Patent Grant
8186612
The present invention relates to a method for producing logs of web material. In a particular embodiment, the invention relates to a method and to a machine for producing logs of web material with a glued edge.
In the field of converting of tissue paper and of other materials in web form it is often necessary to wind a web material from a parent reel or from another source of material into logs of suitable dimensions.
In particular, in the field of production of rolls of toilet paper, paper towels for domestic and industrial use and other similar products, tissue paper is produced by continuous machines with a dry or wet system and wound in large parent reels. These are subsequently unwound feeding the web material to a rewinding machine which, from a single reel or from several plies fed from several reels unwound in parallel, produces a plurality of logs with a diameter equal to the diameter of the finished product to be placed on the market and the axial length of which is a multiple of the axial length of the rolls for consumption. These logs are subsequently cut transverse to the axis thereof into small individual rolls, which in turn are sent to packaging machines.
One of the needs that occurs in this production cycle is to secure the final edge or free tail edge of the material wound on each log. If this edge were not secured by gluing, in the steps subsequent to rewinding there would be the risk of the outermost turns of the log becoming unwound, with consequent risks of malfunction of the line or even causing its shutdown.
According to conventional technology, to glue the free edge of logs delivered from rewinding machines, gluing machines or tail sealers are provided downstream of these machines. The presence of these gluing machines implies an increase in the dimensions of the line and an increase in its cost, also in view of the fact that in certain cases a single rewinding machine must be combined with a double gluing machine, due to the different production speeds of these two machines. It may also be necessary to provide an intermediate storage area between the rewinding machine and the gluing machine, which in turn increases the cost and dimensions of the line.
Therefore, rewinding machines have recently been developed in which glue is applied directly in the area of the web material that will form the free edge of each log.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,377 describes a rewinding machine in which logs of web material are formed around tubular winding cores. In an embodiment, a glue is applied to the winding core on which a log is to be wound. At the start of the winding cycle of a new log, the core is fed towards the winding cradle in which winding of the previous log is being completed and part of the glue applied to the core is transferred by contact to the final edge of the previous log.
WO-A-2004/005173 describes a rewinding machine in which nozzles spray glue onto an area of the web material that will form the final edge of the log formed by the rewinding machine. In a different embodiment, glue is applied to a winding core and is transferred therefrom to the final edge of the web material.
WO-A-01/64563 describes a rewinding machine in which glue applicator nozzles spray a glue onto the portion of the web material that will form the final edge of the log.
WO-A-2004/046006 describes rewinding machines in which a rotating or oscillating mechanical member applies glue to the final edge of the web material. In a possible embodiment the glue applicator device is integral with the feeder of the winding cores and in a different embodiment the glue applicator device is integral with the severing device of the web material. In a further embodiment glue is applied to the tubular winding core and transferred therefrom to the final edge of the log.
In many known embodiments, glue is picked up from a reservoir or from another container by means of a moving mechanical member which, rotating or oscillating, during the “changeover” step transfers an adequate quantity of glue to the web material forming the final edge of the individual log. Changeover step is intended as the step of the winding cycle during which winding of a log is completed, the web material is severed and winding of the subsequent log commences.
These machines and these methods, which allow glue to be applied to the final edge of each log directly in the rewinding step, have eliminated the need for gluing machines downstream of the rewinding machine. Nonetheless, these solutions have some limits prevalently related to the reduced speed at which these machines are able to operate due to the risk of sprays of glue forming if the mechanical glue distribution members are operated at excessive speeds. The use of gluing nozzles also has some drawbacks, in particular related to the poor precision with which glue is applied.
Moreover, the need to operate the glue dispenser intermittently causes further constructional and control difficulties. A further difficulty lies in the fact that the log on which the final edge has been wound is not subjected to high pressure to stabilize gluing of the final edge, and consequently in order to obtain adequate bonding, capable of withstanding the subsequent handling operations of the log without accidental unwinding of the final edge, greater quantities of glue would be necessary or useful with respect to the quantities that current machines are able to dispense.
The aforesaid problems are encountered both in machines for winding web material around winding cores and in machines for winding logs without central winding cores. Moreover, problems related to gluing the free edge occur regardless of the type of winding system utilized and some of the aforesaid problems can occur both in peripheral or surface rewinding machines, in which logs are formed in a volume defined by moving or rotating members (such as rollers or belts) that transmit rotational movement to the log being formed, as well as in central winding machines, where the log is made to rotate by an axial spindle.
When the log is formed around a winding core, it is also necessary to make the initial free edge of the log adhere to the core. In some cases this operation takes place by applying a glue. As a rule, this is applied to the core, but it could also be applied to the web material. In this case at least some of the aforesaid problems can occur. For example, in currently known systems to apply glue to secure the initial free edge to the winding core, if they are designed to apply glue to the web material rather than to the core, the precision can be low and problems of soiling the machine can occur, especially at high speeds.
