Method of and device for winding of a paper web

Abstract: The invention concerns a method in winding of a paper web, in which method the paper web (W) is unwound from a paper reel (12). The end of the paper web (W) is taken as of substantially full width from the reel (12), and the end of the paper web (W) is attached to a threading member (21), which extends substantially over the entire length in the cross direction of the web (W), and the threading member (21) carries the end of the paper web (W) through the winding machine so that the web (W) is carried as of substantially uniform tension. The threading member (21) is carried by means of draw fabrics (25) placed in the cross direction in the area of the web (W). The winding device in winding of a paper web or equivalent comprises an unwind stand (10) as well as a paper web (W) threading member (21). The full-width end of the paper web (W) is attached, for the time of threading, to a threading member (21) extending substantially over the entire length in the cross direction of the paper web (W), and the threading member (21) is fitted to be displaced by means of draw fabrics (25).

Description: The invention concerns a method as defined in the preamble of claim 1. The invention also concerns a winding device as defined in the preamble of claim 6. The invention is related to an arrangement in unwinding of a paper web, in which a paper reel is unwound as a paper web of full width and passed as of full width to the slitter-winder. The paper web is slit into narrower component webs, which are further wound into component rolls. The invention is in particular related to a slitter-winder of the bottom draw centre-drive winder type. The invention is, however, also suitable for use in connection with slitter-winders of other types. From the prior art, solutions are known in which, in the tail threading in slitters, devices are used which are based on various blowings and suctions, but it has been noticed that they alone are not sufficiently reliable for taking the leader end of a web of full width from the paper reel and for passing the web of full width from the unwind station to the slitter. At present, in paper mills, out of the various stages of processing, attempts are made to eliminate such stages as require an abundance of manual operations. One problem is the tail threading, which often requires even the work of several persons also at the finishing devices, winders, cutters, etc. Also, in paper machines, high speeds are aimed at, in which case, in a paper finishing device, the web threading must take place as quickly and reliably as possible. From the prior art, solutions are known in which the threading of the paper through a finishing device has been accomplished as of full width, but the control of the web tension during the tail threading has proved problematic. The tension of the web has an important effect on a successful threading, out of the following reasons: Sufficient tension alone can guarantee a successful slitting during threading. Uneven tension has the consequence that the web is torn at tension peaks or that the overall tension must be kept very low, in which connection a part of the web remains even non-tensioned, i.e. slack. A slack web portion may enter into contact with structures placed near the winding path, in which connection the web can be torn. Adequate tension facilitates the formation of a good roll bottom at the beginning of winding. From the prior art, solutions are also known in which a web of full width is attached from its edges and passed from the unwind station to the slitter. In these solutions, it has, however, proved to be a problem that the web tends to be torn, because a highly uneven tension is formed in the web. With respect to the prior art, reference is made to the FI Patent 91,629 , in which a reel slitter is described, whose function is to slit a web of paper-machine width in the longitudinal direction in a slitting or cutting station. In the arrangement known from this cited paper, a pull-in bar is used, which can be passed through the machine by means of a chain and to which the initial end of the web can be attached. This prior-art reel slitter comprises two support drums, on whose support the webs are wound. The pull-in device provided with a pull-in bar feeds the component webs onto a support drum. Further, a transfer device, which receives the non-adjacent component webs after their separation from the pull-in bars, feeds the webs by means of a suction tube onto a second support drum. It is one of the drawbacks of this prior-art solution that, since the threading bar is pulled from its ends, during bending it produces an uneven distribution of tension in the web (compare Fig. 5A), from which it follows, among other thins, that the web can be readily torn at the edges, at which the tension is high. Further, owing to the tear risk, the threading must be carried out with a very low overall web tension, and thus, in the direct beginning of winding, the desired web tension cannot be achieved. Further, a slitting during threading can tear the web because of the low tension. With respect to the prior art, reference is also made to GB Patent Application 2,164,635 which describes a procedure and means for carrying the leading end of a web from a machine roll or equivalent through a reeling means along a path defined by members guiding the web to be wound on a core. In this arrangement, the end of the paper web is taken as of substantially full width from a reel and the end of the paper web is attached to a threading member which extends substantially over the entire length in the cross direction of the web. Reference is also made to GB Patent Application 2,287,242 which describes an automatic web threader for paper converting machines. The thread bar has means for fastening one end of the web. It is a further problem in this prior-art solution that the web tension measurement devices of the slitter-winder's own cannot be used until the threading bar has by-passed the web guide roll which measures the tension of the web. In this prior-art solution, the fastening of the web to the threading bar is carried out manually. In such a case, aligning the leader end of the web on the threading member in the longitudinal direction of the slitter-winder so that the end of the web is exactly at the same location as the web is during winding is difficult and inaccurate, i.e. it is difficult to place the ends of the component webs on the winding drums in the correct locations in the axial direction of the winding drums. It is an important object of the present invention to provide threading of a web of full width, which threading operates reliably and during which the work of one person only is required. