Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02532671 2006-O1-12
Apparatus and method for the automated and simultaneous preparation and
changing of at least two rolls of paper webs or the like for a downstream
garniture
cutter
The invention concerns an apparatus for the automated and simultaneous
preparation and
changing of at least two rolls of paper webs or the like for a downstream
garniture cutter,
including at least two roll stations arranged one behind the other, wherein
each roll station
has two carriers with two carrying arms movable up and down and movable
horizontally
with elements for receiving a full roll, holding the roll which is in
production and
1 o discharging the residual roll, wherein all the roll stations have a common
transfer track
which is arranged above the roll stations and by means of which the unrolled
paper webs
can be delivered one above the other in the direction of transport to the
downstream
garniture cutter.
Furthermore, the invention concerns a method for the automated and
simultaneous pre-
paration and changing of at least two rolls of paper webs or the like for a
downstream
garniture cutter, including the steps of: delivering full rolls to several
roll stations arranged
one behind the other, receiving the full rolls and unrolling the rolls which
are then in
production, separating the paper webs from the rolls, discharging the residual
rolls from
2o the roll stations.
Methods and apparatuses of this kind are used in particular in the paper-
processing
industry. For the delivery of paper webs to garniture cutters, for example
large- and small-
format garniture cutters, the generic apparatuses are mounted in front of the
latter. In this
case, full paper rolls or the like are received in several roll stations
arranged one behind the
other, unrolled in the latter and delivered via a common transfer track to the
garniture
cutter. When the rolls are unwound completely or as far as possible, they must
be changed
for new full rolls. For this purpose the unwound residual rolls are discharged
from the roll
stations, and new rolls are delivered to the roll stations.
With known apparatuses and methods in which delivery of the rolls
(transversely to their
longitudinal axis) takes place in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus,
the rolls are
transported individually and one after the other by means of handling devices
such as e.g. a
crane to the individual roll stations. This leads to considerable down-time of
the apparatus
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and hence also of the downstream garniture cutter. With other known
apparatuses and
methods, at least one of the operations of a) delivery of full rolls or b)
discharge of the
residual rolls takes place in the longitudinal direction of the rolls/
residual rolls. Delivery
and/or discharge of the rolls/residual rolls in the longitudinal direction of
the rolls/residual
rolls takes place laterally out of the roll station. This, however, requires
considerable
space, because where necessary more than three times the width of the paper
rolls must be
provided to ensure handling during delivery and discharge. These space
requirements,
however, are frequently not met in various production locations.
to It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a compact
apparatus which
ensures delivery of full rolls to the roll stations and discharge of residual
rolls from the roll
stations at the optimum time. Further, it is the object of the present
invention to propose a
simple and reliable method which allows space-saving handling of full rolls
and residual
rolls at the optimum time.
This object is firstly achieved by an apparatus with the characteristics
mentioned
hereinbefore by the fact that a common transport element is provided a) for
delivery of full
rolls to the roll stations and b) for discharge of residual rolls from the
roll stations,
whereby the transport element is constructed in such a way that the rolls and
residual rolls
are moved transversely to their longitudinal axis during changing. As a
result, delivery and
discharge in the direction of transport of the paper webs are possible. In
other words,
delivery and/or discharge take place from the front and/or behind, so that,
even in narrow
production locations, automated changing of the rolls is ensured. The common
transport
element also has a particularly space-saving and structurally simple
construction. Further,
the design according to the invention allows preparation of rolls parallel to
production, so
that down-times are minimised or even completely prevented.
Preferably, the transport element comprises a guide rail which extends from a
preparation
zone outside the stations in front of the roll stations in the direction of
transport of the
paper webs, into the changing zone of the last of the roll stations arranged
one behind the
other. Thus the advantages described above are assisted still further.
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Preferably, several transport receptacles are guided on or in the guide rail
and movable in
and opposite the direction of transport of the paper webs, wherein the number
of transport
receptacles preferably corresponds to the number of roll stations. This allows
the parallel
or simultaneous preparation of all rolls for the next roll change at all roll
stations
simultaneously. The above-mentioned mobility of the transport receptacles
makes it
possible to equip them immediately after delivery of the rolls to the roll
stations, which in
turn produces a saving of time.
In a preferred development of the invention, each transport receptacle can be
controlled
1 o and/or driven separately. This allows the space-saving arrangement of the
transport
receptacles and the rolls arranged thereon in the preparation zone, as the
rolls can lie here
almost against each other, at only a short distance from each other, while the
transport
receptacles inside the roll stations have a greater distance from each other.
