Rolled article, and method of and apparatus for processing rolled article

A method of processing a rolled article of a wound elongate sheet to process a sheet end of a roll, comprising the steps of:

• gripping said sheet end while rotatably supporting opposite ends of the roll;
• drawing the sheet end to a prescribed length while applying a predetermined tension to the roll;
• and
• applying a tape member to the sheet end transversely of the roll while opposite surfaces of the sheet end drawn to said prescribed length are being supported by a pair of pressing members.

A method of processing a rolled article to automatically supply an end fastening tape for fastening a sheet end of a roll to an outer circumferential surface of the roll, to the sheet end of the roll, comprising the steps of:

• applying a plurality of end fastening tapes to a strip-like separable sheet and delivering said separable sheet while adhesive-free areas of said end fastening tapes are arrayed on a side edge of said separable sheet;
• bending said side edge of said separable sheet to expose said adhesive-free areas of said end fastening tapes from said side edge of said separable sheet;
• and
• holding the exposed adhesive-free areas of said end fastening tapes and removing said end fastening tapes from said separable sheet.

A method of processing a rolled article to work on a packaging sheet applied to a sheet end of a roll and wound around the roll, said packaging sheet having a sheet member and skirt members applied to opposite edges of said sheet member to cover outer circumferential edges of opposite ends of the roll, comprising the steps of:

• at least blanking a strip-like skirt member delivered from a skirt member supply;
• transversely cutting off the blanked strip-like skirt member;
• feeding the cut strip-like skirt member relatively to a joining region where the strip-like skirt member is joined to said sheet member;
• cutting at least said sheet member in a longitudinal direction of said skirt members in said joining region, and thereafter spacing the cut ends of said sheet member from each other by a predetermined distance;
• and
• joining said skirt members to the confronting cut ends of said sheet member while transverse portions of said skirt members are being exposed.

A method of processing a rolled article to apply a packaging sheet to a sheet end of a roll and thereafter winding said packaging sheet around the roll, comprising the steps of:

• gripping an end of said packaging sheet, and feeding and positioning said packaging sheet in a winding position;
• applying said packaging sheet to the sheet end of the roll;
• and
• rotating the roll while gripping a winding terminal end of said packaging sheet to wind said packaging sheet around the roll while limiting said packaging sheet against transverse positional displacement.

A method of processing a rolled article to transfer a roll onto a pallet and feed the roll successively to a plurality of working stations to work on the roll, comprising the steps of:

• storing identification data inherent in said pallet and specification data of the roll in association with each other when the roll is placed on said pallet;
• reading the stored identification data of said pallet on which the roll is placed in one of said working stations;
• obtaining the stored specification data of the roll associated with said identification data;
• and
• controlling said one of the working stations according to the obtained specification data.

An apparatus for processing a rolled article to align ridges on an outer circumferential surface of a second flanged member with grooves defined in an inner circumferential surface of a first flanged member mounted in an end of a roll and to insert said second flanged member into said first flanged member, comprising:

• an inserting unit movable in an axial direction of the roll;
• said inserting unit comprising:
• an inserting head movable into and out of a unit assembly while gripping said second flanged member;
• a rotary actuator for rotating said inserting head;
• an inserting actuator fixed to said unit assembly, for moving said inserting head in order to insert said second flanged member into said first flanged member;
• a floating coupler for holding said inserting head in engagement with said inserting actuator while allowing said inserting head to move a predetermined distance toward and away from said inserting actuator;
• an urging member pressing said second flanged member toward said first flanged member while keeping said inserting head movable toward and away from said inserting actuator;
• and
• a detector for detecting a time when said grooves and said ridges are aligned with each other by said rotary actuator and said second flanged member is inserted into said first flanged member.

