FEEDING ROLLERS CHANGING AND SPLICING DEVICE FOR PAPER WEB-WINDING MACHINES

Abstract: When the feeding roll (5), arranged at the unwinding station (1), is near to depletion, a new full roll (105) is disposed between a pair of transfer arms (15) which are ready at a stand-by station, and the leading flap (205) of a paper web (105′) from a new roll (105) is locked in a gripper device (51,54) arranged at the lower end of a pair of retractable arms (46) carried by a splicing carriage (40) which is movable on rails (39) from the stand-by station to the splicing station (2). Thereafter, the depleted roll (5) is transferred from the unwinding station (1) to a parking station (27), while the new roll (105) is transferred from the stand-by station to the unwinding station (2). Concurrently, the splicing carriage (40) is advanced from the stand-by station to the splicing station (31,34) bringing the leading flap (205) of the new paper web (105′) to the splicing station. At the splicing station, the splicing carriage (40) attaches the leading flap (205) of the new web (105′) to the trailing flap (5″) of the exhausted web (5′), and soon thereafter the trailing flap (5″) is severed from the core (4) of the depleted roll (5).

Description: This invention relates to a device for quickly changing the paper rolls which feed a continuous paper web to web-­ winding machines, such as for example, the web-winding machine described in the EP-A-0 135 662 filed 30.04.84 in the name of the same Applicant, said device comprising a splicing means for splicing the leading flap of the new paper web being unwound from a full paper roll to the trailing flap of the paper web of a depleted paper roll. As is known, the replacement of a depleted roll with a full roll at the unwinding station of web-winding machines and the splicing of the trailing flap of a paper web from a depleted roll to the leading flap of a paper web from a new roll arranged at the unwinding station of said machines is a time-consuming operation which, therefore, reduces the productivity of web-winding machines. Therefore, the main object of this invention is to provide a device for quickly changing a depleted paper roll with a full paper roll at the unwinding station of a web-winding machine, said device being equipped with a splicing device for splicing the leading flap of a web being unwound from said full roll to the trailing flap of a web unwound from a depleted roll. According to a main characteristic of this invention, this object is achieved by providing a device for quickly changing the rolls on web-winding machines, comprising: (a) An unwinding station for the paper web roll, provided with means for supporting the core of said roll at the ends thereof, and with means for driving the roll in the roll-­ unwinding direction. (b) A stand-by station, arranged upstream of the unwinding station, provided with means for engaging the ends of the core of a new roll to be transferred to the unwinding station, so as to lift said new roll and transfer it onto the supports therefor at the unwinding station. Advantageously, said means are in the form of a pair of arms pivoted at an end thereof and operated by suitable hydraulic cylinders. (c) A parking station, downstream of the unwinding station, whereto the depleted roll is delivered from the unwinding station and whereat it is temporarily stopped during the splicing step. (d) A trailing flap cutting station, arranged in proximity of said parking station, whereat the trailing flap of the paper web of a depleted roll is cut off. (e) A splicing station on the path of travel of the paper web being unwound from a feeding roll, between the unwinding station and the entrance of the web-winding machine. (f) A splicing carriage suspended from sliding guides which are arranged at a higher level than the path of travel of the paper web being unwound from the feeding roll at the unwinding station, and movable from a position above the stand-by station to a position downstream of the splicing station, said splicing carriage comprising: (i) A retractable gripper device for gripping the leading flap of a new paper web from a full paper roll arranged at the stand-by station; (ii) a glueing device for applying a strip of glue on a portion of the trailing flap of the web from the depleted paper roll arranged at the parking station; (iii) means for pressing the leading flap of the paper web from the new feeding roll at the unwinding station against the glued strip on the trailing flap of the web from the depleted roll arranged at the parking station; (iv) means for unlocking the previously gripped leading flap of the new paper web on completion of the splicing step. Further objects, characteristics and advantages of the device according to the invention will be best understood from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevational and partly sectional view of a device according to the invention, the various components being shown in the positions they assume during the normal unwinding of a paper web from a feeding roll, prior to the positioning of a new roll at the stand-by