Continuous winder and method of winding slit rolls of large diameter on small diameter cores

A method of continuously winding split webs onto individual cores carried on a common elongated shaft into a corresponding plurality of large diameter rolls including transfer of the split webs, substantially at line speed, from fully wound rolls onto such cores, comprising the steps of:

• (a) placing the core shaft with cores thereon into surface contact with such split webs supported on a winding drum and bringing said core shaft and cores thereon up to line speed;
• (b) applying a driven nip roll to said cores substantially at line speed while simultaneously constricting the ends of said core shaft against movement lateral to a radius line from the axis of rotation of said drum through said core shaft;
• (c) while said core shaft is so restrained, severing the split webs at positions downstream of the region of contact of said cores with said webs by said drum and simultaneously transferring said webs onto corresponding cores on said core shaft;
• (d) continuing to wind said webs onto said cores while said core shaft is so constrained laterally and constrained by said driven nip roll against core shaft deflections that would otherwise cause critical speed limitations,
• in which the nip roll is driven at a speed mode prior to the cutting step and is switched to a speed limited adjustable torque mode following the transfer of the webs onto the cores of the core shaft.

A winder for winding a web onto a core shaft, comprising:

• a winding drum, said winding drum being driven and being rotatable about a winding drum axis;
• a pressure roll, said pressure roll being driven, said pressure roll being movable among a plurality of pressure roll positions, said pressure roll being rotatable about a respective pressure roll axis in each of said pressure roll positions, each of said respective pressure roll axes being substantially parallel to each other and to said winding drum axis,
• a support roll, said support roll being driven, said support roll being movable among a plurality of support roll positions, said support roll being rotatable about a respective support roll axis in each of said support roll positions, each of said respective support roll axes being substantially parallel to each other, to each of said respective pressure roll axes and to said winding drum axis,
• a first support structure for supporting a first core shaft, said first core shaft having at least one first core mounted thereon, at a first location where said first core is not in contact with said winding drum or said support roll, and at a first core shaft orientation where an axis of said first core shaft is substantially parallel to each of said respective support roll axes, each of said respective pressure roll axes and said winding drum axis,
• one of said pressure roll positions being a position where said pressure roll is in contact with said first core in said first location, whereby said pressure roll causes said first core shaft to rotate about said axis of said first core shaft and controls a rate of rotational acceleration of said first core shaft about said axis of said first core shaft,
• a guide structure for guiding said first core shaft from said first location to a second location where said first core abuts a first surface of a moving web, a second surface of the moving web being in contact with said winding drum,
• a second support structure for supporting said first core shaft at a third location, said third location being a position where a wound web wound on said first core abuts said winding drum and abuts said support roll such that said support roll and said winding drum together support said wound web, said third location being spaced from said first location such that a second core shaft, said second core shaft having at least one second core mounted thereon, can be positioned in said first location while said web is continuing to be wound on said wound web on said first core shaft in said third location.

A winder for winding a web onto a core shaft, comprising:

• a winding drum, said winding drum being driven and being rotatable about a winding drum axis;
• a pressure roll, said pressure roll being driven, said pressure roll being movable among a plurality of pressure roll positions, said pressure roll being rotatable about a respective pressure roll axis in each of said pressure roll positions, each of said respective pressure roll axes being substantially parallel to each other and to said winding drum axis,
• a support roll, said support roll being driven, said support roll being movable among a plurality of support roll positions, said support roll being rotatable about a respective support roll axis in each of said support roll positions, each of said respective support roll axes being substantially parallel to each other, to each of said respective pressure roll axes and to said winding drum axis,
• a first core shaft positioned at a first location, said first core shaft having at least one first core mounted thereon,
• a first support structure supporting said first core shaft at said first location, said first core shaft being not in contact with said winding drum or said support roll, an axis of said first core shaft being substantially parallel to each of said respective support roll axes, each of said respective pressure roll axes and said winding drum axis,
• said pressure roll being in contact with said first core, thereby causing said first core shaft to rotate about said axis of said first core shaft and controlling a rate of rotational acceleration of said first core shaft about said axis of said first core shaft,
• a second core shaft positioned at a third location, said second core shaft having at least one second core mounted thereon,
• a moving web being wound on said second core to form a wound web,
• a guide structure for guiding said first core shaft from said first location to a second location where said first core shaft abuts a first surface of said moving web, a second surface of said moving web being in contact with said winding drum,
• a second support structure supporting said second core shaft at said third location, where said wound web being wound on said second core abuts said winding drum and said support roll such that said support roll and said winding drum together support said wound web.