With the above
structure, there is high variability with respect to delivery of the rolls to
different roll
station arrangements.
Advantageously, additional elements are provided for discharging the residual
rolls from
the working zones of the roll stations into waiting zones inside the roll
stations. This
ensures that the full rolls prepared for production can be taken up
immediately after
2o discharging the residual rolls, joined to the paper webs and delivered to
production. It is
precisely this (changing) stage that is to be kept particularly short in order
to supply the
garniture cutter with paper webs as continuously as possible.
A preferred variant is characterised in that at least one sensor element is
provided for
control of the transport receptacles. As a result, the cycle of movement can
be optimally
adapted to the respective status of the apparatus.
Secondly, the object is achieved by a method with the steps mentioned
hereinbefore by the
fact that a) delivery of the full rolls and b) discharge of the residual rolls
take place with a
3o common transport element, whereby the rolls and residual rolls are moved
transversely to
their longitudinal extent throughout the changing operation. By this method,
space-saving
changing of the rolls at the optimum time simultaneously at several roll
stations arranged
one behind the other is ensured. The advantages gained by the method according
to the
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invention have already been described above in connection with the apparatus,
so that, to
avoid repetition, reference is made to the corresponding paragraphs.
Preferably, the residual rolls are transported in or opposite the direction of
transport of the
paper webs, with the result that there is no longer any need for access from
the side and the
space requirements in a lateral extent are thus reduced.
Further preferred and/or advantageous characteristics and method steps are
apparent from
the subsidiary claims and the description. A particularly preferred embodiment
as well as
the method are described in more detail with the aid of the attached drawings.
The
drawings show:
Fig. 1 a schematic drawing of an apparatus for the automated and simultaneous
preparation and changing of at least two rolls of paper webs or the like for a
subsequent garniture cutter in a side view, consisting of three roll stations
each with a roll in the production position as well as three full rolls in the
preparation zone,
Fig. 2 the apparatus as in Figure 1 with full rolls in the waiting zone of the
roll
2o stations and almost unwound rolls in the production position,
Fig. 3 the apparatus as in Figure 2 with the full rolls in the waiting zone
and
residual rolls separated from the paper webs,
Fig. 4 the apparatus according to Figure 3 with the full rolls in the splicing
position and the residual rolls in a waiting position inside the roll
stations,
Fig. 5 the apparatus according to Figure 4 with rolls in the production
position and
the residual rolls in the discharge position, and
Fig. 6 a schematic drawing of the apparatus in a front view opposite the
direction
of transport of the paper webs.
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The shown apparatus serves to deliver several paper webs to a garniture
cutter.
With the aid of Figures 1 and 7, the essential components of the apparatus 10
are de-
scribed. The apparatus 10 consists of three roll stations 1 l, whereby each
roll station 11 is
designed to receive a full roll 12, unwind a roll 13 which is in production
and discharge a
residual roll 14. The roll stations 11 are arranged one behind the other in a
so-called row
arrangement. Alternatively, only two or more than three roll stations 11 can
be arranged
one behind the other in a row or in a double arrangement (not shown) or a back-
to-back
arrangement. The roll stations 11 are connected to each other by a common
transfer track
15. The transfer track 15 is arranged above the roll stations 11 and serves to
guide the path
of the paper webs 16 unwound from the rolls 13 of paper or the like which are
in
production, in the direction of transport (arrow 17) in the direction of a
garniture cutter
(not shown). The paper webs 16 are in this case guided over deflecting rolls
or the like and
usually arranged and guided one above the other in the transfer track 15.
Each roll station 11 includes in the shown embodiment two vertically oriented
carriers 18
which are arranged parallel to and spaced apart from each other. The carriers
18 axe
connected to each other by a crossbar 19 running transversely to the carriers
18. Each
carrier 18 is assigned a lifting element, such as e.g, a vertical spindle 20,
by means of
2o which the crossbar 19 is movable up and down by suitable drives 21. In
addition, on the
crossbar 19 are arranged two carrying arms 22 which are movable in a
horizontal direction
towards and away from each other. On the carrying arms 22 are arranged in the
usual
manner receiving or holding elements (not shown explicitly) for the rolls 12
to 14, which
are designed as mandrels and which are oriented with their points towards each
other.
