US3282524A - Automatic winding machine - Google Patents

Description

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R. COUZENS ETAL AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE Nov. 1, 1966 Filed Jan. 5, 1964 AUTOMATI C WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 3, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/Ci3 INVENTORS RG/IVALD COUZE/VS BY MICHAEL M. YOU/V6 ATTORIVFV AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I NVENTORS REGINALD COUZE/VS M/(HAEL M. YOUNG ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,282,524 AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE Reginald Couzens, Wallingford, and Michael M. Young, Merion, Pa. (both Dietz Machine Works, Inc., 3105 W. Allegheny Ave., Philadelphia, Pa.)

Filed Jan. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 335,585 12 Claims. (Cl. 242-56) This invention primarily relates to a machine for winding flexible material such as paper into logs.

Heretofore, there have been many problems associated with the winding of paper into logs. The major problem has resided in the fact that there had never been a practical winding machine capable of performing the fully automated operation of winding the paper into a log while controlling its size and density, severing the wound log from the web supply and securing the severed portion to the wound log in such a manner as to form a tail or tab for ease of starting in unwinding the log.

It had heretofore been necessary for the operator of a winding machine to stop the machine after a log had been wound, remove the log and condition it for further operations. For example, in winding 21 log of toilet tissue, the machine was stopped after a predetermined count of wound sheets was recorded. The operator would then manually sever the web from the wound log and secure the severed portion of the web to the wound log to complete the operation. The log comprising a log of paper of the order of 90 inches wide and 4% inches in diameter, was then conveyed to a conventional saw to slice the log into the requisite number of components or individual rolls desired.

In the aforementioned procedure, manual means were provided for enabling the operator of the machine to vary the density of the log as it was wound. This is desirable because in certain types of wound paper products, it is desirable to obtain a soft log rather than a bone hard log the vice versa. In the case of a toilet tissue roll or paper towel roll, the roll must be flexible.

Another undesirable feature of the prior art procedure, was when the operator of the machine removed the wound log, severed it, and secured the severed portion to the wound log to complete the log, the portion which was secured was rigidly secured. In order to unwind the log when it was put to use, it would be necessary to slit the log along its length in order to start the unwinding process. As everyone knows, this is a common procedure when desiring to start to unwind a roll of toilet tissue. The user usually runs his finger nail through the perforations on the roll formed between individual sheets to free one end of the roll and form a tail.

Therefore, prior art machines were inefficient inasmuch as in order to perfect a finished product, it would be necessary to perform some operations on the product manually whereby a greater cost and expenditure for materials, time and labor was realized. Also, the finished product which had been wound was difiicult to use for its intended purpose.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to disclose a winding machine which may be used in the formation of a roll of toilet tissue or paper towels or the like, which machine is capable of performing a fully automated operation in winding the paper into a log while controlling its density and size, severing the wound log from the web supply, and securing the severed portion to the wound log in such a manner as to form a tab for ease of starting in unwinding the log.

Another object of this invention resides in an automatic winding machine including means which simultaneously picks up and delivers a wound log to a finishing station and places an empty core on the severed web for commencing a second winding operation While the wound 3,282,524 Patented Nov. 1, 1966 log is being finished. In this manner, the machine is rendered capable of a high rate of production and elliciency.

Yet another object of this invention resides in the use of apparatus for automatically and selectively varying the density and size of the wound log.

A still further object of this invention resides in the particular method used in forming a finished log of paper.

Other objects will appear from the disclosure hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a side view in elevation of the winding machine comprising the subject matter of the instant invention with certain portions removed for the purposes of illustration.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail in side elevation of a portion of the machine illustrated in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an end view in elevation of the finished product formed by using the machine of the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the machine which is used to secure the severed portion of the web to the wound log in such a manner as to form a tab which is used to start the unwinding of the finished log.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 77 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 is a timing diagram of the various machine cycles which are performed.

General organization The winding machine 10 is adapted to wind a web of paper such as 12 into a wound log 14 containing a predetermined number of perforated sheets of the paper. The web 12 is supplied from a roll of paper 16 rotatably secured to the frame 18 of the machine.

Power means generally designated by the numeral 20 are carried by the frame 18 for feeding the paper to a winding station generally designated by the numeral 22. The web 12 is wound about a core 24 at the winding station.

