Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Convolute winding of material – Simultaneous winding
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-08
2004-09-21
Rivera, William A. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Convolute winding of material
Simultaneous winding
C242S533700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06793169
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a web winding apparatus for winding an elongate web cut to a predetermined width on a core, a method of and an apparatus for processing a web edge which is produced when a raw web is cut off, and a web processing apparatus for cutting an end of the elongate web to produce a web roll.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, winding machines for automatically winding an elongate web, e.g., an elongate film, on a core and cutting machines for cutting a wide raw film into an elongate film having a given width and automatically winding the elongate film on a core have various winding mechanisms for supporting the elongate film on the outer circumferential surface of the core when the core is rotated in a winding position.
Such winding mechanisms have a holder angularly movable for holding a spool on the tip end of a belt wrapper and a drive mechanism for reciprocally moving the belt wrapper until the central axis of the spool held by the holder is aligned with the central axis of a winding drum, as disclosed in Japanese patent publication No. 57-40052, for example.
Japanese utility model publication No. 48-38149 discloses a strip coiler having a mandrel for winding a strip into a coil, and a plurality of wrapper roll frames disposed around the mandrel with wrapper rolls and guide plates being positioned inwardly thereof, the wrapper roll frames each having an end pivotally mounted on a housing, and a plurality of fluid pressure cylinders coupled to the wrapper roll frames for pressing the wrapper rolls toward and retracting the wrapper rolls away from a position to start winding the strip.
It has become necessary in recent years to process various films of the same kind having different widths to meet demands for a variety of film products. Cutting machines and winding machines are thus required to have a winding mechanism capable of handling different widths of films.
For example,
FIG. 93
of the accompanying drawings shows a winding mechanism
1
having two belt wrappers (or block wrappers)
4
for holding given portions of opposite ends of a core
3
which is supported by a core rotating mechanism
2
, and a moving mechanism
5
for moving the belt wrappers
4
axially in the directions indicated by the arrow A depending on the axial length of the core
3
. The moving mechanism
5
has a guide frame
6
extending in the directions indicated by the arrow A. The belt wrappers
4
are disposed on the guide frame
6
so as to be movable therealong by rack and pinion means (not shown) actuated by motors
7
. The belt wrappers
4
are positioned in respective locations on the guide frame
6
depending on the axial length of the core
3
, i.e., the width of a raw film.
However, since a film F is supported on the core
3
by the two belt wrappers
4
, the film F cannot be held under pressure across its full width. Therefore, the film F wound around the core
3
tends to become loose or be displaced at its ends, and hence is not wound stably on the core
3
.
One solution is to use a winding mechanism
1
′ shown in
FIG. 94
of the accompanying drawings. The winding mechanism
1
′ has a plurality of block wrappers (or belt wrappers)
8
for holding the outer circumferential surface of a core
3
that is supported by a core rotating mechanism
2
, and a moving mechanism
5
′ for placing a given number of block wrappers
8
in a winding position depending on the axial length of the core
3
. The moving mechanism
5
′ has a guide frame
6
′ extending in the directions indicated by the arrow A, with the block wrappers
8
being disposed on the guide frame
6
′ so as to be movable therealong by motors
7
′.
The winding mechanism
1
′ is, however, problematic in that when a size change is performed in the transverse direction of a film F, those block wrappers
8
positioned in interference with the core rotating mechanism
2
need to be retracted into retracted zones
9
′ outside of a raw film width
9
, and hence the guide frame
6
′ is considerably long in the directions indicated by the arrow A, making the winding mechanism
1
′ large in overall size.
For changing the size of the core
3
and changing the direction in which the film F is wound, it is proposed to unitize the winding mechanism
1
′ in its entirety and replace the unitized winding mechanism
1
′ with another unit. However, since the winding mechanism
1
′ is large in size, such unit replacement is difficult to perform.
If an actuator such as a cylinder or the like with a fixed stroke were used to move each of the block wrappers
8
in the directions indicated by the arrow A, then the winding mechanism
1
′ could handle only films F of a particular size and would be poor in adaptability. For this reason, each of the block wrappers
8
uses a servomotor or a stepping motor as the positioning motor
7
′, and hence needs a complex wiring and a complex control process.
To meet recent demands for a variety of film products, there have also been required two lines of film products, one having a film wound on a core with a coated surface of the film being directed toward the core, i.e., a roll with an inner coated surface, and the other having a film wound on a core with a coated surface of the film being directed away from the core, i.e., a roll with an outer coated surface. Therefore, various automatic winding apparatus capable of automatically changing the direction in which the film faces, i.e., the winding direction, are employed in the cutting and winding processes (see, for example, Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 10-25043 and Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 58-157663).
According to Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 10-25043, as shown in
FIG. 95
of the accompanying drawings, two lock arms
3
a
,
3
b
swingable by respective cylinders
2
a
,
2
b
are disposed one on each side of a core
1
a
that is disposed in a film winding position. A rubber band
4
a
is trained around the lock arms
3
a
,
3
b
. A guide plate
7
a
for directing a film F which is fed vertically downwardly past a guide roller
5
a
selectively on both sides of the core
1
a
is swingably disposed above the core
1
a.
For winding the film F counterclockwise around the core
1
a
, the guide plate
7
a
is placed in the solid-line position in
FIG. 95
, and the lock arm
3
b
is held in an open position by the cylinder
2
b
. Therefore, the film F which is fed vertically downwardly past the guide roller
5
a
has its lading end guided by the guide plate
7
a
and enters between the core
1
a
and the lock arm
3
b
. Then, when the core
1
a
rotates counterclockwise in the direction indicated by the arrow, the leading end of the film F is introduced between the core
1
a
and the rubber band
4
a
, causing the film F to be wound around the core
1
a.
For winding the film F clockwise around the core
1
a
, the guide plate
7
a
is swung from the solid-line position to the dotted-line position, and the cylinders
2
a
,
2
b
are actuated to bring the lock arm
3
a
into an open position away from the core
1
a
and place the lock arm
3
b
in a closed position. The film F is now introduced between the core
1
a
and the rubber band
4
a
on the right side of the core
1
a
, and wound clockwise around the core
1
a.
However, since the film F that has been cut transversely travels along a tortuous path before the leading end of the film F enters between the rubber band
4
a
and the core
1
a
, or it is difficult to control the rubber band
4
a
, which serves as a belt wrapper, in the transverse direction of the film F, even if the position of the leading end of the film F that is paid out is accurately controlled, an edge Fa of the film F may possibly project from the end of the core
1
a
, as shown in
FIG. 96
of the accompanying drawings, due to a meandering movement of the rubber band
4
a
. Consequently, the projecting edge Fa tends to be
Fujiwara Takayuki
Nakata Tomohiro
Sugiyama Katsuhiro
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Rivera William A.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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