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved arrangement by whose means the leader end of the web can be threaded as of full width in connection with a slitter-winder of the centre-drive winder type. It is a further object of the invention to provide a solution in web threading of full width in which the web tension during threading is controlled and uniform. It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement by whose means the tension of the web can be measured and controlled during threading so that the component webs have the correct tension right at the beginning of rewinding. In view of achieving the objectives stated above and those that will come out later, the method in accordance with the invention is mainly characterized in what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1. On the other hand, the device in accordance with the invention is characterized in what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 6. The threading of the web in accordance with the invention is of full width and requires the work of one person only. In the arrangement in accordance with the invention, the tension of the web is controlled and uniform, in which connection the threading of the web can be carried out with the web tension corresponding to the start of the rewinding without involving a particular risk of tear of the web. According to a preferred exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the web tension can also be regulated as feedback regulation right from the beginning of the threading while making use of the devices for measurement of tension during running operation of the slitter-winder, in which case no separate tension measurement devices are needed for the threading. According to a preferred exemplifying embodiment of the method in accordance with the present invention, the leader end of the web of full width is taken from the unwind stand by means of a suction roll or equivalent. The web is pushed into the attachments in the threading bar by means of a press member, and the web is cut off. After the web has been attached, the threading bar starts carrying the web through the machine from the unwind station to the slitter-winder. The threading bar is attached to draw fabrics arranged in the cross direction of the web, which fabrics are, from one end, fixed to a shaft provided with a drive gear and fitted in the winding device of the slitter-winder. The draw fabrics are wound onto the shaft, in which connection the draw fabrics pull the threading bar and the web end attached to it through the machine. The threading equipment is provided with a drive gear, whose speed and/or pulling power can be regulated continuously and in the desired way during the different stages of threading (for example an inverter). The proceeding of the threading and its various stages are monitored and identified by means of various detectors, such as limit switches, tension detectors, and photocells. Based on the information provided by the detectors, the threading speed and the tension are controlled as a continuous sequence from the beginning to the end. In the following, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the figures in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a slitter-winder of the bottom draw centre-drive winder type, Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of the initial stage of the threading of a web of full width, wherein the web is taken from the paper reel, Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of the stage of threading of a web of full width in which the web is passed to the threading members, Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of one end of the slitter-winder and a sectional view in the plane defined by the longitudinal and vertical directions of the machine in a situation in which the threading members carry the web of full width, Figure 5A is a schematic illustration of the distribution of tension in prior-art solutions, in which the web of full width has been attached from its edges, and Figure 5B is a schematic illustration of a distribution of tension that can be achieved by means of an arrangement in accordance with the present invention. As is shown in Fig. 1, the winder device comprises an unwind station 10, in which there is a paper reel 12, which is unwound as a paper web W of full width. The web W is passed as a bottom draw into the slitter-winder 30, in which the web W is divided into component webs W' and wound into component rolls in a first winding station by means of the winding drum 57 and in a second winding station by means of the winding drum 58. The winding device 30 comprises a slitter part 40, in which the web W is slit into component webs W' in accordance with predefined settings. The slitter-winder 30 is provided with means 120 for pulling the end of the web W of full width, which means comprise a threading bar 21, draw fabrics 25 for same, a winding shaft for said draw fabrics, and a shaft drive gear. The draw fabrics 25 of the threading bar 21 are, for example, made of fabric, plastic or rubber. As is shown in Fig. 2, in the unwind station 10 there is a paper reel 12, which is unwound as a paper web W of full width. In the stage shown in the figure, the threading bar 21 has been brought to the unwind station 10 by means of chains 61 attached to the ends of the bar 21, which chains are driven by a separate drive gear. The chain track 62 (see also Figs. 1 and 4) has been arranged at the sides of the slitter-winder so that the threading bar runs along the same path as the web W does during winding, i.e. the draw fabrics of the threading bar are now on the web winding path. Further, in the stage shown in the figure, the reel 12 revolves at an invariable speed, and the web W is taken apart from the reel 12 face by means of a suction roll 11, which has been transferred by means of arms 11' to a web W receiving station. As is shown in Fig. 3, the web W end is passed by means of the suction roll 11 over the guide roll 14 far enough down so that the web end fastening equipment 20 can press the web against the threading bar 21. Fig. 3 shows this situation, and next, in the web W end fastening equipment, the press member 22 pushes the web W into the opened clamp 71 in the threading bar 21, and the cutter blade 24 cuts off the web. The clamp in the threading bar 21 is closed by a spring load, and it is opened by means of a separate actuator 72 provided on the frame of the guide roll 14. (In the figure, the actuator 72 is a hose that expands pneumatically). As is shown in Fig. 4, after the web W has been attached to the threading bar 21 and cut off from the web portion placed on the suction roll 11, the threading bar 21 starts carrying it through the machine. The threading bar 21 is transferred by means of draw fabrics 25 arranged in the cross direction of the web W. The threading bar 21 is