Mounted above the winding station 22 on the frame 18 is a pickup and delivery means 26. The pickup and delivery means is adapted to position the Wound log 14 at a finishing station generally designated by the numeral 28. This is accomplished by kicking the wound log 14 from the winding station 22 to a stripper support 30. As the wound log 14 is so moved by the pickup and delivery means 26, a portion of the roll is unwound and positioned across a web severing device generally designated by the numeral 32. Also, as the wound log 14 is being moved to the finishing station 28, the pickup and delivery means 26 simultaneously deposits an empty core, which it has picked up from a hopper 34, on the unwound portion of the log 14.

The web severing device includes means for moistening the web along its length The stripper support is rocked to induce a tear along the moistened web portion. A blast of air, which has been actuated prior to tearing of the web, will then be effective to wrap one part of the severed unwound web about the new empty core deposited on the web.

As the web 12 begins to wind about the new core 14, finishing means generally designated by the numeral 36 are rendered operative to tack along spaced points, the other part of the severed portion of the web to the wound log in such a manner as to cause a tab 38 to be formed on the end of the log 14.

The finished log 14 having the tab 38 may be pushed transversely of the machine onto a conveyor which will convey it to a. saw for slicing the log 14 into a desired number of smaller rolls.

Web drive The means for moving the web 12 to the winding station 22 comprises a power drive including a main motor 40 secured to the frame 18 of the machine.

A rear feedroll 42 and a front feedroll 44 are rotat-ably supported upon the frame 18 by means of shafts 46 and 48 respectively. Sandwiched between the front and rear feedrolls is a perforating bedroll 50. The bedroll 50 is adapted to rotate relative to the frame by means of a shaft 52. Fixed to a shaft 54 is a perforating head 56 including an elongated perforating spike 58. The spike 58 is adapted to cooperate with elongated rotary knives such as 60 fixed at spaced intervals about the circumference of the perforating bedroll. Each knife 60 has a plurality of uniformly spaced notches along its length.

Secured to the shaft 52 is a sprocket 62 about which is an endless flexible chain 64 connected to the drive shaft of the main motor 40. Also secured to the shaft 52 is a driving gear 65.

The gear 65 is in mesh with a gear 66 on the shaft 46, and a gear 68 on the shaft 48.

The web 12 is positioned over an adjustable tension roller 72 and threaded between the bedroll 50 and the feedroll 42, the perforating head 56, and the feed-roll 44.

Upon actuation of the main motor 40, the bedroll 50 will be caused to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1 through the medium of the endless chain 64 and the sprocket 62. Rotation of the shaft 52 will cause the gear 65 to rotate in a clockwise direction thereby driving the gears 66 and 68 in a counterclockwise direction. The feedrolls and the hedroll will drive the web 12 to the right as viewed in FIGURE 1. As it is driven, it is perforated by the perforating head 56 to form. a plurality of individual sheets in the web 12. This is accomplished by the scissors effect produced by the rotating knives 60 passing by the stationary spike 58 as the bedroll rotates. Due to the notches in the knives 60, the web 12 is not completely severed, but a series of perforation in the web is obtained.

A second idler roller 74 is used to maintain the tension in the end of the web being fed into the winding station 22.

Operatively connected to the shaft 52 is a revolution counter 76. The revolution counter 76 is adapted to count a predetermined number of revolutions of the shaft 52. Since the shaft 52 rotates in timed relation to the number of times the web 12 has been perforated, the revolution counter 76 is essence counts the number of times the web 12 has been perforated. This in turn enables the number of sheets formed in the web 12 to be accounted for. When a predetermined number of sheets have been counted by the revolution counter 76, the counter can actuate suitable electric circuitry which is well known in the art to shut off the motor 40 and prevent further winding from taking place.

Winding operation A core 24 is disposed upon the web 12 at the winding station between a pair of winding drums 78 and 80. Means which will be described hereinafter have severed the web 12 from the previously wound log 14 and secured one part of the severed web to the empty core 24. The core 24 is rotated by the drums 78 and 80 in a counter- 4 clockwise direction as shown in FIGURE 1 to wind the feed web 12 about itself.

