Apparatus and method for preparing winding mandrels and cores for rewinding machines

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6655629
  • Patent Number
    6,655,629
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, November 29, 2001
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 2, 2003
    20 years ago
Abstract
A description is given of a device for preparing winding mandrels for winding machines or the like, comprising, in combination: an extraction station (9) with an extractor mechanism for extracting a mandrel from one or more rolls of web material and for inserting the extracted mandrel into a tube (T); a cutting station (11) with cutting means (71) for cutting the tube (T) fitted on the mandrel into a set of tubular cores aligned on said mandrel; an insertion station (13) with insertion members (127) for inserting the mandrel with the tubular cores into a winding machine or the like.
Description




TECHNICAL FIELD




The present invention relates to an apparatus for preparing winding mandrels with corresponding tubular winding cores fitted on them for introduction into rewinding machines or other winding machines.




STATE OF THE ART




In various industrial sectors, for example in the paper converting industry, the textile industry and the production of nonwoven textiles, it is frequently necessary to wind on to rolls of smaller or larger diameter a web material taken from a reel of greater diameter. Frequently, a plurality of rolls of smaller height are formed simultaneously by winding strips of web material generated by longitudinally cutting a single strip taken from the reel of greater diameter. The strips are wound on tubular cores adjacent to each other and carried by an expanding winding mandrel. An example of a machine for carrying out this type of winding is described in EP-A-0747308.




In some cases, the rolls which are formed simultaneously on the cores fitted on to the mandrel have heights (in other words, axial lengths) which differ from each other. Usually, one or more operators prepare the tubular cores which have previously been cut from a continuous tube, fitting them on to one or more mandrels positioned outside the rewinding machine, and then, at the start of each winding cycle, insert the individual mandrels, fitted with the corresponding tubular cores, into the rewinding machine. This procedure is time-consuming, tiring, and labor-intensive.




Moreover, since the individual tubular cores fitted on each mandrel generally have different lengths from each other, errors may frequently occur as a result of the operator's failure to fit the cores in the correct order. Consequently there will no longer be a match between the sequence of the axial lengths of the tubular cores and the sequence of the transverse widths of the strips of web material which are fed to the mandrel for winding.




Furthermore, when this conventional procedure for preparing the mandrels is followed, the various tubular cores fitted on them are necessarily adjacent to each other. This means that the individual rolls which are formed on the mandrel are also necessarily adjacent to each other. This causes considerable problems, since the windings of one roll may interfere with those of an adjacent roll, giving rise to difficulties in the subsequent separation. The necessity of winding rolls on cores adjacent to each other entails further problems in cases in which the wound material is subject to shrinkage in respect of its width. This is because in this case there is a risk that the tubular cores will project from one or both ends of the finished roll, giving rise to difficulties in the subsequent operations of handling the rolls.




At the present time, if shrinkage of the wound material occurs during the rewinding stage, then, in order to prevent the projection of the cores from the finished rolls, the operator inserts a spacer between each core and the next in such a way that the cores remain inside the roll in each case. These spacers are in the form of open rings, to allow them to be inserted even when the cores have already been fitted on to the mandrel. The spacers are usually made from plastic material and are recovered at the end of the rewinding stage after the mandrel has been extracted. This system is unsatisfactory in that it is complicated, labor-intensive, and a source of errors on the part of the operator.




In rewinding machines of the aforementioned type, a set of cutters is placed upstream of the winding area in order to divide the web material taken from the reel into strips of the desired width. A computerized system is normally used to position the individual cutters correctly with respect to the transverse direction of the web material. The tubular cores, however, are cut to size (with core lengths which must match the widths of the individual strips into which the cutters divide the web material) in a different area of the plant, with a consequent risk of failure of matching between the positions of the cutters which cut the web material in the longitudinal direction and the axial dimensions of the individual tubular cores.




OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION




The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus or device which makes it possible to overcome the disadvantages, the limitations and the possibilities of error of the conventional systems.




More particularly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method which permit the fast and accurate preparation of the mandrels with the corresponding tubular cores fitted on them for subsequent introduction into the rewinding machine.




A further object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method which make it possible to reduce the labor-intensiveness of cycles of winding or rewinding web materials.




Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method which make it possible to reduce or eliminate errors in the preparation of the mandrels for winding.




