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US 2024/0051777 A1Published application
Winding apparatuses, systems, and related methods
AssigneeAutomated Solutions, LLC
InventorRobert L. Campbell, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Winding apparatuses for winding sheet material and related methods are disclosed herein. The winding apparatuses can include a set of winding drive rollers. Each drive roller of the winding drive rollers can have drive wheels spaced apart along the respective drive roller with a winding zone between the winding drive rollers. The winding apparatus can also include a feed system positioned before the set of the winding drive rollers for moving sheet material along a travel path in a machine direction into the winding zone.
Claims20
A winding apparatus comprising:
- a set of one or more front drive rollers and one or more back drive rollers with a winding zone between the front drive rollers and back drive rollers to wind the sheet material into a roll of sheet material, a front drive roller servo motor controlling the one or more front drive rollers and a back drive roller servo motor controlling the one or more back drive rollers so that the front drive rollers and back drive rollers are independently controlled;
- a carriage on which the one or more back drive rollers are secured, the carriage linearly movable away from and towards the one or more front drive rollers to move the one or more back drive rollers to widen the winding zone as the roll of sheet material grows, the movement of the carriage being controlled by carriage servo motor;
- a feed system positioned before the set of the front and back drive rollers for moving sheet material along a travel path in a machine direction into the winding zone between the set of the front and back drive rollers, the feed system movable controlled by a feed system servo motor;
- and
- a controller in communication with the front drive roller servo motor, the back drive roller servo motor, feed system servo motor and the carriage servo motor, each of the front drive roller servo motor, the back drive roller servo motor, and the carriage servo motor controlled independently of each other by the controller to maintain tightness of the roll of sheet material as the roll of sheet material grows.
2 more elements
A method of forming product rolls of sheet material using a coreless winding apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a winding apparatus comprising:
- a set of upper and lower front drive rollers and at least one back drive roller, each drive roller of the upper and lower front drive rollers and the at least one back drive roller comprising drive wheels spaced apart along the respective drive roller with a winding zone between the front drive rollers and the at least one back drive roller to wind the sheet material into a roll of sheet material;
- a feed system positioned before the set of the front drive rollers and the at least one back drive roller for moving sheet material along a travel path in a machine direction into the winding zone between the set of the front drive rollers and the at least one back drive roller;
- and
- air tubes positioned periodically in the spaces between the drive wheels of at least one of the upper front drive roller or the lower front drive roller, the air tubes angled to blow air into the winding zone;
- moving a start end of sheet material with the feed system into the winding zone between the set of the front drive rollers and the at least one back drive roller;
- blowing air into the winding zone to prevent the catching of a start end of the sheet material by the wheels of the front drive rollers in a manner that would cause the start end to exit between the upper and lower front drive rollers during the beginning formation of the roll of sheet material;
- and
- winding the sheet material into the roll of sheet material in the winding zone as the set of the front drive rollers and the at least one back drive roller rotate and separate to widen the winding zone as the roll of sheet material grows.
6 more elements
A winding apparatus comprising:
- a set of upper and lower front drive rollers and at least one back drive roller, each drive roller of the upper and lower front drive rollers and the at least one back drive roller comprising drive wheels spaced apart along the respective drive roller with a winding zone between the front drive rollers and the at least one back drive roller to wind the sheet material into a roll of sheet material;
- a feed system positioned before the set of the front drive rollers and the at least one back drive roller for moving sheet material along a travel path in a machine direction into the winding zone between the set of the front drive rollers and the at least one back drive roller;
- and
- air tubes positioned in the spaces between the drive wheels of at least one of the upper front drive roller or the lower front drive roller, the air tubes configured to blow air into the winding zone to prevent the catching of a start end of the sheet material by the wheels of the front drive rollers in a manner that would cause the start end to exit between the upper and lower front drive rollers during the beginning formation of the roll of sheet material.
1 more element
A winding apparatus comprising:
- a set of winding drive rollers, each drive roller comprising drive wheels spaced apart along the respective drive roller with a winding zone between the winding drive rollers;
- a feed system for moving sheet material along a travel path into the winding zone between the set of winding drive rollers;
- and
- a support cradle comprising a support roller that extends transverse to the travel path of the sheet material, the support roller being movable such that the support roller is positionable under the roll of sheet material being wound to support the roll of sheet material as the roll of sheet material grows.
1 more element
A winding apparatus comprising:
- a set of winding drive rollers that include at least one front drive roller and at least one back drive roller with a winding zone between the winding drive rollers;
- a feed system positioned before the set of the winding drive rollers for moving sheet material along a travel path in a machine direction into the winding zone between the set of the winding drive rollers such that the set of winding drive rollers winding the sheet material into a roll;
- and
- a carriage on which the at least one back drive roller of the set of winding rollers is secured, the carriage configured to linearly move away from the at least one front drive roller of the set of winding drive rollers to move the at least one back drive roller to widen the winding zone as the roll of sheet material grows and configured to linearly move towards the at least one front drive roller of the set of winding drive rollers to move the at least one back drive roller toward the at least one front drive roller.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.