The winding drums 78 and are rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1 by means of an endless flexible belt 82 driven in a clockwise manner from the main motor 40. The endless flexible belt 82 is entrained about a pair of pulleys 84 and 86 secured to the winding drum shafts 88 and 90 respectively and a pulley 85 rotatably mounted upon a fixed shaft 87 secured to the frame 18. Integrally connected to the pulley 85 is a variable pitch sheave 89, which is also rotatably mounted on shaft 87. The sheave 89 and hence pulley 85 is connected by means of an endless belt 91 to a pulley 93 on shaft 52. The pulley 93 connects main motor 40 to the belt 91, sheave 89, pulley 85 and belt 82. The sheave 89 may be used to control the density and size of the wound log, if desired.

A pressure roller or top rider roll 92 is adapted to always be seated upon the log 14 as it is wound to insure uniform winding of the web 12 upon the core 24. The pressure roller 92 also is used to determine the density of the finished log and compensates for the increasing diameter of the log as it is wound by being able to move upwardly while still maintaining contact with the log as it is wound. Thereafter, three rolls, that is rolls 78, 80 and 92 always confine the core 24 as it is wound.

The pressure roller 92 is fixed to a shaft 94 whose ends are rotatably mounted within bearing blocks 96 and 98. The bearing blocks 96 and 98 are secured to the back of a channel member 100 and 102 respectively. The channel members 100 and 102 are slidably mounted on T-shaped guides 104 fixed to the frame of the machine.

A controlled torque device 106 is provided on the frame.

By way of example only this has been illustrated as a. torque motor. However, other torque devices such as an eddy-current clutch, an hydraulic or pneumatic torque converter, spring clutch or the like may be employed as equivalents.

The motor 106 has a shaft 108 rotatably journalled within bearings 110 fixed in a pair of housings 112 secured to the frame of the machine at each transverse end. Fixed to the shaft 108 are a pair of pinions 114 and 116 respectively. The pinion 114 is adapted to mate with rack teeth formed on one flange of the channel 100. Similarly, the pinion 116 is adapted to mate with rack teeth formed on one flange of the channel 102.

It should thus be apparent that upon free rotation of the shaft 108, the pinions 114 and 116 cause the channels 100 and 102 to move up or down relative to the fixed guides 104. The direction of movement of course, is dependent on the direction of rotation of the shaft 108.

With the pressure roller 92 in contact with the top of the log 14 which is being wound, a suitable electrical element may be placed in the electrical circuit of the motor 106 whereby the torque produced by the motor 106 to rotate the shaft 108 will be substantially equal to the torque on the shaft 108 produced by the weight of the roller 92. This torque being equal and opposite to the torque produced by the motor 106 on the shaft 108 will cause the motor 106 to stall. Therefore, when the pressure roller 92 is contacting the log 14, the roller 92 will move up only by the increasing diameter of the log 14. The pressure roller 92 can thus slip relative to the log 14 being wound wherein a soft or low density log will be wound rather than a bone hard log. This latter condition could be obtained if the motor 106 was allowed to bias the pressure roller 92 in a downward direction into clamping contact with the log 14.

By the utilization of a variable electrical element in the circuitry of the motor 106, when it is desired to raise the pressure roller 92, this element may be varied so that the motor 106 is no longer stalledand the torque induced in the shaft 108 is suflicient to overcome the torque on the shaft 108 due to the weight or the roller 92. The roller will then be raised as the shaft 108 can rotate the gears 114 and 116 to raise the channels 102 and 104.

By the use of a pair of pinions 114 and 116, the log is also wound uniformly. That is, both ends of the roll 92 are made to move in unison. There is no chance of one end moving at a different rate than the other end, which would result in a log having a variable density.

As an alternative density control for the log, a knurled knob 109 may be threaded onto one end of the shaft 87 in abutment with the variable pitch sheave 89. A nut 111 may be threaded on to shaft 87 in abutment with pulley 85. Upon tightening or loosening of the abutment of knob 109 and sheave 89, the pitch of the sheave can be varied. The speed of rotation of the sheave 89 is varied as its pitch is varied. Therefore, the speed at which belt 82 and drums 78 and 80 rotate can be controlled and thus the density of the wound log, since the density is a function of the rate in which the web is wound.

