End holder for band-like material

A device for holding an end portion of a band-like material comprising a frame, a suctional attraction roller rotatably supported by the frame and having a suctional attraction part at the periphery of the roller, and a pincher which is supported by the frame and can be moved toward and away from the peripheral surface of the roller. The end portion of the band-like material is attracted by the suctional attraction roller through suction. The roller is thereafter turned so that the end portion of the band-like material is wound upward. The pincher is then moved toward the suctional attraction roller so that the end portion of the band-like material is surely held by the pincher and the roller.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a device for holding the end portion of a 
band-like material. 
A conventional device for holding the end portion of a band-like material 
includes a frame and a suction attraction bar which is secured to the 
frame. A vacuum suction passage extends in the longitudinal direction of 
the bar and a plurality of suction holes communicate with the vacuum 
suction passage and are open in the outside surface of the suctional 
attraction bar. The holes are located at a spaced distance from each other 
in the longitudinal direction of the bar. The suctional attraction bar is 
pushed on the end portion of the band-like material and air is thereafter 
sucked through the suction holes and the vacuum suction passage so that 
the end portion of the band-like material is held through suction 
attraction. All the suction holes of the device communicate with the 
vacuum suction passage. For that reason, there is no problem if all the 
suction holes are closed by the band-like material at the time of the 
suction attraction thereof. However, if the width of the band-like 
material is so small that some of the suction holes are open to the 
atmosphere, there is a problem that the pressure in the vacuum suction 
passage rises to reduce the suctional attraction power of the device to 
let the suction-attracted band-like material deviate relative to the 
suction attraction bar or come off it. 
It is possible to provide the suction holes with valves and open or close 
the valves depending on the width of the band-like material, in order to 
solve the above-mentioned problem. However, if such is done, there are 
other problems in that the control and thus modified construction of the 
conventional device are complicated and the cost thereof is increased. 
Since there is a limit to the suctional attraction power of the 
conventional device, there is still another problem that the band-like 
material deviates relative to the suctional attraction bar or comes off it 
if a strong external force acts to the band-like material. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device 
for holding the end portion of a band-like material and in which a frame, 
a suction attraction roller rotatably supported by the frame and having a 
suction attraction part at the periphery of the roller, and a pincher 
which is supported by the frame and can be moved toward and away from the 
peripheral surface of the roller are provided. The end portion of the 
band-like material is attracted by the suctional attraction roller through 
suction. The roller is thereafter turned so that the end portion of the 
band-like material is wound upward. The pincher is then moved toward the 
suction attraction roller so that the end portion of the band-like 
material is held by the pincher and the roller. 
When the end portion of the band-like material is to be retained by the 
pincher and the suctional attraction roller, the roller is first pushed on 
the end portion of the band-like material so that the end portion is 
attracted by the suction attraction portion of the roller through suction. 
The suction attraction roller is then turned by a prescribed angle so that 
the attracted end portion of the band-like material is wound upward. At 
that time, the roller may be either forcibly turned by a turning device or 
translated and then turned by the friction on the band-like material. 
After that, the pincher is moved toward the suction attraction roller so 
that the upwardly-wound end portion of the band-like material is held at 
both the sides thereof by the pincher and the suction attraction roller. 
Since the end portion of the band-like material is held by the pincher and 
the suction attraction roller, the band-like material can be firmly and 
continuously held in a fixed position even if the width of the material is 
small so as to reduce the suctional attraction power thereon or a strong 
external force acts on the band-like material. 
Since the suction attraction roller which is rotatable and the pincher 
which is moved toward and away from the roller are provided as the only 
main components of the device, the construction and control of the device 
are simpler than those of a device having a complicated valve mechanism 
and a controller therefor and the cost of the former device is lower than 
that of the latter. 
Since the suction attraction portion of the suctional attraction roller is 
required only to apply a force strong enough to wind the end portion of 
the band-like material upward, the suction attraction portion can 
effectively act even if the width of the band-like material is so small as 
to reduce the suctional attraction power of the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT 
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is hereafter described in 
detail with reference to the drawings attached hereto. 
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a frame 1 which is moved by a drive mechanism not shown 
in the drawings and comprises a horizontal beam 2 and plates 3 secured to 
both the ends of the beam. A suctional attraction roller 5 of circular 
cross section is provided under the horizontal beam 2 in parallel 
therewith and rotatably supported at both the ends of the roller by 
bearings 4 in the plates 3. A vacuum suction passage 6 is provided in the 
suctional attraction roller 5 and extends along the axis thereof. The 
vacuum suction passage 6 is connected to a vacuum generator not shown in 
the drawings. 
The suctional attraction roller 5 is provided with a large number of 
suction holes 7 which communicates at the radially inner ends thereof with 
the vaccum suction passage 6 and are opened at the radially outer ends 
thereof in the outside circumferential surface of the suctional attraction 
roller so that the suction holes act for suctional attraction. The suction 
holes 7 are located at equal intervals in the axial direction of the 
suctional attraction roller 5. Suctional attraction pads 8 made of rubber 
are fixedly fitted in peripheral ports of the suction holes 7. 
A motor 12 is attached to the frame 1 by a mounting member 11 so that the 
rotation of the motor is transmitted to a rotary shaft 14 through a speed 
reduction mechanism 13 built in the mounting member. The rotary shaft 14 
is rotatably supported by bearings 15 in the member 11. An external gear 
17 is secured by a key 16 to the rotary shaft 14 at one end thereof. A 
shaft 18 is secured to the plate 3 near the external gear 17. An external 
gear 20 engaged with the external gear 17 is rotatably supported by a 
bearing 19 on the shaft 18. An external gear 21 engaged with the external 
gear 20 is attached to the end of the suctional attraction roller 15 by a 
key 22. As a result, the suctional attraction roller 5 is turned by a 
prescribed angle of about 90.degree. around the axis thereof when the 
motor 12 is activated. The motor 12, the speed reduction mechanism 13 and 
the external gears 17, 20 and 21 constitute a mechanism 23 for turning the 
suctional attraction roller 5 around the axis thereof. 