station; Figure 2 is a view corresponding to that of Figure 1, showing the step of positioning of a new paper roll at the stand-by station, while the paper roll at the unwinding station is nearly depleted; and Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figures 1 and 2, showing the steps of splicing of the leading flap of the paper web from the new roll at the unwinding station to the trailing flap of the paper web from the depleted roll at the parking station, and of severing of the trailing flap of the web from the depleted roll from the core of said roll. With reference to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1, the unwinding station of the device according to the invention will be first described. This station comprises, in a manner known per se, a frame 1 having pivoted thereto at 3 the end supports 2 for the core 4 of a paper roll 5. Said end supports 2 (only one of which is shown) are substantially in the shape of a Y, and said core 4 is supported in the cradle between the two upper diverging arms of the Y, while the end of the stem of the Y is keyed to the pivot 3. A short lever 6 is keyed at an end thereof to the pivot 3 and is pivoted at the other end thereof to the stem 7 of a piston slidably guided in the hydraulic cylinder 8, said cylinder 8 being, in turn, pivoted at the other end thereof to the frame 1. A sloping guide member 9 extends outwards and downwards from a position near said supports 2 to a position beyond the maximum radius of a full paper roll 5. A bell-crank lever 10 is pivoted at the crank thereof to said frame 1, and comprises a longer arm 110 extending below the paper roll at the unwinding station. Rotatably mounted at the opposite ends of said arm 110 are two pulleys 11, 11′ around which is guided a belt 12. One of these pulleys is actuated by a suitable motor (not shown). The upper flight of belt 12 is urged constantly against the periphery of the paper roll 5 so as to rotate the latter in the unwinding direction (the direction of the arrow F). For this purpose, the other arm of the lever 10 is pivotably secured at the end thereof to the stem 13 of a piston which is slidably operating in a cylinder 14 which is pivoted to said frame 1. A pair of symmetric arms 15 (only one of which is shown) constitute the arms for transferring the new paper rolls 105 (see Figure 2) from the stand-by station to the unwinding station of the device. Said arms 15 are fulcrumed, at the lower end thereof, to the base of the frame 1 as indicated at 16. Said arms 15 are provided intermediately with two lugs 17 having each pivoted thereto the free end of the stem 18 of a piston slidably movable in a cylinder 19. The free end of each cylinder 19 is pivoted at 20 to the frame of the device. Each arm 15 is equipped, at the free end thereof, with a substantially C-shaped head 21. An end portion of said head 21 is provided with an abutment member in the form of a roller 22 idle supported at an apex of a triangular supporting cage 23 which, in turn, is pivoted, at another apex thereof, to an end of said head 21, the third apex being pivoted to the stem 24 of a piston slidably moving in a hydraulic cylinder 25 which, in turn, is pivoted at its free end to the arm 15. The head 21 comprises as well a set of idle rollers 26 protruding from its inner outline. Located downstream of the unwinding station is the parking station for the depleted paper rolls. This station comprises a small carriage 27 which is guided on rails 28 in a direction parallel to the axis of the paper roll 5. The loading plane of the carriage 27 is at the same level as the plane lying on the guides 9, and is inclined similarly thereto. At the lower portion of the loading plane of the carriage 27 there is provided a stop or abutment member 29. Located slightly above the parking station is the cutting station for severing the trailing flap of the paper web, said station being in the form of a row of water-spraying nozzles 30 extending throughout the width of the paper web 5′ from the paper roll 5. Located above said cutting station, on the path of travel of the web 5′ from the paper roll 5 at the entrance of the web-winding machine (not shown), is the splicing station. This station comprises a pair of bell-crank levers 31 pivoted at their angled portions as shown at 32 to a pair of overhung arms 33 supported by the uprights 101 of said frame 1. Secured to the upper side of the longer arms of said levers 31 is a plane 34 extending throughout the width of the paper web 5′. The free ends of the two shorter arms of said levers 31 are pivoted to the ends of two stems 35 of a pair of pistons slidably operating within two hydraulic cylinders 36 which, in turn, are pivoted at the free ends thereof to said uprights 101. The numerals 37 and 38 designate idle rollers for guiding the web 5′ from the splicing station to the entrance of the web-winding machine (not shown). At a level above the path of travel of the web 5′ there are suspended guide rails 39 extending from a position above said stand-by station, to a position downstream of said splicing station. A splicing carriage 40 is movable on