Pickup and delivery operation The pickup and delivery means 26 performs two functions. First, it picks up an empty core 24 from a supply hopper 34 and positions it on the web 12 whereby the web can be wound on the core to form the log 14. Second, as it simultaneously positions the empty core upon the web, it delivers a wound log to the finishing station 28.

In order to effect these functions, the pickup and delivery means 26 includes a pair of L-shaped arms such as 120 and 122 connected by a sweep arm 121. The arms 120 and 122 are integrally connected to rotating drums 128 and 130 respectively. The drums 128 and 130 are rotatably journalled within bearings 132 and 134 secured to the frame 18 of the machine.

The drums 128 and 130 are rotated by a continuously operating motor 136 through the medium of a one revolution clutch 131 and a plurality of gears. Connected to the motor shaft 138 is a friction sleeve 135 rotatable within the clutch housing. Connected to the clutch is an endless chain 140 entrained over a sprocket carried on a shaft 137 fixed to the clutch housing, and a sprocket 142 rotatably mounted upon a shaft 144 connected to the frame of the machine. Integral but spaced from the sprocket 142 is a driving gear 146. This gear 146 is in mesh with a pair of driven gears 148 and 150. The gear 150 is integrally connected by welding or the like to the drum 128 while the gear 148 is fixed to an equalizer shaft 152 rotatably mounted in bearings 154 and 156 secured to the transverse ends of the frame 18. Secured to the shaft 152 adjacent bearing 156 is a sprocket about which is entrained an endless chain 158. The endless chain 158 is also entrained about its sprocket secured to the drum 130.

It should thus be apparent that upon release of clutch 131, which is accomplished by actuation of a solenoid 159 to withdraw a plunger 161 from abutting contact with the clutch, motor 136 will rotate the arms 120 and 122 in unison to swing sweeper arm 121 through an arcuate path. The motor 136 will rotate clutch 131 from friction sleeve 135. This will cause gear 146 to rotate, which in turn will rotate gears 150 and 148. The gear 150 will cause the drum 128 to rotate, which in turn imparts rotation to the arm 120. The gear 148 causes the shaft 152 to rotate which through the endless chain 158 will cause the drum 130 to rotate in the bearing 134. In rotating the drum 130, the arm 122 will rotate in synchronization with the arm 120 insuring that no torque is placed on sweeper arm 121.

A pair of hooked fingers 125 and 127 are slidably mounted for reciprocation along the length of the sweeper arm 121. These fingers are normally biased towards each other by coil springs 129 and 133 wound on the sweeper arm 121. However, as the fingers swing about, they contact a pair of cam tracks 160 and 162. These tracks allow the fingers 125 and 127 to slide towards each other as arm 121 sweeps to a position beneath the hopper 34. Conversely, the tracks cause the fingers 125 and 127 to slide away from each other against the bias of springs 129 and 131 when arm 121 sweeps by the web 12. Therefore, as the sweeper arm passes hopper 34, an empty core 24 will be grasped by the fingers and carried to the web 12 where it will be dropped by the separation of fingers 125 and 127.

As the arms and 122 and sweeper arm 121 appoach the wound log 14, the sweeper arm contacts the log and pushes it to the finishing station 28 wherein it is positioned upon the support 30. Simultaneous with this pushing movement imparted to the log 14, the fingers and 127 are spread apart to drop the empty core 24.

It should be understood that as the log 14 is being moved to the finishing station 28, a portion of the wound web upon the core 24 is unwound a length equal to the distance between the center line bisecting the drums 78 and 80 and a center line through the support 30. The new empty core 24 is dropped onto the portion of the web which has just been unwound and which is positioned intermediate the drums 78 and 80.

As will be explained hereinafter, the instant the new core is dropped, pressure roll 92 comes down to confine the core as it is wound.

By varying the distance between the cam tracks and 162, the core length and hence the length of the wound web may be varied. That is, sixty to ninety inch logs may be wound upon the machine by varying the permissible distance between fingers 125 and 127.

