Reel bar loading mechanism with outwardly pivoting guide rails

A reel bar loading device is provided having sloping storage rails located above the driving roll. The storage rails are pivotally connected at their lower ends to second rails. The second rails have upper end portions, downwardly sloping portions and lower end portions. The second rails in a first position are in alignment with the first rails and provide a continuum of the track permitting the reel to descend the second rails into an awaiting transfer arm mechanism. The second rails are pivotal outwardly precluding movement of a reel from the first rails and allowing the transfer arm mechanism to move into a winding position. A pair of lowering arms engage the reel at the opposite ends of the reels adjacent to and inside of the second rails to control the descent of the reel over the second rails when the second rails are in their first position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a reel loading device adapted to feed 
reels from upper supporting racks or rails onto transfer arms which move 
and support the reel in winding position in a paper making machine. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A variety of different reel lowering devices for transferring a reel from a 
supporting rack for storing empty reel bars into a transfer means to move 
the reel bars into a winding position have been proposed and many such 
devices are currently in use. For example U.S. Pat. No. 1,949,997 issued 
Mar. 6, 1934 to Fourness describes a paper winder wherein empty cores are 
carried from a lower rack via a pair of arms and moved into winding 
position against a winding drum to form a roll of paper. The shaft of the 
paper core is transferred from grooves or slots in the arms transferring 
the core to the winding position into co-operating slots formed in a 
second pair of transfer arms that carry a finished or wound roll of paper 
into a second storage rack located above the storage rack for empty reels. 
This device provides for the loading and unloading of reels and wound 
paper rolls respectively from a winding position but is a relatively 
expensive and cumbersome piece of equipment. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,566 issued May 23, 1950 to Dunton describes a web roll 
backstand and provides for a transfer of a wound roll to an unwind station 
and removal of the cores. A pair of arms are used to make the transfer 
into the unreeling position and a second pair of arms are used to transfer 
the empty reel or core to a second storage position. Although this device 
is not a device for transferring empty reels into a transfer arm it does 
show the use of spaced arms to make the transfer of the roll into an 
operating position. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,989,262 issued June 20, 1961 to Hornbostel teaches the use 
of gravity to roll a plurality of empty cores and apply the cores one at a 
time from an inclined storage device into a loading position where they 
are picked up by a transfer arm and moved into winding position between a 
pair of winding drums. The mechanism for controlling the flow of empty 
cores down the relatively steep incline of the storage device leads to 
significant complications in this structure of the winder. 
Yet another example of a reel loader is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,253 
issued June 22, 1971 to Gilbank et al. In this device empty reels are 
loaded onto an upper rack formed by a pair of rails having an abutment 
stop at their lower ends so the empty reels move down the rails to the 
abutment stop. A pair of lifting and lowering arms are provided which 
lifts each empty reel over the abutment and permits it to roll to the 
opposite side thereof and then lowers the reel into the reel transfer 
device. The operation of the reel lowering arms in the arrangement 
requires lifting the reel over the abutment, transverse movement to direct 
the reel to the opposite side of the abutment and then lowering of the 
reel into the transfer device. The opposite side of the abutment in this 
case operates as a cam to hold the reel in position during the initial 
phases of lowering of the lowering arms so that there is a controlled 
movement of the reel along the lowering arms. Obviously the reciprocal 
motion of the arm during loading complicates the operation of the lowering 
arms in that they first must move upward to lift the reel bars above the 
abutment and then downward after the reel bars have moved along the arm to 
the opposite side of the abutment into a transfer position. U.S. Pat. No. 
4,179,329 issued Dec. 18, 1979 to Page discloses an apparatus for handling 
web material that involves the use of lowering arms similar to that taught 
by Gilbank et al. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,654 issued Apr. 15, 1975 to Randpalu et al utilizes 
transfer arms as a transfer device in the normal manner to move a reel bar 
into winding position and also as a lowering mechanism. The transfer arms 
are extended so that the clamp may move along the arms to an upper 
position to receive reels located on the storage rack thereabove. Clearly, 
such extension of the transfer arms requires a controlled movement of the 
reels along the storage rack to permit the transfer arms to rotate and 
requires a more elaborate clamping mechanism which is transported along 
the transfer arms. 
