Paper reel stands

This invention provides a paper reel stand, for supplying a web of paper to a paper processing machine, which lifts the paper roll into a feeding position and provides accurate feed alignment of the web from the roll, tension control on the web and prevents over-run in the event of the machine stopping or slowing down, said stand including a frame having at each side thereof a lifting means each operable from a common power source and each arranged to engage a shaft to rotatably support a paper roll and raise the latter to a paper feeding position on the stand, a frame pivotally mounted in the stand with its free end movable to and remote from an operating position adjacent the perimeter of the paper roll where adjustable means on said free end engage the paper roll to control feed alignment of the web and the tension imparted to the web and to prevent over-run when take-off from the roll stops or slows down.

This invention relates to paper reel stands for supporting rolls of paper 
for feeding to a paper processing machine. 
In the handling of paper rolls for mounting in a paper processing machine 
there is difficulty in lifting the roll on the machine reel support, 
particularly, when the rolls are of large size, and to accurately align 
the paper web drawn from the roll for feeding into the machine together 
with maintainance of the roll in lateral position, and providing tension 
control of the web and to prevent over-run of the web when the machine 
stops or slows down. 
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a paper reel 
stand arranged to lift a paper roll from the ground to a feeding position 
in the stand, provide for accurate feed alignment of the web from the 
roll, tension control and over-run of the web. 
According to the invention a paper reel stand, for supplying a web of paper 
to a paper processing machine, includes a frame having at each side 
thereof a jack or like lifting means, each operable from a common power 
source and each arranged to engage a shaft adapted to rotatably support a 
paper roll to raise the latter to a paper feeding position on the stand, a 
counter-poise or like frame mounted on the stand and with the free end of 
said latter frame movable to and remote from an operating position 
adjacent the perimeter of the paper roll, the frame having at the free end 
thereof adjustable means for engaging the paper roll to control feed 
alignment of the paper web from the roll and the tension imparted to the 
web being fed from the roll and to prevent over-run of the roll when 
take-off of the web from the roll stops or slows down. 
The pair of jacks or like lifting means may each comprise a screw thread 
arranged in a side post of the stand frame, engaged by a running nut, 
guided relatively to the post and having means associated therewith to 
engage the roll shaft, the screw thread of each jack being drive coupled 
to a common reversible electric motor to rotate the screw-threads in a 
required direction and controlled by limit switches to limit the movement 
of the associated nuts in either direction. 
The free end of the counter-poise frame includes a transverse shaft which 
at each end is supported in such a manner to provide limited adjustable 
axial movement and to prevent rotation of the shaft. The support means 
includes adjustable opposed spring means to permit the shaft to move 
relatively to the opposed springs. The shaft also has mounted thereon 
adjustably spaced rollers to ride upon the perimeter of the paper roll 
adjacent to the take-off point of the paper web. Between the rollers and 
the adjacent shaft end support is located an adjustable clamp member each 
carrying a friction member and a roller to be selectively positioned to 
abut the side edge of paper roll to locate the roll in a required aligned 
position. One of said clamp members includes a screw means arranged to 
move its associated friction member and roller axially of the transverse 
shaft to adjust the pressure of the friction members or rollers on the 
sides of the paper roll. 
In order that the invention may be more readily understood reference will 
now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical 
embodiment of a paper reel stand constructed according to the present 
invention.

As illustrated in the drawings the paper reel stand comprises a base 15 
having two open side frames 16 and 17 with slightly rearwardly inclined 
front posts 16a and 17a and rear posts 16b. The front posts 16a and 17a 
are hollow and parallel with front and rear slots 18 and 19 (FIGS. 2, 3 
and 4). 
Within each front post 16a and 17a and rotatably supported in end bearings 
20 is a screw 21 having a tubular nut 22 thereon, said nut having side 
pins 23 pivoted in a cage 24 permitting limited movement of the cage in a 
plane normal to the screw 21. An extension 25 from each nut cage 24 
extends respectively through the rear slot 19 in the posts 16a or 17a and 
projects upwardly and carries a pair of rollers 26 each of which bears on 
the post each side of the slot 19 therein. A front extension 27 on the 
cage 24 extends through the front slot 18 in the post and projects 
downwardly and carries a pair of rollers 28, each of which bears on the 
post each side of the slot 18. 
