ROLL FLAP MEANS

Abstract: The invention relates to a separate roll flap means of preferably paper material having a particular method of folding and having areas (18, 20) of previously prepared glue strings (21, 22, 23) having according to the invention a particular given characterizing pattern, which is preferably protected by a protective film, this protective film being removed at the moment when the roll flap means is aligned and attached to the new paper roll. The method of folding offers an efficient and fast and precise alignment of the roll flap means onto a new web material roll for splicing of, e.g., a thin web of paper by means of a multi-arm web roll reel without any risk that the spliced paper web will be folded or broken upon feeding through, e.g., a printing unit. For the manufacturing of the separate roll flap means there is preferably utilized paper spill remains of changed almost empty web rolls, whereby the roll flap means automatically gets the correct width and thickness at the same time as the cost of material for the manufacturing will become almost negligible.

Description: ROLL FLAP MEANS Technical field The present invention relates to a method for preparation and using of a separate roll flap means and such a roll flap means and more exactly a separate particularly folded up roll flap means for precise fitting to the end of a material web when splicing the material web using automatic exchange of web rolls by means of a multi-arm web roll reel during continuous feeding of the material, e.g., the paper web, in a high velocity printing machine for daily newspapers. State of the art A presently common technique of splicing the paper web when changing paper rolls in printing presses is the distributed application of glue or double sided adhesive tapes onto the paper end of the new web roll after a suitable cutting. The new paper roll having the applied glue strings is put into the rotating multi-arm web roll reel arrangement such that the new paper roll will change place with the almost empty web roll during continu¬ ous feeding of the paper web. When the new web roll is shifted over to the working position its paper web provided with the glue strings will seize the running paper web which then will be pushed towards the new web roll when the old and new web rolls do change positions and simultaneously the paper web from the old web roll is cut at the moment when the paper web gets in contact with the glue strings of the new paper web roll and a further continuous paper web is achieved through the printing press. The labor to prepare the paper end of the new paper web roll and the application of the glue strings normally for a skilled operator do imply a time consumption of the order of 10 minutes as certain demands of accuracy must be fulfilled when splicing thin material such as, e.g., paper for newsprints, to be able to ensure that the web of the new paper web roll really enters the units of the printing press without shearing. This implies that a larger machine for newspapers which usually contains 5 - 7 such roll reel arrangements may occupy five to seven persons for normal production of newspapers at the full feeding velocity to ensure that the printing machine does not have to be stopped due to some web roll in a roll reel arrangement running empty. If a splicing fails, the paper from the new roll must be threaded through all of the units concerned, which may be very time consuming, besides at the same time the whole printing press including all printing units must be stopped. A German document DE 3504536 discloses a splicing method having a separate double sided adhesive tape applied across a paper web. The double sided adhesive tape presents in its longitudinal direction an extended protruding rib which is lifting the material web of the preceding material web roll at the position of splicing such that the material web may be cut, milled or ground flat at the splicing site. Furthermore, the areas provided with glue are covered by a protecting film. The method demands among other things a knife or a milling or grinding cylinder running at high speed, which when splicing cuts the material web flat at the protruding rib, is merely applicable to thicker materials where the machine is not able to receive a splicing having the double thickness only at the splice. The risk is significant having high speed feeding of thin material, like, e.g. , a paper web for newsprints, that the spliced paper web will be cut o f when reducing the thickness of material at the splice by a knife or a milling or grinding tool. The method further indicates nothing about how the accuracy of splicing is ensured such that no shearing sideways is achieved in the spliced paper web, which is essential for thin materials and particularly at high feeding velocities when the material web may easily be broken. A Swedish patent SE 406 312 also discloses a method of splicing a continuous running paper web. Here the end of the paper web is releasably fixed to the roll by double sided tape attached to the outer surface of the end. Consequently the end of the paper web itself must be prepared on the roll. This method relates nevertheless primarily to the splicing of relatively thick materials like, e.g., corrugated cardboard fed at a relatively moderate speed. The method and arrangement concern the mechanical solution for the machine to utilize the splicing with this doublesided tape. Roll flap means are also disclosed in US, A, 2,120,778 and US, A, 2,214, 719, which refer the old technique of gummed strips, which generally have to be moisted before using. In US, A, 3,006,568 and GB, A, 1,504,286 are disclosed an adhesive tab