Abstract:
Apparatus and method for winding sheet material for producing a rewound roll having a smaller central hollow core and a more compact configuration. The material is wound so that a first edge of each layer of the roll terminates in the same plane. By compacting the wound sheet material and providing a smaller central bore, the sheet material is made sufficiently rigid so that it may be cut transversely thereacross adjacent and edge thereof without further compressing the material into the hollow core.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to an apparatus and method for rolling sheet material so that the material may be then cut in a straight line while in a rolled configuration. More particularly, the invention relates to such apparatus and method for producing wall paper borders from a roll of wall paper. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Typically, rolled material, such as wall paper, has a relatively large hollow core and the plies (layers) of material are loosely wound around the hollow core. If one attempted to cut transversely across and in relatively close proximity of an edge of the material while it is in a rolled configuration, the end edges to be cut would be compressed inwardly toward the hollow core and a cut across the roll adjacent the edge being cut would not produce a straight line after the material is uncompressed and unrolled. 
     There are many devices available which are utilized to cut sheet materials while the sheet material is being rolled between two rollers. U.S. Pat. No. 602,253 issued to J. M. Brady on Apr. 12, 1898, for example, is directed to a machine for trimming wall paper. The machine is a hand operated machine which unrolls a roll of material from a first roller onto a second roller. The material is fed between a pair of cutters so that the cutters may trim the edges of the material during movement of the sheet material from the first roller to the second roller. Such trimming function requires that the wall paper be moved relatively slowly through the cutters so that the edge being cut can be engaged by the cutters along the entire length of the edge surfaces as the paper is linearly moved through the cutters. 
     Other devices which relate to sheet material cutting machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 484,173 entitled &#34;Machine For Slitting And Winding Paper&#34;, issued to A. P. Brown on Oct. 11, 1892; and, U.S. Pat. No. 473,411 entitled &#34;Machine For Trimming Wall Paper&#34;, issued to A. Allen on Apr. 18, 1892. None of the above mentioned patents disclose apparatus and method for rolling wallpaper in a manner which is suitable for being cut into borders while the wall paper is in a rolled configuration. 
     Some other patents which disclose the function of winding sheet materials in a roll are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,132,820; 4,781,336; 2,592,090; and 1,073,946. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 4 is an end elevational view as seen along line 4--4 of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the shaft coupling devices of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. 
     FIG. 6 is an elevational view illustrating the motor operated shaft of FIG. 1 which supports the free end of the roll of material which is to be wound. A removable clamping member is shown for clamping the material between the motor operated shaft and the clamping member so that the material may be releasably secured to the shaft. 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line 7--7 of FIG. 6 illustrating the clamping member in clamped relation with the motor operated shaft. 
     FIG. 8 is a partial elevational view of the end of a roll of material before it is rolled on the device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a partial elevational view of the end of a roll of material after it is rolled on the device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 is an elevational view of the motor shaft having the material to be rolled positioned thereon with the clamping member being removably positioned on the shaft for clamping the material to the motor shaft. 
     FIG. 11 is a view taken along line 11--11 of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 12 is a pictorial view of the compacted roll of material in a circular saw for cutting the border material. 
     FIG. 13 is a plan view of the machine of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrating the rerolling of the sheet material after it has been cut. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As seen in FIG. 1, the sheet material rolling machine 10 includes a frame 12 having an end motor housing portion 14, end member 16 and a pair of rods 18 and 20 secured between member 16 and end portion 14. 
     End portion 14 forms a housing for a variable speed electric motor 22 (FIG. 2) and a motor control assembly 24 which includes a knob 26 for rotation thereof to control the speed of motor 22. 
     A stub shaft 28 extends from motor 22 into one end 30 (FIG. 2) of a flexible coupling 32. A material winding shaft 34 has one end mounted in coupling 32 and the shaft 34 extends therefrom to be removably supported in a slotted opening 36 in end member 16. 
     A second shaft 38 is provided for support of the roughly wound material. Shaft 38 includes an end 40 (FIG. 2) which extends and is secured in a flexible coupling 42 (which is similar to coupling 32) at one end 44 thereof. The second end 46 of shaft 38 is removable supported in a slotted opening 48 of end plate 16. A stub shaft 50 extends from coupling 42 and is supported in end portion 14. 