Severing and finishing operation Supported upon the frame 18 between the finishing station 28 and the winding station 22 is an air nozzle 164 and an elongated tank of water or equivalent liquid 166. These elements are positioned immediately underneath the unwound portion of the log 14 when it is moved to the finishing station 28.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the nozzle 164, which extends across the full width of the machine, has an end oriented towards the winding station 22. A source of compressed air is led to the nozzle 164 through suitable flexible hosing such as 168.

Supported within the tank 166 is an elongated piece of felt 170 or its equivalent which is used to sever the web 12. Also within the tank are a pair of oscillating arms 172 connected to a support 174 holding a plurality of felt fingers 176 or the equivalent, spaced longitudinally in the holder 174.

A breaker bar 178 is pivotably mounted for rocking movement upon the frame. The breaker bar, as shown in FIGURE 1, is integrally connected to the support 30 at the finishing station 28. A cam 180 rotatable in synchronization with the movement of the arms 120, 121 and 122 is in intimate contact with a cam follower 182 supported at the terminal end of the breaker bar 178. When the log 14 is unwound and placed upon the support 30, the felt 170 being saturated with water from the tank 166 contacts the web 12 and moistens it to thereby weaken the web. The earn 180 will impart movement to the cam follower 182 to rock the breaker bar 178 in the direction of the double-headed arrow indicated in FIG- URE l. The rocking of the web 12 will cause it to tear or sever along the moistened portion thereof.

A blast of air which is already emanating from the nozzle 164 causes one part of the severed portion of the web 12 to wrap around the empty core positioned on the web 12.

The arms '172 will then be caused to oscillate and the felt fingers which are also saturated with water will contact the second part of the severed portion of the web 12 intermediate its terminal end and the web material which is wound upon the core 24. The fingers 176 will press this portion of the web onto the web material wound on the core 24 causing it to adhere to the wound material and forming a tab 38 whereby unwinding of the log 14 can be effected.

While winding of the web 12 commences about the empty core 24, the finished log 14 can be reciprocated transversely of the machine by means of a reciprocating pusher arm 184 to cause the finished log 14 to be positioned upon a conveyor leading to a saw for slicing the log into the requisite number of finished rolls.

Operation The sequence of operation of the various components of the machine is illustrated in particular in FIGURE 8.

Two switches (not shown), located on the counter 76 will cause the motor 40 to initially begin to slow down as the requisite number of counts are received. This is illustrated by the letter a on the diagram in FIGURE 8. When the precise number of sheets have been counted as wound upon the log 14, the machine stops hard, this being illustrated by the letter b on the diagram.

With the machine stopped by the deenergization of the motor 40, the torque motor 106 is energized by placing in its circuit a resistance element sufficient to allow it to overcome the torque of the weight of the roll upon the shaft 108 to raise the pressure contact roll 92 to the top of the guides 102 and 104. This occurs through the medium of the pinions 114 and 116 on the shaft 108 and the meshing rack teeth on the channels 100 and 102. At the top of the guides, the pressure contact roll energizes a limit switch 190 which deenergizes the torque motor. This is illustrated by the letter c in FIGURE 7. At this point a mechanical brake (not shown) is activated to prevent burnout of the torque motor and to hold the pressure roll 92 in its up position.

With the pressure contact roll in its up position, the switch 190 is also energized to actuate solenoid 159 to withdraw plunger 161. The continuously energized motor 136 is allowed to turn the single revolution clutch to cause fingers 125 and 127 to rotate and drop the core at the point on the diagram illustrated by d.

Immediately after the new core 24 has been dropped, a limit switch 198 is activated by a cam 200 carried on shaft 152 to release the mechanical brake holding the pressure contact roll in its up position. The roll then descends by gravity to seat upon the newly positioned core as it is wound.

During the excursion of the sweep arm from the point to point e, the finished log is being swept onto the finishing station 28. This operation is completed at e, as is the dropping of the core.

Immediately after point e is reached, the web is broken by rocking the breaker bar 178 to sever the moistened portion of the web. A cam 208 on shaft 152 can be used to activate a limit switch 206, which in turn can be connected to apparatus well known in the art, to rotate cam 180. This is illustrated during the time interval e to f on the diagram.

