Reel stand

A reel stand of the kind having a pair of arms (1) capable of horizontal movement towards and away from one another and pivotal movement in a vertical plane, characterized in that the arms (1) are vertically movable in translation, the conjunction of which vertical translational movement with the pivotal movement enables cones (10) on the arms (1) to reach positions of alignment with the support shafts of paper reels of different diameters.

DESCRIPTION 
The invention relates to reel stands, the function of which is to pick up 
reels of paper, generally from transporting means, and to lift them and 
place them in an unreeling or working station and also the reverse 
function, namely, to put the reels down on said transporting means once 
the reels have been used up or as otherwise required. 
Such reel stands incorporate pairs of arms which are designed to pick up 
the reels between them, for which purpose the arms have at their ends 
support cones which locate in the ends of a hollow support shaft on which 
the reels are mounted. 
In known reel stands each pair of arms can only carry out two movements, 
the first of which is in a horizontal plane for mutual approach or 
separation, in order to move them into or move out of engagement with the 
support shaft of the reel and the other of which is a turning movement in 
order to lift the reel, once grasped, into the working position or to 
lower and deposit the reel when it had been exhausted or when it has to be 
replaced. 
Since the reels to be used may have different diameters, their shafts will 
be at different heights relative to the ground. As a result of this and 
since the arms of the known reel stands only describe two movements, the 
horizontal one of mutual approach or separation which has to take place 
when the support cones are already facing one another or aligned with the 
hollow shaft, and the turning movement which has to be the one that brings 
the support cones into alignment with said hollow shaft, said alignment is 
not achieved in the majority of occasions since a circumferential arc 
which always has the same radius cannot always coincide with different 
shaft heights. 
To overcome this problem the support cones are positioned as close as 
possible to the hollow shaft of the reel and then the latter has to be 
moved into alignment which, because of its dimensions and weight, is a 
complex, slow and very difficult job. This problem is aggravated by the 
fact that, in addition to the difficulties involved in the operation, it 
is impossible to automate the process of loading and unloading the reels 
completely so that this stage of the process is an impediment to complete 
automation. 
The object of the present invention is to solve or mitigage this problem by 
arranging for the arms additionally to be movable in a vertical plane. 
The combination of the vertical and turning movements of the arms of the 
reel stand enables their support cones to take up any required position 
within an area which is always sufficient to bring about their alignment 
with the longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft of the reels. 
According to one preferred embodiment, since the hollow shaft of the reels 
will be positioned at a height which may differ as a function of the 
diameter of the same, but always lies in the same vertical plane, in order 
to pick up a reel, the arms of the reel stand will describe a downward 
turning movement until they reach the lowest possible position within said 
vertical plane in order to pick up or put down the reel with the smallest 
diameter. Once they are in this position and by virtue of the third 
movement in a vertical plane, said arms will rise until the support cones 
meet with the hollow shaft of the reel, and will then engage it and 
establish the necessary coupling. 
Preferably the different rectilinear movements of the two pairs of arms of 
a reel stand in the horizontal and vertical planes are achieved with a 
single motor drive.