A method of winding a web onto a core shaft, comprising:

• positioning a first core shaft on a first support structure at a first location, said first core shaft having at least one first core mounted thereon;
• bringing a pressure roll into contact with said first core shaft, said pressure roll having a pressure roll axis which is substantially parallel to a pressure roll axis of said first core shaft;
• driving said pressure roll about said pressure roll axis, thereby causing said first core shaft to rotate about said first core shaft axis due to said contact between said pressure roll and said first core shaft;
• moving said first core shaft from said first location to a guide structure and through said guide structure to a second location, in which said first core abuts a first surface of a moving web, a second surface of said moving web being in contact with a winding drum, an axis of said first core shaft in said second location being substantially parallel to an axis of said winding drum;
• cutting said moving web to produce a first tail end of said web and a first leading end of said web;
• contacting said first leading end of said web with said first core;
• initiating winding of said web onto said first core;
• continuing winding of said web on said first core to produce a growing wound web wound on said first core, said growing wound web being supported by said winding drum and being pressured by said pressure roll;
• continuing winding of said web on said first core while bringing into contact with said growing wound web a support roll, said support roll having a support roll axis which is parallel to an axis of said first core, whereby said growing wound web is supported by said winding drum and said support roll;
• continuing winding of said web on said first core while said growing wound web is being supported by said winding drum and said support roll, and said first core shaft is being held in place by a second support structure;
• continuing winding of said web on said first core while positioning a second core shaft on said first support structure at said first location, said second core shaft having at least one second core mounted thereon;
• continuing winding of said web on said first core while bringing said pressure roll into contact with said second core, said pressure roll axis being substantially parallel to an axis of said second core shaft;
• continuing winding of said web on said first core while driving said pressure roll about said pressure roll axis, thereby causing said second core shaft to rotate about said second core shaft axis due to said contact between said pressure roll and said second core;
• continuing winding of said web on said first core while moving said second core shaft from said first location to a guide structure and through said guide structure to said second location, in which said second core abuts said first surface of said moving web, said second surface of said moving web being in contact with said winding drum, an axis of said second core shaft in said second location being substantially parallel to an axis of said winding drum;
• cutting said moving web to produce a second tail end of said web and a second leading end of said web;
• contacting said second leading end of said web with said second core;
• initiating winding of said web onto said second core;
• and
• moving said first core shaft, said first core and said wound web wound on said first core to a removal position.

A winder for winding a web onto a core shaft, comprising:

• a winding drum, said winding drum being driven and being rotatable about a winding drum axis;
• at least a first secondary support arm, said first secondary support arm being rotatable about a secondary support arm axis, said secondary support arm axis being substantially parallel to said winding drum axis;
• at least a first core shaft support structure for supporting a core shaft rotatably with respect to a core shaft axis which is substantially parallel to said winding drum axis, said first core shaft support structure being on said first secondary support arm;
• and
• a support roll mounted on said secondary support arm, said support roll being rotatable about a support roll axis, said support roll axis being substantially parallel to said winding drum axis.

A method of winding a web onto a core shaft, comprising:

• winding a moving web onto a wound web which is wound around a core shaft while said core shaft is rotating about a core shaft axis, said moving web passing between and in contact with said wound web and a winding drum, said moving web also passing between and in contact with said wound web and a support roll, said winding drum rotating about a winding drum axis which is substantially parallel to said core shaft axis, said support roll rotating about a support roll axis which is substantially parallel to said core shaft axis, said core shaft and said support roll each being at least partially supported by a first secondary support arm;
• cutting said moving web;
• and
• pivoting said first secondary support arm about a first secondary support arm axis, said first secondary support arm axis being substantially parallel to said core shaft axis.