Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Coil holder or support – Radially expansible or contractile
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-22
2001-03-06
Jillions, John M. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Coil holder or support
Radially expansible or contractile
C242S530300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196494
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an expanding shaft, and more particularly to an expanding shaft of the type which carries tubular supports on which strips of plastic, aluminum or paper films are wound or from which the strips are unwound.
More specifically, the invention represents an improvement over the construction as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,597,134 and 5,746,386, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Expanding shafts are typically used when slitting a wide web of material into discrete widths and rewinding it on cores which may be made of cardboard, plastic or metal and the like. The shaft carries core stops adapted to engage the side edges of the cores to properly space the cores in the correct position for rewinding. The two patents mentioned above provide mobile means mounted for radial movement within slots in the expanding shaft. Core stops are adjustably mounted for axial movement longitudinally of at least one of the mobile means to vary the spacing of the core stops longitudinally of the shaft as desired. Locking means is provided for locking the core stops in position axially of the mobile means and the shaft.
With the arrangement as shown in the two patents, the longitudinal position of the core stops relative to the shaft can be adjusted while the shaft is mounted on a slitter-rewinder machine. However, it takes a significant amount of labor and down time of the machine while such changes are made.
Therefore, there has been a need to provide a construction wherein the slit widths on a slitter-rewinder machine can be changed in a minimum amount of time. Rather than adjusting the core stops to a new width on the machine, operators have replaced the old mobile means and the core stops mounted thereon with a new mobile means which has a predetermined new spacing of the core stops thereon. The old mobile means may be replaced by a new mobile means in a minimum amount of time. The spacing on the new mobile means can be set by a machine operator while the old mobile means is in operation so that when the old mobile means is replaced by the new mobile means, down time of the machine is minimized.
Each mobile means is normally biased by springs radially inwardly of the shaft so that each mobile means is retracted into the shaft when the associated thrusting means is deactivated. The springs act between the shaft and the mobile means. When the mobile means and the core stops carried thereon are removed from the shaft, the springs are difficult to handle and are often lost. It therefore is a principal object of the invention to provide an arrangement whereby at least a portion of a mobile means on which core stops are mounted may be removed and replaced while the retracting springs remain in place within the shaft and are not subjected to any longitudinal forces during such removal and replacement.
A further problem arises in the prior art. When there is a slight change in web position, it is desirable to provide means for axially adjusting the support means and the core stops supported thereby while the support means is mounted in operative position within a slot in the expanding shaft. This has not been possible with prior art constructions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention employs a unique construction wherein the mobile means which supports the core stops comprises a track means and a support means. The track means is disposed within the usual slot in the expanding shaft, and the retracting springs act between the shaft and the track means to bias the track means radially inwardly. The track means is slidable into and out of the associated slot in the shaft, but normally remains in place within the slot when the support means carrying the core stops is replaced.
The support means is slidably disposed within the track means and can be readily inserted into or removed from the track means. Retainer means is provided for retaining the track means and the support means in position longitudinally of the shaft.
The retainer means includes a first retainer portion which retains the track means in position, and a screw is provided for fixing this first retainer portion in position longitudinally of the shaft. The retainer means includes a second retainer portion which retains the support means in position, and a screw is provided for fixing the second retainer portion in position longitudinally of the first retainer portion. The first retainer portion also serves to clamp an open end portion of the thrusting means together to provide an air tight seal thereat so that the thrusting means can be inflated with air when desired.
With the present invention, the second portion of the retainer means can be quickly removed, whereupon the support means carrying the core stops can be slid out of the track means and replaced by a new support means having different spacing between the core stops thereof. The second retainer portion can then be replaced to hold the new support means in position on the shaft. This can be rapidly accomplished.
If certain slit widths are regularly used, the core stops can remain in the same longitudinal position and dedicated support means having the core stops adjusted to the required spacing may be repeatedly used with the machine as required. A number of dedicated support means may be kept on hand so that it is not necessary to change the positions of the core stops in subsequent operations. The core stops can be readily manually adjusted in the illustrated embodiment to provide maximum flexibility of use of the device. However, where a dedicated support means with predetermined spacing is required, the core stops may be fixed to the support means as by welding, thereby eliminating the necessity of providing the construction which permits the core stops to be moved longitudinally with respect to the associated support means and locked in adjusted position.
The invention also includes a modification which provides adjusting means for adjusting the axial position of the support means within an associated slot in the expanding shaft. The length of the support means is less than the length of the associated slot. A pair of adjustment lugs are slidably mounted in opposite ends of the support means and include means for locking the adjustment lugs in position. The adjustment lugs can project axially outwardly of the opposite ends of the support means different distances for adjusting the axial position of the support means while securely holding the support means in adjusted position.
While the adjusting means described in the preceding paragraph is disclosed as being employed in a construction wherein the support means is slidably disposed within a track means, the adjusting means can also be employed in an expanding shaft wherein no track means is utilized and wherein the support means is slidably disposed within one of the slots of the expanding shaft for axial movement relative to the shaft.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3592405 (1971-07-01), Young
patent: 4026491 (1977-05-01), Bostroem
patent: 4332356 (1982-06-01), Damour
patent: 4771963 (1988-09-01), Gattrugeri
patent: 5597134 (1997-01-01), Marin
patent: 5746386 (1998-05-01), Marin
patent: 2669013 (1992-05-01), None
McKechnie John
Rollins James W.
Dykema Gossett PLLC
Goldenrod Corporation
Jillions John M.
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