In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,526 issued May 17, 1988 there is disclosed a reel 
bar lowering device where the ends of the rails are pivotally connected 
about a horizontal axis to allow the rail ends to collapse lowering the 
reel into an initial winding position. In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,720 
issued May 17, 1988 there is disclosed a reel bar loader device having a 
pair of lowering arms onto which the reel bars are loaded one at a time. 
The lowering arms pivot about a horizontal axis from an upper position 
adapted to receive a reel bar on a supporting surface thereof to a lower 
transfer position while the reel bar rolls along the length of the surface 
into contact with an abutment on the arms. The reel lowering arms provide 
a cam stop that moves into stopping position to stop movement of reel bars 
into a loading position when the lowering arms are not in their upper 
position. 
Another example of a lowering device including arms that pivot about a 
horizontal axis is disclosed in Russian Pat. No. 132,933 dated 1959. In 
this document there is shown a lowering arm over which an elongated bar 
rolls into a working position where the arms are adapted to load the next 
bar when the arms rise from a lower position into an upper position. 
Still yet another example of a lowering device where a flask is lowered 
into a transfer device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,389 issued Nov. 
6, 1987 to Hunter. In this device the flask is lowered into the jaws of a 
transfer station prior to the flask being moved into a lower rack. The 
lowering arms pivot about a horizontal axis from an upper position 
prohibiting the flask from moving off the ends of the support rails to a 
lower position where the flask roll down the lowering arm into the 
awaiting transfer station. The rate of decent of the flask is a function 
of the curvature of the lowering arm and is not controlled by any positive 
means. As a result, the movement of the flask is arrested by the transfer 
jaws. The momentum associated with this movement increases as the weight 
of the flask increases thereby placing more of a jarring load on the jaws. 
It is also known in a reel lifting device that lifts empty reels onto 
overhead rails to pivotally connect ends of the rails to the rails 
themselves where by the ends of the rails pivot outwardly about respective 
vertical axes. In this arrangement, the rails slope downwardly away from 
the lifting arm. The lifting arm raises the reel above the rails, the ends 
of the rails then pivot inwardly to be located below the reels. The 
lifting arm then lowers the reel onto the ends of the rail whereby the 
reel is free to roll down the rails away from the lifting arm. While the 
above device provides for outwardly pivoting rail ends, the device still 
requires the use of a lifting arm that pivots about a horizontal axis and 
is designed to carry the entire weight of the empty reel. Further, while I 
have modified the reel bar lifter design for use in a lowering device, 
such a device still requires the use of a lifting and lowering arm that 
first lifts the reel off the ends of the rails, and then lowers the reel 
into winding position. Such lifting and lowering devices must carry the 
entire weight of the reel during the lifting or lowering which becomes 
more critical for larger and heavier reels. 
The above reel lowering device mechanisms either require lifting and 
lowering of the reel in a lowering arm mechanism or they require that the 
reel be lowered by pivoting arms that pivot about a horizontal axis. 
However when heavy reels in the order of 12,000 kg are used with these 
reel lowering arms to control lowering of the reel from the support rails 
down into the transfer arms the safety factor in using these arms becomes 
more critical since failure of the lowering arm may result in collapse of 
the lowering device and free fall of the reel. Should the reel bar 
lowering arms not be able to cope with the weight of the reel and fail, 
the lowering arm may collapse downwardly dropping the reel. Thus the use 
of heavier reels may adversely effect the safety factor. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for 
permitting lowering the empty reels from the storage racks or rails into 
transfer arms wherein the reel moves along a continual track into the 
transfer arm. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a structure 
wherein the reel descends into the transfer arm over a continuous track 
and where this decent is controlled. 
It is another object of the invention to provide a mechanism for lowering 
of a reel into winding position where a continuous rail over which the 
reel descends thereby precluding a free fall of the reel. 
