Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding – With supply coil replenishment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2002-06-11
Rivera, William A. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding
With supply coil replenishment
C242S560100, C242S561000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06402083
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for loading bobbins or reels of convoluted web material into web consuming machines and for unloading expired or consumed bobbins from such machines. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus for replacing expired rotary bobbins with fresh rotary bobbins containing supplies of convoluted flexible web or strip material. As a rule, or at least in many instances, an expired bobbin consists of a tubular core or shell which is ready to be discarded or to receive a fresh supply of convoluted paper or the like. Typical examples of web or strip material which is stored on the core or shell of a bobbin is cigarette paper, so-called tipping paper which is used in machines for making filter cigarettes or like products, metallic foil, plastic foil or other web-like materials which are utilized in the tobacco processing industry for the making of tubular wrappers for tobacco, filter material for tobacco smoke or both, for conversion into blanks which are ready to be draped around arrays of plain or filter cigarettes or the like, and for analogous purposes.
As a rule, a conventional fresh bobbin loading or replacing machine (e.g., in a cigarette rod or filter rod making machine, in a filter tipping machine or in a cigarette packing machine) comprises one or more supports or carriers for fresh and expiring bobbins, a reservoir for storage of at least one fresh bobbin at the loading station, a station for the storage of a supply of fresh bobbins, means for conveying fresh bobbins from a larger source or from a maker to the aforementioned station, means for conveying fresh reels at the station and to the reservoir, and means for delivering (when necessary) discrete fresh bobbins or reels from the reservoir to the carrier which supports a reel during withdrawal of web from the core of the expiring bobbin of course, it is equally necessary to withdraw the expired (spent) bobbins (i.e., the empty cores or spools) and to dispose of such remnants of fresh bobbins.
A drawback of the aforedescribed conventional bobbin loading (expired bobbin replacing) apparatus is that they occupy inordinately large amounts of space as well as that they comprise a large number of in part bulky, in part complex and/or in part expensive component parts. This holds particularly true for the various conveyor systems which must be provided to deliver loaded (fresh) bobbins relatively close to, thereupon nearer to and ultimately all the way to (onto) the devices (such as stub shafts or the like) which support the bobbins during withdrawal of web material therefrom.
An apparatus of the above outlined character is disclosed, for example, in European patent No. 0 820 944. The patent discloses a turntable which supports an expiring bobbin, a frame which supports a fresh bobbin behind the turntable, and endless belts or bands which are mounted on or in the frame and which serve to advance fresh bobbins along the frame and nearer to the rear side of the turntable. Additional conveyor means serve to take over filled bobbins from the aforementioned belts or bands and to advance such bobbins to the front side of the is turntable, namely into the range of bobbin-supporting means on the turntable.
Published German patent application Serial No. 41 13 193 discloses a different bobbin loading apparatus wherein the endless belts or bands are replaced with means for lifting loaded bobbins from a lower level to a higher level. A drawback of each of the aforedescribed conventional apparatus, especially of that disclosed in the aforementioned European patent, is that the combinations of various bobbin delivering, storing and additional transporting means contribute excessively or at least appreciably to the bulk, complexity and cost of a production line in a cigarette making and packaging plant. Moreover, such apparatus must be installed at locations where space is at a premium and wherein the elimination of malfunctions is likely or bound to involve prolonged interruptions in the operation of a production line and attendant enormous losses in output. Therefore, it is highly desirable that the operation of each unit or subassembly in such complex machinery be simplified as much as possible,
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact and relatively inexpensive apparatus for loading fresh rotary bobbins or reels and for evacuating expired bobbins in situations when an uninterrupted supply of paper strips or other web material is of importance for proper operation of a mass-producing machine or an entire production line.
Another object of the invention is to provide the apparatus with novel and improved means for delivering fresh bobbins to the web dispensing station or stations.
A further object of the invention is to provide the above outlined apparatus with a novel and improved arrangement for the evacuation of expired bobbins from the web feeding station.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a machine which employs one or more bobbin processing apparatus of the above outlined character.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a tobacco processing or a tobacco smoke filtering material processing machine which embodies one or more bobbin manipulating apparatus of the above outlined character.
A further object of the present invention is to provide the above outlined apparatus with novel and improved means for manipulating accumulations of fresh and/or expired bobbins or reels at the locale of use of web material.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of manipulating fresh and expired bobbins or reels at a location where fresh bobbins are compelled to dispense their supplies of convoluted web or strip material in the form of paper, metallic foil, plastic foil, coherent blanks for conversion into packets or the like.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a method of treating fresh bobbins gently and at a required frequency or speed to ensure the delivery of convoluted web or strip material to one or more consumers at a required rate and invariably in optimum condition for further processing.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combination of a reservoir for fresh bobbins and conveyor means for moving fresh bobbins or reels within as well as outside of the reservoir in a novel and improved manner.
A further object of the instant invention is to reduce the total of down times of mass-producing machines which must receive uninterrupted supplies of webs or strips of flexible material in the form of paper, metallic foil, plastic foil or the like.
Another object of the invention is to automatically regulate the distribution of filled and/or expired bobbins in the reservoir or reservoirs of a bobbin loading/unloading machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for replacing expired rotary bobbins with fresh rotary bobbins containing supplies of convoluted web material. The improved apparatus comprises a mobile carrier (such as a turntable which is indexible about a substantially horizontal axis) for expiring bobbins (i.e., for bobbins which are about to rotate or in the process of rotating to become expired bobbins as a result of withdrawal of the supplies of convoluted web material from their cores, normally in the form of hollow spools), a reservoir or storage facility for temporary storage of fresh bobbins, and means for conveying fresh bobbins from the reservoir directly to the carrier.
The turntable is provided with one or more supports (such as two stub shafts which are located diametrically opposite each other with reference to the axis with respect to which the turntable is indexible and which can be received in the hollow cores of bobbins to drive or to be driven by the bobbins).
In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment, the conveying means comprises an elevator which can raise or lower at least one selected
Ernst Ulf
Horn Matthias
Kitzing Walter
Schmidt Thorsten
Hauni Maschinenbau AG
Kinberg Robert
Rivera William A.
LandOfFree
Bobbin loading and unloading apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Bobbin loading and unloading apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Bobbin loading and unloading apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2972593