The air blast through the nozzle 164 has been turned on just prior to dropping of the core upon the web. Immediately after the new core is dropped, the severed portion of the web is blown about the empty core positioned on the web. The tab 38 is formed on the wound log during the time interval g to h by oscillation of the arms 172 wherein the felt fingers press the unwound portion of the web to the wound log to finish the operation. From h to i, the finished log is moved by the reciprocating arm 184 from the finishing station onto a conveyor. The reciprocation of the arm 184 is controlled by a limit switch 194 energized by a cam 196 secured to shaft 152 whose movement is synchronized with the movement of the arms 120, 121 and 122.

When pressure roll 92 leaves the limit swich 190, the solenoid 159 is deactivated and the plunger 161 is extended whereby the single revolution clutch mechanism is conditioned to be reset for its next cycle.

When the pressure contact roll drops onto the core 24, the torque motor 106 returns to its former mode. This former mode is the condition wherein the torque on shaft 108 induced by the motor 106 is equal to the torque on shaft 108 induced by the weight of the roll 92. This condition allows the web to be wound softly upon the new core 24.

At point e, a limit switch 202, activated by cam 204 on shaft 152 starts the main motor 40. This will enable the web to be wound upon the core as illustrated on the diagram in FIGURE 8.

The sweep arm 121 moves to a position designated by 1', after the new core has been dropped. designates the position where the one revolution clutch 131 is stopped by the plunger 161. During this time interval, another core has been picked up from the hopper 34. The cores 24 may be kept within the hopper 34 by means of a spring biased door such as 192 which is opened by the movement of the core out of the hopper as the sweep arm goes by.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In an automatic winding machine having a frame adapted to support at least one web of material, power means for driving a web along the frame, a winding station on the frame adapted to rotatably support at least one empty core, means for applying one end of a web to an empty core whereby a web can be wound thereabout, pressure contact means including a roll mounted adjacent said winding station for holding a core on the winding station as the web is wound, said roll being reciprocal to be brought into and out of seated engagement on a web as it is wound and to compensate for increasing the web diameter as a web is wound, a finishing station adjacent said frame, and pickup and delivery means supported adjacent the winding station :for simultaneously positioning another empty core in the winding station while delivering a wound core from the winding station to said finishing station, said last-named means including a pair of spaced arms rotatable through a predetermined path, a sweeper arm intermediate said spaced arms, and spaced fingers reciprocable along said sweeper arm in a direction perpendicular to the path of movement of said arms, the movement of said arms and roll being synronized so that the roll is taken out of seated engagement with a wound core when the arms deliver said core to said finishing station.

2. In an automatic winding machine having a frame adapted to support at least one web of material, power means for driving a web along the frame, a winding station on the frame adapted to rotatably support at least one empty core, means for applying one end of a web to an empty core whereby a web can be wound thereabout, a finishing station adjacent said frame, and pickup and delivery means supported adjacent the winding station for simultaneously positioning another empty core in the winding station while delivering awound core from the winding station to the finishing station, said last-named means including a pair of spaced arms rotatable through a predetermined path, a sweeper arm intermediate said spaced arms, and spaced fingers reciprocable along said sweeper arm in a direction perpendicular to the path of movement of said arms.

3. In an automatic winding machine having a frame adapted to support at least one web of material, power means for driving a web along the frame, a winding station on the frame adapted to rotatably support at least one empty core, means for applying one end of the web to an empty core whereby a web can be wound thereabout, pressure contact means supported juxtaposed to said winding station for holding a core on a winding station as the web is wound, said pressure contact means being yieldably mounted to compensate for increasing web diameter as a web is wound, means operatively connected to said pressure contact means for controlling the density of the web being wound upon the core, a finishing station adjacent said frame, pick up and delivery means supported adjacent a winding station for substantially simultaneously positioning another empty core at the winding station while delivering a wound core to said finish ing station, said delivery means including means for wetting a web to weaken it, and mechanical means for rocking a web to induce a tear thereon at the weakened portion, and said delivery means further including oscillating means for wetting a web portion and adhering it to a portion of the web which has been wound on the core.

4. An automatic winding machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said pressure contact means substantially simultaneously engages an empty core upon the positioning of the core at the winding station.