     Couplings 32 and 42 are shown to be of elastomeric material and permit shafts 34 and 38 to be pivoted upwardly and outwardly as shown in FIG. 1. The shafts are secured in the couplings by set screws 35 as shown in FIG. 5. In its outward position (as shown by the dash lines in FIG. 1) a roll of roughly wound material may be positioned on shaft 38. After positioning the roll on shaft 38, a flange 52 is placed adjacent the end of the roll. A spring 54 is slid on shaft 38 in abutting relation with flange 52 and a collar 56 is placed against the spring and tightened by a wing screw 58 against shaft 38 to retain the roll in biased relation against the flange 52. 
     The distal end 59 (FIG. 2) of the roll is then unwound and placed over a support plate 60 having a rounded front surface 62. The free or distal end of the material is further &#34;pulled out&#34; or unrolled from shaft 38 to engage shaft 34 to which it (the distal end) is clamped by a clamping member 64. The clamping member 64 is an elongated semi-annular (in cross-section) member (FIG. 7) and includes a first end 66 (FIG. 10) which is placed under a collar 68 prior to collar 68 being secured to shaft 34 by a wing screw 69 and a second end 61 which includes an &#34;over center&#34; portion 70 which is bendable (having a spring action) or flexible enough to fit over shaft 34 and (under pressure from one&#39;s finger) clamp itself thereto. Once the distal end 59 of the material is positioned on shaft 34 and clamped thereto by clamping member 64, the roll of material is transferred from shaft 46 and rolled on shaft 34 and clamping member 64 because of the rotation of shaft 34 by motor 22. The rod 34 is then pivoted upwardly and outwardly (as shown by the dash lines in FIG. 1) and then the clamping member is removed by unclamping collar 68 and sliding the clamping member from the newly created smaller core opening. The newly rolled material is then slid off of the shaft and placed in an appropriate cutter (FIG. 12) to be cut while in a rolled configuration. 
     A tamping plate 73 is shown to be secured to end member 16 to provide a convenient surface against which the end (cut edge) of the material may be tamped to assure that the cut surface of each layer is in the same plane. 
     As is seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, an end shaft support member 73 is provided on the interior surface 74 of end member 16 and a locking support member 76 (preferably Nylon or Teflon or the like) is provided on the outer surface 77 of end support member 16. Support member 72 is provided with a slot 78 therein which is positioned adjacent to and in alignment with slot 48 of end member 16. Locking support member 76 is provided with a slot 80 which is positioned adjacent to and in alignment with slot 48 of end member 16. As seen in FIG. 11, locking support member 76 is provided with a pair of inwardly projecting shoulders 82 and 84 which are sufficiently flexible enough to allow the shaft to be pushed downwardly between them but is rigid enough to retain the shaft below the shoulders once the shaft is positioned in the slot. Under a slight upward pressure the shaft may be moved upwardly through the space between the shoulders in order to pivot the shaft upwardly to a position wherein the roll of material may be placed on or removed from the shaft. In like manner, a second shaft support member 86 is provided to support and retain the distal end of the motor driven shaft 34 in end support member. Shaft support member 86 is similar in construction to shaft support member 76. It should be noted that the slots 36 and 48 are disposed in normal relation to angled surfaces 88 and 90 of end plate 16. The surfaces are angled at angles in the range of 45 degrees-60 degrees to enable the shafts to be moved upwardly and outwardly from the machine frame. 
     FIG. 12 is a pictorial view of a compacted roll of wall paper positioned in a circular saw 94. The saw is shown to have a blade 96 having teeth 98 disposed thereon which enables the saw to cut transversely across the compacted roll of wall paper. The saw may be a typical miter saw having blades provided with the edges disposed in predetermined angled relation which permits the roll of paper to be cut without shredding the edge. 
     It is to be understood that collar 68 may, if desired, form a second guide means for the roll of sheet material in which case one edge of the sheet material may engage collar 68 on shaft 34 and the second edge of the sheet material will engage the inner surface of flange 52 as discussed, supra. 
     FIG. 13 is a plan view of the machine of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 shown rerolling the wall paper after it has been cut into borders, if desired. Typically, during the initial rolling process, as decided above, the design surface (surface having the designs thereon) is wound with the design facing inwardly. To rewind the border material or that the design faces outwardly, the position of the flange 52, and collar are reversed as shown in FIG. 13. In position the edges of the cut border material is guided between the inner surface 53 of flange 52 and the inner surface of member 72.