Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CENTER DRIVEN SIDE SHUTTLE UNWINDER
Hackg~round of the Invention
This invention relates to an unwinder for a
roll of web material, and, more particularly, to an
unwinder which includes a side shuttle support for a
pair of parent rolls which are alternately unwound by a
center drive mechanism.
Unwinders are commonly used to unwind a roll
of wound web material so that the web can be processed
by equipment downstream of the unwinder. For example,
in the paper converting field a large parent roll of
paper is unwound and advanced to a rewinder, which
perforates the paper to form individual sheets and
rewinds the paper into consumer-sized logs or rolls of
bathroom tissue or paper towels. Examples of such
rewinders are described in U . S . Patent Nos . Re . 2 8 , 3 53 ,
4,723,724, 5,104,055 and EPO Patent No. 0 694 020 B1.
When a parent roll is completely unwound or
almost completely unwound, or when it is desired to
change the parent roll for any other reason, the parent
roll must be removed from the unwinder and replaced with
a new roll. The leading end of the new roll must be
joined or spliced to the trailing end of the old roll so
that a continuous web is advanced through the downstream
equipment.
U. S. Patent Nos. 5,906,333 and 5,934,604
describe a center drive unwinder which automatically
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replaces parent rolls and splices the trailing end of
the old roll and the leading end of the new roll.
Many unwinders are not center driven.
Instead, the roll is rotatably mounted on the unwinder,
and a belt driven mechanism engages the surfaces of the
roll to rotate the roll and unwind the web.
U. S. Patent No. 5,730,389 describes a device
for changing and splicing rolls on a belt-driven
unwinder. Two rolls are mounted on movable carriages.
The first roll is unwound by the belt, and the second
roll is laterally offset from the first roll. The
leading end of the second roll is retained by a suction
member on the carriage. When the rolls are to be
changed, a second suction member and a blade are moved
against the web to cut the web and hold the trailing end
of the web against the second suction member. The
second suction member and the blade are then moved away
from the web path. The carriages are moved to bring the
second roll into the unwinding position, and the leading
end of the second roll is joined to the trailing end of
the first roll.
U.S. patent application entitled "Automatic
Splicer for Unwinder", Serial No. 09/216,323, filed
December 18, 1998, describes an improved device for
automatically changing and splicing rolls on a belt-
driven unwinder. That patent application and this
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application are owned by the same assignee.
Summary of the Invention
The invention provides a quick change center
driven unwinder and removable core chucks for driving a
parent roll. First and second parent rolls are mounted
on a side shuttle or movable carriage. The carriage may
be equipped with a lifting device for each parent roll
for assisting in loading and removing the parent rolls.
While the first roll is being unwound, the second roll
can be mounted on the carriage in readiness for
unwinding when the first roll expires. The parent rolls
can be driven by a common single motor which alternately
drives each parent roll, by one or two motors for each
parent roll, or by three motors -- a main drive motor
between the parent rolls which is switched back and
forth between the parent rolls and separate motors for
each parent roll. The core chucks can be permanently
mounted on the carriage and connected to the drive
mechanism, or the drive mechanism can be connected to
the chucks after the chucks are inserted into the core
of one of the parent rolls and installed into the
carriage.
