Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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1
S or ye arrangemer~t
The present invention relates to a storage arrangement
for empty cores for the reel-up in a paper machine in
which paper is manufactured in a continuous web which is
wound onto said empty cores in the reel-up to form reels
of paper, said storage arrangement comprising a stand
including a container for empty cores and a feed-out ramp
for said empty cores from the container, the container
having a top, a bottom and four preferably vertical sides
arranged in pairs opposite each other and comprising a
front side facing the feed-out ramp, a rear side facing
away from s~:id ramp, and two parallel sides arranged in
the feeding direction of the ramp, said four sides
between them defining a space for empty cores, which
container also comprises an upper inlet opening and a
lower outlet opening in conjunction with the upstream end
of the feed-out ramp.
One of two different methods are generally used in a
reel-up for winding a continuous web manufactured in a
paper machine to a finished reel of paper, depending on
the type of reeling drum used in the reel-up. The first
method uses an empty reeling drum, also termed core
shaft, for production of coreless paper reels, while in
the second alternative a hollow core is applied on said
reeling drum in tree form of a non-deformable cylindrical
sleeve, preferably of cardboard. In this latter case the
core usually consists of a tube built up of a
multi-layered wall. of wound paper which has been
laminated with a suitable binder such as water glass. For
this category of empty core, intended for paper reels,
the diameter may generally reach approximately 40-50 cm.
At the start of reeling the paper web is secured to the
core, usually with the aid of a strip of adhesive or
tape. In order to achieve continuous production of paper
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reels, new reeling drums are constantly supplied with
empty cores from some type of store, also known as the
core shaft stock. This stock is preferably arranged close
to the surface winding drum at the upstream end of the
reel-up, and suitably at a level just above the
production line of the reel-up in order to save space.
The stock must then be continuously replenished as the
reeling drums with the cores are used up by the reel-up.
This is done by the reeling drums being pulled or pushed
out of the cores of the finished paper reels in a
feed-back station with the aid of a shearing member in
the form of a pull-out means in a shaft-extracting
station, and thereafter being inserted into a new empty
core in the manner described below. In view of the
ungainliness of the paper reel, the shearing member is
usually arranged immediately downstream and immediately
adjacent the drive side of the reel-handling section of
the reel-up, i.e. on the side where the cores are fed in,
so they can be returned as the finished reels are taken
care of by a transport arrangement provided there, e.g. a
sliding carriage or conveyor belt, and removed to the
next work station which is generally some type of
conversion equipment. Here the paper cores are also
recovered from the paper reels, said cores being placed
in an intermediate store consisting of some form of
transport container so that they also are re-used, as
return cores, in the production of paper reels. From this
intermediate store said return cores are then taken,
manually or using a work vehicle, to a storage
arrangement for empty cores where the cores are either
emptied from the transport container directly down onto
the feed-out ramp, or down into some form of
substantially vertical storage container for cores, a
core stock, fitted at the upstream side of the feed-out
ramp. The storage arrangement for new empty cores is
generally located at the end of the production line, in
conjunction with said feed-back station and is thus
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easily accessible to the above-mentioned work vehicle. At
the downstream en.d of the feed-out ramp of the storage
arrangement, the empty cores are fed one at a time to a
width corresponding to the width of the paper web, to a
~ 5 lifting table arranged between the two stand parts of the
reel-up, after which the reeling drum last withdrawn is
again introduced into the empty core(s), by the
above-mentioned shearing device, and thus forms a reeling
drum ready :for reeling. The finished reeling drum is then
moved to the above-mentioned stock of reels so that the
process can start again and thus progress continuously.
In other types of equipment for reeling material webs,
primarily for reeling onto short cores with slim
dimensions which can be handled in a much simpler manner,
it is already known to arrange a special work station
where new cores are combined with return cores to form
reeling drums. Return cores that have been damaged during
the handling process are first repaired in a splicing
apparatus belonging to the equipment, where damaged parts
- of the cores are cut off and the remaining pieces joined
together to form new, whole cores.
However, fo_r empty cores intended for the extremely heavy
and ungainl~~ paper reels produced in a paper reel-up,
such a method does not function well because of the
extremely large dimension and weight of the cores. To
facilitate handling these cores, which cannot easily be
fed manually, a work vehicle or other work tool is
required. A major problem is then how this work vehicle
can move a :Large number of return cores without them
be ing damaged .
