Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Unwinding – With drive mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-19
2001-03-13
Jillions, John M. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Unwinding
With drive mechanism
C242S594400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199792
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority from Swiss Patent Application Switzerland No.1998 0119/98, filed Jan. 20, 1998.
GOVERNMENT FUNDED RESEARCH
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for feeding a web-like material, the device comprising a spindle pivotally mounted on a frame and connected to a driving motor. This invention also relates to a feeding module comprising at least two such feeding devices.
2. Brief Description of the Background Art
In certain fields one must feed a manufacturing process with different web-like materials at feed rates that may be substantially different for the different materials, each feed rate depending on the quantity of web-like material used. Consequently, in order to supply only the necessary lengths to the manufacturing process, so as to optimize the use of the web-like materials, the spindles must be driven at different speeds and/or for different periods. This problem occurs particularly when manufacturing sheet-like materials having a surface that is selectively metalized by means of bonded metal sheets. This is a commonly used method for printing and embossing paper or cardboard sheets for manufacturing packages, particularly packages for luxury goods.
It is obviously possible to place each roll of web-like material on an independent spindle, driven by its own motor, but the multiplicity of these spindles produces a space requirement problem. Furthermore, in order to permit selective distribution of the web-like material at the required place on the blanks of paper or cardboard, the spindles for feeding the web-like materials must extend across the whole working width of the machine. However, the width of the web-like materials is almost always substantially smaller than the working width of the machine itself, which approximately corresponds to the width of the paper or cardboard sheets. Therefore, usually only a small part of the length of a web-feeding spindle is used. Alternatively, if a number of web-like material rolls are arranged side by side on the same spindle, the quantity of web-like material fed by this spindle must be adjusted to feed all materials according to the web-like material with greatest usage. This increases the waste of the other web-like materials placed on this same spindle. The aim of the present invention is to meet, at least partly, the difficulties of the above-mentioned solutions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to address the above problems, this invention is directed to a device for feeding web-like material, in which the web-feeding spindle is divided into two separate sections, mounted so as to be rotationally independent of one another. This device comprises two independent drive mechanisms for these two sections, both connected at the same end of the spindle. The section of the spindle adjacent to this end is in the form of a tubular element pivotally mounted on a shaft extending axially through this tubular element. This tubular element is connected to one of the pair of drive mechanisms. The end of the axial shaft at this same end of the spindle comprises means for connecting it to the other drive mechanism, whereas the other end of the shaft is connected to the second section.
Obviously, a plurality of these devices can be placed side by side on the same machine, thus constituting a feeding module according to the maximum number of different webs to be fed by a given machine. Each such device is able to distribute two different webs at independent speeds and/or time intervals. In such a module, devices with respective spindles having sections with lengths that vary from one spindle to the other can be advantageously placed, in order to permit placement of webs with different widths, in different positions with respect to the working width of the machine.
Thus, this device not only allows the continuous or intermittent driving of coaxial spindles at different intervals and/or speeds, but also allows variation of the length of the different sections, thus providing great flexibility with regard to placement of the different material webs.
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patent: 37 15179 A1 (1988-11-01), None
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patent: 2 284 199 (1995-05-01), None
patent: WO 96/37427 A2 (1996-11-01), None
Bobst S.A.
Friedman Allen N.
Jillions John M.
McCarter & English LLP
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