According to a first aspect, an object of the invention is to provide a method for more efficient gluing of the final free end of logs directly in the rewinding machine.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a rewinding machine with more efficient means for applying glue to the initial and/or final edge of logs formed by this machine.
According to an advantageous embodiment, in order to entirely or partly solve the aforesaid problems, a method for producing logs of web material is provided, comprising the steps of:
Advantageously, according to the invention the feed path of the web material is temporarily diverted towards a glue dispensing member so as to apply a glue to the web material by drawing the web material towards a glue dispensing member. In an advantageous embodiment, the glue dispenser does not require to be controlled with an intermittent movement but can, for example, be designed in the form of a roller, which is maintained in constant rotation.
Moreover, by adopting particular constructive measures, it is possible to apply a much greater quantity of glue to the web material with respect to the quantity that can be applied using conventional systems, as the glue dispenser can, for example, be provided with an engraved roller that rotates at a different speed with respect to the feed speed of the web material and preferably with a lower peripheral speed with respect to the feed speed of the web material. By diverting the web material towards the glue dispensing roller rotating at a peripheral speed lower than the speed of the web material, and which has adequate surface engraving, even very large quantities of glue can be applied to guarantee, in the subsequent free-edge closing step, adequate securing of the final free edge of the web material to the log even without high bonding pressures. By forming, e.g., a surface film or layer of glue on the roller, the web material does not come into contact with the roller, which can rotate at a speed which is even substantially lower than the feed speed of the web material, facilitating construction of the machine and reducing dynamic problems, including those linked to the risk of centrifugation of the glue, even at high feed speeds of the web material, which in modern machines exceeds 1000 m/min.
According to a possible embodiment glue is applied to a portion of the web material before it is severed adjacent to the line along which severing of this web material will take place.
Severing can take place in any one of the known manners, for example by control and timely variation of the rotation speed of the winding rollers; using a cutting system, using jets of air or suction systems, with pinching members that locally decelerate or accelerate the web material, with pneumatic or mechanical blades, or in any other suitable manner, as the methods with which the web material is severed are not important for the purposes of the present invention.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the diverter member can have a speed substantially equal to the feed speed of the web material along the feed path, to reduce as much as possible any disturbance in the feed of the web material by the diverter member.
The diverter member could also theoretically be a suction system arranged on the same side of the feed path as the glue dispenser. However, according to an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the glue dispensing member is arranged on a first side of the feed path, and the diverter member is arranged on a second side of the feed path, opposite the glue dispensing member.
Further advantageous features and embodiments of the method according to the invention are set forth hereunder with reference to some non-limiting embodiments of the invention and are further set forth in the appended claims.
The method of the present invention is advantageously applied above all to apply glue to, or in proximity of, the final edge of the log, but it would also be possible to use the same criterion to apply glue to the portion of the web material in proximity of or coinciding with the initial free edge, to cause adhesion thereof to the new winding core. Moreover, the concept underlying the present invention could also be utilized to apply glue both to the initial edge and to the final edge of the web material so as to close the final edge of the log and secure the initial edge to the winding core of the subsequent log.
According to a different aspect, the invention relates to a rewinding machine for producing logs of web material comprising: a winding unit; a feed path of the web material towards the winding unit; a diverter member; a device to sever the web material upon completion of winding each log; a glue dispenser to apply a glue to the web material. According to an advantageous embodiment, the diverter member is arranged and controlled to temporarily divert the web material towards the glue dispenser.
In a possible embodiment, the glue dispenser comprises a rotating roller arranged along the feed path of the web material and on one side thereof. The roller can have a substantially cylindrical surface, for example engraved according to inclined helical lines which intersect to define truncated-pyramid shaped protuberances. With this structure, similar to that of an embossing roller, a surface engraving pattern is formed on which a large quantity of glue can be collected to form a surface film. The web material, diverted towards the winding roller, can “float” on this film without coming into mechanical contact with the actual roller. As indicated above, this advantageously allows the glue dispenser to rotate at a peripheral speed different than the feed speed of the web material, typically at a lower speed than the latter.
The diverter member can be arranged upstream of the winding unit. This unit can comprise one or more winding rollers, for example three winding rollers defining a winding cradle inside which at least a part of the winding cycle of the log takes place. The diverter member can be positioned, with respect to the direction of feed of the web material, upstream of the first winding roller. The glue dispenser will advantageously be arranged in front of the winding member, on the opposite side of the feed path of the web material.
According to a different embodiment, the diverter member is associated with one of the rollers around which the web material is fed, preferably around a winding roller. Advantageously, the diverter member can be arranged to perform a trajectory that extends at least partly around said roller to be inserted between the web material and the roller. The glue dispenser will be positioned on the opposite side of the feed path of the web material, level with the roller around which this material is fed. The drive or guide roller of the web material can be one of the winding rollers of a peripheral or surface winding system.
