US3693859A

US3693859A - Web slack box having a rotatable web accumulator

Info

Publication number: US3693859A
Application number: US169020A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leroy C Nielsen
Original assignee: Eastman Kodak Co
Current assignee: Eastman Kodak Co
Priority date: 1971-08-04
Filing date: 1971-08-04
Publication date: 1972-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-26

Abstract

A slack box having a rotatable web accumulator comprising a hub and radially extending partitions mounted for rotation in a vertical plane. The hub and partitions cooperate with side walls or discs to form quandrantal compartments for receiving a web in succession upon rotation of the hub by a hub drive mechanism. A web feeding mechanism gravity feeds the web in random looped fashion successively into each of the compartments as the hub is rotated, and the web feeding rate and hub speed rotation are selected such that each compartment is substantially filled with coils and loops of the web before it is fed into the next adjacent compartment. The web is successively withdrawn from the filled compartments and preferably fed continuously into a web processing device or the like. A sensing mechanism senses the amount of web or the web-filled condition of each of the compartments as it is moved past the sensing mechanism, and in response to a web-filled condition that is higher or greater than a predetermined web-filled condition, stops or disables the hub drive and web-feeding mechanisms for discontinuing web feed into the web accumulator. When sufficient web has been withdrawn from the web-filled compartment so that its web-filled condition is lower or less than the predetermined web-filled condition, the sensing mechanism enables or actuates the web feeding and hub drive mechanisms for feeding web into the rotating web accumulator.

Description

Nielsen (54] WEB SLACK BOX HAVING A ROTATABLE WEB ACCUMULATOR [72] Inventor: LeRoy C. Nielsen, Rochester, N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester.N.Y.

[22] Filed: Aug. 4, I971 [2!] Appl. No.: 169,020

[52] US. Cl ..226/ll8 [5 l] Int. Cl. ..B6Sh 17/42 [58] Field olSelrch ..226/l I3, H8, H9",

Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles Amman! ExaminerGene A. Church Almnu-y-William T. French et al.

I 57 I ABSTRACT A slack box having a rotatable web accumulator com- [45] Sept. 26, 1972 prising a hub and radially extending partitions mounted for rotation in a vertical plane. The hub and partitions cooperate with side walls or discs to form quandrantal compartments for receiving a web in succession upon rotation of the hub by a hub drive mechanism. A web feeding mechanism gravity feeds the web in random looped fashion successively into each of the compartments as the hub is rotated, and the web feeding rate and hub speed rotation are selected such that each compartment is substantially filled with coils and loops of the web before it is fed into the next adjacent compartment. The web is successively withdrawn from the filled compartments and preferably fed continuously into a web processing device or the like. A sensing mechanism senses the amount of web or the web-filled condition of each of the compartments as it is moved past the sensing mechanism, and in response to a web-tilled condition that is higher or greater than a predetermined webfilled condition, stops or disables the hub drive and web-feeding mechanisms for discontinuing web feed into the web accumulator. When sufficient web has been withdrawn from the web-filled compartment so that its web-filled condition is lower or less than the predetermined web-filled condition, the sensing mechanism enables or actuates the web feeding and hub drive mechanisms for feeding web into the rotating web accumulator.

14 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDszrzs I912 3,693,859

sum 1 0F 2 Le ROY C. NIELSEN /ffi am A TTOR/VEY PATENTEDSEPZS zen SHEET 2 BF 2 FIG 3 HUB LEROY C. lV/ELSE/V mvsmoa.

BY I

FILM TRANSPORT F/LM PRESSURE A TTORNEY WEB SLACK BOX HAVING A ROTATABLE WEB ACCUMULATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to web handling mechanisms, and more specifically to a web slack box having a rotatable web accumulator.