The object of an improved embodiment of the invention is to provide a method and a device which make it possible to automate the operations of preparing the cores and coordinating the cutting of the cores with the cutting of the web material, to achieve greater precision and speed.




An object of the present invention is also to provide a method and a device which avoid the disadvantages which are found in the rewinding of web materials which tend to shrink in the transverse direction, and also the problems arising from the difficulties of detaching rolls wound on adjacent cores carried by a single mandrel.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




These and other objects and advantages, which the following text will make clear to those skilled in the art, are essentially achieved with a device comprising, in combination, an extraction station with an extractor mechanism for extracting a mandrel from one or more rolls of web material which has previously been wound and for inserting the extracted mandrel into a tube or core of cardboard or the like; a cutting station with cutting means for cutting the tube fitted on the mandrel, transforming it into a set of tubular cores aligned on the mandrel; and an insertion station with insertion members for inserting the mandrel with the tubular cores fitted on it into a rewinding machine or other winding machine.




These three stations enable the operations of preparing the tubular cores on the mandrel to be carried out in a partially or completely automatic way.




In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the three aforementioned stations are distributed spatially along a path which extends in a direction preferably orthogonal to the axis of the mandrel. This is particularly advantageous since it simplifies the design of the device and makes it possible to move the mandrel, while the tubular cores are being prepared on it, from the extraction position to the position of reinsertion into the rewinding machine, said two positions being normally spaced apart because of the presence of the winding members in an intermediate position. The use of three stations spaced apart also yields the advantage that it is possible to handle three mandrels simultaneously, one in the extraction station, one in the cutting station and the third in the insertion station.




On the other hand, the location of a plurality of stations, particularly two stations, in the same position in space is not excluded. For example, the cutting station can be spatially superimposed on or coincident with the extraction station, or the cutting station can be spatially coincident with or superimposed on the insertion station.




In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the extractor mechanism causes, by a single movement, the extraction of the mandrel from the finished roll or rolls and its insertion into the tube. On the other hand, the extraction from the finished roll or rolls and the insertion into a new tube by two separate movements is not excluded.




The extractor mechanism can be made with a pair of shaped wheels or rollers which are pressed against the outer surface of the mandrel and then made to rotate. Other systems of extracting the mandrel, for example by means of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder or the like, are not excluded. The use of powered shaped rollers makes the device particularly simple, economical and reliable, and also versatile in that it is easily adaptable to different mandrel diameters. It makes it particularly simple to insert the mandrel into a new tube at the same time as it is extracted from the finished roll.




Preferably, the mandrel used is of the expanding type, which is deflated before the extraction from the roll and re-inflated or expanded once it has been inserted into the tube. For this purpose, the extraction station comprises known means for deflating and inflating the mandrel.




In an advantageous embodiment, the extractor mechanism comprises a pair of shaped rollers which are pressed against the mandrel and made to rotate to move said mandrel in a direction parallel to its axis. This mechanism is particularly simple and enables the mandrel to be extracted and inserted into the tube efficiently, with a single movement. The shaped rollers can both be powered, but having one of them idle is not excluded.




A device for supporting the mandrels can advantageously be provided at the extraction station. In a possible embodiment, usable especially for long mandrels, the support device consists of a tube support cradle, made for example in the form of a roller train, a V-shaped section or the like. The support device, for example the aforesaid roller train, can be vertically movable so that it can be brought to a lower loading position, where it is easier to introduce the tube, and from there to an upper position for the insertion of the mandrel into the tube. The height of the second position is determined by the structure and size of the rewinding machine with which the device is associated. Advantageously, the positioning movement can be obtained by means of a gantry system with slides which move vertically along the uprights.




When the three stations, for extraction, cutting and insertion, are positioned so that they are separated from each other in space, means of transferring the mandrel from one to another will be provided. In a simple and economical embodiment, the transfer is carried out by rolling on inclined planes or rolling chutes. Suitable expulsion means, which push the mandrel, with the tube or tubular cores fitted on it, on to the corresponding inclined plane, are provided at the extraction station and/or at the cutting station.




The cutting station can comprise, in a possible embodiment, a pair of cylinders forming a cradle which supports the mandrel with the tube fitted on it for subsequent cutting into tubular cores. The rotation of the cylinders causes the mandrel supported on them to rotate correspondingly about its own axis. The possibility of imparting the rotary motion to the mandrel by other means, for example by means of a system of powered centers, is not excluded. The preferred system, with the pair of cylinders, is simpler in terms of construction and less critical in respect of tolerances.




