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US 2020/0370218 A1Published application
Method of Replacing Rolls for Introduction Into A Quilter and Apparatus For Practicing Method
AssigneeL&P Property Management Company
InventorsTerrance L. Myers, Matthew C. Smallwood, Robert D. Eagle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for replacing a roll of material with a replacement roll of material comprises a loading station and multiple feed stations downstream of the loading station. Each station comprises two legs and a motorized drive assembly extending between the legs. The drive assembly rotates two sprockets and an endless chain surrounding the sprockets inside each of the legs at a station to raise or lower carriages. A roll support extends between the carriages at each station.
Claims20
A method of replacing a roll of soft goods, said method comprising:
- providing an apparatus comprising a base and a rail system spaced above the base with legs, the legs extending between the base and rail system, the apparatus further comprising a trolley movable along the rail system, the trolley having front support holders and rear support holders, the apparatus further comprising a loading station and a plurality of feed stations downstream of the loading station including a first feed station, each of the stations comprising a pair of legs and a drive assembly extending between the pair of legs, the drive assembly further comprising two sprockets, one of the sprockets being in each leg of the pair of legs for rotating an endless chain inside the leg of the pair of legs, a carriage being secured to each of the endless chains,
- providing a replacement roll of material wrapped around a replacement support at the loading station, the replacement support of the replacement roll of material residing in carriages secured to the endless chains at the loading station;
- providing a first support at the first feed station, the first support residing in carriages secured to the endless chains at the first feed station;
- moving the trolley downstream;
- lifting the replacement roll of material at the loading station;
- inserting the replacement support of the replacement roll of material inside the front support holders of the trolley;
- lifting the first support at the first feed station;
- inserting the first support inside the rear support holders of the trolley;
- moving the trolley downstream to a position such that the carriages at the first feed station lift the replacement support of the replacement roll of material out of the front support holders of the trolley;
- further moving the trolley downstream;
- lowering the replacement support of the replacement roll of material using two carriages at the first feed station to an operating position;
- moving the trolley upstream;
- and
- lowering the first support using two carriages at the loading station.
11 more elements
A method of replacing a roll of soft goods, said method comprising:
- providing an apparatus comprising a base, a rail system spaced above the base with legs, a trolley movable along the rail system, the trolley having a first set of support holders and a second set of support holders;
- providing a replacement roll of material wrapped around a replacement support at a loading station, the replacement support of the replacement roll of material residing in carriages at the loading station;
- providing a first support at a feed station downstream of the loading station, the first support residing in carriages at the feed station;
- moving the trolley downstream;
- lifting the replacement roll of material at the loading station by raising the replacement support using the carriages at the loading station;
- inserting the replacement support inside the first set of support holders of the trolley;
- lifting the first support at the feed station;
- lowering the first support into the second set of support holders of the trolley to create a fully loaded trolley;
- moving the fully loaded trolley downstream to a position such that the carriages at the feed station lift the replacement support out of the first set of support holders of the trolley;
- further moving the trolley downstream;
- lowering the replacement support using the carriages at the feed station to an operating position;
- moving the trolley upstream;
- and
- lowering the first support using two carriages at the loading station to a lowered position in which the first support may be manually removed from the carriages at the loading station to be replaced.
11 more elements
A method of replacing a roll of soft goods, said method comprising:
- inserting a replacement support supporting a replacement roll of material into carriages at a loading station at an upstream end of an apparatus comprising a base, a rail system spaced above the base with legs, and a trolley movable along the rail system, the trolley having front and rear support holders;
- moving the trolley;
- activating a motor at the loading station to raise the carriages at the loading station to lift the replacement support into a raised position above the rail system;
- moving the trolley such that the front support holders of the trolley are below the replacement support;
- lowering the replacement support into the front support holders of the trolley by lowering the carriages at the loading station;
- further moving the trolley;
- activating a motor at a feed station downstream of the loading station to raise carriages at the feed station to lift a first support into a raised position above the rail system;
- lowering the first support into the rear support holders of the trolley by lowering the carriages at the feed station to create a fully loaded trolley;
- moving the fully loaded trolley downstream to a first unloading position;
- activating the motor at the feed station to raise the carriages at the feed station to lift the replacement support out of the front support holders of the trolley with the trolley in its first unloading position;
- further moving the trolley;
- lowering the replacement support using the carriages at the feed station;
- moving the trolley upstream to a second unloading position;
- activating the motor at the loading station to raise the carriages at the loading station to lift the first support out of the rear support holders of the trolley with the trolley in its second unloading position;
- further moving the trolley;
- and
- lowering the first support using the carriages at the loading station.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.