2. Description of the Prior Art it is known in the prior art to provide slack boxes for storing web material at the feed and take-oft ends of a continuously operating machine such as a photographic film processing device. This permits intermittently stopping film transport into or out of the device for short periods of time for some purpose such as inspection, splicing, or the like without affecting the continuous operation of the processing device. One type of slack box for such a machine is shown in German Pat. No. l38,82l comprising one or more solution-filled tanks into which the film is freely randomly fed in serpentine or looped fashion. Such a slack box is not usable in applications in which a dry web is stored or accumulated. Another slack box of this general type receives a freely falling dry web in serpentine or looped fashion, but it is incapable of accumulating a sufficient length of film without crushing the bottom or lower loops of web due to the weight of the upper web loops or convolutions. Another well-known type of slack box comprises a film supporting elevator mechanism for normally accumulating the film on rollers rotatably mounted on upper and lower spaced apart, parallel shafts. The upper shaft is fixed, and the lower shaft and rollers form a part of a vertically, reciprocally movable elevator mechanism. Accordingly, when the film feed into the processing device is stopped to permit a splicing operation or the like, the elevator mechanism begins to move upwardly as the film continues to be withdrawn from the slack box, and when it reaches a predetermined height, a switch is activated by any suitable means for enabling or actuating the film-feeding mechanism. Since the film is fed into the slack box at a faster rate than it is withdrawn therefrom, the elevator mechanism will then move downwardly as it accumulates film, and when it reaches a predetermined point where sufficient film has been it will actuate another switch disabling or deactuating the film-feeding mechanism. Although the elevator slack box operates in a satisfactory manner, it is of relatively complicated construction comprising many parts that greatly increases problems of assembly, operability and repair. Accordingly, such slack boxes are expensive to manufacture, and in addition take up a considerable amount of space. Furthermore, in view of the large number of rollers and loops involved, the force required to pull the film through the slack box is relatively high.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved slack box for a web or the like that is capable of accumulating successive webs of varying widths without requiring any alteration of the slack box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slack box in which the weight of the freely accumulating web loops does not crush the bottom or lower web convolutrons.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slack box having rotatable compartments for accumulating and supporting a long length of free web without crushing the bottom or lower web convolutions.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved slack box for a web or the like that is capable of storing or accumulating a long length of web while utilizing a minimum amount of space.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved slack box for material such as a web or the like that is of simple design and construction, thoroughly reliable in operation, and economical to manufacture.

