Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6536702
-
Patent Number
6,536,702
-
Date Filed
Thursday, April 5, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, March 25, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Lacher, Esq.; Frederick K.
- Hendricks, Esq.; Bruce J.
- The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 242 5302
- 242 5338
- 242 5381
- 242 5354
- 242 5413
- 242 5415
- 242 557
- 242 5416
- 156 361
- 156 395
- 156 406
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A strip of sheet material is wound on a spool by a driving belt wrapped around spaced rollers of a surface winder which urge the sheet material into contact with the spool, rotating the spool, and at the same time, applying the sheet material to the spool, with layers of the material being separated by a liner wrapped around the spool as the sheet material is being applied.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to winding a strip of sheet material such as a tire component on a spool which is transported to a tire building machine for building a tire. The spool may be mounted on a cart which also supports a liner shell for a liner which is interposed between the material wrapped around the wind-up shell of the spool of material.
BACKGROUND ART
Server systems, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,892 for storing and delivering stock material are used in the tire manufacturing process. The handling, storage and transporting of the tire components on a spool mounted on an A-frame cart has obvious convenience advantages. There are also disadvantages such as the distortion of the material during winding on the spool. This is particularly true in winding a tread, where the contours of the tread are important and may be distorted in the winding-storage process. Belts that are wound on a spool may also be distorted and the ends-per-inch count of the wires in the belt may be altered such that the stored belt does not meet specifications and must be rejected. Also because the components are wound with a liner separating the layers, it has been found that the “square woven” components may be crushed and separation from the liner becomes difficult, if not impossible. Where calendered material is wound on the spool it may be distorted and flattened at the center of the roll and may have to be cut away from the liner, wasting expensive liner material and delaying the manufacturing process. These problems are believed to be due in part to the distortion caused by undue pressure applied in the wind up and storage process. Heretofore, center driven winders have been used to wind the spool by a motor which rotates a shaft connected to the wind-up shell of the spool. Winding tension control for applying and varying the tension applied to the component being wound on the spool is important because it must be varied as the spool grows in size and diameter during wind up.
Surface winders have also been used in some cases wherein the component is wound through contact with the surface of the spool by a moving belt. With traditional surface winders the spool is supported on a driving belt and the weight of the spool distorts the material unless an adjustable support is provided to lift the spool and take the weight off the driving belt. This is not desirable because the entire weight of the spool must be carried by the adjusting means.
In another system such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,076 the roll being wound is supported on a web extending between two rotatable supporting rollers. The roll is rotated by a separate winder drum which transmits the sheet of paper or cardboard to the roll and rotates the roll.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for winding a strip of sheet material on a rotatable spool of sheet material comprising a surface winder having belt means movable into engagement with the strip of sheet material for application to the spool and for rotating the spool characterized by pressure means for moving the surface winder and the belt means toward the spool to urge the strip of sheet material against the spool, and belt drive means engageable with the belt means for delivering the strip of sheet material to the spool and rotating the spool to wind the strip of sheet material on the spool.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for winding a strip of sheet material on a rotatable spool comprising:
(a) a surface winder having belt means movable into engagement with the strip of sheet material for application to the spool and for rotating the spool characterized by:
(b) pressure means for moving the surface winder and the belt means toward the spool to urge the strip of sheet material against the spool, and belt drive means with the belt means for delivering the strip of sheet material to the spool and rotating the spool to wind the strip of sheet material on the spool.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided the apparatus of claim 1 wherein said spool is mounted on a movable frame and said surface winder is mounted at a fixed position adjacent a conveyor for supplying said strip of sheet material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an end view of the wind up apparatus embodying the invention showing the surface winder apparatus at the start of the wind up process.
FIG. 2
is a plan view of the apparatus taken along line
2
—
2
in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is an end view like
FIG. 1
showing the apparatus at the end of the wind up process.
FIG. 4
is an end view like
FIG. 1
showing the apparatus with the surface winder retracted for cart removal.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to
FIGS. 1
,
2
and
3
, a wind-up apparatus
10
is shown having a movable cart frame
12
, supported on a floor by wheels
11
, for transporting a spool
14
of sheet material
16
from a wind-up position, such as that shown in the drawings, to a delivery or server position spaced from the wind-up position. Where the sheet material
16
is a tire component, such as a tread or ply, the sheet material may be conveyed to the wind-up position on a belt conveyor
18
, where it is carried on a belt
20
to a position spaced from a sheet material applier frame
22
positioned adjacent to the movable cart frame
12
.
The sheet material applier frame
22
has side plates
24
and
26
supporting a driving pulley
28
driven by a motor
30
, or other driving means for driving a driving belt
32
. The driving belt
32
is trained around the driving pulley
28
, a take-up pulley
34
and a pair of spaced pulleys
36
and
38
of a surface winder
40
. The take-up pulley
34
, may be mounted on pressure controlled air cylinders
35
,
35
fastened to each of the side plates
24
and
26
with the weight of the take-up pulley and the pressure controlled air cylinders maintaining the driving belt
32
in tension.
The surface winder
40
has a pressure means such as a pair of piston cylinder assemblies
43
and
44
fastened to the side plate
24
and side plate
26
of the applier frame. The piston cylinder assemblies
43
and
44
have piston rods
47
and
48
attached to mounting plates
50
and
52
spaced apart and positioned at opposite ends of the spaced pulley
36
and spaced pulley
38
of the surface winder
40
. The mounting plates
50
and
52
are rotatably mounted on the piston rods
47
and
48
whereby the spaced pulley
36
and spaced pulley
38
are radially movable to conform to the contour of the spool
14
. Movement of the surface winder
40
towards the spool
14
is provided by the piston-cylinder assemblies
43
and
44
.