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a 
reel bar loader for loading a reel into winding position in a paper making 
machine. The reel bar loader comprises first rail means including a pair 
of parallel first rails each of which gently slopes downwardly from one 
end towards the other end thereof and which together provide a track for 
carrying at least one reel. The reel bar loader includes second rail means 
including a pair of second rails each having an upper end portion, a 
downwardly sloping portion and a lower end portion. Each of the upper end 
portions of the second rails are pivotally connected about a vertical axis 
to the other end of a corresponding one of the first rails. There is 
provided a transfer arm means pivotally movable between a first loaded 
position adjacent the lower end portions of the second rails for accepting 
the reel from the lower end portions of the second rails and a second 
loaded position positioning the reel in a winding position remote from the 
lower end portions of the second rails. Means are provided for controlling 
pivotal movement of the second rails in an outward direction away from one 
another from a first position, where the second rails are parallel to one 
another and are in alignment with the first rails providing a continuum of 
the track and allowing movement of the reel over the second rails into the 
transfer arm means, to a second position, where the second rails are in 
non-alignment with the first rails such that the lower end portions 
thereof are positioned remote of the transfer arm means precluding 
movement of a further reel over the second rails and permitting movement 
of the transfer arm means into the second loaded position which movement 
of the transfer arm means in loaded condition would otherwise be 
prohibited by the second rails when in their first position. There is also 
provided means for controlling the descent, of the reel as the reel moves 
over the second rails into the transfer arm means. 
Advantage is found with the present invention in that by providing 
downwardly sloping second rails that pivot about respective vertical axes, 
the second rails take a part of the load of the reel as it descends the 
rails without the whole load being carried by a lowering arm. Further, 
since the second rails pivot about respective vertical axes, should the 
mechanism lowering the reels fail to function properly, the position of 
the second rails is not effected and the second rails continue to provide 
a track over which the reel descends. 
The means for controlling pivotal movement of the second rails preferably 
comprises a hydraulic piston and cylinder for each second rail and 
corresponding pivotally connected first rail. The cylinder is pivotally 
secured to an outside surface of the first rail with the piston being 
pivotally secured to an outside surface of the second rail. Contraction of 
the piston causes the second rail to pivot outwardly about its vertical 
axis at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the first rail. 
The means for controlling the decent of the reel over the second rail means 
preferably comprises a pair of lowering arms positionable below opposing 
ends of the reel adjacent to and inside of the second rails. The lowering 
arms move in unison to lower the reel over the second rails into the 
transfer arm means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown generally at 10 a winding station for a 
paper making machine. The winding station comprises a plurality of support 
columns 11 and cross beams 12. Above the columns 12 on top of the beams 11 
is supported a first pair of sloping racks or rails 14 are supported. It 
should be understood that while only one side of the winding station is 
illustrated, the other side of the station corresponds to the side 
described. 
The rails 14 slope downwardly from the right side of FIGS. 1 and 2 at a 
predetermined angle of approximately 2.degree. . The rails 14 are spaced 
apart to provide a track for supporting and guiding empty reels 16 prior 
to these reels being loaded into a winding position. The reels 16 are 
loaded onto the first rails 14 by a crane (not shown). In FIG. 3 each end 
of the reels includes a first groove 18 located between two collars 20 so 
as to provide a shoe that runs over and along a corresponding rail 14. The 
rails 14 have stops 22 located on an inside surface of the rails that 
pivot under piston control (not shown) to raise the stop into engagement 
with inner reel collar 20 to halt movement of the reel along the rails 14. 
In FIG. 1 the lower ends of the first rails 14 are shown pivotally 
connected to second rails 24. The pivot connection is provided by a hinge 
26 having hinge brackets attached to respective outside surfaces of rails 
14 and 24. The hinge joint 26 pivots about a pin that is oriented along a 
vertical axis. The second rails 24 have an upper end portion 28, a 
downwardly sloping portion 30 and a lower end portion 32. In the position 
shown in FIG. 1 (the first position), the second rails 24 provide a 
continuum of the track provided by the first rails 14. This allows the 
shoes of the reels 16 to pass from the first rails 14 onto the second 
rails 30. The second rails 24 may be pivoted about the vertical axis with 
respect to the first rails 14 into a second position as shown in FIG. 2. 
In this second position for the second rails 24, the reels 16 are 
prevented from moving onto the second rails by the stops 22. Further due 
to the outward movement of the rails 24 at right angles to the rails 14, 
the rails 24 would effectively engage the outer collar 20 of the reel 16 
in the event that the stop 22 does not function. It is envisaged that it 
would be feasible to have the rails 24 engage the outer collar 20 of the 
reel 16 simultaneously with the stop 22 engaging the inner collar 20 of 
the reel when the rails 14 are in their second outwardly pivoted position. 
Movement of the rails 24 relative to the rails 14 is controlled by a 
hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement 25 with the cylinder pivotally 
connected to the outside surface of the rail 14 and the piston pivotally 
connected to the outside surface of the rail 24. The rails 24 are 
positioned in alignment with the rails 14 to provide a continuum of the 
track when the piston/cylinder arrangement is expanded and the rails 24 
extend outwardly at right angles to the rails 14 when the piston/cylinder 
arrangement is contracted. 