The cutting station comprises one or more cutting heads, which in the preferred embodiment are located above the pair of cylinders, and each of which carries a cutting tool, preferably consisting of a discoid blade. The latter is preferably a smooth-edged blade and is idly supported.




The cutting tool is advantageously carried by an oscillating arm which controls its movements toward and away from the mandrel, although the possibility of using mechanisms of another type for moving the cutting tools toward and away from the mandrel is not excluded. The use of an oscillating arm is particularly advantageous in terms of mechanical simplicity. Additionally, in this way it is easy to provide a system of stops which define the operating position, in other words a plurality of operating positions of the tools, which can be selected alternatively according to the diameter of the mandrel and therefore of the tube to be cut.




Further advantageous characteristics and embodiments of the device according to the invention are described in the attached dependent claims.




The method according to the invention comprises the stages of extracting a mandrel from a roll or from a plurality of rolls formed in a rewinding machine or other; inserting the mandrel into a tube and fixing the tube with respect to the mandrel; cutting the tube fitted on the mandrel into a plurality of tubular cores aligned along said mandrel; and inserting the mandrel with the tubular cores fixed on it into a rewinding machine or other winding machine for the formation of rolls of web material on the individual cores.




In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the mandrel is simultaneously extracted from the roll or rolls and inserted into the tube. Further advantageous characteristics of the method according to the invention are indicated, in the attached claims.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The invention will be more clearly understood from the description and the attached drawing; which shows a nonrestrictive embodiment of the invention. More particularly, the drawing shows:





FIG. 1

, a schematic side view of the device according to the invention;





FIG. 2

, a schematic plan view according to the line II—II in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

, a detail view according to the line III—III in

FIG. 2

;





FIG. 4

, a front view according to IV—IV in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 5

, a section through V—V in

FIG. 4

;





FIGS. 5A and 5B

, enlarged side views of a head of the cutting station in two different configurations, corresponding to two different diameters of the mandrel and of the tube fitted on it;





FIG. 6

, a view according to VI—VI in

FIG. 4

; and





FIG. 7

, a schematic cross section of an expanding mandrel usable in a device according to the invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




The device according to the invention is placed next to a rewinding or winding machine suitable for operation with expansion mandrels of a known type. In the attached drawing, the only parts of the rewinding machine which are indicated are two lower winding rollers


1


and


3


(see

FIG. 2

) and corresponding drive motors of the winding rollers, indicated by


5


and


7


. The rewinding machine can be of any type, and by way of example it can be of the type described and illustrated in EP-A-0747308. However, it should be understood that the device according to the invention can be used with any winding system in which it is necessary to prepare a plurality of tubular cores on a common mandrel which is subsequently introduced into the winding area of the rewinding machine or other winding machine.




Schematically, the device according to the invention is divided into three stations, which are indicated in a general way by


9


,


11


and


13


in

FIGS. 1 and 2

. The station


9


is a station for extracting the mandrel from a set of finished rolls aligned along the mandrel and produced by the rewinding machine, these rolls being partially visible in FIG.


1


and indicated therein by R. At the station


9


, the mandrel which is extracted from the set of finished rolls is simultaneously inserted into a tube T which is fed to the device in the way described below by an operator or by an automatic loader.




The station


11


is a cutting station, in which the tube T fixed on the mandrel, which has been expanded at the station


9


, is cut into a plurality of shorter tubular cores, matching the heights of the rolls which will be produced subsequently by the rewinding machine.




The station


13


is a station for inserting the mandrel, with the tubular cores cut to size and fixed on it, into the rewinding machine.




The three stations


9


,


11


and


13


and their operation will be described individually in greater detail in the following text.




The station


9


has a gantry structure


15


comprising two uprights


17


linked by a crossbeam


19


. Guides


21


extend along the uprights


17


to allow the sliding of two slides


23


which carry a beam structure


25


on which is mounted a roller train


27


which forms a cradle to accommodate a tube T, whose axial length is equal to the sum of the lengths of the individual tubular cores, and any necessary intermediate spacers, on which the rolls are formed simultaneously by means of the rewinding machine. The slides


23


are moved as shown by the arrow F


23


(

FIG. 1

) along the guides


21


by means of a motor


29


associated with one of the uprights


17


, using a recirculating ball screw system or equivalent (not shown). The roller train


27


can be brought by this vertical movement to a lower height, indicated in broken lines in

FIG. 1

, to which the operator can easily carry the tube T without having to raise it to an excessive height. The operation of loading the tube T can be automated by providing for the use of a suitable loader.




