Patent GB-1017177-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the storage and dispensing of sheet material
IPC: B65H45/103
Filed: 1963-08-16
Abstract: 1,017,177. Layering fabrics. E. VON RUDGISCH. Aug. 16,1963 [Aug.16, 1962], No. 32428/63. Heading D1S. Web handling apparatus comprises a conveyer having a flight extending substantially horizontally, means for driving said flight substantially parallel to a horizontal axis, a plurality of supports for bolts of material carried by said flight and extending transversely of said axis, a cutting table disposed below said flight, means for securing an end of material from one of said bolts to said table, a web spreading device horizontally movable along said table and engagable with material extending from the said bolt to the said securing means to deflect such material towards said table, means for driving said device in the direction of the axis and means for coupling said driving means to synchronously moving said flight and device in the same direction. In Fig. 1 a circulating conveyer consisting of chains 24 mounted on longitudinal girder 20 and end supports 22 carries cloth bolts 26. Beneath the conveyer is a cutting table 28 having mounted thereon a spreading machine 30 running on pinions engaging toothed tracks. The spreading machine 30 (Fig. 2) has mounted thereon a knife carriage 34 housing rotating knife 36. The carriage 34 may be moved up and down in guides 32 either by hand through hand wheel 40 or automatically such that it is raised a distance equal to the thickness of the cloth after the cutting of each cloth length. On an arm 45 fixed to knife carrier 34, a bow 46, pivoted at 48, carries pressure rollers 52, 54 which bear against cloth web 58 as it is pulled from a bolt 26 over guide rollers 60. The bow 46 is held in operative position by a latch 50. Inclined rollers 64, 66 are mounted, one each side of the cloth web and can be brought into contact with the web independently by photo-electrlcmagnetic means for the purpose of aligning the run of the cloth. A vertically adjustable clamping means 86, 84, 88 is situated at the end of the cutting table. The whole apparatus is electrically or electronically controlled by means of a stationary switchboard connected to a switch box 42 on the spreading machine 30, switchbox 90 at the clamping point, switchbox 92 on support 22 and various other control elements. A counting potentiometer 94 co-operating with limit switches 96, 98 and cams 100 on each bolt suspending device counts and controls the movement of the bolts. Each cloth bolt is carried in a suspension device (Fig. 11) mounted on a pair of opposite carriages 104 each comprising a fixed rigid lever 108 with troughs 114 for the introduction and support of the axle of a cloth bolt, and a locking lever 110 which is pulled into operating position with lever 108 by spring 112. In operation, assuming the spreading machine to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, a pre-selecting potentiometer 93 on switchbox 92 is set to indicate the cloth bolt to be selected and this is then carried automatically by the conveyers to above the spreading machine 30. The bow 46 of the spreading machine 30 is then swung upwards and the cloth 58 is threaded through the spreading machine and clamped by the clamping bar 86 at the end of table 28. The bow 46 is then tipped forward and is clamped by catch 50. The length of cloth to be cut is set by means of a tape measure 138 displaced by hand wheel 136. The tape 138 carries a cam which co-operates with a limit switch 144 on the spreading machine for stopping the latter. The drive to the spreading machine and conveyer are then switched on by a selector button on switchbox 90 and the spreading machine and conveyer run up to the point determined by the cam on tape 138. The knife 36 is then switched on and runs along the carriage 34 thereby cutting off the length of cloth. The spreading machine returns to its initial position automatically on the operator pressing an appropriate button. After each cutting operation the knife carriage 34 is moved up through a distance corresponding to the thickness of the cloth by chain drive 38. The uppermost length is gripped under bar 86 whilst those already cut are held by angle members 84. The drive of the spreading machine is synchronised with the conveyer and the former does not serve for laying but merely for controlling the position of the web. After a length of cloth has been cut off the free end of the web hangs from the bolt 26. This may be re-wound on to the bolt by roller 154 driven by motor 156 and mounted on lever 152. By pressing down the lever contact 160 is broken, thus starting the motor 156, and roller 154 is put into contact with the bolt 26. To compensate for the cut edge not being straight resulting from differences in tension in the cloth a hollow rail 164 (Fig. 20) is fitted on the knife carriage in front of the knife and is fixed on the spreading machine 30 at points 166 and 168. On the inner sides of these points there are projections 170 and 172 between which a stretching rod 174 is arranged. Rotation of rod 174 increases or decreases its length by virtue of opposite screwed threads 176 and 178 thereby bending the rail 164 so that it is convexed or concaved as required. The web 58 is thus held curved in front of the knife 36 so counteracting any curvature due to the structure of the cloth. The knife 36 preferably cooperates with a counter blade so that the cloth does not yield in front of the knife. To prevent the webs unwinding themselves from the bolts each bolt has brake means comprising an arm 182 on which a bow 186 is pivotally mounted, the latter being loaded by spring 188 so as to maintain a rod 190 at the end of bow 186 in contact with the bolt of cloth. The spring 188 is adjustable so that pressure exerted by the rod 190 can be regulated. A manually operated release mechanism is mounted on the girders 20 for moving the rod 190 out of engagement with the bolt for free unwinding of the cloth when in the position for unwinding. This mechanism may also incorporate means alternative to motor 156 and roller 154 for rewinding the cloth web back on to the bolt after a length has been cut therefrom. Suitable cable guiding and take up means are provided under the cutting table to accommodate the electric cables during movement of the spreading machine and one cutting table can be located beneath a number of circulating conveyers the table being movable on racks in a lateral direction from beneath one conveyer to another. In such cases the tables are fitted with stop means should they encounter any obstruction in the lateral movement. The circulating conveyers may have supports 22, up and down which chains 24 for carrying the cloth bolts may pass, at both ends or at one end only or the chains may run along the horizontal girders only.