provided with a protection of the adhesive. From DE, C, 734, 478 and GB, A, 1,504,286 is also know techniques to fold an adhesive tab for subsequently splicing two web ends together. These tabs do not match the width of the web material, but constitute narrow arrangements for splicing which may as stated above result in a break of the web for high velocity feeding of the web. Further¬ more in US, A, 2,454,093 and US, A, 2,000,439 are disclosed the use of multi-arm web roll reel devices. Description of the invention The present invention solves in a simple way the problems of splicing thin materials such as for example paper for newsprints during continuous feeding at a high rate by providing a method of preparation of the web roll by utilization of a particular attachable splicing tip in the form of a separate roll flap means, which by a method of folding offers an effective and fast and accurate fitting of the roll flap means onto a new roll of web material for splicing into the thin running paper web without the risk that the spliced paper web due to shearing will be folded or broken at the time of feeding through, e.g., a unit for printing. Additionally the method of folding according to the present invention provides that the roll flap means independently of the width of the roll even at large widths of the roll is simply and precisely aligned and attached, having the same accuracy at the roll of new material as if the splicing tip would constitute an integrated portion of the new roll. Further preprocessed glue strings are utilized having according to the invention pre-defined patterns, which are preferably protected by a protection film, this protection film consisting of several portions corresponding to the different sticking areas being removed during the alignment and fixing of the roll flap means onto the new paper web roll. Furthermore an additional object of the defined pattern of sticking areas according to the invention is to facilitate a spin up of the new paper web roll to a desired peripheral speed in a multi-arm web roll reel for automatic change of web rolls. Additionally according to a further object of the invention particular means are provided at the roll flap means to temporary affix the tip of the tooth, or teeth, at the time of attachment of the roll flap means onto a web roll containing the material to be spliced. Another further object of the present invention is that waste paper remainders from used, exchanged and almost empty paper web rolls are possible to utilize for the fabrication of roll flap means according to the invention, these roll flap means are in this way automatically obtaining the correct width and thickness, simultaneously as the material expenditure for fabrication of such roll flap means will be almost negligible. Description of the drawings The invention will be described by means of an illustrative embodiment and by means of the attached drawings. The drawings show in Fig. 1 a typical embodiment of a two-arm web roll reel according to the state of the art utilized for splic¬ ing a running paper web in a printing machine, e.g., for production of daily newspapers, Fig. 2 a roll flap means cut from a piece of material having the same width as the material to be spliced, Fig. 3 the roll flap means of Fig. 2 having adhesive areas applied in the form of strips or ribbons, Fig. 4 the roll flap means of Fig. 3 having an indicated first folding line, Fig. 5 the roll flap means of Fig. 4 folded along the first folding line and having a second folding line indicat¬ ed, Fig. 6 the roll flap means folded according to the embodiment to be applied to a roll of web matt \al which is to be spliced into a continuously running web, Fig. 7 the folded roll flap means of Fig. 6 aligned on a new web roll, Fig. 8 the roll flap means unfolded on the new web roll and temporary fixed at the tips of the teeth, and Fig. 9 the finally prepared new web roll having its web material end overlaid the area of the roll flap means having the transverse running adhesive strips. A preferred embodiment In Fig. 1 there is demonstrated a typical design of a multi-arm web roll reel to be used for the exchange of, e.g., paper web rolls for a printing press for the production of daily newspa¬ pers. The multi-arm web roll reel shown in Fig. 1 is a two-arm web roll reel for automatic change of web rolls. In normal operation the arms la and lb are, e.g., in a horizontal plane, the second arm lb being in the position for preparation and loading of a new web roll 4 while the first arm la is carrying the supplying web roll. 2. Consequently the second arm lb is positioned such that a web roll 4 being loaded onto this accordingly does not affect the paper web 8. The arms carrying the belts 3 are raised such that these do not affect an incoming web roll 4 or an outgoing web roll 2. When the diameter of the feeding web roll 2 goes below a preset value a signal for "change of rolls" is triggered. The arms la and lb will go to the position according to Fig. 1. The so called belt- arms carrying the acceleration belts 3 are lowered towards the envelope surface of the incoming web roll and are bringing this roll into rotation (in this case clockwise). When the peripheral velocity of the roll corresponds to the velocity of the paper web 8, a signal is given for motion of the arm 5. The arm 5 carrying what is called the brush and knife 6 is turned anti-clockwise towards the paper web. Upon indication of the correct position of the roll flap means the arm 6 presses the brush against the paper web and adhesion to the envelope surface of the new web roll occurs at the same time as the knife 6 cuts the paper web of the outgoing web roll 