The subsequent raising of the roller train


27


brings the tube T to the height corresponding to that of the axis of the set of rolls R which have been produced by the rewinding machine and are ready to be discharged. This position is shown in solid lines in FIG.


1


.




The gantry


15


is mounted on a carriage


20


movable on a pair of guides


22


. The movement along said pair of guides is obtained by means of a pinion and rack system


24


,


26


and is provided by a motor which is not shown. The movement of the gantry


15


, the slides


23


and the roller train


27


in the direction of the guides


22


as shown by the arrow F


25


enables the roller train to be brought up to and away from the rewinding machine where the roll R from which the mandrel has to be extracted is located. This makes it possible to provide a shorter roller train. Alternatively, the gantry


15


can be made to be fixed and the roller train can be made to have a greater longitudinal extension.




An extractor mechanism


31


, used to extract the mandrel from the set of finished rolls R and to insert it by the same movement into the tube T, is provided in a fixed position, or preferably carried on the beam


25


. The extractor mechanism


31


has (see also

FIG. 3

) a pair of shaped rollers


33


covered with rubber or other material with a high coefficient of friction. Each shaped roller


33


is driven by a corresponding electric, pneumatic or hydraulic motor


37


. Each assembly formed by a shaped roller


33


and the corresponding motor


37


is carried by a slide


39


which is movable along guides


41


so that it can be brought up to the mandrel


35


. Cylinder and piston actuators, indicated schematically by


42


, impart the movement to the slides


39


along the guides


41


. This enables the shaped rollers


33


to be pressed against the mandrel regardless of its diameter.




The shaped rollers


33


are made to rotate in the directions shown schematically by the arrows in

FIG. 2

(where the mechanism


31


is represented schematically). As a result of the friction between the surface of the mandrel


35


and the shaped surface of the rollers


33


, the mandrel


35


(which has previously been deflated) is extracted from the rolls R by a movement as shown by the arrow F


35


. Since a new tube T has been previously positioned on the roller train


27


, the movement of extraction of the mandrel


35


produced by the shaped rollers


33


causes the simultaneous insertion of the mandrel into the new tube T.




When the mandrel


35


has been inserted into the new tube T, it is inflated, in other words expanded in such a way that the tube T is fixed on it. The extraction station


9


is provided with means of deflating the mandrel before the extraction from the rolls R and means for the subsequent inflation or expansion after it has been introduced into the tube T. These means, which are known, are not represented in the drawing.




When the tube T has been fixed on the surface of the mandrel


35


, the operator, or a suitable mechanical expulsion device, pushes the assembly formed by the mandrel


35


and the tube fitted on it along a rolling plate


43


or chute into the cutting station


11


.




The cutting station


11


has a pair of cylinders


51


with parallel axes, forming a cradle which supports the mandrel


35


with the tube T fitted on it which arrives from the extraction station


9


by rolling as shown by the arrow FT along the rolling plane


43


. The two cylinders


51


are rotated by a motor


52


carried by one of the two sides


55


of the cutting station


11


.




A crosspiece


53


carried by the sides


55


, on which two guides


57


are provided, extends above the cylinders


51


. Two heads


59


, which can move as shown by the arrow F


59


, run on the guides


57


. The heads


59


are moved by two corresponding threaded bars


61


interacting with two nuts


62


carried by the heads


59


. The number


63


indicates the motors which rotate the threaded bars


61


. These bars are positioned at two different heights to enable the two heads to move along paths which partially overlap in the central area of the crosspiece


53


.




Each head


59


comprises (see in particular

FIGS. 5

,


5


A and


5


B) a slide


65


which can run on the guides


57


and carries a support


67


for an oscillating arm


69


carrying a cutting tool consisting of a discoid blade


71


which is free-running on a shaft


73


held by a fork


69


A of the arm


69


(see FIG.


4


). A cylinder and piston actuator


75


provides the oscillatory movement of the arm


69


about the support


67


to bring the discoid blade


71


alternately to an operating position and a nonoperating position. The oscillating arm


69


is integral with a bracket


77


on which is pivoted the cylinder of an air spring consisting of a cylinder and piston unit


79


. The rod of the cylinder and piston unit


79


is pivoted on a rocker


81


, which in turn is pivoted at


83


on a second bracket


85


carried by the oscillating arm


69


. A pressure roller


87


is carried on the rocker


81


for the purposes indicated below.