The invention and its objects and advantages will become more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment presented below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention includes within its scope a slack box having a rotatable accumulator for storing a continuous web material such as a film or the like. The slack box comprises a rotatable hub and a plurality of radially extending partitions rotatable therewith and cooperating with a pair of spaced side plates or discs to form a plurality of angularly spaced compartments open at the periphery. The film is fed by any suitable film-feeding mechanism into each of the film compartments in succession as the hub and partitions are rotated by any suitable hub drive mechanism. The rate of film feed into each compartment and the rotational speed of the hub are properly selected such that each compartment is substantially filled with coils and loops of film before the film enters the next succeeding compartment. A retaining rail comprising arcuate plates and/or a plurality of rollers encircles the compartments to prevent the escape of film from the compartments. A sensing mechanism such as a switch is provided for sensing the amount of film or the film-filled condition of the compartments as they are moved past the switch. The switch is movable by some means such as film tension or pressure from a normally closed position, in which it actuates or enables the film-feeding and hub drive mechanisms, to an open position, in which it deactuates or disables the film feeding and hub driving mechanisms. The film tension or pressure for moving the switch to its open position may result from some means such as film tension or pressure due to the accumulation of a large number of compacted coils and loops of film in a film-filled compartment. After a sufficient length of film has been withdrawn into a processor or the like from a rotatable film-filled compartment, the film tension or pressure is reduced due to the reduction in the number of film loops or convolutions, and the resultant reduction in the compaction of the film loops. This reduction in film tension or pressure allows the switch to return to its normally closed position for actuating or enabling the film-feeding and hub drive mechanisms for again feeding film into the compartments in succession.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of a rotatable slack box of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the slack box of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a right end elevational view of the slack box of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic electrical wiring diagram for the slack box.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the drawings, a horizontal base 6 is shown having a vertically upstanding frame plate 8 secured to the base by any suitable means such as welding and/or cross beams 10 (FIG. 3). A laterally extending stub shaft 12 is secured to plate 8 for rotatably supporting a hub 14 rotatably driven by a motor 16 through sprockets 18 on the motor shaft and hub over which a belt 20 is trained as best seen in FIG. 3. A pair of axially spaced circular discs 22 are secured by any suitable means to the hub periphery for rotation therewith, and are provided with radially extending slots 24 (See FIG. I) in alignment with one another for receiving rectangular ribs or partitions 26 extending between discs 22 (see FIG. 3). The partitions in cooperation with hub 14 and discs 22 form quandrantal compartments 28 (FIG. 1) for receiving a web such as a film 29. Although only four compartments are formed, it should be understood that any other number of compartments may be provided depending upon the angular spacing between slots 24 or partitions 26. The open ends of compartments 28 at the periphery of the discs are closed off in part at the upper end of the slack box by arcuate retaining plates 30 encircling discs 22. Retaining plates 30 are secured to frame 8 by screws extending through flanges 32 on plates 30. Since the film or film loops rarely engage plates 30 due to gravity acting on the film, there is no appreciable danger of film emulsion damage due to film slippage between the film and plates 30. The open ends of compartments 28 at the lower end of the slack box are closed off by a plurality of adjacent rollers 34 of the same or varying sizes rotatably mounted on shafts 36 laterally extending from and secured to frame plate 8 as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Rollers 34 are provided to minimize possible film emulsion damage due to interaction between the film loops and the rollers caused by film pressure and gravity. If desired, rollers 34 preferably formed from Teflon or the like may be provided around the entire periphery of discs 22.

Any suitable web-like material such as film 29 received from a film supply, not shown, is fed through a gate 38 (FIG. 1) in or between adjacent retaining plates 30 into a film compartment 28 by any suitable friction drive roller 40 over which the non-emulsion or base side of film 29 is trained. The film is held in driving engagement with drive roller 40 by a grooved pressure roller 42 rotatably mounted at one end of a pivotal lever 44 and biased into engagement with roller 40 by a spring 46. Tile grooved periphery of roller 42 registers with the film emulsion and prevents damage thereto. The drive roller 40 is mounted on a shaft 48 journaled in frame 8 and driven by a motor 50 through any suitable drive coupling 54 as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Motor 50 is mounted on a shelf 52 secured by welding or the like to frame 8. Tl-le drive roller 50 is driven to feed film 29 into film compartments 28 in succession at a predetermined rate in relation to the rotational speed of hub 14 such that the compartment 28 in register with gate 38 will be filled to a predetermined web-filled condition as the next succeeding empty compartment is moved into alignment with the gate. To prevent damage to the film as it moves from a filled compartment to an adjacent empty compartment, the discs 22 rotatably support rollers 56 adjacent the end of each of the radially extending partitions 26 over which the film 29 passes.

One of the retaining plates 30 is further provided with an exit slot 58 through which the film is withdrawn or removed from the slack box, trained over one or more rollers 60, and fed continuously into a film processing device or the like, not shown. A sensing mechanism of any suitable type is provided for sensing the film-filled condition of a compartment 28, and in response thereto controlling the operation of the hub and film-

feed drive motors

16, 50 respectively. The sensing mechanism may be of any suitable known type such as a photosensitive sensor, or a fluidic sensor, or the like, and is shown in this invention as a switch 62 (FIG. 1) interposed adjacent two of the retaining rollers 34, and having an actuator arm 64 extending radially inwardly between discs 22 and into a compartment 28. The switch 62 is inherently biased by any suitable expansion spring 65 (FIG. 4) to a normally closed or on" position as illustrated schematically in FlG. l in which it completes a power circuit to the hub and film

