Method and winding device for winding webs

A method of winding one or more traveling webs onto a core having a rotational axis, the method utilizing winding apparatus including first and second rotatably driven drums having outer cylindrical surfaces and parallel axes of rotation, with the first drum being fixedly mounted and having a larger diameter than the second drum, the second drum mounted about an axis which is offset from, and is translationally moveable relative to, the axis of the first drum, the method comprising the steps of:

• 1) receiving the one or more traveling webs onto a lower portion of the outer surface of the first drum;
• 2) introducing a fresh core into a winding bed formed in a space between the first and second drums to be supported on the cylindrical surfaces thereof and rotated therewith;
• 3) wrapping the one or more traveling webs onto the core to begin forming a wound web reel thereon;
• 4) selectively moving the second drum downwardly relative to the first drum such that the winding bed is maintained offset from an imaginary vertical plane through the axis of rotation of the first drum as the diameter of the reel increases, whereby the first drum supports a desired greater portion of the wound web reel load along its nip line of contact therewith, and the second drum supports a desired lesser portion of the wound reel load along its nip line of contact therewith, and said lesser portion being just sufficient to permit the transfer of a desired torque differential between said nips of the first and second drums to generate the desired web tension in the reel;
• 5) positioning a handling device for selective movement between the first and second drums to engage or disengage the reel;
• 6) coordinating the movement of the second drum and the handling device such that when the reel has reached a desired diameter, and the second drum has moved outwardly in coordination with the increase in reel diameter, the movement of the handling device is directed upwardly between the first and second drums to come into supporting engagement with the reel;
• 7) continuing movement of the handling device to remove the reel from support by the first drum such that the reel is completely supported by the handling device and the second drum;
• 8) coordinating movement of the handling device upwardly and the second drum downwardly to shift the axis of rotation of the reel to the outer side of the axis of rotation of the second drum away from the handling device, whereby the reel is rolled off its support on the second drum for removal from the winding apparatus.

Apparatus for winding one or more traveling webs onto a core to form a web reel comprising, in combination:

• first and second drums, each drum having an axis of rotation and an outer cylindrical surface for supporting the reel in nipping engagement therewith in a winding bed intermediate the first and second drums and offset laterally from the axis of rotation of the first drum, the drums having parallel axes of rotation, with the first drum having a larger diameter than the second drum;
• drive means operatively connected to each of the first and second drums for rotatably driving the drums;
• a moveable arm means mounted in the apparatus for rotatably mounting the second drum, and for translationally moving the axis of rotation of the second drum selectively upwardly or downwardly relative to the axis of rotation of the first drum, the arm means being so structured and arranged so as to be capable of selectively lengthening and shortening the lateral distance of the axes of the first and second drums to maintain the winding bed offset from the axis of rotation of the first drum during the winding operation;
• the arm means comprise a pair of pivoted arms with one arm located at each side of the apparatus for rotatably supporting the second drum on a corresponding distal end of each said arm, the proximate end of each of said arms being stationarily mounted for pivotal movement parallel to the rotational axis of the first drum;
• push rod means operatively connected in the apparatus with the arm means for effecting pivotal movement of the arm means to selectively position the second drum in a desired lateral and angular position relative to the first drum.

Apparatus for winding one or more traveling webs onto a core to form a web reel comprising, in combination:

• first and second drums, each drum having an axis of rotation and an outer cylindrical surface for supporting the reel in nipping engagement therewith in a winding bed intermediate the first and second drums and offset laterally from the axis of rotation of the first drum, the drums having parallel axes of rotation, with the first drum having a larger diameter than the second drum;
• drive means operatively connected to each of the first and second drums for rotatably driving the drums;
• a moveable arm means mounted in the apparatus for rotatably mounting the second drum, and for translationally moving the axis of rotation of the second drum selectively upwardly or downwardly relative to the axis of rotation of the first drum, the arm means being so structured and arranged so as to be capable of selectively lengthening and shortening the lateral distance of the axes of the first and second drums to maintain the winding bed offset from the axis of rotation of the first drum during the winding operation:
• holding arm means having proximate and distal ends, the proximate ends pivotally mounted in the apparatus for selective rotation of the distal end into a position intermediate the first and second drums;
• handling device means mounted on the distal ends of the holding arm means, the handling device means including a contact surface for engaging the reel;
• holding arm actuating means linked in the apparatus with the holding arm means for selectively rotating the holding arm means about its pivotal axis;
• handling device actuation means operatively linked with the holding arm means and the handling device means for selectively pivoting the handling device means about the distal end of the holding arm means for selectively engaging the reel with the contact surface.