An apparatus for processing a rolled article of a wound elongate sheet to process a sheet end of a roll, comprising:

• a rotary supporting mechanism for rotatably supporting opposite ends of the roll;
• an end drawing mechanism for gripping the sheet end and drawing the sheet end to a prescribed length;
• a pressing mechanism for supporting opposite surfaces of the sheet end drawn to said prescribed length;
• and
• an applying mechanism for applying a tape member to the sheet end supported by said pressing mechanism in a transverse direction of the roll.

An apparatus for processing a rolled article to supply an end fastening tape for fastening an end of a roll to an outer circumferential surface of the roll, to said end of the roll, comprising:

• a separable sheet payout mechanism for applying a plurality of end fastening tapes to a strip-like separable sheet and delivering said separable sheet while adhesive-free areas of said end fastening tapes are arrayed on a side edge of said separable sheet;
• a separable sheet bending mechanism for bending said side edge of said separable sheet to expose said adhesive-free areas of said end fastening tapes from said side edge of said separable sheet;
• and
• an end tape removing mechanism for holding the exposed adhesive-free areas of said end fastening tapes and removing said end fastening tapes from said separable sheet.

An apparatus for processing a rolled article to work on a packaging sheet applied to a sheet end of a roll and wound around the roll, said packaging sheet having a sheet member and skirt members applied to opposite edges of said sheet member to cover outer circumferential edges of opposite ends of the roll, comprising:

• a working mechanism for at least blanking a strip-like skirt member delivered from a skirt member supply;
• a skirt member cutting mechanism for transversely cutting off the blanked strip-like skirt member to produce skirt members;
• a skirt member feeding mechanism for feeding the skirt members relatively to a cutting region and a joining region where the skirt members are joined to said sheet member;
• a cutting mechanism for cutting at least said sheet member in a longitudinal direction of said skirt members in said joining region;
• a sheet member spacing mechanism for spacing the cut ends of said sheet member from each other by a predetermined distance;
• and
• a joining mechanism for joining said skirt members to the confronting cut ends of said sheet member while transverse portions of said skirt members are being exposed.

An apparatus for processing a rolled article to apply a packaging sheet to a sheet end of a roll and thereafter winding said packaging sheet around the roll, comprising:

• a packaging sheet feeding mechanism for gripping an end of said packaging sheet, and feeding and positioning said packaging sheet in a winding position;
• an applying mechanism for applying said packaging sheet to the sheet end of the roll;
• a rotating mechanism for rotating the roll with said packaging sheet applied thereto;
• and
• a packaging sheet holding mechanism for moving said packaging sheet to the roll while gripping a winding terminal end of said packaging sheet when the roll is rotated.

An apparatus for processing a rolled article to wind a sheet member around a roll and thermally bond skirt members disposed individually or integrally on side edges of said sheet member to outer circumferential edges of the opposite ends of the roll, comprising:

• a plurality of heating heads each having at least one annular protrusion corresponding to the diameter of the roll;
• a moving mechanism for moving said heating heads in a diametrical direction of the roll to position one of said heating heads in confronting relation to an end face of the roll;
• and
• a pressing mechanism for pressing said heating head against an end face of the roll to cause said annular protrusion to thermally bond each of said skirt members to one of the outer circumferential edges of the opposite ends of the roll.

An apparatus for processing a rolled article to transfer a roll onto a pallet and feed the roll successively to a plurality of working stations to work on the roll, comprising the steps of:

• a plurality of controllers for controlling said working stations according to specification data of the roll;
• identification data memory means disposed on respective pallets for storing identification data inherent in the pallets;
• identification data reading means disposed in the working stations, respectively, for reading the identification data of the pallets fed to the working stations from said identification data memory means;
• and
• identification data/specification data association memory means disposed in one of said controllers which controls one of the working stations which transfers the roll onto the pallet, for storing said identification data of the pallets and the specification data of the roll transferred onto the pallets;
• wherein said controllers read the specification data corresponding to the identification data read by said identification data reading means from said identification data/specification data association memory means, and control said working stations according to the read specification data.