Description of the Drawing
The invention will be explained in conjunction
with illustrative embodiments shown in the accompanying
drawing, in which --
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Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a
movable carriage or side shuttle for a pair of parent
rolls, the carriage being equipped with a lift device
and a center drive mechanism for each parent roll:
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing
both parent rolls axially aligned with the core chucks,
the right parent roll being unwound and the left parent
roll in the process of being connected to the core
chucks;
Figure 3 illustrates the left parent roll
engaged by the core chucks as the right parent roll
continues to unwind:
Figure 4 illustrates the left parent roll
being prepared for splicing to the web which is being
fed to the rewinder from the right parent roll;
Figure 5 illustrates the carriage moved to the
right from its position in Figures 1-4 to align the left
parent roll with the web in the rewinder after the right
parent roll has been unwound;
Figure 6 shows the lift mechanism for the
right parent roll about to raise the expired roll and,
the left corechuck disengaged from the expired roll , and
the expired roll pulled to the right by the chuck so
that it can be disengaged;
Figure 7 illustrates both core chucks
disengaged from the expired roll and the expired roll
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raised to a level where it can be engaged by the parent
roll loading device;
Figure 8 illustrates the alternate positions
of the parent rolls as the axially movable core chuck
for each roll moves to engage or disengage the core with
the opposite core chuck and also illustrates using one
centrally located drive which switches from right to
left parent rolls;
Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3 of an
alternate embodiment of the invention in whcih each
parent roll is driven by a separate motor;
Figure 10 illustrates a two motor
configuration in which the motors are located between
the parent rolls;
Figure 11 illustrates a three motor
configuration, the center motor being alternately
connected to the right and left parent rolls;
Figure 12 illustrates a four motor
configuration:
Figure 13 is a side elevational view of the
side shuttle unwinder and an associated splicing
apparatus:
Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 1 in
which core chucks which are removable from the drive
mechanism are inserted into the new parent roll and the
new parent roll is lifted by hooks which engage the core
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chucks;
Figure 15 is a fragmentary sectional view of
one of the removable core chucks of Figure 14 which is
clamped in place on the carriage;
Figure 16 illustrates another embodiment of a
removable core chuck;
Figure 17 is a fragmentary side elevational
view of a drive mechanism for the removable core chucks;
Figure 18 is a front elevational view of
another embodiment in which drive shafts which are
permanently mounted on the carriage are engageable with
core chucks which are inserted into the core of the
parent roll;
Figure 19 is a view similar to Figure 18 in
which the right parent roll is being unwound and the
left parent roll is being loaded;
Figure 20 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional
view of one of the drive shafts and core chucks of
Figure 18;
Figure 21 illustrates a drive mechanism for a
parent roll which retains the center shaft which is used
in the paper machine for winding the web onto the shaft
to form the parent roll;
Figure 22 is a view similar to Figure 21
showing the right parent roll being unwound and the left
parent roll being installed; and
~
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Figure 23 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional
view of the drive mechanism for the parent rolls of
Figures 21 and 22.
Description of 8pecitic Embodiments
Referring to Figures 1-8, an unwinding
apparatus 25 includes a carriage 26 which is mounted on
rollers 27 for movement on a support surface S. The
carriage includes two support frames 28 and 29 for
rotatably supporting first and second parent rolls 30
and 31.
Each parent roll includes a hollow center core
32, and core chucks 33-36 on the support frames can be
inserted into the open ends of the cores. Each of the
roll support frames includes right and left upwardly
extending posts 38 and 39 for rotatably supporting the
core chucks.
In the embodiment of Figures 1-8, the middle
core chucks 34 and 35 are driven by a motor 40 which is
mounted on the carriage. A drive belt 41 rotates a
shaft 42, and rotary motion of the shaft is selectively
transferred to one of the core chucks by a clutch 43 or
43a.
Each of the middle core chucks 34 and 35
includes a shaft 44 which is rotatably mounted on one of
the upwardly extending posts in a fixed position. A
pulley 45 on the end of the shaft is connected to the
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shaft 42 by a belt 46.
Each of the right and left core chucks 33 and
36 includes a shaft 48 which is rotatably mounted on a
core chuck carriage 49. Each carriage 49 is slidably
mounted on a slide 50 which includes a drive mechanism
for axially moving the core chuck toward and away from
the parent roll.
Parent roll lifting platforms 52 and 53 on the
support frames are movable between raised and lowered
positions by a lift mechanism 54 which is enclosed by a
bellows 55. The lift mechanism can be any conventional
lift mechanism, for example, the hydraulic lift assembly
which is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,934,604 and
which includes scissors lift arms and a hydraulic
piston. Each lift mechanism is mounted on a slide 56
which enables the lift mechanism to slide in the axial
direction of the parent roll. A side shift mechanism 57
on the carriage moves the lift mechanism axially.