Apparatus for winding one or more traveling webs onto a core to form a web reel comprising in combination:

• first and second drums, each drum having an axis of rotation and an outer cylindrical surface for supporting the reel in nipping engagement therewith in a winding bed intermediate the first and second drums and offset laterally from the axis of rotation of the first drum, the drums having parallel axes of rotation, with the first drum having a larger diameter than the second drum;
• drive means operatively connected to each of the first and second drums for rotatably driving the drums;
• a moveable arm means mounted in the apparatus for rotatably mounting the second drum, and for translationally moving the axis of rotation of the second drum selectively upwardly or downwardly relative to the axis of rotation of the first drum, the arm means being so structured and arranged so as to be capable of selectively lengthening and shortening the lateral distance of the axes of the first and second drums to maintain the winding bed offset from the axis of rotation of the first drum during the winding operation;
• guide means operative disposed on either sided of the reel and extending either substantially vertically or at a small angle to the vertical:
• guide shoe means mounted in the guide means and so constructed and arranged as to be capable of translational movement in the guide means;
• articulated element means pivotally mounted in the guide shoe means, the articulated means being so constructed and arranged so as to be operatively engageable with the core to rotatably support the core, the articulated element means being so constructed and arranged as to permit pendular movement of the core and reel while the guide shoe means is moved translationally in the guide means as the diameter of the reel grows as it is wound;
• signal device means operatively associated with the articulated element means for providing a signal corresponding to the position, including the pendular position, of the articulated element means and the reel;
• control means operatively associated with the arm means for receiving the signal from the signal device means, and for lowering the second drum as a function of the position of the reel.

Apparatus for winding one or more traveling webs onto a core to form a web reel comprising, in combination:

• first and second drums, each drum having an axis of rotation and an outer cylindrical surface for supporting the reel in nipping engagement therewith in a winding bed intermediate the first and second drums and offset laterally from the axis of rotation of the first drum, the drums having parallel axes of rotation, with the first drum having a larger diameter than the second drum;
• drive means operatively connected to each of the first and second drums for rotatably driving the drums;
• a moveable arm means mounted in the apparatus for rotatably mounting the second drum, and for translationally moving the axis of rotation of the second drum selectively upwardly or downwardly relative to the axis of rotation of the first drum, the arm means being so structured and arranged so as to be capable of selectively lengthening and shortening the lateral distance of the axes of the first and second drums to maintain the winding bed offset from the axis of rotation of the first drum during the winding operation;
• holding arm means having proximate and distal ends, the proximate ends pivotally mounted in the apparatus for selective rotation of the distal end into a position intermediate the first and second drums;
• handling device means mounted on the distal ends of the holding arm means, the handling device means including a contact surface for engaging the reel;
• holding arm actuating means linked in the apparatus with the holding arm means for selectively rotating the holding arm means about its pivotal axis;
• handling device actuation means operatively linked with the holding arm means and the handling device means for selectively pivoting the handling device means about the distal end of the holding arm means for selectively engaging the reel with the contact surface;
• knife means mounted to the handling device for engaging the web against the first drum for severing the web when the handling device actuating means has moved the handling device means to a position intermediate the first and second drums with the contact surface engaging the reel and supporting the reel with the second drum.

Apparatus for winding one or more traveling webs onto a core to form a web reel comprising, in combination:

• first and second drums, each drum having an outer cylindrical surface for supporting the reel in nipping engagement therewith, the drums having parallel axes of rotation, with the first drum having a larger diameter than the second drum;
• drive means operatively connected to each of the first and second drums for rotatably driving the drums;
• a movable arm means, pivotally mounted at a proximate end thereof in the apparatus, for rotatably mounting the second drum near a distal end of the moveable arm means, and for translationally moving the axis of rotation of the second drum selectively upwardly or downwardly relative to the rotational axis of the first drum, the moveable arm means being so structured and arranged so as to be capable of selectively lengthening and shortening the lateral distance of the axes of the first and second drums;
• holding arm means having proximate and distal ends, the proximate ends privotally mounted in the apparatus coaxially with the axis of rotation of the first drum for selective rotation of the distal ends into a position intermediate the first and second drums;
• holding arm actuating means linked in the apparatus with the holding arm means for selectively rotating the holding arm means about its pivotal axis;
• handling device means mounted near the distal ends of the holding arm means, the handling device means including a contact surface for engaging the reel;
• handling device actuation means operatively linked with the holding arm means and the handling device means for selectively pivoting the handling device means about the distal end of the holding arm means for selectively positioning the contact surface relative to the first drum for engaging and supporting the reel;
• knife means mounted to the handling device means for engaging the web against the first drum for severing the web when the handling device actuating means has moved the handling device means to an extended position intermediate to first and second drums where the contact surface is raised to an upper position for engaging the reel and supporting the reel with the second drum;
• signal device means operatively associated with the reel for providing a signal corresponding to the size or position of the reel;
• control means, including push rod means, operatively associated with the moveable arm means for receiving the signal from the signal device means, whereby the moveable arm means controllably positions the second drum at a lower position as a function of the reel diameter, and the axis of the second drum is moved correspondingly translationally to lengthen the lateral distance between the axes of the first and second drums such that, when the reel reaches a predetermined desired diameter, the handling device means can be moved upwardly between the first and second drums to move its contact surface into supporting engagement with the reel for supporting the reel together with the surface of the second drum and for urging the wound reel over the surface of the second drum for removal of the reel from the winding apparatus.