Automatic web roll handling system for splicing
AssigneeButler Automatic, Inc.
InventorsRobert S. Kurz, Alexander Jesensky, Raymond W. Johnson, Tamas Hetenyi, Geoffrey C. Grigg, Stephen C. Dangel, John W. Clifford, Richard A. Butler, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A web roll handling system comprises a roll loading section, a plurality of splicers and at least one robotic vehicle arranged to travel back and forth between the loading section and the plurality of splicers.
Claims11
A web roll handling system comprising a roll loading section, a plurality of splicers and at least one robotic vehicle arranged to travel back and forth along a floor between the loading section and the plurality of splicers, each splicer having a roll supporting turret with arms carrying roll chucks, said turret being movable to position the chucks at a selected elevation above the floor to pick up a web roll from said at least one vehicle when that vehicle travels to that splicer, said loading section including means for loading a roll onto said at least one vehicle, said at least one vehicle including a lift table for engaging a web roll from below and supporting the roll centerline at the same elevation above the floor as the elevation above the floor of the splicer roll chucks when they are positioned to pick up a web roll from said at least one vehicle.
A web roll handling system comprising a roll loading section, a plurality of splicers and at least one robotic vehicle arranged to travel back and forth along a floor between the loading section and the plurality of splicers, each said vehicle including a frame, a lift table movably mounted to the frame, said lift table being split longitudinally into a pair of independently movable mirror image sections, means for moving the table between its two positions, said table moving means including means for moving each table section independently of the other between upper and lower positions, and load sensing means on each vehicle for controlling the movement of each table section toward its said upper position so that the two sections share equally the weight of a web roll placed on that vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.