said rails 39 and is pulled therealong by an endless chain 41 passed around sprocket wheels 42 operated by a suitable motor (not shown). Arranged within the carriage 40 is a hot-melt glueing apparatus 140 which feeds molten glue to the spraying nozzles 43 which constitute the glue-applying device for the splicing operation. A pair of bell-crank levers 44 are fulcrumed at their cranks, as shown at 45, to both sides of the carriage 40. Pivoted to the arms 144 of levers 44, near the fulcrum 45, is one end of a hydraulic cylinder 49 slidably accommodating a piston the stem 50 of which is pivoted at the end thereof to the arms 46 near the pivotal connection 48, so as to constantly pull said bell-crank levers 44 towards their closed position (direction of the arrow F1). The longer arms 144 of said levers 44 are pivoted at an end thereof as shown at 48 to the intermediate portion of a pair of arms 46. The arms 46, in turn, are pivoted at an end thereof to the carriage 40 through tierods 47. An idle roller 51 is mounted at the free end of said arms 46. In proximity of the rollers 51, two L-shaped levers 53 are fulcrumed at their angled portions, as shown at 52, to said arms 46. Rotatably mounted on the longer arm of the levers 53 is an idle counter-roller 54 which co-operates with the roller 51 and is constantly urged thereagainst by spring means (not shown). Rotatably mounted at the end of the downwardly-projecting shorter arms of said levers 53 is an idle roller 55. This device comprises, finally, an idle stop rollers 56 fixed laterally to the guides 39 in registry with the stand-by station of the device and protruding laterally outwards to such an extent as to interfere with the shorter arms 244 of the levers 44, so as to open said levers when the carriage reaches the stand-by station. The device according to this invention operates as follows. With reference first to the Figure 1 of the drawings, the device is shown thereon in its "normal" operating condition, that is an operating condition wherein a full or substantially full paper roll 5 is at the unwinding station. In this condition, the carriage 40 has been moved along the guides 39 to a position above the stand-by station, and its arms 46 have been moved downwards, against the action of the hydraulic cylinder 49, due to the engagement of the lever arms 244 against the stop rollers 56. The transfer arms 15 have been lowered by the hydraulic cylinders 19 to their lowest position towards the stand-by station. The plane 34 has also been lowered to the illustrated position by the action of the cylinder 36. The paper roll 5 is unwound in the direction of the arrow F by the action of the driving belt 12. Figure 2 shows an intermediate operational step wherein the paper roll 5 is nearly depleted. During, or just before, this step a new paper roll 105 has been brought to the stand-by station and the ends of the core 104 of said paper roll have been arranged in the heads 21 of the arms 15 and more particularly they are supported on the rollers 26 and against the abutment rollers 22. The arms 15 have been slightly lifted by the action of the cylinders 19 so as to slightly lift the paper roll 105 from the ground. The leading flap 205 of the paper web 105 has been inserted between the rollers 51 and counter-rollers 54 arranged at the end of the arms 46 carried by the splicing carriage 40, and is held in place by the action of the counter-rollers 54. The device is now ready for the next paper roll-substitution step, shown in Figure 3. During this step, the machine is temporarily stopped and the end studs (not shown, since of any conventional design) holding the core 4 of the depleted paper roll 5 at the unwinding station are spread apart. The end supports 2 are rotated clockwise, as viewed in the drawing, by the hydraulic cylinder 8, so that the core 4 of the depleted paper roll 5, with the trailing flap 5″ of the paper web 5′ rolls along the guides 9 and then onto the carriage 27 at the parking station. At the same time, the arms 15 are rotated and lifted to bring their heads 21 at the level of the end supports 2 which, meanwhile, have been rotated counterclockwise. The abutment rollers 22 of the heads 21 are lowered by the cylinders 25, so that the new paper roll 105 rolls onto the supports 2, which assume again their original position. The locking studs will be closed again into the core 104 of the new paper roll 105, and the arms 15 are moved back to their initial position, shown on the Figures 3 and 1. At the same time, the following operations are carried out: The plane 34 of the splicing station has been lifted to the position shown in Figure 3 by the action of the cylinders 36, so that a portion of the trailing flap 5″ of the depleted paper roll 5 rests now on said plane 34. The carriage 40, with the leading flap 205 of the web 105′ from the new paper roll 105 locked between the rollers 51 and counter-rollers 54 at the end of the arms 46, has moved meanwhile from the position of Figures 1 and 2 above the stand-by station. It has moved first to an intermediate position (not shown) above the unwinding station, together