Abstract:
A strip of sheet material is wound on a spool by a driving belt wrapped around spaced rollers of a surface winder which urge the sheet material into contact with the spool, rotating the spool, and at the same time, applying the sheet material to the spool, with layers of the material being separated by a liner wrapped around the spool as the sheet material is being applied.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to winding a strip of sheet material such as a tire component on a spool which is transported to a tire building machine for building a tire. The spool may be mounted on a cart which also supports a liner shell for a liner which is interposed between the material wrapped around the wind-up shell of the spool of material. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Server systems, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,892 for storing and delivering stock material are used in the tire manufacturing process. The handling, storage and transporting of the tire components on a spool mounted on an A-frame cart has obvious convenience advantages. There are also disadvantages such as the distortion of the material during winding on the spool. This is particularly true in winding a tread, where the contours of the tread are important and may be distorted in the winding-storage process. Belts that are wound on a spool may also be distorted and the ends-per-inch count of the wires in the belt may be altered such that the stored belt does not meet specifications and must be rejected. Also because the components are wound with a liner separating the layers, it has been found that the “square woven” components may be crushed and separation from the liner becomes difficult, if not impossible. Where calendered material is wound on the spool it may be distorted and flattened at the center of the roll and may have to be cut away from the liner, wasting expensive liner material and delaying the manufacturing process. These problems are believed to be due in part to the distortion caused by undue pressure applied in the wind up and storage process. Heretofore, center driven winders have been used to wind the spool by a motor which rotates a shaft connected to the wind-up shell of the spool. Winding tension control for applying and varying the tension applied to the component being wound on the spool is important because it must be varied as the spool grows in size and diameter during wind up. 
     Surface winders have also been used in some cases wherein the component is wound through contact with the surface of the spool by a moving belt. With traditional surface winders the spool is supported on a driving belt and the weight of the spool distorts the material unless an adjustable support is provided to lift the spool and take the weight off the driving belt. This is not desirable because the entire weight of the spool must be carried by the adjusting means. 
     In another system such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,076 the roll being wound is supported on a web extending between two rotatable supporting rollers. The roll is rotated by a separate winder drum which transmits the sheet of paper or cardboard to the roll and rotates the roll. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for winding a strip of sheet material on a rotatable spool of sheet material comprising a surface winder having belt means movable into engagement with the strip of sheet material for application to the spool and for rotating the spool characterized by pressure means for moving the surface winder and the belt means toward the spool to urge the strip of sheet material against the spool, and belt drive means engageable with the belt means for delivering the strip of sheet material to the spool and rotating the spool to wind the strip of sheet material on the spool. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for winding a strip of sheet material on a rotatable spool comprising: 
     (a) a surface winder having belt means movable into engagement with the strip of sheet material for application to the spool and for rotating the spool characterized by: 
     (b) pressure means for moving the surface winder and the belt means toward the spool to urge the strip of sheet material against the spool, and belt drive means with the belt means for delivering the strip of sheet material to the spool and rotating the spool to wind the strip of sheet material on the spool. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided the apparatus of claim 1 wherein said spool is mounted on a movable frame and said surface winder is mounted at a fixed position adjacent a conveyor for supplying said strip of sheet material. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an end view of the wind up apparatus embodying the invention showing the surface winder apparatus at the start of the wind up process. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus taken along line  2 — 2  in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an end view like FIG. 1 showing the apparatus at the end of the wind up process. 
     FIG. 4 is an end view like FIG. 1 showing the apparatus with the surface winder retracted for cart removal. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , a wind-up apparatus  10  is shown having a movable cart frame  12 , supported on a floor by wheels  11 , for transporting a spool  14  of sheet material  16  from a wind-up position, such as that shown in the drawings, to a delivery or server position spaced from the wind-up position. Where the sheet material  16  is a tire component, such as a tread or ply, the sheet material may be conveyed to the wind-up position on a belt conveyor  18 , where it is carried on a belt  20  to a position spaced from a sheet material applier frame  22  positioned adjacent to the movable cart frame  12 . 
