Roll handling equipment

Roll handling apparatus for releaseable supporting engagement with the interior surface of one end of an elongated hollow tubular core means or the like having a central longitudinal axis, said apparatus being adapted to be attached to rotatable support means for rotatably supporting the one end of the core means and materials mounted thereon in a suspended position relative thereto;

• and comprising:
• a stub shaft means, having a central longitudinal axis, for supporting the one end of the core means with one end of the stub shaft means located therewithin and with the central longitudinal axis of the shaft means being substantially coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of the core means;
• mounting means for attachment of the other supported end of said shaft means to the support means in fixed relationship thereto;
• movable jaw means mounted on said shaft means for movement relative thereto between a first radially inwardly displaced core release position and a second radially outwardly displaced core supporting position;
• spring means operatively associated with said jaw means for biasing said jaw means toward the core release position and for permitting movement of said jaw means toward the core supporting position;
• core abutment means operatively associated with said jaw means and extending radially outwardly beyond said shaft means for abutting engagement with a side surface of the one end of the core means to cause movement of said jaw means from the core release position to the core supporting position against the bias of said spring means during insertion of the shaft means and the jaw means into the hollow interior of the one end of the core means;
• the radial outward movement of said jaw means being caused by axially directed forces applied by the core means through said abutment means, the jaw means being maintained in the second radially outwardly displaced core supporting position by forces applied by the core means to said jaw means, and the radial inward movement of said jaw means being caused solely by forces applied by said spring means after removal of forces applied by the core means;
• said movable jaw means comprising a plurality of core surface engaging-elements adapted to be received within the core means and to engage the interior surface of the core means;
• and
• groove means on said shaft means having peripherally spaced axially extending mounting surfaces for receiving and supporting said core surfce engaging-elements therewithin.

Roll handling apparatus for releasable supporting and gripping engagement with the interior surface of an elongated hollow tubular core means or the like, having a central longitudinal axis, said apparatus being adapted to be attached to support means for holding the hollow tubular core means and any materials mounted thereon in a suspended position relative thereto, and comprising:

• shaft means, having a central longitudinal axis, for supporting the core means with the central longitudinal axis of the shaft means being substantially coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of the core means;
• mounting means for attachment of said shaft means to the support means in fixed relationship thereto;
• movable jaw means mounted on said shaft means for axial and radial movement relative thereto between a first axially outwardly radially inwardly displaced core release position and a second axially inwardly radially outwardly displaced core supporting and gripping position;
• housing means mounted on said shaft means for movably supporting said movable jaw means relative to said shaft means for movement between said core release position and said core supporting and gripping position;
• a portion of said housing means being axially movably mounted on said shaft means for axial movement between a first axially outwardly displaced core release position and a second axially inwardly displaced core supporting and gripping position;
• said jaw means being connected to said portion of said housing means and being axially movable therewith;
• spring means mounted between said portion of said housing means and said mounting means for biasing said portion of said housing means and said jaw means toward the core release position, and for permitting axial movement of said portion of said housing means and said jaw means toward the core supporting and gripping positions;
• abutment means on said portion of said housing means extending transversely radially outwardly beyond said jaw means for abutting engagement with a side surface of the core means to cause axial inward displacement of said portion of said housing means and said jaw means from the core release positions to the core supporting and gripping positions against the bias of said spring means;
• and
• cam means on said shaft means and on said jaw means for causing radial outward displacement of said jaw means to the core supporting and gripping position during axial inward movement of said portion of said housing means and said jaw means, and for causing radial inward displacement of said jaw means to the core release position during axial outward movement of said portion of said housing means and said jaw means;
• the axial inward movement of said portion of said housing means and said jaw means being caused solely by axially inwardly directed forces applied by the core means through said abutment means, and the axial outward movement of said portion of said housing means and said jaw means being caused solely by axially outwardly directed forces applied by said spring means to said portion of said housing means.

Apparatus for releasable supporting and gripping engagement with the inside surface of an elongated hollow tubular core member or the like having a central longitudinal axis, said apparatus being adapted to be attached to a supporting device for holding the hollow tubular core in a suspended position relative thereto and comprising:

• shaft means for supporting the hollow tubular core in the suspended position;
• movable jaw means mounted on said shaft means for gripping engagement with the inside surface of the core and being radially movable between a radially innermost position of disengagement relative to the core and variable radially outwardly spaced positions of supportive and gripping engagement within the core;
• housing means mounted on said shaft means for movably supporting said movable jaw means and for limiting axial displacement of said jaw means relative to said housing means while enabling radial displacement of said jaw means relative to said housing means between the radially innermost position and the variable radially outwardly displaced positions;
• mounting means associated with said shaft means for attachment of said apparatus to the supporting device;
• slide groove means associated with said shaft means for axially slidably mounting said jaw means on said shaft means and for enabling axial slidable movement of said jaw means relative to said shaft means between an outwardly axially extended position whereat said jaw means is located in the radially innermost position and inwardly variably axially displaced retracted positions whereat said jaw means is located in the variable radially outwardly spaced positions;
• cam means associated with said jaw means for actuating said jaw means between the radially innermost position and the variable radially outwardly displaced positions during axial slidable movement of said jaw means relative to said shaft means;
• abutment means associated with said housing means for abutting engagement with the end surface of the core and for application of axially inwardly directed forces on said abutment means by the core;
• and
• spring means mounted between said housing means and said mounting means for biasing said housing means and said jaw means toward the outwardly axially extended position and for permitting axial displacement of said housing means and said jaw means between the outwardly axially extended position and the inwardly variable axially displaced retracted positions in response to axially inwardly directed forces applied to said jaw means and to said housing means by the core during supportive engagement of said jaw means with the core.