Upending rolls of pressure-sensitive paper of different sizes, i.e. in length and/or diameter, without damaging the paper is effected by delivering the rolls successively to and between automatically relatively longitudinally and laterally adjustable cradle arms which support each successive roll as it is upended onto a short leg belt discharge conveyor extending at right angle to the cradle arms on a pivotally mounted carriage by which the arms and discharge conveyor are synchronized to swing about a common horizontal axis from a horizontal roll-receiving position of the arms to a vertical position of the arms coinciding with swinging of the discharge conveyor from a vertical position to a horizontal position projecting in the opposite direction from the horizontal position of the arms, whereby upon operation of the discharge conveyor the upended roll is transferred to a take-away device such as a conveyor. Accurate positioning of the cradle arms with respect to the length and diameter of the roll is provided for.

Current U.S. Class:	414/784 ; 198/412
Current International Class:	B65G 47/24 (20060101); B65G 47/252 (20060101); B65g 007/00 ()
Field of Search:	214/1Q,13R,13C,DIG.4 198/33AC,33AD,237,241

Hill, Gross, Simpson, Van Santen, Steadman, Chiara & Simpson

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Claims

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We claim as our invention:

1. Apparatus for upending rolls of pressure-sensitive sheet material, comprising:

a pivotal carriage having thereon a normally inactive upwardly extending discharge conveyor and means supporting a plurality of roll-engaging and supporting arms below the lower end of the conveyor, whereby a roll to be upended is adapted to be delivered on a generally horizontal axis and with its leading end contiguous to the discharge conveyor and its perimeter in position to be engaged by said arms; and

means mounting said arms on said carriage for movement relative to said discharge conveyor and the carriage into selective extended position relative to said discharge conveyor in correlation to the length of the roll to be upended without interfering with a next succeeding roll relatively closely spaced from the trailing end of the roll to be upended, and for selectively adjusting the arms in correlation to the diameter of the roll to be upended to effect uniform lifting engagement with the perimeter of the roll, so that the roll can be upended onto the discharge conveyor by pivoting the carriage to swing said arms upwardly and said discharge conveyor downwardly in unison.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, said carriage comprising a longitudinally extending arm-supporting frame including longitudinally extending guide means along which the arms are longitudinally adjustably movable, and means for actuating the arms along the guide means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said frame comprises a pair of horizontally spaced apart coextensive beams each of which carries arm guiding means, said actuating means comprising respective hydraulic actuators operating in slave relation.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising longitudinally reciprocably movable supporting means for the arms carried by the carriage, and transversely adjustably movable means carrying said arms and mounted on said reciprocably movable supporting means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including fluid operated actuators for reciprocably moving said reciprocably movable supporting means, and fluid actuators for transversely adjustably moving said arm carrying means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said carriage has a pair of elongated hollow beams in horizontally spaced coextensive relation and opening sidewardly inwardly toward one another, longitudinally extending guide means within each of said beams, horizontal carriage plates shorter than said beams and having runners thereon in engagement with said guide means for longitudinal reciprocating movement along said guide means and with the plates extending toward one another from the beams to a spaced relation for closely straddling a roll-delivery conveyor, means for selectively reciprocating the carriage plates in unison, carriers supporting said arms, transversely mounted guide means on said carriage plates, runners on said carriers engaging said transverse guide means, and means for adjustably shifting said carriers in unison along said transverse guide means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said terms comprise longitudinally extending relatively divergently related cradle plate members facing generally upwardly and toward one another.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, including roll length-sensing means for controlling the longitudinal extension adjustments of said arms.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means for pivotally moving the carriage, after the arms have fully engaged with a roll to be upended, for swinging the arms up and the discharge conveyor down into a horizontal position, and means operable after the roll has been upended onto the discharge conveyor to activate the discharge conveyor to move the roll away from the arms and off of the discharge conveyor in upended position.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, including means for cyclically operating the apparatus, after engagement of a roll to be upended by said arms, to shift into an upending position wherein the discharge conveyor is activated to discharge the upended roll, and for then returning the apparatus to receive a succeeding roll to be upended.