Each of the roll stations 11 is fixed to a rigid base 23, e.g. factory floor
or the like, and
constructed like a bridge, so that there is a ground clearance beneath the
roll stations 11. In
other words, beneath the roll stations 11 is formed a free space 24. In this
space 24 in the
region of the base 23, preferably ending flush with the latter, is arranged a
transport
element 25 which is of rail-like construction and extends in the longitudinal
direction of
the apparatus 10, that is, in the direction of transport (arrow 17). The
transport element 25
includes a guide rail 26 which runs centrally between the Garners 18 and is
longer than the
roll stations 11 arranged one behind the other. This means that the guide rail
26 also
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extends into a region which lies outside the roll stations 11. In the shown
embodiment, the
guide rail 26 in the direction of transport (arrow 17) begins in front of the
roll stations 11
and there defines a so-called preparation zone 27 which serves to prepare the
full rolls 12
for subsequent production. Instead of the guide rail 26, which extends out of
the
preparation zone 27 into a changing zone 28 below the roll stations 11 (as far
as the last
roll station 11 in the direction of transport (arrow 17)) and optionally also
beyond it, other
transport elements 25 such as e.g. conveyor belts, chains, pairs of rails or
the like can be
used.
Transport receptacles 29 are arranged and guided on or in the guide rail 26.
The transport
receptacles 29 are movable back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the
guide rail 26.
The number of transport receptacles 29 usually corresponds to the number of
roll stations
11. Each transport receptacle 29 is designed to receive and to transport a
full roll 12 and
can be controlled or driven separately, so that the distances between the
transport
receptacles 29 can vary. In the changing zone 28 of the roll stations 11, each
roll station 11
is assigned an element 30 for discharging the residual rolls 14 deposited on
the base 23 or
guide rail 26. The element 30 includes in the shown embodiment two blocks 31
provided
with an inclined surface, whereby the inclined surface slopes down in the
direction of
transport (arrow 17). The blocks 31 forming an "inclined plane" are arranged
with
adjustable height on both sides of the guide rail 26, so that it is movable
out of a lower rest
position, in which the highest edge of the blocks 31 at the maximum ends flush
with the
base 23 or is completely countersunk in the latter, into an upper working
position, in which
the "inclined plane" lies at least partially above the base 23, and back.
Further, the shown apparatus 10 has a sensor element 32 in the shown
embodiment. The
sensor element 32 includes a transmitting and receiving unit 33 and a
reflector 34. The
transmitting and receiving unit 33 is arranged in front of the roll stations
11 and also in
front of the preparation zone 27 in the direction of transport (arrow 17), and
emits a
substantially horizontally directed signal. The reflector 34 is arranged on
the opposite side
of the apparatus 10 behind the last roll station 11 in the direction of
transport (arrow 17).
In the shown embodiment the sensor element 32 is movable up and down, namely
out of
an upper position (in Figure 2) into a lower position (in Figure 5) and back.
Alternatively,
however, separate sensor elements 32 can be provided. Other types of sensor
elements 32,
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e.g. with separate transmitting and receiving units, and in particular those
which work on
the optical principle, can be used too.
In further embodiments, not shown explicitly, on or in the guide rail 26 is
provided a
s further transport element for receiving and discharging the residual rolls
14 from the roll
stations 11. The transport element can be e.g. a gripper or a lifting element
similar to a fork
of a fork-lift truck, and is movable back and forth in the longitudinal
direction of the guide
rail 26. The carrying arms 22 can also be arranged directly on the Garners 18.
The
orientation of the carriers 18 themselves can be vertically oriented but also
inclined. The
to element 30 can also be designed as a transport carriage or the like with a
receiving trough,
which serves to transport the residual roll 14 out of its deposited position
into a waiting
position. The orientation of the roll stations 11 is variable too. In the
shown embodiment,
the carrying arms 22 point opposite the direction of transport (arrow 17).
Alternatively, the
arrangement of the roll stations 11 can be inverted. This means that the
carrying arms 22
1 s point in the direction of transport (arrow 17). In the last-mentioned
variant, the blocks 31
with their "inclined plane" are then also oriented in such a way that the
plane slopes up in
the direction of transport (arrow 17).
Below, the method for simultaneously changing several rolls at roll stations
11 arranged
20 one behind the other is described in more detail with the aid of Figures 1
to 5.
