Patent ID: 7201553
Filing Date: 2007-04-10
Classification: B65H,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of feeding reels to a machine from a store of reels close to said machine; each reel having an axis , a central hole which is engagable by an unwinding pin on said machine, and two flat faces perpendicular to said axis ; and the method comprising the steps of: positioning said gripping member facing one of said flat faces of a reel; bringing said gripping member into contact with said flat face; withdrawing said gripping member perpendicularly to said flat face to position the gripping member at a second distance from the flat face or within a range (I) about said second distance; determining whether at least one reference point of a gripping member of a manipulator lies inside the hole of a reel in the store; picking up said reel by the gripping member when the reference point lies inside the hole of said reel; and transferring said reel from said gripping member to said unwinding pin.