The forward extension 27 has a hook formation 29 which is adapted to engage 
a shaft support 30 for a paper roll 31. The screws 21, nuts 22, cages 24, 
extensions 25 and 27 and rollers 26 and 28 associated in the posts 16a and 
17a constitute lifting jacks so that the hooks 29 in a lowered position 
enable a paper roll 31 to be rolled in position between the posts 16a and 
17a with the support shaft 30 above the hooks 29 and upon rotation of the 
screws the hooks will raise the roll into an operative position with the 
rollers 26 and 28 taking the weight of the roll. Preferably the shaft 30 
is provided with spaced collars 32 at one end thereof to provide a seat 
for a hook 29 and prevent axial movement of the shaft 30 when paper from 
the roll is being delivered from the stand. 
Each screw 21 has at the upper end shouldered extensions 33 and 34, the 
inner extension 33 having a thrust bearing 35 thereon and the outer 
extension 34 has a flanged boss 36 thereon, the boss of which latter 
carries a chain sprocket 37. The flanged boss 36 is secured to the screw 
shaft 21 by nut 38 and the sprocket 37 secured to the flange 39 of the 
boss 36 by bolt 40 which is selectively screwed through one of the slots 
41 in the flange 39, the arrangement being such that the screws 21 may be 
adjusted to level the lifting hooks 29 independently of the drive of the 
sprockets 37. 
Each sprocket 37 is driven by a chain 42 coupled to a sprocket 43 on a 
counter shaft 44 rotatably supported in bearings on a corresponding rear 
post 16b. Each counter shaft 44 has a second sprocket 45 thereon each 
driven by a chain 46. One counter shaft 44 constitutes a drive shaft 
driven through a worm drive 47 by a reversible electric motor 48. The 
arrangement is such that by rotating the motor 48 through a control switch 
(not shown) in a required direction the screws 21 are rotated to move the 
lifting hooks 29 on the front posts 16a and 17a upwardly or downwardly; 
limit switches 49 and 50 are provided on one post (FIG. 1) to be actuated 
by extension 25 of one of the lifting hooks 29 so that the motor 48 is 
switched off upon the lifting hooks 29 reading the limit of their movement 
in either direction. 
The above described construction and drive arrangement for the lifting 
hooks 29 ensures that the hooks move parallely and level so that in the 
lowermost position a paper roll 31 may be rolled between the posts 16a and 
17a, the shaft 30 passed through the roll, the hooks raised to lift the 
roll into a paper feeding position. 
Pivotally mounted to each rear post 16b, on a bracket 51, is an arm 52 
having a counter-weight 53 at the outer end thereof. The inner part of 
each arm 52 extends forwardly to a position above the paper roll lifting 
mechanism. The inner end of each arm has a mounting 54 supporting a 
transverse shaft 55 in a suspended manner. The arms 52 and shaft 55 form a 
open rectangular counter-balanced frame, with the shaft 55 tending to drop 
towards and contact the top of the paper roll 31. One arm 52 has a side 
lug 56 which is engaged on the underside by a ball 57 in the end of a 
threaded rod 58 (FIGS. 2, 7, 8 and 9). The threaded rod 58 is carried in 
sleeve 59 fixed to side frame 16, the rod is provided with a longitudinal 
keyway 60 engaged by a fixed key 61 secured in the sleeve 59 to prevent 
the rod 58 from rotating. The threaded rod 58 is also engaged by a 
sprocket-nut 62 which is supported between bearings 63 and 64, the 
sprocket-nut 62, and bearings 63 and 64 being held in operative position 
by an apertured bracket 65 through which the rod 58 extends. The 
sprocket-nut 62 engages the inner run of one of the chains 42 driving the 
lifting jack screw 21 of post 16a, the arrangement being such that the 
screw 58 is operated to lift the counterbalanced frame when the lifting 
hooks 29 are being lowered and to lower the said frame when the hooks 29 
are being raised so that the transverse shaft 55 of said frame is lowered 
onto the top of the paper roll 31. The frame and shaft 55 are lifted clear 
of a paper roll when the stand is being re-loaded with a fresh roll. 
