Apparatus and method for roll packing compressible materials
AssigneeL&P Property Management Company
InventorJosip Gecic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for roll packing a variety of compressible materials including a radially collapsible mandrel for easy removal of the roll packed material without tearing or telescoping of the material. The apparatus further includes an adjustable compression roller for setting the amount of compression in the rolled material and a roll handling device that facilitates removal of finished rolls from the apparatus. In one embodiment of the invention, a packing material dispenser supplies packing material to the in-fed compressible material as it is wound upon the mandrel.
Claims18
An apparatus for roll packing compressible material, comprising:
- an elongated, radially collapsible mandrel, the mandrel having a rotational axis along its length, whereby material may be wound upon the mandrel by rotating the mandrel, the mandrel having an adjustable diameter;
- a compression roller operatively associated with said mandrel and having a rotational axis substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the mandrel, the compression roller being adjustable to vary its spacing relative to the mandrel, whereby in-fed material may be compressed between the compression roller and the mandrel as it is being wound upon the mandrel;
- a drive mechanism operatively connected to a first end of the mandrel to turn the mandrel about its rotational axis;
- a packing material dispenser proximate the mandrel for receiving and dispensing packing material to the compressible material as it is being wound upon the mandrel;
- a support bearing located at a second end of the mandrel, opposite the first end, the support bearing being moveable to expose the second end of the mandrel to allow removal of a roll of material from the mandrel;
- and
- a stripper bar proximate the mandrel and configured to engage a roll of material on the mandrel and push the material toward the second end and off of the mandrel.
An apparatus for roll packing compressible material, comprising:
- an elongated, radially adjustable mandrel having a rotational axis along its length, the mandrel including a shaft, a plurality of elongated, overlapping plates movably connected to the shaft and radially disposed about the shaft to form a substantially tubular surface, and a cam fixed to the shaft and configured to move the plates toward or away from the shaft along paths extending radially from the shaft;
- a compression roller operatively associated with said mandrel and having a rotational axis substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the mandrel, the compression roller being adjustable to vary its spacing relative to the mandrel, whereby in-fed material may be compressed between the compression roller and the mandrel as it is being wound upon the mandrel;
- a drive mechanism operatively connected to a first end of the mandrel to turn the mandrel about its rotational axis;
- a packing material dispenser proximate the mandrel for receiving and dispensing packing material to the compressible material as it is being wound upon the mandrel;
- a feed table upstream of the mandrel for supporting the compressible material and directing the compressible material between the mandrel and compression roller;
- a support bearing located at a second end of the mandrel, opposite the first end, the support bearing moveable to expose the second end of the mandrel to allow removal of a roll of material from the mandrel;
- a stripper bar proximate the mandrel and configured to engage a roll of material on the mandrel and push the material toward the second end and off of the mandrel;
- and
- a roll handler proximate the second end of the mandrel and configured to receive a roll of material from the mandrel and reposition the roll relative to the apparatus for subsequent processing.
A method of roll packing a compressible material in a roll packing machine having a radially collapsible mandrel, a compression roller proximate the mandrel and adjustable to vary the spacing therebetween, a stripper bar, a roll handler proximate the mandrel, and a packing material dispenser, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing the mandrel in a non-collapsed position;
- adjusting the spacing between the compression roller and the mandrel to obtain a desired compression of the compressible material;
- winding packing material from the packing material dispenser onto the mandrel;
- directing compressible material between the mandrel and the compression roller such that compressible material can be wound upon the mandrel by rotating the mandrel;
- rotating the mandrel to wind the compressible material onto the mandrel;
- applying packing material to the compressible material as it is wound upon the mandrel;
- stopping rotation of the mandrel when a desired quantity of compressible material has been wound onto the mandrel;
- collapsing the mandrel;
- positioning the roller handler at an end of the mandrel:
- pushing the finished roll off of the mandrel and into the roll handler using the stripper bar.
An apparatus for roll packing compressible mattress material, the apparatus comprising:
- an elongated, radially collapsible mandrel supported by at least one support bearing, the mandrel having a rotational axis along its length, whereby mattress material may be wound upon the mandrel by rotating the mandrel, wherein the outer surface is adjustable to increase or decrease an outer diameter of the mandrel;
- means for adjusting the amount of compression of the compressible mattress material as it is being wound upon the mandrel;
- means for directing compressible mattress material between the mandrel and the compressing means so that the compressed mattress material may be wound upon the mandrel;
- means for dispensing and applying packing material to successive layers of the compressible mattress material as it is wound upon the mandrel;
- and
- means for removing the roll of compressible mattress material from the collapsed mandrel.
An apparatus for roll packing a compressible material in a roll packing machine having a radially collapsible mandrel, a compression roller proximate the mandrel and adjustable to vary the spacing therebetween, and a packing material dispenser, the apparatus comprising:
- means for providing the mandrel in a non-collapsed position supported by at least one support bearing;
- means for adjusting the spacing between the compression roller and the mandrel to obtain a desired compression of the compressible material;
- means for directing compressible material between the mandrel and the compression roller such that compressible material can be wound upon the mandrel by rotating the mandrel;
- means for rotating the mandrel to wind the compressible material onto the mandrel;
- means for applying packing material to the compressible material as it is wound upon the mandrel;
- means for stopping rotation of the mandrel when a desired quantity of compressible material has been wound onto the mandrel;
- means for collapsing the mandrel to release the roll from the mandrel;
- and
- means for removing the roll of compressible material from the mandrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.