On the carrying arms 22 or, to be more precise, the mandrels of each crossbar
19 are
located the rolls 13 which were originally full and are now in production, and
which are
unwound continuously during production. The paper webs 16 are guided over
deflecting
2s rolls onto the transfer track 15 where they are delivered to the garniture
cutter. During
production, the carrying arms 22 or mandrels are moved upwards continuously by
means
of the crossbar 19 or otherwise. Thus the position of the crossbar 19 or
carrying arms 22,
in particular the position in the vertical direction, is adapted to the
changing diameter of
the rolls 13 which are in production. At the same time full rolls 12 are
prepared in front of
3o the roll stations 11 in the preparation zone 27 by taking them out of the
surrounding
package, removing the uppermost layers of each roll 12 and orienting the rolls
12 centrally
for unrolling, and laying them on the transport receptacles 29. The full rolls
12 lie one
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behind the other, whereby the transport receptacles 29 have a distance between
them such
that the full rolls 12 do not quite touch (see Figure 1 ).
Loading of the roll stations 11 with new full rolls 12 takes place from behind
in the
direction of transport (arrow 17). With increasing production time, the
diameter of the rolls
13 located on the mandrels decreases. As soon as the sensor element 32 detects
freedom of
space, that is, ascertains that the roll 13 with the largest (residual)
diameter which is in
production and the still-full roll 12 in front of the roll stations 11 with
the largest diameter
let through a signal in a horizontal direction, the transport receptacles 29
are set in motion,
1 o so that the full rolls 12 inside the roll stations 11 are brought into
waiting positions. The
rolls drawn in broken lines show the previous position of the rolls 12 (Figure
2).
After stopping of the machine, the individual paper webs 16 are automatically
separated
from the residual rolls 14. In the waiting position of the full rolls 12 it is
further possible
for the carrying arms 22 with the residual rolls 14 to be moved downwards into
a dis-
charge/receiving position. Before the still-full roll 12 in each roll station
11 can be re-
ceived by the mandrels, the residual roll 14 must be removed from the
mandrels. This
usually takes place by so-called "core kickers" which strip the residual roll
14 from the
carrying arms 22 or mandrels. In this case the carrying arms 22 with the
mandrels are
2o moved apart from each other, so that the residual rolls 14 fall onto the
base 23 or transport
element 25 (Figure 3).
By briefly lifting the blocks 31 with the inclined planes, the residual rolls
14 roll out of
their deposited position beneath the carrying arms 22 into a waiting position
inside the roll
station 11. Then the blocks 31 are lowered again. Now there is space to move
the full rolls
12 out of their waiting position by means of the transport receptacles 29 into
the receiving
position. As soon as the rolls 12 in their roll stations 11 and the carrying
arms 22 have
reached the receiving position, the carrying arms 22 close, so that the
mandrels engage in
the rolls 12 and hold them. After receiving the roll 12, the free end of the
still rolled-up
3o paper web is joined to the free end 35 of the paper web 16 located in the
transfer track 15.
This can be effected by manual or automated splicing or the like (Figure 4).
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As soon as the connection is made in all roll stations 11, production begins.
During pro-
duction the carrying arms 22 with the (production) rolls 13 move back up. The
blocks 31
with the inclined planes are again lifted out of the rest position into an
upper position
above the base 23 or transport element 25, with the result that the residual
rolls 14 lying on
the base 23 or transport element 25 are lifted slightly. As soon as the
residual rolls 14 are
lifted, the transport receptacles 29 which are still in or under the roll
stations 11 move
opposite the direction of transport (opposite arrow 17) out of the roll
stations 11 into the
preparation zone 27. The transport receptacles 29 are (as in Figure 1 )
immediately filled
with new rolls 12 again for preparation. The residual rolls 14 are moved out
of the roll
l0 stations 11 as soon as the sensor element 32 has detected freedom of space.
This is
achieved when the highest of the residual rolls 14 located at the bottom can
no longer
collide with the roll 13 with the largest diameter which is in production.
Then grippers,
lifters or other suitable elements move on the guide rail 26 through the roll
stations 11 and
pick up the residual rolls 14 and move them out forwards or backwards (Figure
5).
The work steps described are repeated as often as desired. Due to the fact
that the method
described proceeds automatically, that is, the complete change of rolls too,
below the roll
stations 11 and hence in the whole apparatus 10 is provided a safety zone
which needs not
to be entered during production and changing.