Movement of the reel 16 over the second rails 24 is controlled by a pair of 
lowering arms 34 (only one shown). The lowering arms 34 engage a 
respective groove 19 (see FIG. 3) located at an end of the reel 16 between 
the main body of the reel 21 and the inside collar 20 of the reel. The 
engagement of the lowering arms 34 in grooves 19 of the reel 16 
effectively locates the lowering arms adjacent to and on the inside of 
second rails 24 so as to permit the second rails to pivot outwardly. The 
lowering arms 34 are pivotally connected at 36 to the supporting structure 
of the left-most column 11 shown in the drawings. The lowering arms are 
interconnected by an elongated bar or shaft 38 (FIG. 3) that spans the 
width of the station between the rails 14 and 22. Movement of lowering 
arms 34 is controlled by respective hydraulic piston and cylinder 
arrangements 40 shown pivotally connected to the lowering arm at 42 and to 
the column 12 at 44. The control of hydraulic pistons/cylinders 40 and the 
interconnection of the lowering arms 34 via bar 38 ensures that the ends 
of a reel 16 uniformly descend the second rails 24. 
Below the second rails 24 is a driving roll 46. The driving roll contacts 
the reel 16 and drives the reel 16 as paper or web (not shown) is rolled 
onto the empty reel. It should be understood that a reel prestart device 
to start rotation of the reel prior to it contacting the driving roll 46 
is not shown and that a cutting device to cut the continuous paper web 
from the wound roll 48 is not shown. 
The reel 16 descends the rails 24 with groove 18 rolling onto a supporting 
shoe 56 of an awaiting transfer arm 50 (one located at each end of the 
reel). The transfer arm 50 includes a cylinder/piston arrangement 52 which 
is pivotally attached to a clamp or jaw 54. Transfer arm 50 further 
includes a lower jaw 51 pivotally movable by piston/cylinder arrangement 
53. In FIG. 2, the cylinder/piston 52 is extended to pivot the jaw 54 
about collar 20 and the piston/cylinder arrangement 51 is extended 
bringing the lower jaw 53 up into engagement with collar 20. Once the reel 
16 has been initially loaded on the driving roll 46, the wound roll 48 
moves out of the station 10 along lower rails 58. The reel 16 is supported 
by the shoe 56 and jaws 53 and 54 of the transfer arm mechanism 50. The 
transfer arm 50 subsequently rotates about axis 60 in the direction of 
arrow 61 thereby moving the reel 16 onto rails 58. The transfer mechanism 
controls the nip pressure between the reel and the driving roll 46. At 
this stage, the reel 16 is supported on lower rails 58. A piston cylinder 
mechanism 70 and shoe assembly 72 controls the nip pressure between the 
driving roll 46 and paper wound on reel 16. As the paper continues to wind 
on reel 16, the roll diameter increases, increasing the distance between 
the axis of drive roll 46 and reel 16. The piston/cylinder arrangements 
51, 52 of transfer arm 50, contract pivoting jaws 53,54 out of engagement 
with collar 20 and transfer arm 50 is rotated back into the position shown 
in FIG. 1. The rails 24 are then pivoted back to the position shown in 
FIG. 1 and arms 34 are raised to ready the loader for the descent of the 
next reel 16. 
In accordance with the present invention the transfer of the reel from the 
upper first rails 14 to the lower winding position is accomplished by 
first allowing the reel 16 to descend the rails 24 under the control of 
the lowering arms 34 and the piston/cylinder hydraulic arrangement 40. As 
a result, the load associated with the weight of the reel is shared by the 
rails 24 and lowering arms 34. The reel is lowered off the lower end 
portions of the rails 24 into the adjacent transfer arm 56. The 
piston/cylinders 51,52 are then expanded causing the jaws 53,54 to 
surround the collars 20 of the reel 16. At this time, the piston/cylinder 
40 is contracted further so that the arms 34 no longer engage the reel. 
The rails 24 are then pivoted outwardly to their second position as shown 
in FIG. 2. This permits the transfer arm 56 to rotate about axis 60 
maintaining the reel 16 in contact with the drive roll 46 and ultimately 
placing the reel on the rails 58.