A bracket


66


(visible in

FIGS. 5

,


5


A and


5


B), which carries a pair of adjustable stops


68


A,


68


B, is integral with the slide


65


of the head


59


. The stop


68


A interacts with a pin


68


C fitted to the oscillating arm


69


, while the stop


68


B interacts with the arm


69


itself. The stop


68


A is made inactive by removing the pin


68


C. Thus the limit position (in other words the position of maximum oscillation in the clockwise direction) of the arm


69


will be determined by the stop


68


A when the pin


68


C is fitted to the arm


69


, while it will be determined by the stop


68


B when the pin


68


C is removed from the arm


69


.

FIGS. 5A and 5B

show in an enlargement the two different configurations of the stops for the cutting tool in the cases of mandrels having a small diameter (

FIG. 5A

) and a large diameter (FIG.


5


B). In

FIG. 5A

, the pin


68


C has been taken out, and the operating position of the cutting tool is determined by the stop


68


B.




Each of the two sides


55


carries vertical guides


89


along which run corresponding plates


91


, each carrying a center


93


. The two centers


93


are aligned axially and their position can be adjusted in the vertical direction by means of corresponding actuators


95


carried by the sides


55


. The actuators


95


move the plates


91


along the sliding guides


89


carried by the sides


55


. Additionally, each center


93


is associated with a corresponding short-travel cylinder


97


which causes the corresponding center


93


to move in the, axial direction to move the centers


93


toward and/or away from each other.




A pair of expulsion arms


99


located outside the maximum dimensions of the cylinders


51


can oscillate about the axis


51


A of the cylinder


51


which is furthest from the rolling plane


43


.

FIG. 5

shows one of the expulsion arms


99


in a first position, in which it is under the cradle formed by the rollers


51


.

FIG. 4

shows both of the expulsion arms


99


in a position elevated above the cylindrical surfaces of the cylinders


51


. The oscillatory movement of the expulsion arms


99


is controlled by a cylinder and piston actuator


100


, or—as shown in FIG.


4


—by a pair of symmetrical actuators, again indicated by


100


. The expulsion arms


99


are connected by a torsion bar


101


.




The operation of the cutting station


11


is as follows. When a mandrel


35


with a tube T fitted on it reaches the cradle formed by the cylinders


51


by rolling on the rolling plane


43


, it is fixed axially by means of the centers


93


which are brought toward each other by means of the short-travel cylinder


97


. The centers


93


have previously been positioned in the vertical direction by the cylinder and piston actuators


95


so that they are located in the correct position according to the diameter of the tube T and the mandrel


35


. It is also possible for one of the centers


93


to be axially movable and for the other to be fixed, and therefore without the short-travel cylinder


97


, and for the movement of approach to each other to be carried out by the first center only. The centers are free to rotate about their own axes, which coincide with the axis of the mandrel


35


.




When this configuration has been reached, the cylinders


51


are rotated by the motor


52


. The starting of the rotation of the motor


51


before the positioning of the mandrel


35


in the cradle formed between them is not excluded. The heads


59


are brought (by a movement along the guides


57


by means of the threaded bars


61


) to the positions in which the tube T is to be cut to form the tubular cores. During this movement, the oscillating arms


69


are kept in the raised position so that the discoid blades


71


do not interfere with the mandrel and the corresponding tube T lying below them. When it reaches the position in which the circumferential cut of the tube T is to be carried out, the head


59


is fixed and the oscillating arm


69


is lowered toward the cradle formed by the cylinders


51


.




By this movement, the pressure roller


87


comes into contact with the outer surface of the tube T before the discoid blade


71


. This provides the pressure between the tube T and the cylinders


51


necessary to keep the tube and the mandrel


35


fitted inside it in rotation by the effect of friction. As the downward movement of the arm


69


continues, the air spring


79


is compressed until the discoid blade


71


comes into contact with the tube T to be cut and passes through its thickness. The air spring


79


therefore also acts as a damper of the movement of the arm


69


. The final position of the discoid blade


71


is determined by the stop


68


A or


68


B, as mentioned above, and is selected in such a way that the discoid blade


71


does not cut into the mandrel


35


which is located inside the tube T.




