Endless loop transport and storage system

A method for continuously storing a strip of material on edge in the form of a coil on a flat surface of a platter rotating about an axis, including the steps of:

• providing a selected first path for receiving and advancing the strip of material on said flat surface of said platter adjacent the periphery thereof;
• providing a selected second path corresponding in configuration to said first selected path;
• rotating both paths about said axis;
• continuously applying the incoming strip material for each revolution of said platter at the peripheral margin of the platter at a varying rate per degree of rotation onto said first path and in accordance with said second path, an equal length of strip material being applied to said first path for each revolution of both paths about said axis.

In an apparatus for continuously storing a strip of material in a coil, including a flat platter and drive means for rotating said platter, the improvement comprising in combination:

• a cam mounted for rotation with said platter about its center, said cam having a cam track with alternating sections of greater distance from said center and lesser distance from said center;
• and
• means for applying the incoming strip to the periphery of said coil of the strip on said platter as said platter rotates, said means for applying including a cam follower for engaging said cam track and varying the distance from said center to the point of application of the strip;
• said cam follower including a first gear and said cam track including a second gear, with said first and second gears engaging each other for driving said first gear as a function of rotation of said cam and platter.

In an apparatus for continuously storing a strip of material in a coil, including a flat platter and drive means for rotating said platter, the improvement comprising in combination:

• a cam mounted for rotation with said platter about its center, said cam having a cam track with alternating sections of greater distance from said center and lesser distance from said center;
• means for applying the incoming strip to the periphery of said coil of the strip on said platter and said platter rotates, said means for applying including a cam follower for engaging said cam track and varying the distance from said center to the point of application of the strip;
• and
• at least one template block having a central section with opposite ends, said template block being adapted for positioning on said platter and said central section being of a resilient material so that said opposite ends may be forced toward each other by the compressive action of cusps formed in said coil.

In an apparatus for continuously storing a strip of material in a coil, including a flat platter and drive means for rotating said platter, the improvement comprising in combination:

• a cam mounted for rotation with said platter about its center, said cam having a cam track with alternating sections of greater distance from said center and lesser distance from said center;
• means for applying the incoming strip to the periphery of said coil of the strip on said platter as said platter rotates, said means for applying including a cam follower for engaging said cam track and varying the distance from said center to the point of application of the strip;
• and
• template blocks, each having a central section with opposite ends, each of said template blocks being adapted for positioning on said platter with said central section of a resilient material so that said opposite ends may be forced toward each other by the compressive action of cusps formed in said film coil.

In an apparatus for continuously storing a strip of material in a coil including a flat platter having a center axis and drive means for rotating said platter, the coil lying edgewise on the platter and the strip including an incoming strip portion leading to the coil periphery and an outgoing strip portion departing from the coil center, the improvement comprising in combination:

• means for rotating said platter at a selected speed of rotation;
• a geared cam mounted for rotation with said platter about said axis, said cam having a geared cam track with alternating section of greater distance from said center axis and lesser distance from said center axis;
• a sprocket for advancing the incoming strip portion at a controlled rate;
• and
• means for accurately applying the incoming strip portion to the periphery of said coil of the strip on said platter as said platter rotates;
• said means for applying said strip portion including a geared cam follower means for engaging said geared cam track and moving there-along at a controlled linear rate per degree of rotation and for varying the distance from said center axis to the point of application of the incoming strip portion;
• said cam follower means including means for driving said sprocket in synchronism with said controlled linear rate of the cam follower means along said cam track.

In an apparatus for continuously storing a strip of material in a coil having a center including a flat platter and drive means for rotating said platter, the coil lying edgewise on the platter and the strip including an incoming strip portion leading to the platter peripheral edge margin and an outgoing strip portion departing from the coil center, the improvement comprising in combination:

• a cam means mounted for rotation with said platter about its center, said cam means having a cam track adjacent said peripheral edge margin with alternating sections of greater distance from said center and lesser distance from said center;
• metering means for advancing the incoming strip portion at a controlled rate;
• and
• means for applying the incoming strip portion to the peripheral edge margin of said platter as said platter rotates, said means for applying including a cam follower means for engaging said cam track and for moving there-along at a controlled linear rate per degree of platter rotation and for varying the distance from said center to the point of application of the incoming strip portion;
• said cam follower means including means for driving said metering means in synchronism with said controlled linear speed of the cam follower means along said cam track.

In an apparatus for continuously storing a strip of material in a coil including a flat platter having an axis and drive means for rotating said platter about said axis, the coil lying edgewise on the platter and the strip including an incoming strip portion leading to the coil periphery and an outgoing strip portion leading from the coil center, the improvement comprising in combination:

• means for rotating said platter about said axis;
• a cam means mounted for coaxial rotation with said platter, said cam means having a cam gear member with alternating sections at greater distance from said axis and at lesser distance from said axis;
• metering means for accurately advancing the incoming strip portion at a controlled rate per degree of rotation;
• and
• means for precisely applying the incoming strip portion to the periphery of said coil on said platter as said platter rotates;
• said means for applying said strip including a cam follower gear for engaging said cam gear member and moving therealong at a controlled linear rate per degree of rotation and for varying the distance from said center to the point of application of the incoming strip portion;
• said cam follower gear including means for accurately driving said metering means in synchronism with said controlled linear rate per degree of rotation of the cam follower gear along said cam gear member.

In an apparatus for continuously storing a strip of material in a coil including a platter and drive means for rotating the platter about an axis, comprising in combination:

• means including a cam follower gear and a cam gear belt for applying and metering an incremental length of film strip for each angular degree of rotation of the platter along a path having a first path section of substantially uniform distance from the axis of rotation and a second path section alternating therewith of varying distance from the axis of the platter;
• means including friction means on the surface of the platter at the portion of the path where the first and second path sections meet to provide resistance to radial inward movement of the strip for tensioning the strip in the second section;
• means including anti-friction means on the surface of the platter in the portion of the path of the second section;
• whereby application of an outermost strip of the film strip coil being formed forces the previously applied strip incrementally inwardly at the first path section and, at the second path section, moves the previously applied strip inwardly to form cusps toward the axis of the platter having progressively increasing concavity.

A method for continuously storing a strip of material on edge in the form of a coil on a flat surface of a platter rotating about an axis, including the steps of:

• providing a selected first path for receiving and advnacing the strip of material on said flat surface of said platter adjacent the periphery thereof;
• providing a selected second path corresponding in configuration to said first selected path;
• rotating both paths about said axis;
• metering strip material onto said first path in accordance with said second path, an equal length of strip material being applied to said first path for each revolution of both paths about said axis;
• providing both of said paths with alternating arcuate and straight sections;
• frictionally resisting radial inward movement of applied strips of material at arcuate sections of said first path;
• and
• assisting radial inward movement of said straight sections of said first path whereby radially inwardly directed cusps of strip material are formed from said initially straight sections of said strips of material.