Further advantageous features and embodiments of the rewinding machine according to the invention are set forth hereunder with reference to some non-limiting embodiments of the invention and in the appended claims.
The invention will be better understood following the description and accompanying drawing, which shows non-limiting practical embodiments of the invention. More specifically, in the drawing:
In an advantageous embodiment the winding unit 3 comprises a first winding roller 5, a second winding roller 7 and a third winding roller, or moving winding roller 9, supported by arms 11 oscillating about an axis B, substantially parallel to the axes of the rollers 5, 7, and 9. The winding cradle or unit 5, 7, 9 is known per se and typical of surface or peripheral winding machines. Operation thereof will not be described in greater detail below as it is already known to those skilled in the art.
According to an advantageous embodiment, the web material N moves along a feed path which extends around a guide roller 13 to the upper winding roller 5, and then around this roller towards the winding cradle formed by the rollers 5, 7, and 9, passing through a nip 17 defined between the winding rollers 5 and 7, and through which the winding core A is also fed.
In an advantageous embodiment, a glue dispenser, indicated as a whole with 21, is arranged on a first side of the feed path of the web material, between the guide roller 13 and the winding roller 5. In a possible embodiment, the glue dispenser 21 comprises a glue dispensing roller 23 cooperating with a glue feeder 25 of a type known per se and provided with doctor blades 25A to distribute glue on the cylindrical surface of the dispenser roller 23. This roller rotates according to the arrow f23 with a peripheral speed preferably lower, for example, around one tenth, with respect to the feed speed of the web material N in the direction of feed indicated with fN along the feed path. The surface structure of the glue dispenser roller 23 will be described below with reference to
According to an advantageous embodiment, a protective wall is positioned on the same side of the feed path of the web material N as the glue dispenser 21, formed of two portions 27A, 27B reciprocally movable to define a continuous protection separating the glue dispensing roller 23 from the web material N and which, by moving apart, define an opening elongated in the direction of the axis of rotation of the glue dispensing roller 23 to allow glue to be applied to the web material N in the manner described below.
According to an advantageous embodiment, a diverter member, indicated as a whole with 31, is arranged on the opposite side of the feed path of the web material N with respect to the side on which the glue dispenser 21 is located.
According to a possible embodiment, the diverter member 31 comprises a diverter roller 33 rotating about an axis C supported by oscillating arms 35 pivoting about an axis of oscillation D substantially parallel to the axis C. Oscillation of the arms 35 is controlled by an eccentric or by a cam 37 rotating about an axis E approximately parallel to the axis D. The number 39 indicates a small roller forming the feeler cooperating with the eccentric or cam 37. Thrust members, for example elastic, maintain the feeler 39 in contact with the profile of the cam or eccentric 37. Preferably, two eccentrics 37 are provided on the two side panels of the machine which can extend transversely even for several meters and in this case a feeler 39, supported idle by a respective oscillating arm 35, cooperates with each eccentric 37. At the end the two oscillating arms 35 support the diverter roller 33. Systems with several oscillating arms 35 in parallel depending on the transverse dimensions of the machine can also be provided.
As can be seen in greater detail in the enlargement in
In
The diverter roller 33 can be maintained in constant rotation, at a constant or variable speed, or can be made to rotate only during the exchange steps, during which glue must be applied.
As can be seen in
Preferably, the rotation speed of the diverter roller 33 is such that the peripheral speed of the front surface lying on the circumference or more precisely on the cylindrical surface C1 of the radial projection 33A is equal to or approximately equal to the feed speed of the web material N according to arrow fN. In this way damage or even accidental tearing, due to the pressurized contact of the radial projection 33A on the web material N, is avoided.
From the description above and from what can be seen in the sequence in
When the web material N must be glued, for example in an area that is to form the final free edge of the log L, the oscillating arms 35 are made to oscillate by the eccentric 37. Advantageously the eccentric 37 performs a complete rotation for each winding cycle, to take the diverter roller 33 towards the glue dispensing roller 23. This movement is synchronized such that when the roller 33 is in the position closest to the glue dispensing roller 23, the radial projection 33A will pass through the position shown in
The glue application system according to the invention allows, for example, the radial projection to be designed in a specific shape, to apply glue according to a pattern. For example, the radial projection 33A can have a front surface reproducing a logo or written message. Preferably utilizing a colored glue, a sort of “stamp” is obtained on the final edge of the log, visible from the outside.