feed drive motors

16, 50 respectively for actuating or enabling the

motors

16, 50 for simultaneously rotating hub 14 and compartments 28, and roller 40 for feeding film 29 into a compartment. When a film-filled compartment of film is moved past switch arm 64, the closely packed coils and loops of film have sufficient weight, rigidity and pressure to move switch arm 64 against the bias of compression spring 65 for moving the contacts of switch 62 to their open or "off" position. In this position the electrical circuit to hub and film-

feed drive motors

16, 50 respectively is broken for deactuating or disabling the motors so that the compartments cease to rotate and no film is fed into a compartment 28. Film 29 continues to be withdrawn from the slack box into the processor, and when a sufficient length of film has been withdrawn from the film-filled compartment, the film coils and loops therein gradually lose their pressure or tension as they become enlarged and reduced in number until such pressure is less than the force exerted by spring 65. Accordingly, switch arm 64 is returned by spring 65 to its normal position closing switch contacts 62 for enabling the

drive motors

16, 50 for again simultaneously rotatably driving the compartments and feeding film into a compartment in timed relation thereto.

Although hub 14, discs 22 and partitions 26 rotate as a unit within the encircling retaining plates 30 and rollers 34, it is possible to modify the slack box by providing rigid discs or plates 22 secured to frame 8, and having hub 14 provided with radially extending partitions 26 secured thereto, and the hub and partitions rotatable as a unit between the discs. In such a modification, retaining plates 30 and rollers 34 would be arranged to encircle partitions 26 and could be secured to one or both of the discs 22. Rollers 56 could be rotatably mounted at the end of each partition to support film and prevent damage thereto as the film passes from one compartment to another.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a preferred embodiment thereof. but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove.

I claim:

1. in a slack box for accumulating a web, the combination comprising:

web accumulating means having a plurality of adacent compartments;

means for feeding a web into one of said compartments;

means for moving said compartments in succession past and in timed relation to said web-feeding means for filling each of said compartments to a predetermined web-filled condition; and

means coupled to said web-accumulating means and said web-feeding means for sensing the web-filled condition of each of said compartments in succession, and in response to the sensing disabling said web-feeding means and said web-accumulating moving means when the web-filled condition of said sensed compartment is substantially equal to or greater than said predetermined web-filled condition, and enabling said web-feeding means and said web-accumulating moving means when the web-filled condition of said sensed compartment is less than said predetermined web-filled condition.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said compartments are rotatable, and said moving means imparts rotation to said compartments.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said web-accumulating means comprises a rotatable member having a plurality of radially extending, angularly spaced partitions cooperating therewith to form a plurality of compartments.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said web-accumulating means comprises a rotatable member having circular spaced discs, and a plurality of radially extending, angularly spaced partitions between said discs cooperating with said member and said discs to form a plurality of compartments.

5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said web-accumulating means comprises a rotatable member having circular spaced discs, and a plurality of radially extending, angularly spaced partitions between said discs cooperating with said member and said discs to form a plurality of compartments, and web-retaining means encircling the periphery of said discs.

6. The invention according to claim 5 wherein said web-retaining means is provided with a web inlet and a web outlet, and comprises an arcuate plate encircling a portion of the periphery of said discs, and a plurality of adjacent rollers encircling the remainder of the periphery of said discs.

7. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises an electrical switch having an actuator arm extending into a compartment and responsive to the web pressure therein for movement from a normally closed position to an open position for disabling said web-feeding means and said compartment moving means.

8. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises an electrical switch movable between pen and closed positims and in circuit with said webeedmg means and sal compartment movmg means, said switch having an actuator arm extending into a compartment and responsive to the web pressure for movement between a normally closed position enabling said web-feeding means and said compartment moving means and an open position disabling said web-feeding means and said compartment moving means.