In the example in

FIG. 5

, the operating position is determined by the stop


68


A. The head


59


maintains this position until the cutting of the tube T has been completed, after which the arm


69


is raised and the head is made to move to the next cutting position.




The operation is repeated for the requisite number of times, according to the number of tubular cores which are to be produced by cutting the tube T. It is possible to provide for the formation, between two adjacent cores, of a spacer ring formed by two consecutive circumferential cuts. In this way the consecutive tubular cores, on which the rolls of web material will be generated in the rewinding machine, can be kept separate from each other, thus preventing the finished rolls from having (as a result of the reduction of width of the web material) tubular cores which are longer than the heights of the rolls and consequently project from the rolls.




The cutting positions entered sequentially by the heads


59


can be controlled by a central control unit interfaced with the rewinding machine in such a way that there is an automatic co-ordination between the cutting positions of the heads


59


(and consequently the sizes of the tubular cores on the mandrel


35


) and the positions of the cutters of the rewinding machine which carry out the continuous longitudinal cutting of the web material taken from the reel.




When the tube T has been completely divided into the various tubular cores, the assembly consisting of the mandrel


35


and the tubular cores fitted on it is discharged on to an inclined discharge plane


121


so that it reaches a channel


123


formed by the pair of V-sections forming part of the insertion station


13


. The channel


123


is associated with a cylinder and piston actuator without a rod


125


, provided with a pusher


127


. The cylinder and piston actuator


125


pushes the mandrel


35


into the rewinding machine, where it undergoes a rewinding cycle of a known type.




The discharge of the assembly consisting of the mandrel


35


and the tubular cores from the cradle between the cylinders


51


of the cutting station


11


is carried out by the oscillation of the expulsion arms


99


about the axis


51


A.




The expanding mandrels may be of any shape. A detailed description of this member is not necessary, since it is of a known type. Purely by way of example,

FIG. 7

shows a cross section of a possible expanding mandrel. This has a tubular element


150


with three slots extending in the axial direction and through which there extend corresponding stems


152


of expanding shoes


153


, each of which has, at the radially outer end of the stem


15


, a shell which extends in the form of a portion of a cylindrical surface. At the radially inner end of the stem


152


, there is base element


154


which rests on a tubular air chamber


155


inside the element


150


. A rubber sleeve


157


, which forms the outer surface of the mandrel


35


, is provided around the shells


153


. In

FIG. 7

, the mandrel is shown in its expanded position, with the shells


153


in their radially outward position, the air chamber


155


being inflated. The mandrel is deflated by removing the excess pressure in the chamber


155


. The radial retraction of the shells


153


is caused by the elasticity of the outer tubular sleeve


157


. This sleeve can be replaced rapidly in case of wear, particularly if wear is caused by the cutting edges of the discoid blades


71


.




It is to be understood that the drawing shows only a possible embodiment of the invention, which can be varied in its forms and arrangements without departure from the inventive concept on which the invention is based. The presence of any reference numbers in the attached claims does not limit the scope of protection of the claims, but has the sole purpose of facilitating the reading of the claims with reference to the preceding description and of the attached drawings.