When fillin<~ the magazine or container in the core store,
damage such as buckling, torn ends, etc. may be caused to
the paper cores, making them unusable. If such a damaged
core is not detected the direct consequence may be a
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relatively expensive stop in production since, in the
worst case, the reel-up must be stopped in order to
remove the damaged core. To avoid this, each core must be
carefully inspected which is a laborious process. The
cores may also become clamped in the core stores known
hitherto, where the cores lie loose, piled one on top of
the other in a complicated jumble, since they fall
crookedly and become caught in the container itself or
when being transferred to the feed-out ramp through the
opening of the container. In all conventional storage
arrangements for empty cores where some form of container
is used, this must in some way be funnel-shaped to allow
the cores to be fed out one by one through the outlet
opening of the container, and said container therefore
takes up unnecessarily much space in relation to the
number of cores stored therein. A rectangular magazine,
which could hold many more cores in relation to its
height and volume cannot be used today for the reasons
stated above.
Furthermore, with the core containers used hitherto,
after moving the transport container filled at the
conversion equipment to the storage arrangement for empty
cores, the truck driver must manually empty the empty
cores from the transport container down onto the feed-out
ramp or down into the storage arrangement above said
vertical core store. To perform this tedious work, the
driver is forced to get down from his truck and then
activate the actuator for the container's outlet hatch.
Due to the problem described above, of empty cores
landing crookedly in the container and thus being
clamped, the driver must carefully check the position of
the empty cores inside the container after each delivery
before activating the actuator for the outlet hatch.
One example of the older technology described above is
the conversion equipment shown in Swedish patent
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specification SE-C-196 384 which, however, is only
suitable fo:r a rewinder where-the paper reels coming from
the reel-up are rewound onto the much slimmer paper cores
described in said publication, which are used for rolls
5 of household paper or toilet paper, for instance. The
storage arrangement shown in this publication cannot be
used for the considerably larger paper cores utilized in
drum winder: producing paper reels with a diameter and
length of several meters, and the cores which cannot be
moved in any great quantities manually but must be
transported with the aid of a work vehicle.
However, the designed shown in this publication clearly
illustrates the problems caused by cores lying loose in a
funnel-shaped magazine. Such a construction must include
a vibrator t:o prevent pile-ups of the cores and having to
use a funnel.-shaped container instead of a rectangular
one results in a :Large amount of un-utilized space inside
the container.
Another example of old technology is a conversion
equipment described in the US patent specification
US-A-4,716,E~46 where smaller reeling drums are fitted
together and placed resting directly on top of each other
in a stack i.n an :intermediate store constituting a small
container on whee:Ls from which the finished reeling drums
are withdrawn in a manner not described, probably
manually.
The object of the present invention is to provide an
improved and simp:Lified storage arrangement for empty
cores for u~;e in <~ reel-up in a paper machine in which
a paper is wound oni=o said empty cores to form paper reels,
in which filling and feeding out the empty cores from the
storage arrangement is greatly improved.
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Another object of the invention is to provide a storage
arrangement which is self-emptying.
A third object of the invention is to provide a storage
arrangement having a magazine that ensures feed-out of
the empty cores without risk of their being damaged,
being clamped or jamming during said feed-out in the
magazine itself or during transfer to the feed-out ramp.
Another object of the invention is to provide a storage
arrangement allowing a better ratio between the volume
and height of the container and the maximum number of
empty cores stored therein.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a
storage arrangement having an empty core magazine that
allows the contents to be inspected and checked from the
outside.
Finally, it is also an object of the invention to provide
a storage arrangement having a magazine which can easily
be transported from the filling station to the storage
arrangement for empty cores with the aid of a truck and
in a manner facilitating vision of the driver during
transport.
The arrangement according to the invention is
characterized in that a plurality of downwardly inclined
planes are arranged one beneath the other inside the
container and are directed alternately from the front
side and the rear side of the container, each plane
having a downstream end located a predetermined distance
from the adjacent rear side or front side to provide an
opening therebetween so that each empty core rolling down
an upstream plane continues freely to the next plane in a
continuous path of moving empty cores from the inlet
opening to the outlet opening, and that said stand also
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includes a stand table, at which the container is
arranged in conjunction with the feed-out ramp in
exchangeable=_ manner to enable transport of the container
to a filling station.