2. Subsequently the arms la and lb of the two-arm web roll reel are rotated to normal operating position, whereby the outgoing web roll then is removed and a new incoming web roll 7 is mounted in the way described above, and the operation is repeated again at the time of next splicing. To indicate the correct position of the tip during the rotation of the incoming web roll 4 there is utilized, e.g., a piece of aluminum film influencing a sensor. This piece of aluminum film is glued to the envelope surface of the incoming web roll having one for the multi-arm web roll reel given fixed position relative to the teeth of the roll flap means. This piece of film does not constitute any part of the present invention and the application of this is not further discussed as this is already well known to a person skilled in the art. Fig. 2 illustrates in a preferred embodiment a roll flap means 10 according to the present invention. In this case the roll flap means constitutes a portion of web material in form of a paralle¬ logram joined with a triangle, where additionally a triangular surface has been cut away such that the in this manner formed face shows two teeth 12 and 14. In Fig. 3 there is demonstrated how an area 18 is provided with transversal strings or stripes from sticking material. In the preferred embodiment according to the invention two such adhesive stripes 21 perpendicular to the side edges 15 and 16 are shown. A second area 20 has a number of adhesive stripes 22 which run parallel to the side edges 15 and 16 as well as adhesive stripes running along the edges 23 of the teeth 12 and 14. Additionally, the areas 18 and 20 are covered by a removable protective film. Furthermore the roll flap means has a couple of removable pieces 31 provided with sticking material. Fig. 4 illustrates how the roll flap means 10 first is folded along a folding line 32 perpendicular to the side edges 15 and 16 such that the teeth 12 and 14 are folded in towards the areas 18 and 20. Subsequently the roll flap means, according to Fig. 5, is again folded along a central second folding line 34 perpendicular to the first folding line 32. The roll flap means 10 according to the invention thereby gets a form according to Fig. 6, which results in a member that is easy to handle due to its reduced size. The alignment edge a, in this case consisting of both side edges 15 and 16 offers an excellent and easy-to-use alignment edge, which simply is aligned with one side of the web roll according to Fig. 7, such that the bevel cut portion is directed in a direction of the web material direction on a web roll 40. Subsequently the roll flap means 10 is unfolded on the envelope surface of the web roll 40 making it precisely in alignment with the web material. Then first one and then the other one of the pieces 31 are removed from the roll flap means and are used as a fixing 30 to the envelope surface of the web roll 40 for each of the teeth 12 and 14. After that the teeth are temporary affixed by means of the pieces 31, the protective film of the area 18 is removed and at the same time as the roll flap means is held with one hand by the portion which still is covered by protective film, a straight cut end area of web material of the envelope surface is fixed to the roll flap means 10 by means of the adhering stripes 21, as is demonstrated in Fig. 8 and 9. Subsequently the remaining protective film covering the roll flap means is removed. The web roll thereby is readily prepared and is inserted into the two-arm roll web reel according to Fig. 1 corresponding to the web roll 4 to perform the automatic splicing during continuous feeding rate when web material of the previous feeding web roll starts to wind-up. The preparation of the new web roll with the separate roll flap means using the folding method according to the invention is done within some minute or two having a high accuracy and rendering large worktime savings. With the aid of the roll flap means according to the invention one single person instead of 5-7 persons serve 5-7 multi-arm web roll reel devices at a large printing machine for daily newspa¬ pers. From Fig. 9 there is further seen that according to the invention the pattern of adhesive stripes 22 and 23 on the tooth or teeth 12, 14 of the roll flap means, a number of discrete areas having intermediate areas which in the longitudinal direction of the web material are free of sticking material to facilitate contact surfaces for the acceleration belts 3 for spinning up the new web roll in the multi-arm web roll reel for the automatic changing of web rolls. For thin roll web material, e. g., thin paper for newsprints, the affixing pieces 30 do not normally need to be removed as these will break or let go immediately upon seizing of the roll flap means to the running web material at the time of splicing. Additionally there is preferably utilized the remains of previously used rolls for the production of the separate roll flap means whereby the cost of material is further lowered at the same time as the correct width of the separate roll flap means is automatically obtained. For larger widths of web rolls the roll flap means is preferably provided with additional folding lines compared to the embodiment shown to obtain a corresponding small and easy-to-handle size. The method for production and use of the roll flap means is otherwise identical to what has been described above.