passed over the guide rolls 16,17,18,19 along the path along which the web runs during winding. By means of the draw fabrics 25, the threading bar 21 can be transferred so that it remains straight, in which case no tension peaks arising from bending of the threading bar 21 arise in the paper web (see Figs. 5A and 5B) The draw tension is measured and controlled by means of the same known devices by whose means the web tension is measured and controlled during winding (for example, measurement of tension by means of force detectors fitted in the bearing housings of one guide roll). The draw tension is formed so that the web W is unwound from the reel 12 at an invariable speed, and the tension is regulated by means of the drive gear of the draw fabrics 25, which drive gear is regulated in compliance with a target value and with the value given by the measurement of tension. The draw fabrics 25 are placed in the area of the web W so that they run in the longitudinal direction of the web W, and, differing from the figures, there can be more than two fabrics in the cross direction of the web. As a draw fabric, it is also possible to use one draw fabric of a width substantially equal to the web width. After the threading bar has by-passed the slitter part 40, the longitudinal slitting of the web into component webs W' is started, which can now be accomplished successfully, because the web has a uniform, sufficiently high tension, and the ends of the component webs are finally passed onto the winding drums 57 and 58, and the winding proceeds in the way shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 5A and 5B illustrate the distribution of tension produced in a web of full width by means of a threading bar drawn in two different ways. In Fig. 5B, there is a uniform tension σ, and in Fig. 5A there is an increasing tension towards the edges of the web when the threading bar 21 is drawn from its ends only. The distribution of tension denoted with the dashed line in Fig. 5A has been simplified into triangular form, in which case it is easy to calculate the magnitude of the peak tension k x σ at the edges of the web. Since, in both cases, the draw force is the same F, the areas of the distributions of tension must be the same. The area of the distribution of tension as shown in Fig. 5A is 2 · k · σ · L /4 2 = k · σ · L 4 and the area of the distribution of tension as shown in Fig. 5B is σ • L, whereby k · σ · L 4 = σ · L ⇒ k = 4. From Figs. 5A, 5B, it is noticed that the tension peaks produced by a threading bar 21' drawn from its ends are four times as high as the uniform tension produced by a threading bar 21 in accordance with the invention. It follows from this that the maximal tension must be lower than the tension resulting in tear of the web, and so, with the arrangement of Fig. 5A, the total draw force F is allowed to be just one quarter of the draw force in the arrangement of Fig. 5B, for which reason the middle portion of the web remains very slack. Above, the invention has been described with reference to some preferred exemplifying embodiments of same only, and the invention is not in any way supposed to be strictly confined to the details of said embodiments. Many variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the inventive idea defined in the following patent claims.

Claims: A method in winding of a paper web, in which method the paper web (W) is unwound from a paper reel (12), the end of the paper web (W) is taken as of substantially full width from the reel (12) and the end of the paper web (W) is attached to a threading member (21), which extends substantially over the entire length in the cross direction of the web (W), characterized in that the threading member (21) carries the end of the paper web (W) through the winding machine so that the web (W) is carried as of substantially uniform tension, and that the threading member (21) is carried by means of draw fabrics (25) arranged substantially over said entire length of the threading member. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the end of the paper web (W) is attached to a threading bar (21), by whose means the end of the paper web (W) is carried through the winding machine, that the threading bar is drawn by means of said draw fabrics (25) so that the threading bar (21) remains substantially unbent in the draw direction. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that , in the method, the tension of the web (W) is controlled by unwinding the web (W) from the paper reel (12) at a substantially invariable speed and by regulating the tension by means of the drive gear of the draw fabrics (25). A method as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that , in the method, the drive gear of the draw fabrics (25) is regulated by means of a logic system in compliance with a target value and with a value given by the measurement of tension. A method as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the end of the paper web (W) is attached to the threading bar (21) by means of a fastening equipment (20). A winding device in winding of a paper web or equivalent, comprising an unwind stand (10) as well as a paper web (W) threading member (21), in which device the full-width end of the paper web (W) is attached, for the time of threading, to the threading member (21) extending substantially over the entire length in the cross direction of the paper web (W), characterized in that the threading member (21) is fitted to be displaced by means of draw fabrics (25) arranged substantially over said entire length of the threading member (21). A device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the device further comprises a fastening equipment (20) for attaching the end of the paper web (W) to the threading member (21). A device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the fastening equipment (20) comprises a press member (22) for attaching the end of the paper web (W) to the threading member (21) and a blade (24) for cutting off the end of the paper web (W). A device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the device further comprises a chain track (62) or equivalent for transferring the threading bar (21) from the winding part to the unwind station. A device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the threading member (21) is a threading bar (21), in which there is a clamp (71), into which the end of the web (W) is attached. A device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the clamp (71) of the threading bar (21) is connected with an actuator (72) for opening the clamp (71).

Inventors: KOUTONEN PAULI, LESKINEN ARTO, SINKKO JARI, KOUTONEN, PAULI, LESKINEN, ARTO, SINKKO, JARI
Applicants: METSO PAPER INC, METSO PAPER, INC.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B65H19
IPC codes: B65H19, B65H20