Referring to Figure 1, the right parent roll
30 is located at the centerline of the rewinder or other
web handling apparatus. The motor 40 is connected to
the core chuck 34 through the clutch 43a to rotate the
parent roll 30 and to unwind the web.
The left parent roll 31 is being loaded onto
the carriage by a parent roll loading device 59 which is
suspended from a crane. The loading device 59 is
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conventional and includes a pair of Iift arms 60 which
are mounted for axial movement in cross tube 61. The
left parent roll lift platform 53 is elevated by the
lift mechanism 54 to support the parent roll 31 so that
the lift arms 60 can be separated and raised without
interference from the core chucks 35 and 36.
In Figure 2 the platform 53 has been lowered
so that the core 32 of the parent roll is axially
aligned with the core chucks 35 and 36. A sensor can
detect the core center and stop the platform when the
core is in the correct position. The left core chuck 36
has been moved to the right and is inserted in the core.
In Figure 3 the left core chuck 36 is moved
farther to the right to push the parent roll on the
slide 56 so that the right core chuck 35 is inserted
into the core. The side shift mechanism 57 can also be
used to move the parent roll to the right.
Each of the core chucks includes conventional
expandable core grippers. The core grippers are
expanded when the core chucks are inserted into the core
so that the parent roll rotates with the chucks.
In Figure 4 the right parent roll continues to
unwind, and the left parent roll is prepared for
splicing to the web which will be severed from the right
roll. The details of the splicing procedure are
described in the aforementioned U. S. Serial No.
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09/216,323, filed December i8, 1998.
On center driven designs using a single
drive motor 40, an auxiliary motor can be used to rotate
the new parent roll off line for preparing the roll for
splicing. Since speed and control are not required for
this step, the auxiliary motor could be much smaller
than the main drive motor. The high torque and compact
size of a hydraulic motor would be ideal for this
application.
In Figure 5, the right parent roll has stopped
after it reaches a predetermined diameter. The running
web is severed and the carriage 26 has moved to the
right so that the prepped parent roll 31 is aligned with
the web in the rewinder. The diameter of the running
parent roll can be monitored via a laser measuring
device or other means such as using a programmable logic
controller to calculate diameter using parent roll rpm
and line speed. The traversing motion of the parent
roll carriage can be controlled automatically also. A
sender-receiver photo eye unit 62 can be located on
framework off of the carriage so that it is looking
between the parent rolls when one parent roll is
running. When the new parent roll traverses toward the
machine centerline, the beam between the sender and
receiver unit is broken, as the parent roll continues
past the sender receive location, the beam is seen
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again. By typing the traversing mechanism to carriage
location via an encoder, LVDT, resolver, or spring
loaded cable potentiometer, a controller can be used to
position the carriage so that it stops at the desired
location. The drive power from the motor 40 is
transferred by the clutch 43a from the parent roll
station that is expired to the parent roll station with
the new roll and engaging clutch 43.
In Figure 6, the parent roll lifting platform
52 is staged just below the expired roll in the
unloading position. This can be done manually or the
lifting platform can be made to stop via a switch
triggered by the core being present near the top of the
platform. The core gripping means located on the
stationary core chuck 34 is disengaged. The core chuck
33 mounted on the linear slides 50 is actuated such that
it pulls the core off of the stationary core chuck.
The unsupported end of the core falls onto the parent
roll-lifting platform. The core gripping means on the
core chuck 33 on the linear slide disengages from the
core. The other end of the core is now unsupported and
falls into the parent roll-lifting device.
Figure 7 illustrates the parent roll lifting
platform raised to a level where the crane mounted
parent roll lifting device 59 can unload the core.
