COILING APPARATUS

Abstract: The invention relates to a winding apparatus (1) having several winding reels (3-6) provided side by side and driven by a common drive shaft (2) and having a distribution and equalization mechanism (9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25) in the form of a gear mechanism for equalizing the driving force between the reels. According to the invention the distribution and equalization mechanism comprises two or several steps (9, 12, 13, 16, 17 and 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, respectively) acting coaxially around the shaft and around each other and provided radially outside each other and within the radial as well as the total axial extension of the reels (3-6).

Description: COILING APPARATUS The present invention relates generally to equipment for winding strips and more speci¬ fically relates to a winding or coiling apparatus of the kind indicated in the preamble of the enclosed claim 1. When slitting strip type material into narrow separate strips and subsequently winding the single separate strips on winding reels (mandrels) or the like, one problem lies in the fact that the strip type basic material has varying thickness tolerance in its longitudinal as well as in its transversal direction. These variations in thickness do in turn lead to a different diameter increase on the separate reels. Due to this fact the reels cannot without specific measures be driven by one and the same drive shaft since they would then rotate with the same speed. Due to said difference in diameter increase, and thus in peripheral speed, the resulting tension in the different separate strips would vary correspondingly This difference in tension would in such a case render an adequate winding of all of the separate strips impossible. Traditionally said problem has been solved by winding the separate strips on their own reel or mandrel shaft having a separate drive. Such a solution has naturally led to relatively high costs and has also required a large machine space. The same problem exists within different areas, i.e. concerning web materials of plastic or paper as well as metal strips, and the object of all the efforts that have been made within these areas is to provide a winding apparatus having several winding reels driven in common through one and the same drive shaft. Efforts have thereby been made for instance to solve the problem of the varying diameter increase on the different reels, namely in the following manner: by means of sliding or slip clutches between the shaft and the reels or rolls, European patent application 0 002 429 and US patent No. 3 603 521 ; and by using a hydraulic pump for each winding reel, whereby all hydraulic pumps communicate with each other at the suction as well as pressure sides in order to compensate for the variations in thickness. European patent No. 155 460. Although said solutions have served their purpose they have all suffered from disadvantages such as heavy wear and/or high costs. Tests have also been made using different types of gear mechanisms but none of these solu- tions have been completely satisfactory with regard to cost, simplicity and/or compact design. Thus, JP 62-51538 discloses a differential gear mechanism in which planetary gear trains provided side by side on a drive shaft are employed for distributing the driving force equally to the winding reels. This design requires one planetary gear train for each winding reel and also a planetary gear train between each pair of mandrels, and accordingly the mechanism inevitably comprises a great number of gears requiring large space and leading to high costs. Finally US patent specification 1 834 407 discloses a mechanism for winding strips on two rolls driven by a common drive shaft, with equal tension in the strips regardless of the difference in diameter increase on the rolls. In this case a conventional differential is employed for distributing the drive force equally to the rolls by allowing the roll experiencing the increased tension to slip. The disclosed design requires very much space due to the fact that the drive shaft is positioned completely outside the rolls and that transmission gear wheels and the differential are provided between the rolls. Finally it is only designed for driving two rolls. The object of the invention is therefore, starting from the above cited prior art, to provide an improved winding apparatus of the kind indicated in the introduction, which is relatively simple and inexpensive and very compact in design. Said object is achieved by means of a winding or coiling apparatus having the charac¬ terizing features stated in the characterizing portion of the enclosed claim 1. The dependent subclaims are directed to advantageous further developments of the basic inventive idea. The invention and its further features and advantages are explained more closely below in connection with an embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the enclosed drawings solely for the purpose of giving an example of the invention. On the drawings: Fig. 1 is a cross-section through a winding head in one embodiment of the invention, and fig. 2 is an end view, seen from the left side in Fig. 1, of the winding head according to the invention. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated on the drawings the winding head in its entirety is identified by the reference number 1, and said winding head 1 is supported on and driven by the drive shaft identified by reference number 2. In the illustrated embodi¬ ment four winding reels or drums 3-6 are driven by the same shaft 2 and the separate strips are intended to be wound on plastic spools 7 fixed to the winding reels by means of a special locking mechanism 8 (see especially Fig. 2) mounted in the respective mandrels 3-6. The invention basically provides, in one or several steps, equal distribution of the driving force from the drive shaft 2 to the winding reels included therein, whereby the mutual adjustment in view of the different diameter increase on the reels is achieved by a corre¬ sponding adjustment of the rotary speed of the reels by means of a gear mechanism. In a specifically compact solution which is also advantageous with regard to costs, this is achieved by means of a distribution and compensation apparatus which in its entirety is provided between the drive shaft 2 and the winding reels 3-6 and within the axial as well as the radial extension of the reels. Said distribution and compensation apparatus will now be described with reference to the drawings. The distribution and compensation apparatus or its first step consists of a first bevel gear wheel or pinion 9 carried by the drive shaft 2 with its centre axis A perpendicular to the centre axis C of the drive shaft 2. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment the first bevel gear is rotatably journalled in a ring 11 keyed on (flat key 11a) the drive shaft by means of a fitting bolt 10 and a flanged bearing 10a. Thus, the first bevel gear 9 is carried by the drive shaft 2 so as to be stationary but rotable. On each side of the first bevel gear 9 two bearing housings 12, 13 are rotatably journalled on the drive shaft 2 by means of deep groove ball bearings 14 and 15, respectively. On their surfaces facing the first bevel gear 9 the bearing housings 12, 13 each carry a second bevel gear (ring gear) 16 and 17, respectively which are in engagement with the first bevel gear or pinion 9. When the drive shaft 2 is rotating the driving force will therefore be transmitted through the first bevel gear 9 to the two bearing housings 12, 13 through the second bevel gears 16, 17, and at the same time a mutual compensating or equalizing movement will be allowed between the bearing housings 12, 13, in a manner that will be described further below. At their outer circumference each of the bearing housings 12 and 13 carry third bevel gears or pinions 18 and 19, respectively, which like the first bevel gear 9 are journalled with their centre axis B perpendicular to the centre axis C of the drive shaft 2. The third bevel gears are thereby likewise mounted to the respective bearing housings 12, 13 through rings 12a and 13a, respectively, wedged to the bearing housings, journalled therein by means of fitting bolts 20 and flanged bearings 20a in such a manner that said third bevel gears 18 and 19 are mounted stationary but rotary in relation to their respective bearing housings. On each side of the respective third bevel gears 18, 19 the first, second and third, fourth reels 3, 4 and 5, 6, respectively are provided, whereby said winding reels are journalled on the corresponding bearing housings 12 and 13 respectively by means of slide bearings 21 and at their inner surfaces carry fourth bevel gears 22, 23 and 24, 25, respectively intended for engagement with the respective third bevel gears 18, 19. As a result of this design the driving force distributed to the bearing housings 12, 13 will in a second step be distributed to the respective winding reels 3-6. Through the engagement between the third and fourth bevel gears a compensation or equalization of the driving force is once more taking place between each pair of reels 3, 4 and 5, 6, respectively in order to compensate for the diffe¬ rence in diameter increase between said reels, which in other case would lead to a diffe- rence in the tension acting thereon during winding, and more specifically this is achieved due to the fact that the winding reels in each pair may move relative to each other and that the two reels carried on the respective bearing housing may simultaneously move in relation to the other pair. As a result of the very compact design of the described distribution and compensation apparatus it will be possible to position the winding reels, immediately adjacent each other even when they are relatively narrow, with the complete distribution or compensation apparatus being accomodated between the driving shaft 2 and said reels 3-6. Preferably slide bearings 26 are thereby provided also between the reels 3-6 in order to further minimize friction. Fig. 2 specifically illustrates a suitable locking mechanism 8 for fixing the plastic spools or wheels 7, whereby said locking mechanism comprises a latch 27 accomodated in a groove in the respective reel 3-6 and spring-loaded to a locking position by means of a set of springs 28. Each reel 3-6 is provided with a through bore 29 adjacent one end of the latch 27, and through said bore a release tool (not illustrated) may be inserted when the bores 29 in all reels have been adjusted such that they are aligned with each other, and the tool may be operated in order to simultaneously loosen all the latches 27 from their respective plastic spools. Although the distribution and compensation apparatus has been described above in an embodiment comprising four reels 3-6 it is obvious that the invention is not restricted to an embodiment having specifically four reels, although this embodiment presently is regarded to be the most practical and appropriate. Thus, in the case where only two reels are present only the first and second bevel gears would be required and the bearing housings would in fact be formed by the respective reels. Theoretically it is also possible to provide further distribution steps in order to drive eight winding reels or more, but in practice such an embodiment would probably not be preferable since primarily the radial dimensions of the reels would be too large. In such a case it is presently regarded to be more suitable to provide several separately driven winding heads each having for instance four reels, or to connect two such winding heads in series through a traditional differential. In view of what has been described above it should now be obvious that when driving force is applied through the drive shaft 2 said driving force will be transmitted to the winding reels 3-6 through the first, second, third and fourth bevel gears 9, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 22- 25. The differing tensile force that the separate