     The sheet material applier frame  22  has side plates  24  and  26  supporting a driving pulley  28  driven by a motor  30 , or other driving means for driving a driving belt  32 . The driving belt  32  is trained around the driving pulley  28 , a take-up pulley  34  and a pair of spaced pulleys  36  and  38  of a surface winder  40 . The take-up pulley  34 , may be mounted on pressure controlled air cylinders  35 , 35  fastened to each of the side plates  24  and  26  with the weight of the take-up pulley and the pressure controlled air cylinders maintaining the driving belt  32  in tension. 
     The surface winder  40  has a pressure means such as a pair of piston cylinder assemblies  43  and  44  fastened to the side plate  24  and side plate  26  of the applier frame. The piston cylinder assemblies  43  and  44  have piston rods  47  and  48  attached to mounting plates  50  and  52  spaced apart and positioned at opposite ends of the spaced pulley  36  and spaced pulley  38  of the surface winder  40 . The mounting plates  50  and  52  are rotatably mounted on the piston rods  47  and  48  whereby the spaced pulley  36  and spaced pulley  38  are radially movable to conform to the contour of the spool  14 . Movement of the surface winder  40  towards the spool  14  is provided by the piston-cylinder assemblies  43  and  44 . 
     The movable cart frame  12  of the wind-up apparatus  10  may have spaced bearings  58  and  60  for rotatably supporting a shaft  62  of a wind-up shell  64 . Liner support arms  66  are mounted on the movable frame  12  and extend to a spaced apart position for supporting a liner sheel  68  of a liner roll  69  in bearing  70 . Also supported on the floor are liner support members  71  attached to the material applier frame  22  at either side thereof for supporting a lead in roller  72 , precision guide  74  and a lead out roller  76 . 
     The wind-up apparatus  10  shown in FIG. 3 illustrates the apparatus with the spool  14  at the end of the wind-up operation. 
     The wind-up apparatus  10  shown in FIG. 4 illustrates the apparatus with the spool  14  after the sheet material  16  and a liner  78  have been wrapped in a spool which may be transported to another location for delivering the sheet material or for storage. The location where the movable cart frame  12  is located, as shown in the drawings, is then open and available for another movable cart frame to be parked, and another spool wound up on an apparatus like that shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 . 
     In operation, the diameter of the spool  14  at the beginning of the wind-up operation is the diameter of the wind-up shell  64  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The diameter of the liner roll  69  on the liner shell  68  is substantially greater than that shown in FIG. 1, but with the outer diameter spaced from the wind-up shell  64 . The surface winder  40  maintains contact with the spool  14 , as shown in FIG. 1, so that the spaced pulleys  36  and  38  urge the sheet material  16  on the driving belt  32  against the sheet material into contact with the liner  78  and rotate the spool  14  in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG.  1 . The pivotal mounting of the spaced pulleys on the mounting plates  50  and  52  cause the driving belt  32  to conform with the surface of the spool  14  pressing the material  16  against the surface and at the same time, driving the spool in a clockwise directions. In this condition, the take-up pulley  34  is in a raised position as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     As shown in the drawings, the driving belt  32  not only carries the sheet material  16  to the spool  14 , but also remains in contact with the sheet material as it is applied to the spool. This provides the desired friction for turning the spool  14  with a controlled pressure from the piston-cylinder assemblies  43  and  44 . The liner  78 , which has one end wrapped around the spool  14 , is pulled from the liner shell  68  over the lead in roller  72  through the precision guides  74  and over the lead out roller  76  so that it will be positioned accurately on the spool  14 . 
     The conveyor  18 , which may convey the sheet material  16  from a suitable source, such as an extruder or calender, may be driven by a separate drive and a festoon  80  is preferably provided between the conveyor belt  20  and the driving belt  32  to accommodate differences in the rate at which the sheet material is supplied by the conveyor  18  and the rate it is applied to the spool  14  by the driving belt  32 . These differences in speed may be determined by the position of the festoon  80  as registered by photo eyes  82  and  84 . The driving speed of the motor  30  connected to the driving pulley  28  and the driving speed of the motor for the conveyor  18  may then be adjusted accordingly.