Thanks to the present invention, therefore, the advantage
is gained tJzat the driver of a truck, for instance a slat
or fork-lift: truck, can see right through the magazine
container without obstruction from at least two of its
sides and c<~n thus see where he is driving. This is
possible due' to t:he empty core magazine being designed in
a manner described below so that it is at least partially
see-throughable, which also offers the additional
advantage oj_ being able to inspect the empty cores.
The invention is explained in more detail in the
following with reference the drawings.
Figure 1 is a schematic view in perspective of a storage
arrangement for empty cores according to the invention,
seen from one long side of the storage arrangement, the
drive side, comprising an exchangeable magazine basket
placed on top of <~ stand table and having a feed-out ramp
with an empty core store downstream of the stand table.
Figure 2 is a side view of the storage arrangement
according to Figure 1, showing the drive side.
Figure 3 is a side view of part of a previously known
storage arrangement showing the reel-handling part of a
reel-up connected to the storage arrangement, seen from
its long side and an unreeling station for the finished
. paper reels by the reel-up.
Figure 4 is an end view of the storage arrangement
according to Figure 1 seen from the upstream end of the
storage arrangement.
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Figure 5 is a view of the storage arrangement according
to Figure l, seen from above.
Figure 6 is an end view of the storage arrangement
according to Figure l, seen from the downstream end of
the storage arrangement.
Figure 7 is a view in perspective of an opening device
for the magazine basket of the storage arrangement
according to Figure 1, where the opening device is in
inoperative position, with its actuator in protruding
position.
Figure 8 shows a detail of the opening device according
to Figure 7, seen from the front.
Figure 9 shows a detail of the opening device according
to Figure 7, seen from the side.
Figure 10 is a view in perspective of the opening device
according to Figure 7, but showing said device in its
operative position with its actuator pushed in.
Figure 11 shows a detail of the opening device according
to Figure 10, seen from the front.
Figure 12 shows a detail of the opening device according
to Figure l0, seen from the side.
Figure 13 is a schematic view in perspective of the
storage arrangement according to Figure 1, showing an
alternative embodiment of the exchangeable magazine
basket including spacers and an alternative, single
opening device.
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Figure 14 is a schematic view in perspective of the stand
table of the storage arrangement according to Figure 1
showing guide means for fitting the magazine basket onto
the stand table.
Figure 15 shows a side view of the storage arrangement
according to Figure 1, with an alternative embodiment of
the feed-out. ramp where said ramp abuts the container on
a level with its outlet opening.
Figures 1 and 2 show schematically, in perspective and
side view, respectively, a storage arrangement 1 for
non-deformable cylindrical empty cores 2 intended for use
in a reel-up 3, see Figure 3, of a paper machine in which
paper is manufactured in a continuous paper web. Paper
reels 4 are wound continuously in the reel-up 3 on a body
comprising a reeking drum 5 and a core applied thereon in
the form of the above-mentioned non-deformable
cylindrical empty core 2.
The reel-up 3 comprises a stand member 6 having first and
second identical, elongate, parallel stand parts 7, 8
along which the finished paper reels 4 roll on rails 9
arranged on each stand part 7 and 8, respectively. At the
downstream end of the reel-up 3 a reel-handling part 10
takes over t:he finished paper reels 4 and conveys them
further to ~~ome form of transport means, not shown, such
as a sliding carriage or conveyor, which receives the
paper reel 9: and conveys it to a store or conversion
equipment, not shown.
A stock of ctrums, not shown, is arranged upstream of the
reel-up in Figure 3 and above the stand member 6,
containing reeling drums 5 with empty cores 2 applied.
New reeling drums 5 are lifted down from this stock by
means of lowering arms, not shown, to the reel-up 3 where
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the process of reeling the paper web to a finished paper
reel 4 commences.
Said stock of drums is filled with new reeling drums 5 by
5 means, not shown, located upstream of said stock.
The finished paper reels 4 are tipped over to the
transport device, after which a new empty core 2 is
rolled down from a feed-out ramp 14 pertaining to said
10 storage arrangement 1 to a lifting table 13 whereupon,
after a sufficient number of cores 2 to achieve the
requisite web width of the paper web have been applied on
said reeling drum 5, it is again conveyed to said drum
stock in a manner not shown. A stock 15 of empty cores is
situated on said feed-out ramp 14 between two lengths of
guide plates 29 arranged close to each long side of the
ramp 14. The feed-out ramp 14 is given sufficient
inclination to ensure that the empty cores 2 roll
automatically and continuously down one after the other,
along the inclined plane of the ramp 14 and the lowermost
empty core 2 then rolls over to the lifting table 13 in
the manner described below.