with the roll 105 which was moving to said station. During this first movement, the arms 244 of the levers 44 have moved away from the stop rollers 56, whereby the arms 46 has been raised to a position which is substantially parallel to the guides 39, as shown in Figure 3, by the action of the hydraulic cylinders 49 acting upon the levers 44,49. Thereafter, said carriage moves towards the splicing station, made ready as described above by the lifting of the plane 34. When the glue-spraying nozzles 43 of the carriage 40 travel over the portion of trailing flap 5″ that rests on the plane 34 at the splicing station, they spray a certain amount of glue onto said flap 5″. While further moving toward the splicing station, the carriage 40 applies the leading flap 205 of the paper web from the new paper roll 105 onto the previously glued flap 5″. At the same time, the counter-rollers 54 are lifted because the rollers 55 engages the plane 34, so that the flap 205 is unlocked. The further movement of the carriage beyond the splicing station, therefore, causes the application of said flap 205 on the glued portion of said trailing flap 5″. This application is helped and facilitated by the action of the rollers 51 in pressing said flaps together, so as to assure a firm connection. The carriage 40 may now return to its original position of Figure 1, at the stand-by station. At the same time, the cutting station 30 is activated to spray water against the portion of the trailing flap 5″ that is located between the splicing station and the parking station. This sprayed water weakens the paper web by moistening it, making it ready to be snatched apart from the core 4 of the depleted roll 5. The plane 34 is then lowered again to the position of Figures 1 and 2, and the feeding of the paper web to the web-winding machine can be re-started. As suggested above, as soon as the feeding cycle is re-started, the moistened trailing flap is snatched apart by the pulling action exerted thereon, and a new cycle is started. The carriage 27 is transferred along the guides 28 to a station where the depleted core 4 is discharged, whereafter it is ready to start a new cycle. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment herein described and shown, which is given only as a non-limiting example of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, the trailing flap cutting station may comprise cutting means other than those described and shown herein, and instead of spray nozzles 30 it may comprise cutting blades or the like. Moreover, the transfer of the new paper rolls from the stand-by station to the unwinding station may be effected by transfer means other than the arms 15 illustrated herein.

Claims: 1. A device for quickly changing the rolls (5) on web-­ winding machines, characterized by the fact that it comprises: a) an unwinding station (1) for a roll (5) of paper web, including means (2) for supporting and positioning the ends of the core (4) of said roll (5), and means (11, 11′, 12) for driving the roll (5) in the unwinding direction (F); b) a stand-by station (15), upstream of the unwinding station (1), including means (21 to 25) for engaging the ends of the core (104) of a new roll (105) to be transferred to said unwinding station (1), and for lifting (17, 18, 19) said new roll (105) so as to transfer it on the supports (2) at said unwinding station (1); c) a parking station (27, 28, 29), downstream of the unwinding station, to which the core (4) of a depleted roll (5) is discharged from the unwinding station (1), and on which said core (4) rests temporarily during the splicing operation; d) a station (30) for cutting the trailing flap (5″) of the paper web (5′) still connected to the core (4) of the depleted roll (5), said cutting station (30) being located near said parking station (27, 28, 29); e) a splicing station (31 to 38) on the path of travel of the paper web (5′, 105′) being unwound from the feeding roll (5, 105), between said unwinding station (1) and the entrance of a web-winding machine; f) a splicing carriage (40), movable on rails (39) arranged at a level higher than the path of travel of the paper web (5′, 105′) being unwound from the feeding roll (5, 105) at the unwinding station (1), and movable from a position above the stand-by station (15) to a position downstream of the splicing station (31 to 38), said splicing carriage (40) comprising: (i) a retractable gripper device (52 to 54) for gripping the leading flap (205) of a new paper web (105′) from a full roll (105) arranged at the stand-by station (15); (ii) a glueing device (140, 43)) for applying a strip of glue on a portion of the trailing flap (5″) of the web (5′) from the depleted roll (5) arranged at the parking station (27, 28, 29); (iii) means (51) for pressing the leading flap (205) of the paper web (105′) from the new feeding roll (105) against the glued strip on the trailing flap (5″) of the web (5′) from the depleted roll (5); (iv) means (55) for unlocking the leading flap (205) of the new paper web (105′) on or before completion of the splicing step. 2. A device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said means (2) for supporting and positioning the ends of the core (4) of said roll (5) at the unwinding station (1) comprises a pivotably mounted cradle-like member (2) which may be oscillated from a first inclined position facilitating the reception of the core (104) of a new roll (105) from the stand-by station (15), to a second operative position wherein said core (104) is supported during the unwinding operation, to a third position which it is inclined oppositely to said first position wherein said core (4) is discharged from said supporting means (2) and is transferred to said parking station (27 to 29). 