The center driven shuttle unwind parent roll
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change sequence which has been described above can be
typical for all unwinds of this nature. In addition to
the change sequence, different methods for parent roll
support and for driving the parent roll can also be
used. The parent roll support methods can be broken
down into four categories. The first category, on-
machine core chucks, requires the core chucks to be
permanently fixed to the carriage. The core chucks can
be stationary or mounted on a linear slide means. One
advantage of mounting core chucks on linear slides is
allowing for side shifting the parent roll in the
chucking area. It also eliminates the requirement of
handling core chucks.
Drive Combinations
The following drive combinations can be used
for on-machine parent roll support methods. Figure 8
illustrates the one motor drive configuration of Figure
1 which switches the drive power from motor 40 between
the parent roll stations as required. A prepping motor
can be used to assist in splice preparation for this
configuration.
Figure 10 illustrates a two motor
configuration with the motors 66 and 67 located between
the parent roll stations for driving the middle core
chucks 34 and 35.
Figure 9 illustrates a two motor configuration
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with motors 64 and 65 located at the ends of the parent
roll carriage 26 for driving the right and left core
chucks 33 and 36. Figure 11 illustrates a three
motor concept which includes motors 40 and 66 and 67.
The center motor 40 uses the same drive mechanism as the
side shuttle unwind with one drive motor shown in Figure
8. The web can be unwound clockwise as indicated at W~,
or counterclockwise as indicated at WZ as shown in
Figure 13.
Figure 13 illustrates the web travelling over
upper and lower idler rolls 72 and 73 on the carriage 26
to a splicing apparatus 74. The splicing apparatus is
described in detail in U. S. patent application entitled
"Automatic Splicer for Unwinder," Serial No. 09/216,323,
filed December 18, 1998. As described in said
application, the leading end of the new web is spliced
to the trailing end of the web of the expired roll.
Removable Core Chucks
The second category for parent roll support is
removable core chuck methods. Removable core chucks are
inserted into the side of the parent roll off-machine.
A crane hooks the core chuck shafts and loads the parent
roll into the carriage. A drive mechanism is then
attached to the core chuck. The concept eliminates the
requirement for the parent roll lift devices located on
the carriage. It also eliminates the requirement of the
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crane-mounted parent roll handling device that has a
powered adjustable span and replaces it with a standard
hook.
Referring to Figure 14, removable core chucks
78 and 79 are inserted into the core of a new parent
roll 31. Each core chuck includes a shaft 80 which is
rotatably mounted in the housing 81 and a pulley 82 on
the end of the shaft. The new parent roll is supported
by a lift device 83 which includes hooks 84 for engaging
the shafts.
As the new parent roll is lowered toward the
carriage 26, the housings 81 engage the vertical support
arms 38 and 39. The support arms can be provided with
recesses for receiving the housings, or the housings can
be clamped in place for a more secure mounting.
The core chucks 85 and 86 for the right parent
roll 30 are clamped to the vertical support arms 38 and
39 by clamps 87 (see also Figure 15). Motors 88 and 89
are drivingly connected to the pulleys 82 by belts 90
and 91.
Figure 16 illustrates another embodiment of a
removable core chuck 93 which includes a shaft 94 and a
pulley 95. The shaft is rotatably mounted on, and
clamped to, the carriage 26 by upper and lower bearings
96 and 97.
Figure 17 illustrates a drive system for
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rotating the removable core chucks. The shaft 99 of the
core chuck is supported in a channel 100 on the support
arm 38. The shaft is clamped in place by a clamp 101
which is pivotally mounted to the support arm by pin 102
which is pivoted by a piston 103.
A timing belt 104 extends around a drive motor
pulley 105, a tension pulley 106, an idler pulley 107,
and a hydraulic prepping motor pulley 108. The tension
pulley 106 is mounted on a pivot arm 109 which is
controlled by piston 110.