9. In a slack box for accumulating a web, the combination comprising:

web-accumulating means having a plurality of adjacent compartments;

means for feeding a web into one of said compartments;

means for moving said compartments in timed relation to said web-feeding means for filling each of said compartments in succession;

switch means responsive to the web pressure in one of said web-filled compartments for movement from a normal closed position for enabling said web-feeding means and said compartment moving means, to an open position for disabling said webfeeding means and said compartment moving means; and

means for withdrawing the web from said one webfilled compartment until the web pressure in said one web-filled compartment is reduced causing said switch means to be moved to its closed position.

10. The invention according to claim 9 wherein said compartments are rotatable, and said compartment moving means imparts rotation to said compartments.

1]. The invention according to claim 9 wherein said web-accumulating means comprises a rotatable member having a plurality of radially extending, angularly spaced partitions cooperating therewith to form a plurality of compartments.

12. The invention according to claim 9 wherein said web-accumulating means comprises a rotatable member having circular spaced discs and a plurality of radially extending, angularly spaced partitions between said discs and cooperating with said member and said discs to form a plurality of compartments.

13. The invention according to claim 9 wherein said web-accumulating means comprises a rotatable member having circular spaced discs and a plurality of radially extending, angularly spaced partitions between said discs and cooperating with said member and said discs to form a plurality of compartments, and webretaining means encircling the periphery of said discs.

14. The invention according to claim 13 wherein said webretaining means is provided with a web inlet and a web outlet, and comprises an arcuate plate encircling a portion of the periphery of said discs, and a plurality of adjacent rollers encircling the remainder of the periphery of said discs.

Claims

1. In a slack box for accumulating a web, the combination comprising: web accumulating means having a plurality of adjacent compartments; means for feeding a web into one of said compartments; means for moving said compartments in succession past and in timed relation to said web-feeding means for filling each of said compartments to a predetermined web-filled condition; and means coupled to said web-accumulating means and said webfeeding means for sensing the web-filled condition of each of said compartments in succession, and in response to the sensing disabling said web-feeding means and said web-accumulating moving means when the web-filled conDition of said sensed compartment is substantially equal to or greater than said predetermined web-filled condition, and enabling said webfeeding means and said web-accumulating moving means when the web-filled condition of said sensed compartment is less than said predetermined web-filled condition.

8. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises an electrical switch movable between open and closed positions and in circuit with said web-feeding means and said compartment moving means, said switch having an actuator arm extending into a compartment and responsive to the web pressure for movement between a normally closed position enabling said web-feeding means and said compartment moving means and an open position disabling said web-feeding means and said compartment moving means.

9. In a slack box for accumulating a web, the combination comprising: web-accumulating means having a plurality of adjacent compartments; means for feeding a web into one of said compartments; means for moving said compartments in timed relation to said web-feeding means for filling each of said compartments in succession; switch means responsive to the web pressure in one of said web-filled compartments for movement from a normal closed position for enabling said web-feeding means and said compartment moving means, to an open position for disabling said web-feeding means and said compartment moving means; and means for withdrawing the web from said one web-filled compartment until the web pressure in said one web-filled compartment is reduced causing said switch means to be moved to its closed position. 10. The invention according to claim 9 wherein said compartments are rotatable, and said compartment moving means imparts rotation to said compartments.

11. The invention according to claim 9 wherein said web-accumulating means comprises a rotatable member having a plurality of radially extending, angularly spaced partitions cooperating therewith to form a plurality of compartments.

13. The invention according to claim 9 wherein said web-accumulating means comprises a rotatable member having circular spaced discs and a plurality of radially extending, angularly spaced partitions between said discs and cooperating with said member and said discs to form a plurality of compartments, and web-retaining means encircling the periphery of said discs.

14. The invention according to claim 13 wherein said web-retaining means is provided with a web inlet and a web outlet, and comprises an arcuate plate encircling a portion of the periphery of said discs, and a plurality of adjacent rollers encircling the remainder of the periphery of said discs.