US 4,580,738 AGranted

Controlled tension unwinding system

AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

InventorGeorges N. Scheer

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Abstract

A supply roll of thin liner material for carrying a strip of resilient plastic material is mounted for rotation with the axis of rotation in a horizontal position. An arm is mounted adjacent the supply roll for swinging movement toward and away from the axis of rotation of the roll. A peel-off roller is mounted on the distal end of the arm and is rotatable for rolling engagement with the supply roll. The liner material carrying the strip of resilient plastic material is directed around the peel-off roller and over an idler roller located at a position such that a force component acting on the arm resulting from the tension in the liner is in the direction of the supply roll for urging the peel-off roller against the supply roll. This provides a regular and minimal tension in the liner while the liner is pulled off the supply roll over the idler roller and to a driven liner take-up. The diameter of the peel-off roller is small as compared to the diameter of the supply roll causing the liner to undergo a sharp change in direction when leaving the supply roll which facilitates the peeling off of the liner. After passing around the idler roller the liner carrying the strip of resilient plastic material passes over a separating roller for separating the strip of resilient plastic material from the liner.

Claims9

Dependent claims

An unwinding system for unwinding a band of material from a supply roll and restraining the rotation of said supply roll comprising driving means for pulling said band off said supply roll, an arm mounted about a pivotal axis spaced from said supply roll for swinging movement toward and away from said supply roll, said pivotal axis of said arm being spaced from said supply roll a distance greater than one-half the maximum diameter of said supply roll, a peel-off roller mounted for rotation about a pivotal axis on said arm and for rolling pressure engagement with said supply roll as said band is pulled off said supply roll, and band guiding means for carrying said band from said peel-off roller to said driving means, said band guiding means including an idler roller positioned on the same side of said peel-off roller as said pivotal axis of said arm and on the same side of said pivotal axis as said supply roll, said idler roller being located at a position so that in the operating range of said system the plane tangential to a surface of said peel-off roller radially outermost from said supply roll and a surface in contact with said band of said idler roller intersects the plane containing said pivotal axis of said arm and said pivotal axis of said of said peel-off roller at a position between said pivotal axis of said arm and said pivotal axis of said peel-off roller so that the force from said driving means pulls said arm toward said supply roll for urging said peel-off roller against the wound band of material on said supply roll and the pressure on said supply roll by said peel-off roller providing the desired tension on said band and providing the only means for controlling rotation of said supply roll to restrain the rotation of said supply roll.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.