5. In an automatic winding machine having a frame adapted to support at least one web of material, power means for driving a web along the frame, a winding station on the frame adapted to rotatably support at least one empty core, a hopper fixedly attached to said frame, said hopper adapted to have a plurality of empty cores therein, means for applying one end of a web to said empty core in said winding station whereby a web can be wound thereabout, pressure contact means supported juxtaposed to said winding station for holding a core on the winding station as the web is wound, said pressure contact means being yieldably mounted to compensate for increasing web diameter as a web is wound, means operatively connected to said pressure contact means for controlling the density of the web being wound upon said core, and automatic means for removing a fully wound core from said winding station and automatically withdrawing a new core from said hopper and positioning said new core on said winding statio 6. An automatic winding machine in accordance with claim 5 including a finishing station adjacent said frame, said automatic means for removing a fully wound core being adapted to deposit said fully wound core on said finishing station, and said finishing station adapted to be rocked to induce a tear in said web.

7. An automatic winding machine in accordance with claim 6 wherein said pressure contact means are adapted to contact said new core substantially simultaneously with the position of the new core on said winding station.

8. In an automatic winding machine having a frame adapted to support at least one web of material, power means for driving the web along the frame, a hopper attached to said frame having a plurality of cores therein, a winding station upon the frame adapted to rotatably support at least one empty core, means for applying one end of a web to an empty core supported on said winding station whereby a web may be wound thereabout, pressure contact means supported juxtaposed to said winding station for holding a core on said winding station as a web is wound, a finishing station adjacent said frame, pickup and delivery means supported adjacent the winding station for substantially simultaneously positioning one of said plurality of cores in said hopper onto said winding station while delivering a wound core to said finishing station, and said pressure contact means contacting one of said plurality of said cores substantially simultaneously with the positioning of said one of said plurality of cores on said winding station.

9. In an automatic winding machine in accordance with claim 8 including means for rocking said finishing station to induce a tear in said web, said means for rocking said finishing station cooperating with a means for wetting the web to weaken it to thereby sever the web, and mechanical means for fixing a portion of the web intermediate its severed end and an end applied to the wound core to a portion of the web which 'has been wound on the core.

10. The method of continuously forming rolls of material comprising the steps of: positioning a plurality of cores in a hopper wherein said hopper is in close spaced relationship to a web of material, positioning one core on the web of material, securing one end of the web to the core, winding the web onto the core into a roll, automatically moving the wound roll to a support member, automatically carrying a second core from the hopper and positioning the second core on the web substantially simultaneously with the automatic moving of the wound roll to the support member, rocking the support member to induce a tear in the web material, securing one end of the torn web material to the wound roll of web material and substantially simultaneously therewith securing the other end of the torn web material to the second core.

'11. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein the step of securing one end of the torn web material to the wound roll of web material is effected by moving a plurality of moistened spaced fingers into contact with said intermediate web portion and wound roll.

'12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the step of securing the other end of the torn web material to the newly positioned core is achieved by blowing the other end of the torn web onto the newly positioned core by a blast of air.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,537,588 1/1951 Husson 24256 2,989,262 6/ 1961 Hornbostel 242-56 3,030,042 4/4962 De Gelleke 242-56 3,104,072 9/1963 Doven et a]. 24266 3,148,843 9/1964 Turner 24256 FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINE HAVING A FRAME ADAPTED TO SUPPORT AT LEAST ONE WEB OF MATERIAL, POWER MEANS FOR DRIVING A WEB ALONG THE FRAME, A WINDING STATION ON THE FRAME ADAPTED TO ROTATABLY SUPPORT AT LEAST ONE EMPTY CORE, MEANS FOR APPLYING ONE END OF A WEB TO AN EMPTY CORE WHEREBY A WEB CAN BE WOUND THEREABOUT, PRESSURE CONTACT MEANS INCLUDING A ROLL MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID WINDING STATION FOR HOLDING A CORE ON THE WINDING STATION AS THE WEB IS WOUND, SAID ROLL BEING RECIPROCAL TO BE BROUGHT INTO AND OUT OF SEATED ENGAGEMENT ON A WEB AS IT IS WOUND AND TO COMPENSATE FOR INCREASING THE WEB DIAMETER AS A WEB IS WOUND, A FINISHING STATION ADJACENT SAID FRAME, AND PICKUP AND DELIVERY MEANS SUPPORTED AD-

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