Claims
  • 1. Device for preparing winding mandrels for winding machines; the device comprising, in combination; an extraction station with an extractor mechanism for extracting a mandrel from at least one roll of web material and for inserting the extracted mandrel into a tube; a cutting station with cutting mean for cutting the tube fitted on the mandrel into a set of tubular cores aligned on the mandrel; an insertion station with insertion members for inserting the mandrel with the tubular cores into a winding machine.
  • 2. Device according to claim 1, in which said extractor mechanism causes, by a single movement, the extraction of the mandrel from the finished at least one roll and its insertion into the tube.
  • 3. Device according to claim 2, in which said extraction station comprises support devices for the tube, said support devices being aligned with the trajectory of the mandrel while it is extracted from a formed roll.
  • 4. Device according to claim 3, in which said support device consists of a cradle.
  • 5. Device according to claim 4, in which said extractor mechanism is positioned at one end of said cradle, and pushes the mandrel, while extracting it from said at least one roll, into the tube supported on said support cradle.
  • 6. Device according to claim 4, in which said cradle is formed by a roller train.
  • 7. Device according to claim 4, in which said support cradle is vertically movable between a lower position for loading said tube and an upper position for the extraction of the mandrel from the at least one roll.
  • 8. Device according to claim 1, in which a chute is positioned between said extraction station and said cutting station for transferring the mandrel from the extraction station to the cutting station.
  • 9. Device according to claim 1, in which said extractor mechanism comprises a pair of shaped rollers, at least one of which is powered, between which the mandrel to be extracted is gripped.
  • 10. Device according to claim 9, in which both of the shaped rollers are powered.
  • 11. Device according to claim 1, in which said extraction station comprises means for causing the deflation of the mandrel before it is extracted from the at least one roll and for its expansion after insertion into said tube.
  • 12. Device according to claim 1, in which said cutting station comprises a pair of cylinders forming a rotation cradle for said mandrel and, above said cylinders, at least one head carrying a cutting tool, which is movable along the axial extension of said cylinders.
  • 13. Device according to claim 12, in which said cutting tool is a discoid blade idly supported on said head.
  • 14. Device according to claim 12, comprising at least two heads with corresponding cutting tools, said heads being movable along two parallel paths, independent actuating means being provided for said at least two heads.
  • 15. Device according to claim 14, comprising, for each head, movement members extending parallel to the paths of said heads, and positioned at different heights.
  • 16. Device according to claim 12, in which each of said heads carries a presser to press the mandrel against said cylinders.
  • 17. Device according to claim 12, comprising a pair of centers for the centering and axial retention of the mandrel.
  • 18. Device according to claim 17, in which said centers can be made to move toward and away from each other.
  • 19. Device according to claim 17, in which said centers can be moved vertically to modify their position with respect to the surface of the cylinders.
  • 20. Device according to claim 12, in which each of said heads has a moving support for the corresponding cutting tool, at least one stop to determine at least one operating position of said cutting tool, and an actuator to bring the cutting tool to said operating position or to a nonoperating position.
  • 21. Device according to claim 20, in which said stop is adjustable.
  • 22. Device according to claim 20, in which each head has stops for determining two alternative operating positions of the corresponding tool without the need for adjustment.
  • 23. Device according to claim 12, comprising a control unit for controlling the movement of said head or heads, said control unit being connected to a rewinding machine provided with means of cutting a web material longitudinally, in such a way that the positions in which said head or heads cut the tube to form the tubular cores are controlled according to the position of the means of cutting the web material, or vice versa.
  • 24. Device according to claim 12, in which the cutting station comprises a pair of oscillating arms for expelling the mandrel from said cutting station.
  • 25. Device according to claim 12, in which said insertion station comprises an axial sliding channel for said mandrels and a pushing member for pushing said mandrels along said channel.
  • 26. Device according to claim 12, in which a chute is positioned between said cutting station and said insertion station for transferring the mandrel between said two stations.
  • 27. Method for preparing tubular winding cores on a winding mandrel, comprising the stages of: extracting a mandrel from a roll which has been formed; inserting the mandrel into a tube and fixing the tube with respect to said mandrel; cutting the tube into a plurality of tubular cores aligned along said mandrel; inserting the mandrel with the tubular cores fixed on it into a winding machine.
  • 28. Method according to claim 27, in which said mandrel is simultaneously extracted from said roll and inserted into said tube.
  • 29. Method according to claim 27, in which said mandrel is transferred orthogonally to its own axis from a first position, in which it is inserted into said tube, to a second position in which said tube is cut to form said plurality of tubular cores and from there to a third position from where it is moved axially to be inserted into said winding machine.
  • 30. Method according to claim 29, in which said mandrel is transferred from said first and from said second position, and from the latter to said third position, by rolling.
  • 31. Method according to claim 27, in which the mandrel is an expandable mandrel, and in which said mandrel is deflated before being extracted from said roll or rolls and then expanded when it has been inserted into said tube.