The transverse shaft 55 is supported at its ends by the mountings 54 at 
each end of arms 52, each mounting 54 comprises a suspension rod 66 having 
at its lower end a fork 67 which carries a block 68 pivotally connected to 
the fork by pivot screws 69 (FIGS. 10 and 11). 
The suspension rod 66 has a collar 70 within the mounting 54 and which 
separates two compression springs 71 and 72 each of which respectively 
abut the collar 70 and the inside of the mounting 54. The upper end of the 
mounting is in the form of a tube nut 73 the inner end of which abuts the 
upper spring 71 so that adjustable pressure may be imparted to the collar 
70 and rod 66 through the springs 71 and 72. 
The shaft 55 has a keyway 74 extending for the major part of its length and 
at one end (right end FIG. 2) the pivoted block 68 at that end has a key 
(not shown) to engage the keyway 74 and thereby prevail the shaft 55 from 
rotating but permitting longitudinal movement of the shaft. The other end 
of the shaft 55 is threaded as at 55a and which is received in an 
internally threaded sleeve 75 having a flanged end 76, said sleeve 75 
engaging an aperture 77 in one of the blocks 68 supported in mounting 54 
as shown at the left in FIG. 2 and in detail in FIGS. 10 and 11. The 
sleeve 75 is threaded at one end to receive a collar 78 retained by a grub 
screw 78 whereby the sleeve 75 is retained in the block 68 in an adjusted 
position on the threaded part 55a of the shaft 55. 
Two rollers 80 are arranged on the shaft 55 and are arranged to be 
adjustably spaced and secured in required position to bear upon the top of 
the paper roll 31. 
On the shaft 55 and between a roller 80 and shaft end support block 68 is a 
clamp member 81, at the right, and a clamp member 82, at the left as seen 
in FIG. 2. Each clamp member 81 and 82 is slidable along the shaft 55 and 
adapted to be clamped by screws 83 at determined positions on the shaft. 
Each clamp member has a lug 84 supported thereon by spaced studs and nuts 
85, each lug 84 having on opposite ends thereof a roller 86 and a friction 
member 87, the arrangement being such that by reversing the lugs 84 on the 
studs 85 either the rollers 86 or friction members 87 may be set to abut 
the side edge of the paper roll 31, when the arms 52 are lowered and the 
rollers 80 contact the upper perimeter of the paper roll 31, as shown in 
FIG. 2. 
The clamp member 82, as seen at the left of FIG. 2 and as detailed in FIGS. 
12, 13 and 14, has a key 88 which prevents that clamp member from rotating 
on the shaft 55, the clamp also having a rearward threaded boss 89 which 
has a thimble 90 thereon. Within the thimble is a compression spring 91 
which bears upon the inner face of the thimble and a pressure ring 92 onto 
the outer face of which is attached the end of studs 85 by screws 93. The 
studs 85 are slidable in the clamp member 82 so that the lug 84 carrying 
the roller 86 and friction member 87 is urged outwardly by adjustable 
pressure applied by the spring 91 and thimble 90. 
The right hand clamp member 81 is fixed in position with a roller or 
friction member abutting the side of the paper roll after the roll has 
been aligned for feeding the paper into a paper web processing machine. 
The left hand clamp member is moved along the shaft 55 until its roller or 
friction member abuts the other side of the paper roll, the member is then 
clamped to the shaft when the thimble adjusted so that a required pressure 
is imparted to the roller or friction pad. 
The rollers 86 and friction members 87 are adapted to provide adjustable 
pressure on each side of the paper roll to maintain the roll in alignment 
with the paper processing machine with which the reel stand is associated. 
Accurate alignment adjustment of the roll may also be effected by 
adjusting the shaft 55 longitudinally by means of the sleeve 75 in the 
block 68. 
The friction members 87 and rollers 85 assist in preventing over-run of the 
roll when the paper processing machine stops or slows down. The friction 
members are used for heavy weight paper rolls and the rollers for light 
weight paper rolls. 
The paper reel stand as above described enables a paper roll to be readily 
lifted into feeding position for a paper web processing machine and the 
various adjustments incorporated on the rider shaft enable the roll and 
web to be accurately positioned for feed alignment.