In the shown embodiment also one or more strips 28 are
arranged on the feed-out ramp 14 (see Figure 6) extending
from the upstream end of the ramp 14 to its downstream
end, in order to effectively prevent the empty cores 2
from being impeded by any debris that may have
accumulated on the ramp 14.
At the downstream end of the feed-out ramp 14 is a
separation device 30, rotatable about a shaft, see Figure
2, which may be in the form of one or more elements 35
rotatable about said shaft by means of actuators 34, said
elements 35 comprising one or more protrusions 31 such as
spokes, against or between which each empty core 2
lowermost in the direction of feed of the ramp rests and
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after or during rotation of the element 35 is imparted a
rolling movement downstream. Thanks to this separation
device 30, as the lowermost empty core 2 rolls over to
the lifting table 13, the next empty core 2 is retained
by one or more of said protrusions 31.
In the tran~werse direction of the ramp 14, above said
separation device 30, a barrier 32 is arranged comprising
an upper re~~train:ing device 33, e.g. a metal sheet,
acting as a stop r_o prevent the lowermost empty core 2
from rolling over the restraining element 35, and also
preventing any similar climbing of the following empty
cores 2. Thus, said restraining device 33, together with
said separation desvice 30, effectively regulates feed-out
of each individual empty core 2 and prevents more than
one core 2 from be=ing fed out at a time.
The storage arrangement 1 includes control equipment, not
shown or de~;cribed in detail here, of pneumatic or
electric type, including requisite sensors of some
conventional type, at the inlet and outlet openings to
the storage arrangement 1, e.g. at the inlet and outlet
to the feed-out ramp 14.
The storage arrangement 1 also comprises a stand 16
consisting of three parts, i.e. said feed-out ramp 14, a
stand table 17, see Figure 14, and a container 18 for
refilling with new empty cores 2. In the preferred
embodiment shown here, this movable and exchangeable
container i~~ formed by a rectangular, box-shaped, open
. magazine basket 18. The term "open" is used here to
indicate that the contents can be inspected from the
outside of the container 18 which may be composed, as in
the shown embodiment, of a frame of horizontal, vertical
and diagonal connecting elements, stays or rods 19,
preferably of metal, or may consist of a mesh or grid
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construction, preferably of steel, enabling free vision
through said container 18.
The magazine basket 18 comprises two suitably horizontal
sides consisting of a top 38 and a bottom 39, and four
preferably vertical sides arranged in pairs opposite each
other and comprising a front side 20 facing the feed-out
ramp 14 and a rear side 21 facing away from said ramp 14,
and two parallel sides 22, 23 in the feeding direction of
the ramp 14, said four sides between them defining an
open space for empty cores 2, which container 18 also
comprises an upper inlet opening 24 and a lower outlet
opening 25 located preferably in the upper 38 and lower
side 39, respectively, that latter opening 25 adjoins the
upstream end of the feed-out ramp 14. The magazine basket
18 also comprises a plurality of level-forming,
downwardly inclined planes arranged one beneath the other
in the open space of the container 18 in a zig-zag
pattern seen from the sides 22, 23, as described below.
These planes are preferably made of flat sheets of thin
sheet, metal, metal mesh, rods or grids.
Said planes 26 commence from the front side 20 or the
rear side 21 of the magazine basket 18, where they are
firmly secured in suitable manner, e.g. by means of a
welded joint or some other suitable connection such as
screw or rivet joints. The inclined planes 26 extend
across the open space of the magazine basket 18 in
downward direction, extending alternately towards said
front side 20 or rear side 21 of the container 18. The
downstream ends of the alternately inclined planes 26
terminate a short distance from each opposing inner side
of the container 18. Said short distance forms an opening
27 between the downstream end of the plane 26 and the
inner wall of the container 18. The empty cores 2 lying
horizontally and parallel to each other in the magazine
basket roll down said planes and fall freely down from
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the downstream end of each plane 26 onto the next
inclined plane 26 through said opening 27, which has been
given somewhat greater dimension than the diameter of the
empty cores 2. The diameter of this type of empty core 2,
intended for pape=r reels, may be as much as 40-50 cm.
