Strip material unwinding device
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorsRichard T. Podvin, Thomas F. Look
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device adapted for supporting a high inertia spool of stretchable strip material which strip material is withdrawn from the spool at varying rates by a strip applicating machine. The device includes a member which guides a length of the strip material being withdrawn. The guide member is adapted to be pivoted by tension in the strip material being withdrawn, and when pivoted activates a variable speed motor which rotates the spool to unwind the strip and maintain tension in the strip below an acceptable value. The motor is coupled to the spool through a worm drive which brakes rotation of the spool when the motor is de-energized to restrict over-running of the spool after tension in the strip is decreased.
Claims5
A device adapted for supporting a high inertia spool of stretchable strip material being withdrawn at varying rates by a strip applicating machine said spool comprising a core having a central opening and a peripheral surface around which said strip material is wound, said device comprising:
- a frame;
- a hub mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis, said hub being adapted for coaxially receiving a said core with at least a portion of said hub in the central opening of said core;
- means on said peripheral surface for releasably engaging the core of a said spool positioned on said hub to cause rotation of the spool with said hub, said means comprising a plurality of circumferentially and axially spaced radially projecting button-like projections, each of said projections comprising a resilient washer of frictional material and an attaching screw positioned generally centrally of said resilient washer adjusted to centrally compress said washer, the peripheral surface defined by said washers being adapted to frictionally receive the inner surface of a said core;
- a variable speed motor mounted on said frame;
- means for providing driving engagement between said motor and said hub;
- power adjustment means adapted to be energized by an external conventional source of power and electrically coupled to said motor for adjusting the power supplied to said motor at power settings between no power and full power to vary the speed of rotation of said hub;
- and
- tension sensing means adapted for sensing the tension in a said length of strip material between a said roll of strip material and a said applicating machine and coupled to said power adjustment means for activating said power adjustment means in direct proportion to the tension in the strip material;
- said means for providing driving engagement between said motor and said hub comprising means for braking inertial rotation of said hub upon a decrease in the amount of power supplied to said motor by said power adjustment means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.