In
In a different embodiment, shown in the operating sequence in
In this case, the diverter roller 33 can advantageously be made of a lightweight material, such as carbon fiber reinforced resin and have a thickness suitably limited to reduce inertia of the roller and facilitate rapid angular acceleration immediately before the glue application step. As can be understood from the sequence in
When glue must be applied to the web material N, the diverter roller 33 will be accelerated and will start to rotate according to the direction of the arrow f23 (
In an advantageous embodiment, which can be applied both to the embodiment of
The structure shown in
Advantageously, a suction sector 5A can be provided inside the winding roller 5, positioned approximately level with the nip 17 between the winding rollers 5 and 7. This suction sector 5A can be utilized to generate localized suction in the area in which the sector is disposed, through holes provided in the cylindrical wall of the winding roller 5. Preferably, the entire cylindrical side wall of the winding roller 5 is perforated. With this arrangement both the final edge LC and optionally the initial edge LT of the web material N can be held adhering to the cylindrical surface of the roller 5 after severing thereof.
Insertion of the optional winding cores and severing of the web material can be obtained with one of the various known methods, as how these operations are performed is not relevant for the purposes of the invention. The subsequent
With initial reference to
Once again, the glue dispenser 21, with the glue reservoir 25 and the relative doctor blades 25A to distribute glue on the engraved cylindrical surface, for example as shown in
The mechanical configuration that allows the diverter member 53 to be supported and moved will be described in greater detail below with reference to
A glue is applied to the winding cores A by means of a gluing element 71 oscillating according to the double arrow f71 to be immersed in a reservoir 73 containing a glue C2 used to anchor the initial free end LT to the respective winding core A when the latter is inserted in the channel 67.
Arranged underneath the surface 69 inferiorly delimiting the channel 67 is an axis of rotation G of a rotating severing device 75 provided with pressers 75A which, in a manner known per se, cooperate with the cylindrical surface of the winding roller 5 to sever the web material. Operation of the system to sever the web material described briefly here is illustrated schematically in the sequence in
According to an advantageous embodiment, a suction sector 5A is again arranged inside the winding roller 5, positioned approximately in the area of the nip 17 between the winding rollers 5 and 7 for the purposes described above.
With reference to the sequence in
In
In
In
In this embodiment a first motor 83 is provided mounted, for example, on a side panel 85 of the machine, which transmits, through a coupling 87, the motion to a shaft 89. Pulleys 91 for belts 93 are mounted on the shaft 89. These provide the motion for cylindrical members 95 coaxial with the axis X-X of the winding roller 5. In practice, the cylindrical members 95 aligned with each other form, with the outer cylindrical surfaces thereof, the winding roller 5, and therefore it is the motor 83 that transmits rotational motion to the winding roller 5. The individual cylindrical members 95 are supported by bearings 97 on an inner sleeve 99 coaxial with the axis X-X and torsionally constrained to a shaft 101 which takes its motion, through a coupling 103, from a motor 105. This is the motor that transmits motion to the diverter member 53.
The diverter member 53 is defined by a plurality of ribs 53A preferably aligned along a line parallel to the axis X-X. Each rib 53 is integral with the sleeve 99 by means of a mechanical support 53B which passes through an annular free space provided, for each rib 53A, between two contiguous cylindrical members 95.
In this manner, through the motor 105, a rotational movement about the axis X-X can be transmitted to the sleeve 99, and consequently to the ribs 53A forming the diverter member 53, which is entirely independent with respect to the rotational motion of the winding roller 5, transmitted by the motor 83. The two motors 83, 105 are controlled so as to maintain the winding roller 5 at the desired rotation speed and to impart to the diverter member 53 the movement desired of one rotation at each winding cycle of a log L, all as described with reference to the sequence in
In the embodiment in
The belts 111 are driven around pulleys 113 mounted (
With the motors 135 and 121 it is again possible, in the same manner described with reference to the motors 83 and 105 in
It is understood that the drawing only shows an example provided by way of a practical arrangement of the invention, which can vary in forms; and arrangements without however departing from the scope of the concept underlying the invention. Any reference numbers in the appended claims are provided to facilitate reading of the claims with reference to the description and to the drawing, and do not limit the scope of protection represented by the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| FI2006A0262 | Oct 2006 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IT2007/000745 | 10/25/2007 | WO | 00 | 4/21/2009 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2008/050370 | 5/2/2008 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3369766 | Herman | Feb 1968 | A |
| 4487377 | Perini | Dec 1984 | A |
| 6494398 | De Matteis et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 7546970 | McNeil et al. | Jun 2009 | B2 |
| 20080236773 | Gelli et al. | Oct 2008 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1167767 | Oct 1969 | GB |
| WO 0164563 | Sep 2001 | WO |
| WO 0164563 | Sep 2001 | WO |
| WO 2004005173 | Jan 2004 | WO |
| WO 2004046006 | Jun 2004 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20100025515 A1 | Feb 2010 | US |