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method of splicing a generally thin material web especially paper by means of what is called a multi-arm web roll reel during continuous feeding having a normal high feeding rate utilizing a separate roll flap means of a corresponding material in the form of a quadratic or rectangular surface joined by a triangular area having one or more tips or teeth (12, 14), the roll flap means provided with adhesive surface areas protected by protec¬ tion film, characterized in that said roll flap means (10) having the width of the web material to be spliced is when fabricated folded according to a given pattern to form a simple handy member, that when fabricating said roll flap means, first its tooth or teeth (12, 14) is/are folded in over the area protected by the protective film such that a trapezoidal double folded roll flap means is created by having a first folding line (32) perpendicu¬ lar to a first and second side edge (15, 16) of said roll flap means, that said double folded roll flap means is folded at least another time preferably central perpendicular to said first fold and parallel to said first and second side edges (15, 16) such that the first side edge (15) is, or both side edges (15, 16) are forming a side (a) of alignment, that said the roll flap means (10) additionally is offering a releasable arrangement (31, 30) for temporary fixing of the tip of the tooth or teeth to the base web. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at the time of application of said folded roll flap means (10) it is first positioned such that its side having the inwards folded tooth/teeth is/are in alignment of the unfolding direction of the new web material roll (40), that when applicating the separate folded roll flap means (10), this is first aligned having its side of alignment (a) to one side edge of said web roll (40), upon which the tooth or teeth of said roll flap means is unfolded, that the arrangement (31) for temporary fixing is released from the material of said roll flap means, providing at least one pre-fabricated fixing tab (30) having adhesive properties, by which the tip of the tooth or teeth is/are affixed and which fixing tab (30) is intended to break or let go when the exposed adhesive surface areas of said roll flap means make contact to the running web material from the roll to be replaced. 3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that after removal of a portion or all of the protective film an essentially straight cut end (50) of web material of the new web roll is affixed to a first area (18) of said roll flap means (10) provided with adhesive stripes (21) parallel to a first straight crosswise side (17) opposing a second crosswise side having the tooth or teeth (12, 14). 4. A roll flap means for splicing a generally thin material web especially paper by means of what is called a multi-arm web roll reel during continuous feeding of normal high feeding rate utilizing a separate roll flap means (10) of a corresponding material in the form of a quadratic or rectangular surface joined by a triangular area having one or more tips or teeth (12, 14), the roll flap means provided with adhesive surface areas protected by protection film, characterized in that said separate roll flap means (10) having the width of the web material to be spliced is when fabricated folded according to a given pattern to form a simple easy-to-handle member, that producing said roll flap means first its tooth or teeth (12, 14) will be folded in over the area protected by the protective film such that a trapezoidal double folded roll flap means is created by having a first folding line (32) perpendicu¬ lar to a first and second side edge (15, 16) of said roll flap means, that said double folded roll flap means additionally is folded at least another time preferably central perpendicular to said first folding and parallel to said first and second side edges (15, 16) such that the first side edge (15) is, or both side edges (15, 16) are forming a side (a) of alignment. 5. The roll flap means according to claim 4, characterized in that at said roll flap means (10) is provided at least one releasable arrangement (31) provided with adhesive material by which the tip of the tooth or teeth of said roll flap means temporarily may be fixed to the base web. 6. The roll flap means according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the adhesive areas are formed by narrow adhesive stripes of glue, these areas forming a predetermined pattern and preferably covered by a protective film, that in said predetermined pattern of adhesive stripes is arranged at least one exposed surface area totally free of sticking material after application of said roll flap means (10) to a new web roll (40) to facilitate the spinning up of said web roll in said multi-arm web roll reel. 7. The roll flap means according to claim 6, characterized in that said predetermined pattern is forming a first and at least a second clearly separated area (18, 20), said first area (18) having adhering stripes (21) parallel to a first straight crosswise edge, while said second area (20) or areas of said roll flap means having adhering stripes (22) parallel to the said side edges (15, 16). 8. The roll flap means according to claim 7, characterized in that at a second crosswise side opposite to said first straight crosswise side there are arranged adhering stripes (23) along the edges of the tooth or teeth (12, 14), connecting to said adhering stripes (22) parallel to said side edges (15, 16). 9. The roll flap means according to claim 8, characterized in that the protective film constitutes several portions corresponding to the different defined areas (18, 20) having adhesive stripes.

Inventors: ALMQVIST ROLF, ALMQVIST, ROLF
Applicants: ALMQVIST ROLF, JOHANSSON ARNE, ALMQVIST, ROLF, JOHANSSON, ARNE
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B65H19
IPC codes: B65H19