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US 5,584,446 AGranted
Web unwinding and splicing apparatus
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorsMichael D. Delmore, Rodney W. Hauschulz, Stephen L. Bougie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A web unwinding and splicing apparatus includes two carts each supporting a plurality of web rolls, along with a first and second drive mechanism for selectively moving either cart. The carts are alternately advanced by a controller as web rolls carried by the carts are alternately depleted. The apparatus provides continuous unwinding for relatively long periods of time without operator attention.
Claims14
A web unwinding and splicing apparatus comprising:
- a first cart having wheels, said first cart carrying a first plurality of web rolls each having a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion, said first plurality of web rolls being arranged in a first row;
- a second cart having wheels, said second cart carrying a second plurality of web rolls each having a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion, said second plurality of web rolls being arranged in a second row in side-by-side relation to said first row;
- a splicing mechanism for connecting the trailing edge portion of one of said web rolls of one of said rows to the leading edge portion of one of said web rolls of the other of said rows;
- a first drive mechanism for advancing said first cart including at least one web roll of said first row relative to said splicing mechanism along a first path in a certain direction for moving said at least one web roll of said first row to a first unwinding location upon depletion of another web roll of said first row;
- and
- a second drive mechanism for advancing said second cart including at least one web roll of said second row relative to said splicing mechanism along a second path and for moving said at least one web roll of said second row to a second unwinding location upon depletion of another web roll of said second row, wherein said first unwinding location is spaced from said second unwinding location and wherein said second path is located in side-by-side, spaced apart relation to said first path,
- said first drive mechanism including means for releasably coupling to and driving the movement of said first cart once said first cart has been moved on said wheels of said first cart toward a position of contact with said first drive mechanism, said first drive mechanism advancing said first cart in said certain direction upon depletion of said first plurality of web rolls in order to enable said first cart to be uncoupled from said first drive mechanism.
4 more elements
A method of unwinding and splicing a web comprising the steps of:
- coupling a first cart to a first drive mechanism;
- unwinding web from a first web roll of a first row of web rolls carried by the first cart;
- advancing a second cart carrying a second row of web rolls along a certain path and to a position wherein a first web roll of the second row is aligned with the first web roll of the first row;
- splicing a trailing edge portion of the first web roll of the first row to a leading edge portion of the first web roll of the second row;
- advancing the first row of web rolls along a path that is in side-by-side, spaced apart relation to said certain path to bring a second web roll of the first row to a position formerly occupied by the first web roll of the first row;
- and
- uncoupling the first cart from the first drive mechanism once all of the web rolls of the first row have been depleted.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.