Expandable mandrel
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorsAlbert W. Forrest, Jr., Mark R. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expandable mandrel for mounting a core for winding, in which inner elements are moved inwardly by a floating screw to cam outer elements outwardly to grip the core. The screw is not fixed in the axial direction. Each of the inner elements has a tapered surface slidably positioned in operative relationship with an opposed tapered surface on each of the outer elements. As the inner elements move inwardly the sliding contact of these tapered surfaces cam the outer elements into gripping contact with the inner surface of the core.
Claims6
A mandrel for mounting a tubular core for winding a web of sheet material, such mandrel being slidably positioned into the core and including:
- a tube having an inner and outer cylindrical surface;
- a pair of inner tapered elements positioned in spaced relationship with each other on the outer surface of the tube,
- such inner elements each having a first cylindrical inner surface, a second tapered outer surface and an angle of taper therebetween, with such first inner surfaces being positioned in slidable contact with the outer cylindrical surface of the tube,
- a pair of expandable outer tapered elements positioned in spaced relationship with each other in the axial direction and each in abutting contact with a respective inner element,
- such outer elements each having a first cylindrical outer surface and a second tapered inner surface, with each of said second tapered surfaces being positioned in operative relationship with a respective second tapered outer surface of one of said inner elements and with the outer elements being adapted to be expanded outwardly,
- means for connecting the inner and outer elements to the tube and means for restricting the axial and rotational movement of the outer elements with respect to the tube,
- said core having an inner and outer cylindrical surface,
- means in the form of a floating screw connected to the inner elements for moving such inner elements axially inwardly toward each other whereby sliding contact of the tapered outer surface of such inner elements with the tapered inner surfaces of the outer elements expands the outer elements radially outwardly in a uniform manner and moves their cylindrical outer surfaces into uniform contact with the inner surface of the core whereby to grip and mount the core for winding and
- wherein such floating screw is also adapted to move the inner elements away from each other to release the gripping force of the outer elements with the core so that the mandrel can be removed from the core after completion of the winding operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.