US 5,727,748 AGranted

Web inspection and repair machine with web indexer device

AssigneeARPECO Engineering Ltd.

InventorAllan R. Prittie

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A device for the inspection and repair of a roll of web material includes an unwind mandrel, a rewind mandrel, an inspection area and a splice area. A flaw in the web is detected at the inspection area, whereupon the web is braked to a halt. Where the splice area is adjacent to or coincident with the inspection area, the flawed portion of the web can pass well beyond the splice area before the web comes to a halt. Provided herein is a web-indexer device that includes a reciprocating indexer shuttle having idler rolls mounted thereon, with further idler rolls mounted to the machine such that the web material can be between them in a substantially boustrophedonic configuration. Control is provided to allow the operator who has caused the web to be braked to a halt upon detecting a flaw, to move the indexer frame so as to retrieve a portion of the web so as to bring the flaw back to the splicing station for repair, without having to reverse the rotational direction of the unwind mandrel or the rewind mandrel.

Claims6

Dependent claims

In a machine allowing inspection and repair of a roll of web material, the machine including:

a) an unwind mandrel,
b) a rewind mandrel,
c) an inspection area,
d) a splice area,
e) guide rolls for directing the web along a path from the unwind mandrel, past the inspection and splice areas in any sequence, to the rewind mandrel, and
f) first control means for causing the web to move past said inspection and splice areas, and to allow an operator to brake the web to a standstill upon the detection of a flaw in the web;
the improvement which comprises:
providing said machine with a web indexer device including:
g) an indexer shuttle mounted for back and forth movement with respect to the machine,
h) a first plurality of idler rolls mounted to said indexer shuttle,
i) a second plurality of idler rolls mounted to said machine, and so positioned with respect to the first plurality of idler rolls that web material can be strung therearound in substantially boustrophedonic configuration, and
j) second control means adapted, upon detection of a flaw at the inspection station, and upon braking of the web to a standstill, to move the indexer shuttle so as to return an identified portion of the web to the splicing station for repair, verification or any type of modification, without having to reverse the rotational direction of the unwind mandrel or the rewind mandrel.

9 more elements

A method of inspecting and repairing a roll of web material, for use with a machine which incorporates:

an unwind mandrel;
a rewind mandrel;
an inspection area;
a splice area;
guide rolls for directing the web material along a path from the unwind mandrel, past the inspection and splice areas in any sequence, to a rewind mandrel;
control means to cause the web material to move past said inspection and splice areas, and to allow the web to be braked to a standstill upon the detection of a feature being searched for along the web;
an indexer shuttle mounted for back and forth movement with respect to the machine;
a first plurality of idler rolls mounted to said indexer shuttle;
and a second plurality of idler rolls mounted to said machine, the method including the steps of:
a) stringing the web material around the first and second pluralities of idler rolls in substantially boustrophedonic configuration;
b) unwinding the roll of web material at the unwind mandrel, while rewinding the web material at the rewind mandrel, whereby the web material moves past the inspection and splice areas;
c) inspecting the web material at the inspection area in order to detect a feature being searched for;
d) when such a feature is detected, using the control means to brake the web material to a standstill;
e) moving the indexer shuttle in the direction which will reposition the feature containing portion of the web material at the splicing station without reversing the rotation of either mandrel;
and
f) repairing the web material.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.