bracket 158 extending downwardly, and the
spindle housing 165 having a spindle head 166. The
head 166 is mounted for sliding movement on a sliding
sub-housing 167 slidably mounted to the housing 165.
The head 166 is rotatable by means of a motor in the
sub-housing 167. The head 166 is frusto-conical, and
the beveled portion is radially serrated.
The shafts 154, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3,
are driven by motor 170 through the intermediary of
shafts 154. The shafts 154 each have a gear 152 which
engages rack 150 on the top of the frame 102. Thus,
motor 170 is effective to move the core support
assembly 142 laterally on frame 102.
As seen in Fig. 13, the pickup assembly 164
is adapted to pick up a core master CM from the
magazine 112 and move it to a position above the
lateral center of the web W.
As shown in Fig. 13, web support assembly
105 may be raised, by means of hydraulic jacks 140 in
increments corresponding to the different core
diameters. Since the web W has been provided with an
adhesive on the top surface thereof, the web W will
come into contact with the surface of the core master
CM. The close contact of the web to the surface of the
core master is effected by means of a slicker assembly
174 which is actuated to raise the edge WR. The core
master CM is rotated by the motor (in sub-housing 167)
driving the spindle heads 166, and the web W will thus
be wrapped about the core surface. A pair of idler
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rollers 172 is provided to ensure the close contact of
the web being rolled to the surface of the core master
CM. The skived edges of web W will overlap but will
not form a seam of greater thickness than the thickness
of the finished web of liner board.
The completed core masters CM are then
removed from frame 102, and the cycle is repeated. The
cores CM are then cut into preferred core lengths.
Metal tips may also be added to the restored cores.
