Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Coil holder or support – Radially expansible or contractile
Utility Patent
1998-02-24
2001-01-02
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Coil holder or support
Radially expansible or contractile
Utility Patent
active
06168110
ABSTRACT:
1. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for holding multiple bobbins of flexible material while those bobbins are mounted on a single spindle capable of very high speed rotation.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of adjustable chucks are known for use in connection with the reception of a reel of material, e.g. a bobbin of paper on a core, which has been wound and is to be unwound therefrom or upon which the web of material is to be wound.
One type of device uses an expandable member to engage the core or reel to hold it while the bobbin is spinning. U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,893 describes such a mandrel assembly. A plurality of arcuate segments are provided which define the outer mandrel surface. An internal cam forces the outer members outward to secure the bobbin. A similar device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,873, excepting that the mandrel is formed with flexible surface portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,715, issued to Raynor, describes a spindle apparatus for mounting a reel for winding and unwinding of web material off and on the reel. Such spindle apparatus is said to include a shaft slidable along a fixed axis and to which is fixed a wedging core, the wedging core being concentric with the fixed axis and conical.
An expandable and contractible mandrel is said to encircle the core and provides the structure on which the reel is received. Sliding the shaft in one direction moves the wedging core in contact with the internal surface of the mandrel for expanding against a reel received on the mandrel. Sliding the shaft in an opposite direction moves the wedging core out of contact with the mandrel and allows it to contract.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,715 also describes the mandrel as having a hollow cylindrical sleeve member having an external flange at one end. The sleeve is said to have a plurality of axially directed slits which extend along the sleeve body in circumferentially uniformly spaced relationship around the sleeve. Adjacent slits in the sleeve extend from opposite tip ends of the sleeve in the direction of the other sleeve end and terminate closely adjacent to (but spaced from) the other end of the sleeve.
The mandrel sleeve thus described is said to be a contiguous structure of circumferentially spaced ribs, the ribs being joined at the ends thereof with adjacent ribs in alternating manner. The result is said to be a sleeve member which expandable to a considerable degree since the connecting structure at the ends of the ribs and the ribs themselves become levers which can be bent in the circumferential direction to enhance the radial expansion of the overall sleeve structure.
Furthermore, the internal surface of the sleeve is described as of tapered configuration and the external surface of the wedging core is complementally configured therewith, such internal surface taper desirably being inward toward the sleeve axis in the direction of the flange carrying end of the sleeve.
Finally, a described feature of the invention includes a hub member rotatably mounted on the shaft and the flange of the mandrel sleeve is received in an annular groove in the hub to thereby prevent axial movement of the sleeve relative to the shaft, such that proper superposed winding of the web on the reel take place without any edge overlap as might occur if there were tolerance for axial movement of the mandrel sleeve.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,868 describes a chuck for use in gripping a hollow member. A hexagonal shaft is provided with rollers and an outer gripping surface comprised of a plurality of members held together by bands. When driving force is applied to the spindle, the torque drives the rollers and the external surface outwardly to grip a bobbin or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,697 describes a not dissimilar mandrel which had a triangular core inside the mandrel, and three studs which protrude through the mandrel outer housing. Upon torsional engagement, the studs are forced through the mandrel housing to deform an outer elastic ring and grip a bobbin of material.
EP 618161 describes a bobbin changing device, and therein notes that a transfer arm has a mandrel with an expandable head which is insertable only halfway into the core of a bobbin so that it may be transferred to another mandrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,349 describes a multiple bobbin loading system which automatically feeds bobbins to a mandrel. The mandrel is fitted with radially movable jaws which expand once a bobbin is placed on the mandrel and simultaneously lift and true the bobbin on the mandrel.
It is also known to use bobbins of material in a conversion process. Many apparatuses for such use are described and known, including laser perforation (e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,226,527; 3,965,327; 4,049,945; 4,118,619 (Re. 31,478); 4,121,595; 4,265,254; 4,302,654; 4,378,480; 4,404,454; 4,410,785; 4,439,663; 4,916,272; 4,767,909; 5,060,668; 5,092,350; 5,210,390; 5,403,990; and 5,404,889. Each of the above is incorporated by reference.
It is now becoming common to use dual track machines to save on expense, e.g. the Protos 2™ cigarette machine now comes with a dual track capability which utilizes two bobbins. It would be useful to provide a quick-release mandrel which adjusts its grip for each bobbin independently and provides a secure hold on the rather weighty paper bobbins used in cigarette manufacture.
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Koenig Keith Richard
Marcum Robert Eugene
Stevens William H.
Glenn Charles E. B.
Hallman, Jr. Clinton H.
Osborne Kevin B.
Philip Morris Management Corp.
Rivera William R.
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