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Description

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This invention relates to upending of paper rolls from a horizontal axis to a vertical axis, and is more particularly concerned with accomplishing upending of rolls of pressure-sensitive paper without damage to the paper.

Rolls of pressure-sensitive record sheet paper of the kind having a coating on at least one surface thereof provided with minute, multiple-droplet-retaining pressure-rupturable capsule units for supplying marking liquid are difficult to handle by mechanical equipment without damage to the at least outer layers of the pressure-sensitive paper, in contrast to ordinary rolls of paper which are relatively uneffected by uneven, concentrated loading pressures encountered along the circumference of the roll during handling. A particular problem is encountered in handling rolls of pressure-sensitive paper before wrapping of the rolls, that is, after the rolls have been wound and during transfer of the rolls from the winder to roll-wrapping apparatus where a protective bruise-resistant wrapper is applied about the rolls.

For production line flow pattern it may be necessary in order to attain proper orientation of the rolls of paper relative to wrapping apparatus to upend the rolls. As the rolls are moved from a horizontal axis position to a vertical axis position, the lifting pressure applied to the engaged perimeter of the roll must be uniformly distributed and without concentration at any local area to avoid rupturing the pressure-sensitive coating. On the other hand, the rolls which must be handled for upending may vary substantially in diameter and/or length. This poses two critical problem areas. Engagement of various diameters of roll must be accomplished without longitudinal applied pressures which might cause rupturing of the pressure-sensitive paper coating. Secondly, for variable lengths of roll the lifting pressures must for all lengths extend along the entire length of the perimeter of each roll to avoid possible excessive concentrated lifting pressure by end portions of the upending mechanism. If the mechanism for supporting the rolls during upending is fixedly adequate for small size rolls, then larger rolls cannot be efficiently handled, and if the apparatus is dimensioned in a fixed manner to receive maximum size rolls, smaller size rolls cannot be efficiently handled.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing and other shortcomings and problems and to attain important advantages and improvements and new results in the handling of pressure-sensitive paper rolls through an upending maneuver.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved method of and apparatus for upending rolls of pressure-sensitive paper.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for upending paper rolls of variable sizes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for safely upending pressure-sensitive paper rolls of variable diameters.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for safely upending rolls of pressure-sensitive paper of variable lengths.

It is also an object of the invention to improve the efficiency in upending paper rolls which vary in diameter and length.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts embodied in the disclosure, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an upender embodying features of the invention and showing the same in association with a delivery conveyor and a take-away conveyor.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the upender, with parts broken away and in section for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the upender partially broken away and in section for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional detail view taken substantially along the line IV--IV OF FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional detail view taken substantially along the line V--V of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a sectional detail view showing the upender in the position wherein a roll has been upended.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the adjustable cradle arm mechanism of the upender.

FIG. 8 is an operating sequence flow diagram.

An upender 10 (FIG. 1) is constructed and arranged to receive rolls of paper and more particularly rolls of pressure-sensitive paper 11 from a delivery conveyor 12, upend the rolls and discharge the same to a take-away conveyor 13. The function of the delivery conveyor 12 is to receive the rolls 11 successively from a winder (not shown) with a minimum efficient spacing between the leading and trailing ends of the successive rolls such as not less than three inches, but desirably not much greater than that so as to take maximum advantage in operation of the apparatus. In the illustrated instance, the conveyor 12 is of the type known as a steel slat conveyor in which a chain of successive transversely shallow V-shaped steel slats 14 (FIGS. 1 and 5) supported by rollers 15 running on track rails 17 travel an endless circuit on a supporting frame 18 by which the delivery conveyor brings the successive rolls 11 into position to be engaged and upended by the upender 10.