  • 32. Method according to claim 27, in which said tube is cut by means of at least two cutting tools acting simultaneously.
  • 33. Method according to claim 27, in which three mandrels are in operation simultaneously, the first being inserted into said tube, the second having the tube cut on it to form the tubular cores, and the third being in the process of insertion into a winding machine.
  • 34. A method for winding web material onto tubular winding cores, the method comprising the steps of:receiving a mandrel with a plurality of first tubular cores from a winding machine, the first plurality of cores being wound with web material; extracting the mandrel from said plurality of first tubular cores wound with web material; providing a tube; inserting the mandrel into the tube substantially simultaneously with said step of extracting; fixing the mandrel to the tube; cutting the tube into a plurality of second tubular cores aligned along the mandrel; winding web material onto said plurality of second tubular cores while said plurality of second tubular cores are arranged around the mandrel and fixed to the mandrel.
  • 35. A method according to claim 34, in which said mandrel is transferred orthogonally to its own axis from a first position, in which it is inserted into said tube, to a second position in which said tube is cut to form said plurality of tubular cores and from there to a third position from where it is moved axially to be inserted into said winding machine.
  • 36. A method according to claim 34, in which sad mandrel is transferred from said first and from said second position, and from the latter to said third position, by rolling.
  • 37. A method according to claim 34, in which the mandrel is an expandable mandrel, and in which said mandrel is deflated before being extracted from said roll or rolls and then expanded when it has been inserted into said tube.
  • 38. A method according to claim 34, in which said tube is cut by means of at least two cutting tools acting simultaneously.
  • 39. A method according to claim 34, in which three mandrels are in operation simultaneously, the first being inserted into said tube, the second having the tube cut on it to form the tubular cores, and the third being in the process of insertion into a winding machine.
  • 40. A device for preparing winding mandrels for winding machines the device comprising;an extraction station with an extractor mechanism for extracting a mandrel from at least one roll of web material and for inserting the extracted mandrel into a tube by a single movement; a cutting station with cutting means for cutting the tube fitted on the mandrel into a set of tubular cores aligned on the mandrel; and an insertion station with insertion members for inserting the mandrel with the tubular cores into a winding machine.
  • 41. A device according to claim 40, wherein said extraction station comprises support devices for the tube, said support devices being aligned with the trajectory of the mandrel while it is extracted from a formed roll.
  • 42. A device according to claim 41, wherein said support device consists of a cradle.
  • 43. A device according to claim 42, which said cradle is formed by a roller train.
  • 44. A device according to claim 42, in which said support cradle is vertically movable between a lower position for loading said tube and an upper position for the extraction of the mandrel from the at least one roll.
  • 45. A device according to claim 40, which a chute is positioned between said extraction station and said cutting station for transferring the mandrel from the extraction station to the cutting station.
  • 46. A device according to claim 40, which said extractor mechanism comprises a pair of shaped rollers, at least one of which is powered, between which the mandrel to be extracted is gripped.
  • 47. A device according to claim 46, in which both of the shaped rollers are powered.
  • 48. A device according to claim 40, in which said extraction station comprises means for causing the deflation of the mandrel before it is extracted from the at least one roll and for its expansion after insertion into said tube.
  • 49. A device according to claim 40, which said cutting station comprises a pair of cylinders forming a rotation cradle for said mandrel and, above said cylinders, at least one head carrying a cutting tool, which is movable along the axial extension of said cylinders.
  • 50. A device according to claim 49, which said cutting tool is a discoid blade idly supported on said head.
  • 51. A device according to claim 50, comprising at least two heads with corresponding cutting tools, said heads being movable along two parallel paths, independent actuating means being provided for said at least two heads.
  • 52. A device for preparing winding mandrels for winding machines the device comprising:an extraction station with an extractor mechanism for extracting a mandrel from at least one roll of web material and for inserting the extracted mandrel into a tube, said extraction station comprising a support device for the tube, said support device being aligned with the trajectory of the mandrel while it is extracted from a formed roll, said support device comprising a cradle, in which said extractor mechanism is positioned at one end of said cradle, and pushes the mandrel, while extracting it from said at least one roll, into the tube supported on said support cradle; a cutting station with cutting means for cutting the tube fitted on the mandrel into a set of tubular cores aligned on the mandrel; an insertion station with insertion members for inserting the mandrel with the tubular cores into a winding machine.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
FI99A0085 Apr 1999 IT
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind
PCT/IT00/00133 WO 00
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO00/61480 10/19/2000 WO A
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
4422588 Nowisch Dec 1983 A
5217177 Stefanoni Jun 1993 A
6047916 Onnerlov Apr 2000 A
6129304 Biagiotti Oct 2000 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (6)
Number Date Country
0 747 308 Dec 1996 EP
0 767 123 Apr 1997 EP
0 943 569 Sep 1999 EP
891315 Mar 1962 GB
913797 Dec 1962 GB
WO 9902439 Jan 1999 WO