3. A device according to claims 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that said unwinding station (1) also comprises stud-like means for releasably locking the core (4, 104) of a roll positioned on said supporting means (2) during the unwinding operation. 4. A device according to claims 1, or 2 or 3, characterized by the fact that the means for driving said roll (5, 105) in the unwinding direction (F) at the unwinding station (1) comprises an endless web and/or endless belts (12) passed around suitable driving means (11, 11′) and constantly displaceable so as to maintain a driving engagement with the periphery of the roll (5, 105) being unwound. 5. A device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the means for transferring the rolls (5, 105) from the stand-by station to the unwinding station (1) comprises a pair of oscillatable arms (15) each provided at the end thereof with a head (21) for receiving the end portions of the core (104) of a roll (105) and capable of lifting said roll (105) and transfer it to the supporting and positioning means (2) at said unwinding station, said heads (21) of said transfer arms (15) comprising means (22 to 25) capable of keeping the core (104) of a roll (105) on said heads (21) during the transfer step and of permitting the unhindered displacement there onto said supporting means (2) at the unwinding station at the end of said transfer step. 6. A device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said parking station comprises a small carriage (27) for supporting the core (4) of a depleted roll (5). 7. A device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that between said unwinding station (1) and said parking station (27, 28, 29) there are provided inclined guides (9) for discharging the cores (4) of the depleted rolls (5) from the unwinding station (1) to the parking station (27, 28, 29). 8. A device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said cutting station for severing the trailing flap (5″) of the paper web (5′) connected to the core (4) of a depleted roll (5) comprises a set of water-spraying nozzles (30). 9. A device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said splicing station comprises a bearing plane (34) that may be oscillated from a rest position below the path of travel of the paper web (5′, 105′) from the unwinding station (1) to the web-­ winding machine, to an operative position wherein said plane (34) is lifted at the same level as said path of travel of the paper web (5′, 105′). 10. A device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said gripping device (51 to 54) carried by said splicing carriage (40) comprises clamp means (51 to 54) adapted to clamp the leading flap (205) of a paper web (105′), said clamp means further comprising means (55) to cause automatically the opening thereof when said gripping device (52 to 54) reaches the splicing station (31 to 38). 11. A device according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that said clamp means comprises a lower roller (51) and a counter-roller (54) urged resiliently against said lower roller (51). 12. A device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said gripping device (51 to 54) is connected to said splicing carriage (40) by a lever system (44, 46, 47) in the form of an articulated parallelogram, means (244, 56, 49) being provided to automatically lower said articulated parallelogram system whenever the splicing carriage (40) moves in proximity of the stand-by station (15), and to raise said articulated parallelogram system whenever the splicing carriage (40) moves at a distance from the stand-by station (15). 13. A device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said glue-applying device carried by said splicing carriage is a hot-melt glueing apparatus (140) which feeds molten glue to spraying nozzles (43). 14. A device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that said means to press the leading flap (205) of the paper web (105′) from the new roll (105) against the previously glued trailing flap (5″) from the depleted roll (5) comprises a roller (51) carried by said splicing carriage (40). 15. A device according to claim 14, characterized by the fact that said roller (51) is the lower or counter-roller of said clamp means (52 to 54).

Inventors: BAROFFIO, ROMANO, GHISU, GIUSEPPE, NISTRI, UGO
Applicants: UNIKAY DISPOSABLES S.R.L.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B65H19
IPC codes: B65H19