In a preferred construction, the upender 10 is constructed as a self-contained unit including a carriage 19 which is pivotally mounted on and above a base plate 20 at a suitable elevation correlated with the delivery conveyor 14. For this purpose, the carriage 19 comprises a pair of spaced parallel longitudinal substantially mirror image side frame members 21 of horizontally elongated box-like inwardly opening structure, each of which is provided with a coextensive downwardly projecting pivot vane 22 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) secured to a transverse frame bar 23 providing journals 24 at its opposite ends mounted in bearings 25 carried by bearing supports 27 fixed on the rear end portion of the base plate 20. At their front end portions, the frame members 21 are supported in freely releasable relation on the upper ends of rigid posts 28 rising from the base plate 20. Through this arrangement, the upender 10 is adapted to be pivoted about the axis of the journals 24 by means such as one or more hydraulic actuators 29 desirably of the cylinder and piston type operatively pivotally connected to and between the supporting vanes 22 and anchor vane means 30 carried by the base plate 20, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6.

Supported by the frame members 21 are means for receiving and supporting the successive rolls 11 delivered by the conveyor 14 into position longitudinally centered between the frame members 21. To this end, each of the frame members 21 provides means for supporting one of a pair of cradle arms 31, each of which is of a length to engage along the entire length of the maximum length of roll to be handled by the apparatus. Also, each of the arms 31 has its roll-engaging surface designed to engage with and support rolls of any size within a substantial range in a manner to avoid any edgewise engagement of the arm structure with the roll perimeter. This objective is achieved by having the arms 31 of substantial width and flat at their roll-contacting surfaces and disposed at a suitable oblique transverse angle having regard to the width of the arms to assure engagement of the roll periphery by the flat cradling surface of the arm. This feature is best illustrated in FIG. 5 where cradling engagement of a small diameter roll is shown in full outline and cradling engagement of a large size roll is shown in dash outline. It will be observed that by virtue of the equal and opposite mounting of the arms 31, including their substantial width, their complementary divergent oblique angularity and equal elevation, the smaller size roll 11 remains free from the lower edges defining the cradling surfaces of the arms and the large size roll 11 remains free from the upper edges defining the cradling surfaces of the arms.

Mounting of the cradle arms 31 is effected in a manner enabling not only relative transverse adjustments to accommodate rolls 11 of variable diameter, but also longitudinal adjustments to handle rolls 11 of various lengths, as delivered by the aligned conveyor 14. In a sturdy, simple and efficient structure each of the arms 31 is constructed from heavy gauge flat metal plate and fixedly secured by means of rigid struts 32 to laterally adjustable mounting means comprising a horizontal carrier 33 desirably made from heavy gauge metal plate. Each of the carriers 33 has means for transversely shifting it, comprising respective pairs of depending runner bearings 34 (FIGS. 2, 5 and 7) adjacent to each opposite end of the carrier slidably engaging respective transverse runner supporting guide rods 35 which are of sufficient length to permit a full range of transverse shifting of the cradle arms. At their opposite ends, the guide rods 35 are fixedly supported by means of respective rigid brackets 37 fixed on opposite margins of a horizontal longitudinally extending carriage plate 38 suitably underlying the carriers 33 and of sufficient width to extend from adjacently spaced, straddling relation to the slat conveyor 13 at their inner edges as best seen in FIG. 5, to an extent at their outer edges which provides sufficient width to accommodate the necessary length of the runner guides 35 to accommodate full range of travel of the runner bearings 34 in adjusting the cradle arms 31 for various roll diameters.

Unison transverse shifting of the cradle arm assemblies is effected by suitable actuators 39 preferably in the form of double-acting hydraulic piston and cylinder units connected in slave relation. In this instance, the cylinders of the actuators 39 are fixedly attached to the undersides of the carriers 33, with respective piston rods 40 extending axially through the cylinders and carrying a fixed piston thereon as is well known. At their opposite ends, the piston rods 40 are secured to respective brackets 41 rigidly carried by the opposite marginal portions of the supporting carriage plate 38. Through this arrangement, the cradle arms 31 can be shifted in unison from a maximum spaced relation as indicated in the outermost dash line positions in FIG. 5 to move toward one another for unison engagement with the periphery of a roll transported to the upender by the delivery conveyor 12.