strips tend to apply to the respective reel as a result of the different diameter increase on the separate reels will automatically be compensated by the described distribution or compensation apparatus. This result is obtained in such a manner that the driving force is distributed evenly between the reels due to the fact that the reels are each brought to rotate at a speed that with the respective diameter increase provides the same peripheral speed, i.e. the driving force transmitted to the reels will be equalized due to the fact that through said bevel gears the reels will rotate in relation to each other in an extent corresponding to the difference in diameter increase. The compact design is obtained by providing the steps radially outside each other in such a manner that they operate coaxially around the drive shaft 2 and around each other, within the axial as well as the radial extent of the winding reels lying side by side, and this will be obtained even when relatively narrow reels are provided closely adjacent each other. More specifically, the compact design is obtained by means of the above specifically described arrangement of the components included in the distribution or compensation apparatus. Based on the fact that it is possible throughout to use substantially standardized machine parts the costs of the design may also be kept low. Although the invention has been described above with specific reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it shall be obvious that the invention also comprises such modifications and variations thereof which fall within the normal knowledge of the man skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the invention shall only be restricted by the enclosed patent claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Winding apparatus (1) having several winding reels (3-6) provided side by side and driven by a common drive shaft (2) and having a distribution and equalization mechanism (9, 12, 13, 16-19, 22-25) acting in two or several steps and in the form of a gear mecha¬ nism, for equalizing the driving force between the reels, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the first steps of the distribution and equalization mechanism (9, 12, 13, 16-19, 22-25) comprises two bearing housings (12, 13) rotatably journalled on the drive shaft (2) and connected to each other through first and second equalization gears (9; 16, 17), and in that an intermediary, alternatively last step of the distribution and equalization mechanism (9, 12, 13, 16-19, 22-25) comprises a pair of further bearing housings, alternatively a pair of winding reels (3, 4; 5, 6) rotatably carried on each of said bearing housings (12, 13) of the preceding step and being connected to each others in pairs by means of third and fourth equalization gears (18, 19; 22, 23, 24, 25). 2. Winding apparatus (1) according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the first equalization gear (9) of the first step (9, 12, 13, 16, 17) is stationary but rotatably journalled on the drive shaft (2) and is provided with its centre axis (A) extended perpendi¬ cular to the centre axis (C) of the drive shaft and in engagement with the two second equalization gears (16, 17) being provided coaxially around the drive shaft and being firmly attached to one each of the bearing housings (12, 13). 3. Winding apparatus (1) according to claims 1 and 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the third equalization gear (18, 19) of the intermediary, alternatively last step (18, 19, 22-25) is stationary but rotatably journalled at the outer circumference of the respective bearing housing (12 and 13, respectively) forming a part of the preceding step, with their centre axis (B) extended perpendicular to the centre axis (C) of the drive shaft (2) and in engagement with the fourth equalization gears (22-25) being provided coaxially around the drive shaft and being firmly attached to one each of the further bearing housings, alternatively to one each of the reels (3-6). 4. Winding apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that all of the first, second, third and fourth gears (9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25) are bevel gears. 5. Winding apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and third gears (9, 18, 19) are rotatably journalled in a ring (11, 12a, 13a) wedged to the drive shaft (2) or to the bearing housing (12, 13) of the preceding step respectively by means of a fitting bolt (10, 20) and a flanged bearing (10a, 20a). 6. Winding apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing housings (12, 13) of the first step are journalled on the drive shaft (2) by means of deep groove ball bearings (14, 15). 7. Winding apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the winding reels (3-6) are rotatably journalled on the bearing housings (12, 13) of the preceding step by means of slide bearings (21). 8. Winding apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that slide bearings (26) are provided between the winding reels (3-6). 9. Winding apparatus (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that latches (27) are provided which are accomodated in grooves in the outer circum¬ ference of the winding reels (3-6) and which by means of a set of springs (28) are spring¬ loaded to a position for fixing spools (7) provided on the reels, for winding strips thereon. 10. Winding apparatus (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that adjacent one end of the latch (27) each winding reel (3-6) is provided with a through bore (29) for inserting a release tool therethrough, after adjusting the bores (29) of all mandrels such that they are aligned with each other, and operating the tool in order to simultaneously release all of the latches (27) from their respective plastic spools (7).

Inventors: KAELLSTROEM KRISTER, KAELLSTROEM, KRISTER
Applicants: KAELLSTROEM KRISTER, MASKINSYSTEM AB, KAELLSTROEM, KRISTER
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B65H18
IPC codes: B65H18