Expanding arbor

An expandable arbor adapted for mounting to a standard decoiler mechanism and movable by the decoiler mechanism into the axial bore of a coil of material to rotatably support the coil and allow material to be unwound therefrom, the decoiler mechanism having a coil support means attached thereto with the support means having a forward end, a rearward end and a body which increases in diameter in the direction of the rearward end, said expandable arbor comprising:

• a mounting member adapted to be mounted to the forward end of the coil support means, the mounting member having at least two circumferentially spaced guides about the perimeter thereof;
• at least two opposed sections slidably mounted to the mounting member, said sections having second guides substantially complementary to and slidably interconnected with the first guides of said mounting member;
• stop means for stopping lateral movement of said sections after substantial insertion of said sections into said bore while simultaneously permitting continued lateral movement of said decoiler mechanism with respect to said sections;
• a control plate slidably mounted to the mounting member;
• face plates mounted to the forward end of each of said sections and slidably engaging the perimeter of said control plate, said face plates sliding along said control plate as said sections expand to ensure uniform expansion and retraction of said sections.

An expandable arbor removably mounted on a standard cone decoiler mechanism and movable by said cone decoiler mechanism into the axial bore of a coil of material to rotatably support said coil and allow material to be unwound therefrom, said expandable arbor comprising:

• at least two opposed sections, each of said sections having an elongated, transversely curved outer surface, said surfaces being longitudinally positionable within said bore;
• expansion means interconnecting each of said sections to said decoiler mechanism, said expansion means permitting movement of said decoiler mechanism with respect to said sections and converting lateral movement of said decoiler mechanism into radial expansion of said sections;
• stop means for stopping lateral movement of said sections after substantial insertion of said sections into said bore while simultaneously permitting continued lateral movement of said decoiler mechanism with respect to said sections;
• an equalizer means having a face plate mounted to the forward end of said sections opposite said decoiler mechanism and a control plate biasly mounted coaxially with said decoiler mechanism, said control plate having a perimeter slidably positioned behind said face plate, said face plate sliding along said control plate as said sections expand to ensure uniform expansion and to retract said sections after said stop means is released;
• whereby said sections are laterally moved into said bore by said decoiler mechanism until said stop means prevents further movement of said sections, said sections thereafter expanding radially outwardly into engagement with said bore.