When the core chuck is clamped in place, the
pulley 111 of the core chuck is aligned with the belt
104. The tension pulley 106 is pivoted to engage the
belt with the pulley. The parent roll can be rotated
slowly for splice preparation by activating the
hydraulic prepping motor which drives the pulley 108.
The parent roll can be rotated for unwinding the web by
activating the drive motor for the pulley 105.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 17 ,
the belt 104 also wraps a brake pulley 112 which is
mounted on a disc brake 113. The disc brake rotates
between brake pads 114, and rotation of the parent roll
can be stopped by activating the brake pads to clamp the
disc brake.
All of the drive motor configurations which
were described in Figures 1-13 for the on-machine core
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chucks can also be used for the removable core chucks.
Removable Core Chucks with
On-Machine Shafts
A third parent roll support category uses
removable core chucks and rotating shafts which are
permanently mounted on the unwinder. This category
allows for side shifting the parent roll at the core
chuck locations. It also eliminates the requirement for
the parent roll lifting device of Figures 1-13 and
replaces it with a standard hook.
Referring to Figures 18-20, removable core
chucks 117 and 118 are inserted into right parent roll
30 and removable core chucks 119 and 120 are inserted
into left parent roll 31. Each core chuck includes a
head 121 which is inserted into the core of the parent
roll and a hollow tapered tube 122.
In Figure 19 the left parent roll 31 is being
lowered toward the carriage 26 by a lift device 123
which includes hooks 124 which engage the tubes 122 of
the core chucks. The parent roll is lowered until the
tubes 122 are supported by chuck rests 125 on the
carriage.
Referring to Figure 20, each core chuck is
engageable to a shaft 126 which is rotatably mounted by
bearings within a housing 127 which is mounted on the
carriage. The housing 127 is slidably mounted for axial
movement on a slide 128, and the housing is moved
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axially by an axial drive device 129. A pulley 130 on
the end of the shaft is driven by a motor 131. After
the parent roll is lowered to the chuck rests 125, the
housings 127 are moved axially to insert the shafts 126
into the tubes 122 of the core chucks. The end of each
shaft is tapered and engages a correspondingly shaped
bore in the tube to provide a non-rotating fit.
Parent Roll With Center Shaft
The fourth parent roll support category uses
the center shaft around which the web is wound by the
paper machine for forming the parent roll. In Figure 21
parent rolls 134 and 135 were formed by a paper machine
by winding a web around center shafts 136 and 137. The
center shafts are conventional and well known.
Referring to Figure 23, each end of each shaft includes
a collar 138 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft and
a radially enlarged drum 139 which is fixed to the
shaft. The shaft terminates in an end journal 140.
The collars 138 on the ends of the shaft are
supported by support arms 141 and 142 on the carriage
26. The end journal on one end of the shaft is
engageable with a low backlash coupler 143 on a shaft
144. A pulley 145 on the shaft is driven by a motor 146
which is mounted on a slide 147 for axial sliding
movement. Rotation of the shaft can be stopped by brake
148. A hydraulic cylinder 149 moves the motor axially.
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The motor 146 can be shifted axially for driving either
of the parent rolls.
Each parent roll can be rotated slowly for
splice preparation by a prepping motor 150 on one of the
support arms 141 and 142. A rubber tire or wheel 151 is
driven by the motor, and the motor and tire can be
pivoted by a hydraulic cylinder 152 so that the tire
engages the drum 139 on the center shaft. The drum can
also be used as a brake drum for stopping the parent
roll or for holding it in place after splice
preparation. The motor 146 can be shifted axially for
driving either of the parent rolls.
Figure 22 illustrates the right parent roll
134 being rotated by the motor 146 as the left parent
roll is being loaded by lift device 154. Figure 21
shows the left parent roll supported on the carriage.
While in the foregoing specification a detail
description of specific embodiments of the invention was
set forth for the purpose of illustration, it will be
understood that many of the details hereingiven can be
varied considerably by those skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