The movable cart frame
12
of the wind-up apparatus
10
may have spaced bearings
58
and
60
for rotatably supporting a shaft
62
of a wind-up shell
64
. Liner support arms
66
are mounted on the movable frame
12
and extend to a spaced apart position for supporting a liner sheel
68
of a liner roll
69
in bearing
70
. Also supported on the floor are liner support members
71
attached to the material applier frame
22
at either side thereof for supporting a lead in roller
72
, precision guide
74
and a lead out roller
76
.
The wind-up apparatus
10
shown in
FIG. 3
illustrates the apparatus with the spool
14
at the end of the wind-up operation.
The wind-up apparatus
10
shown in
FIG. 4
illustrates the apparatus with the spool
14
after the sheet material
16
and a liner
78
have been wrapped in a spool which may be transported to another location for delivering the sheet material or for storage. The location where the movable cart frame
12
is located, as shown in the drawings, is then open and available for another movable cart frame to be parked, and another spool wound up on an apparatus like that shown in
FIGS. 1
,
2
and
3
.
In operation, the diameter of the spool
14
at the beginning of the wind-up operation is the diameter of the wind-up shell
64
as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The diameter of the liner roll
69
on the liner shell
68
is substantially greater than that shown in
FIG. 1
, but with the outer diameter spaced from the wind-up shell
64
. The surface winder
40
maintains contact with the spool
14
, as shown in
FIG. 1
, so that the spaced pulleys
36
and
38
urge the sheet material
16
on the driving belt
32
against the sheet material into contact with the liner
78
and rotate the spool
14
in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG.
1
. The pivotal mounting of the spaced pulleys on the mounting plates
50
and
52
cause the driving belt
32
to conform with the surface of the spool
14
pressing the material
16
against the surface and at the same time, driving the spool in a clockwise directions. In this condition, the take-up pulley
34
is in a raised position as shown in FIG.
1
.
As shown in the drawings, the driving belt
32
not only carries the sheet material
16
to the spool
14
, but also remains in contact with the sheet material as it is applied to the spool. This provides the desired friction for turning the spool
14
with a controlled pressure from the piston-cylinder assemblies
43
and
44
. The liner
78
, which has one end wrapped around the spool
14
, is pulled from the liner shell
68
over the lead in roller
72
through the precision guides
74
and over the lead out roller
76
so that it will be positioned accurately on the spool
14
.
The conveyor
18
, which may convey the sheet material
16
from a suitable source, such as an extruder or calender, may be driven by a separate drive and a festoon
80
is preferably provided between the conveyor belt
20
and the driving belt
32
to accommodate differences in the rate at which the sheet material is supplied by the conveyor
18
and the rate it is applied to the spool
14
by the driving belt
32
. These differences in speed may be determined by the position of the festoon
80
as registered by photo eyes
82
and
84
. The driving speed of the motor
30
connected to the driving pulley
28
and the driving speed of the motor for the conveyor
18
may then be adjusted accordingly.
Claims
- 1. Apparatus for winding a strip of sheet material on a rotatable spool comprising:(a) a surface winder having belt means movable into engagement with said strip of sheet material for application to said spool and for rotating said spool, (b) pressure means for moving said surface winder and said belt means toward said spool to urge said strip of sheet material against said spool, and belt drive means engageable with said belt means delivering said strip of sheet material to said spool and rotating said spool to wind said strip of sheet material on said spool.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said surface winder further comprises a pair of spaced mounting plates and a pair of spaced pulleys rotatably mounted on said mounting plates with said mounting plates being rotatably mounted on said pressure means at a position between said spaced pulleys providing equalized surface contact between said belt means and said portion of said strip of sheet material wrapped on said spool.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising said belt drive means including a drive pulley spaced from said spool and a take up pulley movably mounted between said drive pulley and said surface winder for maintaining tension in said driving belt.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising said spool being mounted on a frame, a liner shell rotatably mounted on said frame and means for delivering said liner material from said liner shell to a position on said spool between said strip of sheet material already wrapped on said spool and said strip of sheet material being applied to said spool.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said spool is mounted on a movable cart frame and said surface winder is mounted at a fixed position adjacent a conveyor for supplying said strip of sheet material.
- 6. A method of winding a strip of sheet material on a rotatable spool comprising:(a) conveying said strip of sheet material on a belt means to a surface winder at said spool, (b) urging said surface winder and said belt means toward said spool to press said strip of material against said spool, comprising; (c) driving said belt means to deliver and wind said strip of sheet material on said spool and to rotate said spool.
- 7. The method of claim 6 further comprising said belt means being wrapped around two spaced pulleys of said surface winder, for applying pressure against said strip of sheet material and against said spool and rotating said spool without distortion of said strip of sheet material applied to said spool.
- 8. The method of claim 6 comprising simultaneously winding a strip of liner material on said spool and conveying said liner material to a position on said spool between said strip of sheet material already wrapped on said spool and a portion of said strip of sheet material being conveyed and applied to said spool.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/US98/11983 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO99/64335 |
12/16/1999 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 860 391 |
Aug 1996 |
EP |
WO 9532908 |
Dec 1995 |
WO |
WO 9855383 |
Dec 1998 |
WO |