Brackets 31 and 32 are secured to both the sides of the beam 2. Nearly 
vertical arms 35 and 36 are coupled at the central portions thereof to the 
brackets 31 and 32 by pins 33 and 34 so that the arms are swingable. The 
tip of the piston rod 38 of a cylinder 37 is coupled to the upper end of 
the arm 35 by a pin 39. A bracket 40 on the butt of the cylinder 37 is 
coupled to the upper end of the other arm 36 by a pin 41. 
Pinchers 42 and 43 are secured to the inner sides of the lower portions of 
the arms 35 and 36 so that the pinchers are moved toward and away from the 
outside circumferential surface of the suctional attraction roller 5 as 
the arms 35 and 36 are swung back and forth. The end portions of two 
band-like materials 44 such as rubber sheets, which are attracted by the 
suctional attraction roller 5 through suction so as to be used to form a 
tire, are pinched by one of the pinchers 42 and 43 in cooperation with the 
suctional attraction roller as will be explained relative to FIG. 3. 
The operation of the device will now described in detail. When the end 
portions 46 of the two band-like materials 44 conveyed by a conveyor 45 in 
the direction of an arrow shown in FIG. 2 have reached a place immediately 
under the suctional attraction roller 5, the conveyor is stopped. At that 
time, the piston rod 38 of the cylinder 37 remains retracted, and the 
pinchers 42 and 43 remain away from the suctional attraction roller 5. 
Next, the frame 1 is down so that the suctional attraction roller 5 is 
pushed on the end portions 46 of the band-like materials 44 and has the 
suction holes 7 closed by the end portions of the band-like materials, as 
shown in FIG. 3(a). At that time, air is sucked through the suction holes 
7 and the vacuum suction passage 6 so that the end portion 46 of the 
band-like materials 44 are attracted by the suctional attraction roller 5 
through suction. 
The motor 12 is thereafter put into action so that the suctional attraction 
roller 5 is turned by the prescribed angle clockwise as to the drawing. At 
the same time, the frame 1 is moved in the direction of the arrow and the 
radial direction of the suctional attraction roller 5 at the same speed as 
the circumferential velocity thereof. As a result, the end portions 46 of 
the band-like materials 44 are wound upward by about a quarter turn on the 
outside circumferential surface of the suctional attraction roller 5 as 
the end portions are attracted by the roller through suction. The piston 
rod 38 of the cylinder 37 is then protruded so that the arms 35 and 36 are 
swung and the pinchers 42 and 43 are moved toward the outside 
circumferential surface of the suctional attraction roller 5. The 
protrusion of the piston rod 38 is stopped when the pincher 42 has come 
into contact with the end portions 46 of the band-like materials 44 on the 
outside circumferential surface of the suctional attraction roller 5 or 
the other pincher 43 has come into contact with the outside 
circumferential surface of the roller. The end portions 46 of the 
band-like materials 44 are thus held at both the sides thereof along the 
total width thereof by the pincher 42 and the suctional attraction roller 
5, as shown in FIG. 3(b). 
After that, the frame 1 is moved up and then moved in the direction of the 
arrow in the drawing, and the conveyor 45 is moved in the same direction 
synchronously with the movement of the frame so that the band-like 
materials 44 are fed to a drum 51. At that time, even if the width of each 
of the band-like materials 44 is so small as to open some of the suction 
holes 7 to reduce the suctional attraction power of the suctional 
attraction roller 5 or a strong external force acts to the band-like 
materials, the materials can be surely and continuously held in a fixed 
position because the end portions 46 of the materials are pinched at both 
the sides thereof by the pincher 42 and the suctional attraction roller. 
The frame 1 is thereafter moved down so that the end portions 46 of the 
band-like materials 44 are put into pressure contact with the surface of 
the drum 51. The piston rod 38 of the cylinder 37 is then retracted so 
that the end portions 46 of the band-like materials 44 are released from 
the pincher 42 and the suctional attraction roller 5, as shown in FIG. 
3(c). 
After that, the drum 51 is rotated clockwise, and the suctional attraction 
roller 5 is turned by the prescribed angle counterclockwise by the motor 
12, so that the end portions 46 of the band-like materials 44 wound on the 
outside circumferential surface of the roller are transferred therefrom 
onto the drum in pressure contact therewith. 
After the vacuum generator is stopped, the frame 1 is moved back to the 
initial position thereof. At the same time, the drum 51 is rotated 
counterclockwise so that the band-like materials 44 are wound on the 
outside circumferential surface of the drum. 
Thus, the band-like materials 44 are picked up from the conveyor 45 and set 
on the drum 51, without manual work, to greatly promote automation. 
Since the end portions 46 of the band-like materials 44 are held without 
being plastically deformed, the end portions can be uniformly conjoined to 
each other. 
Although the suctional attraction roller 5 is forcibly turned by the means 
23 in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not 
confined thereto but may be otherwise embodied so that the suctional 
attraction roller can freely turn and the turning thereof can be braked to 
stop if necessary. As for the latter embodiment, the suctional attraction 
roller is turned by the friction on the band-like materials. 
Although the pinchers 42 and 43 are provided at both the sides of the 
suctional attraction roller 5 in the above-described embodiment, the 
present invention is not confined thereto but may be otherwise embodied so 
that the pincher is provided at only one side of the suctional attraction 
roller.