Means for adjusting the cradle arms 31 longitudinally to assure full longitudinal engagement of each successive roll 11 without interference from or with the leading end of the next succeeding fairly closely spaced roll 11 being delivered by the conveyor 12, or the leading end of the leading roll 11 of a group of relatively short rolls where the rolls are to be upended by groups, comprise mounting the carriage plates 38 on the side beams 21 in a manner to permit a full range of required longitudinal reciprocal movements of the cradle arms. To this end, each of the carriage plates 38 is provided adjacent to its outer side at each opposite end with a fairly massive rigid runner bearing block 42 (FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5) extending partially therebelow and partially thereabove, and in sliding bearing engagement with a pair of longitudinally extending parallel coextensive cylindrical guides 43 which are suitably vertically spaced and fixedly mounted in the chambers provided by the side beams 21. Each of the guides 43 has its opposite ends fixedly secured in respective rigid end closure plates 44 on the associated beam 21, with a longitudinally central stabilizing bracket 45 securing each of the guides additionally to the associated beam. The length of the beams 21 is correlated to the lengths of the guides 43 to permit a full range of reciprocal shifting of the cradle arms 31 between entirely retracted position as indicated in dash outline at the left side of FIG. 4, and fully extended position as shown in full line in FIGS. 2 and 3, and any intermediate position desired, exemplified in full line in FIG. 4.

Unison coextensive longitudinal reciprocating shifting of the cradle arms 31 is effected by suitable power means acting on the carriage plates 38. For this purpose, actuators desirably in the form of hydraulic cylinder units 47 coupled hydraulically in slave relation are mounted within the respective beams 21 and drivingly connected to the carriage plates. As best seen in FIG. 2, each of the actuators 47 has its piston fixedly mounted longitudinally within the associated beam 21 as by means of rigid brackets 48 at the opposite ends of the cylinder, with a piston rod 49 reciprocably projectable and retractable and attached as by means of a suitable coupling 50 to one of the runner bearing blocks 42 which is for this purpose provided with a sideward extension 51. At one side of the upender unit 10 the hydraulic actuator 47 is preferably mounted in one end portion of its associated beam 21 and at the opposite side in the opposite end portion of the associated beam whereby at the one side, the piston rod 49 is connected to the left-hand end of the carriage plate 38 as seen in FIG. 2, and at the opposite side, the piston rod is connected to the associated carriage plate at the right-hand end as shown in FIG. 2. Through this arrangement, operation of the actuators 47 effects shifting of the cradle arms 31 in unison in either direction between the opposite limits of reciprocal travel thereof along the guides 43.

Delivery of each of the successive rolls 11, or groups of rolls 11 to the upender apparatus 10 by the delivery conveyor 12 is controlled to bring the leading end of the roll or group of rolls to be upended into stopped position against a short leg belt discharge conveyor 52 comprising an endless belt trained over a lower idler roller 53 mounted on a normally vertical supporting frame 54 carried at each side on the respective beams 21. This roller 53 is located horizontally below the center of the smallest diameter roll 11 to be presented to the conveyor 52 and yet at a sufficient elevation to clear the upper edges of the cradle arms 31 in passing under the conveyor belt. At the upper end of the conveyor frame 54, the conveyor belt 52 is trained over an idler roller 55. Additional belt-supporting idler rollers 56 (FIGS. 4 and 5) are mounted on the frame 54 along the back of the belt 52 between the rollers 53 and 55. Behind the frame 54 the conveyor belt 52 is trained over an idler roller 57, a tensioning take-up roller 58 and a drive roller 59 drivingly coupled with a suitable motor 60 (FIGS. 2 and 3). In the vertical roll-receiving position, the conveyor 52 remains inactive. After a roll 11 has been delivered by the conveyor 12 and engaged by the cradle arms 31, with the leading end of the roll at the conveyor 52, the upender 10 is swung about the pivot journals 24 by operation of the hydraulic actuators 29 and upended from the dash line position to the full line position shown in FIG. 6. In the upended position, the rear end portions of the side beams 21 come to rest on a base such as a floor with the conveyor 52 extending horizontally toward and with its end remote from the frame beams 21 adjacent to the take-away conveyor 13. Thereupon, the conveyor 52 is actuated in the direction of the arrows in FIGS. 1 and 6 and the upended roll 11 is transported onto the conveyor 13. As soon as the upended roll 11 has passed fully onto the conveyor 13, the upender 10 is returned to its roll-receiving position.

