Web material unwind stand
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsMatthew Joseph Macura, Rong Deng, Craig Allen Powell, Todd Douglas Lenser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A web unwind stand for obtaining, loading, splicing, and unwinding a web material from a plurality of convolutely wound rolls and forwarding the web material unwound from each of the convolutely wound rolls uninterruptedly to a downstream apparatus is disclosed. The unwind stand has a frame, a positionable roll grasping apparatus having a mandrel connectively engaged thereto and, splicing means. The positionable roll grasping apparatus is capable of obtaining and disposing the convolutely wound rolls proximate to the splicing means relative to the frame.
Claims20
A web unwind stand for obtaining, loading, splicing, and unwinding a web material from a plurality of convolutely wound rolls and forwarding said web material unwound from each of the convolutely wound rolls uninterruptedly to a downstream apparatus, said unwind stand comprising:
- a frame;
- a first mandrel joined to said frame, wherein said first mandrel comprises a first plurality of elongate mandrel arms disposed radially about a longitudinal axis of said first mandrel and extending away from said frame, wherein each of the first plurality of elongate mandrel arms comprises an expansion element;
- a positionable roll grasping apparatus comprising a mount, a rocker, an extension arm, a wrist subassembly having three rotational axes, and an end effector having a second mandrel connectively engaged thereto for obtaining and disposing said convolutely wound rolls proximate to said splicing means relative to said frame, said mount, rocker, extension arm, wrist subassembly, and end effector providing said positionable roll grasping apparatus with at least six rotational axes, wherein said second mandrel comprises a second plurality of elongate mandrel arms disposed radially about a longitudinal axis of said second mandrel;
- and,
- splicing means,
- wherein said first mandrel is configured to interleave with said second mandrel such that the first plurality of elongate mandrel arms and the second plurality of elongate mandrel arms are disposed in adjoining relationship and disposed radially about a longitudinal axis.
A web unwind stand for obtaining, loading, splicing, and unwinding web material from a succession of convolutely wound rolls of web material and forwarding said web material unwound from each of the convolutely wound rolls uninterruptedly to a downstream apparatus at substantially constant velocity under substantially constant tension, said apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a first mandrel joined to said frame, wherein said first mandrel comprises a first plurality of elongate mandrel arms disposed radially about a longitudinal axis of said first mandrel and extending away from said frame;
- splicing means;
- and,
- a positionable roll grasping apparatus having a second mandrel associated thereto for engaging a first convolutely wound roll of said convolutely wound rolls, wherein the second mandrel comprises an end effector extending from a mandrel shaft, wherein said end effector comprises one or more expansion elements positioned about a longitudinal axis, wherein said one or more expansion elements are configured to engage said first convolutely wound roll,
- wherein said second mandrel comprises a second plurality of elongate mandrel arms disposed radially about a longitudinal axis of said second mandrel,
- wherein said first mandrel is configured to interleave with said second mandrel such that the first plurality of elongate mandrel arms and the second plurality of elongate mandrel arms are disposed in adjoining relationship and disposed radially about a longitudinal axis,
- wherein said first convolutely wound roll is disposed proximate to said splicing means relative to said splicing means, and
- wherein said web material is provided to said downstream apparatus by unwinding said first convolutely wound roll relative to said downstream apparatus while said first convolutely wound roll is disposed upon said mandrel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.