An alternative embodiment of the exchangeable magazine
basket 18 i:~ shown in Figure 13 and includes spacers 47
arranged on each plane 26 along one or both sides 22, 23
so that the free distance between said sides 22, 23 can
be adjusted to predetermined lengths of empty cores. Said
spacers 47 are pre=ferably made of sheet metal which is
bent to suit=able form, e.g. U-shaped as in the shown
embodiment ~;hown, so that said metal sheets provide a
ridge or edge along which the empty cores 2 can roll.
Due to the construction described above, see Figures 2
and 13, saio! empty cores 2 acquire a rolling movement the
vertical direction of which is always directed downwards,
whereas their horizontal movement alternately changes
direction 180° between each plane 26 in the container 18.
At the outlet opening 25 of the container 18 towards the
feed-out ramp 14, one or more opening devices 42 are
arranged (see Figure 13 or Figure 1) which include a
closing member 43 such as a gate, flap or hatch, arranged
pivotably or slidingly by suitable journalling means or,
as in the shown embodiments, or one or two blocking
devices 44 which blocks) the outlet opening 25 and also
an actuator 45 for said closing member 43, preferably
arranged vertical7.y. This actuator 45 may suitably
consist of a cylinder 46, in the preferred embodiment a
pneumatic cylinder- 46, since there is then no risk of
hydraulic oil leaking onto the empty cores 2. Figure 13
shows a vertically displaced closing member 43 comprising
only one actuator 45, the member 43 in the embodiment
shown being shaped as a curved plate at its lower end and
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its vertical sides running in vertical guides. If only
one actuator 45 is used there is no need for
synchronization with other actuators 45.
The opening devices) 42 for the container 18 is/are
designed as described below so that the container 18 is
automatically self-emptying when the empty cores 2 are
placed correctly on the stand table 17. The arrangement
of such automatic opening means 42 limits the number of
work phases for the truck driver who no longer needs to
get out of the truck to manually empty the container 18.
This considerably simplifies the procedure of refilling
with new empty cores 2. To achieve said self-emptying,
connectors 40 are arranged at the stand 16, comprising a
number of guide means 41 and connection means for the
closing members 43 of the container 18 so that, with the
aid of the slat truck, for instance, the container can
easily be mounted on the stand table 17 and, when the
container 18 has been fitted onto the stand 17 with the
aid of said guide means 41, see Figure 14, it is
connected to the compressed air valve on the connection
means, not shown, so that when the magazine basket 18 has
assumed its correct position, the cylinders 46 and
closing members 43 above said cylinders will be
activated, whereupon the empty cores 2 can roll out
through the outlet opening 25, down onto the feed-out
ramp 14.
The function of the storage arrangement 1 is briefly as
follows: The magazine basket 18, filled with new empty
cores 2 lying horizontally, parallel and consecutively
one after the other alternately in a zig-zag pattern in
the direction of feed towards one or other long side of
the actual container 18, on the inclined planes 26
located one beneath the other, arrive at the storage
arrangement 1 from above-mentioned conversion apparatus,
not shown, where the cores 2 have been recovered from the
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paper reels 4 by means of a crane or work vehicle, e.g. a
slat or fork-lift truck, and have been lifted up to a
level at they upper surface of the stand 16 with the aid
of lifting lugs 36 or fork pouches 37 applied on the top
5 38 or bottorn 39 of the magazine basket 18, and then
fitted to the stand table 17 and the connectors 40
suitably arranged thereon so that, when the magazine
basket has achieved the correct position it is lowered
and possibly automatically locked to the stand table 17
10 with locking means, not shown, on said stand 16. At the
same time compressed air valves are connected, a
mechanical device, sensor or other suitable device, not
shown, pertaining to said connectors sensing that a
correct position has been achieved, whereupon the opening
15 device 42 for the gate 43 of the container 18 is
activated. 'fhe empty cores 2 can then roll down the
inclined planes 26 and one by one out of the container 18
through the outlet. opening 25 onto the feed-out ramp 14
of the stand. 16.
In other embodiments, not shown, the container 18
described above may also be funnel-shaped or
through-shaped with the front side 20 and/or the rear
side 21 inclined vertically inwards or outwards so that a
cross-sectional area is formed between them that
decreases downwards in the outlet direction of at least a
part of the height: of the magazine basket 18. In another
embodiment of the present invention one, some or all of
said above-mentioned front or rear sides 20 or 21,
including the inc7.ined planes 26 may be curved along at
least a part of it:s/their extension.