In operation, a succession of the pressure-sensitive paper rolls 11 is placed on the delivery conveyor 14 with space between the leading and trailing ends of the adjacent rolls of at least a minimum such as three inches, but in any event, close to that minimum spacing for maximum use of conveyor capacity. While the rolls may be successively of varying diameters and lengths, as a practical matter in a given production run at least a number of the paper rolls will be of a common size. However, the upender 10 will automatically adjust for any size of roll within its substantial capacity range. To deliver a roll 11 to the upender 10, the delivery conveyor 14 is operated in the advancing direction toward the upender, thereby advancing the lead roll 11 centrally between the upender beams 21. As the leading end of the lead roll 11 reaches a point spaced a limited distance such as about eight inches from the upwardly extending conveyor 52, the leading end will break the beam of a photocell sensor 61 (FIGS. 1, 5 and 8) which causes drive means 62 for the conveyor 14 to decelerate the conveyor. Upon the leading end of the lead roll reaching a point closer such as about three inches from the discharge conveyor 52, the leading end breaks the beam of a photocell sensor 63, thereby energizing a timer 64 causing the conveyor 14 to stop with the leading end of the lead roll 11 in position agaainst the upender conveyor 52. Upon stopping of the conveyor 14 after positioning of the lead roll 11 at the conveyor 52, the actuators 47 are operated to move the cradle arms 31 from longitudinally retracted position to move outwardly and seek the trailing end of the lead paper roll 11, the trailing end being sensed by a photo electric cell 65 mounted on the outer end of one of the arms and directed generally upwardly and operating on the principle of transmitting a signal when the beam is completed. Immediately upon completing the photo light beam of the sensor 65, the reciprocable cradle arms 31 stop, the actuators 47 hydraulically lock, and the transverse actuators 39 move the cradle arms 31 from a normal clearance spaced relation toward the perimeter of the lead roll 11 until the cradle arms 31 contact the perimeter of the roll at opposite sides of the conveyor 14 and a pressure-sensitive sensor 67 stops and effects hydraulic locking of the actuators 39. Thereupon in continuous cyclical sequence, the hydraulic actuator 29 operates to swing the upender about the journals 24 until the apparatus has been fully upended which condition may be signalled by a sensor 68 which causes the conveyor motor 60 to operate driving the conveyor 52 to move the upended roll 11 onto the take-away conveyor 13. As the trailing side of the upended roll leaves the conveyor 52, a sensor such as a photocell 69 signals the operating system that the roll has cleared the conveyor 52 and the conveyor motor 60 stops, the actuators 39 and 47 operate to retract the arms 31 and the actuators 29 operate to return the upender 10 to its starting, roll-receiving position, for a new cycle of operation. Thereupon, the conveyor 14 resumes its roll-transporting travel until the next succeeding roll is in proper position to be upended in another cycle of operation. It will be understood, of course, that suitable hydro-electrical circuitry including adequate valves, limit switches, control switches, electrical circuitry, hydraulic circuitry, etc. will be provided for controlling the sequence of operations as described, both for automatic cycling and manual control at any desired point in the cycle.

In a practical example of the described embodiment of the invention, the apparatus has been contemplated to have a capacity for handling rolls of pressure-sensitive, sometimes referred to as carbonless, paper within a range of about 20 to 42 inches in diameter and about 61/2 to 52 inches in length, with a flow-through of about one roll per minute.

As used in the following claims, the term "roll" as applied to the rolls 11 should be understood to mean a single roll or a plurality or group of rolls in end-to-end contiguity and handled as a unit in the manner of a single roll.

It will be understood that variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.

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