METHOD OF PRODUCING A FABRIC ROLL AND ROLL THUS MADE

Abstract

A fabric roll is produced by winding a fabric (4) around at least two reels, that are coaxially aligned, spaced from each other, and have a total length (L) that is less than the width (Wr) of said fabric roll (11).

Claims

1. A method of producing a fabric roll (11), in which a fabric (4) is wound around a reel (T) to provide a roll (11), characterized in that the fabric (4) is wound around at least two reels, said reels being coaxially aligned and being spaced from each other, the at least two reels having a total length (L) that is less than the width (Wr) of said fabric roll (11).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reels are positioned at least at the ends of the roll width to support the edges (9) of said fabric roll (11).

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the length (L.sub.i) of each of said reels is L.sub.1, . . . , L.sub.n and the sum of the lengths of the reels (.sub.i=1.sup.nL.sub.i) is less than the width (Wr) of the fabric roll (11) (.sub.i=1.sup.nL.sub.i<Wr).

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the sum of the lengths of the reels (.sub.i=1.sup.nL.sub.i) is at least 13% of the width of the roll (Wr).

5. A method according to claim 1, including a starting step wherein the edge (7) of the fabric (4) is tensioned over its width and attached to said at least two reels.

6. A method according to claim 1, including a starting step wherein the edge (7) of the fabric (4) is tensioned over its width and manually wound around said reels for at least one turn.

7. A method according to claim 2, further including a reel (2) that is centrally positioned with respect to the said width (Wr) of the fabric roll (11).

8. A method according to claim 1, including the steps of: selecting a shaft (14); positioning said at least two reels (1-3) on said shaft whereby said reels are spaced from each other and said shaft is internal to said reels; retaining said reels (1-3) on said shaft (14) in the selected positions; winding a fabric (4) on said reels and said shaft to provide a fabric roll (11); removing said shaft (14) from said reels whereby the reels are retained in the fabric roll (11).

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said has a plurality of elements that can expand radially with respect to the axis of said shaft to temporarily retain said reels (1-3) in said required positions.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said shaft is a pneumatically actuated shaft and said elements expand upon action of a pneumatic pressure.

11. A fabric roll (11), including a at least two reels, said fabric being wound around said reels, said reels being coaxially aligned and being spaced from each other, the at least two reels having a total length L that is less than the width (Wr) of said fabric roll.

12. A fabric roll (11) according to claim 11, wherein said reels are positioned at least at the ends of the roll width to support the edges (9) of said fabric roll (11).

13. A fabric roll (11) according to claim 11, wherein the length Li of each of said reels is L.sub.1, L.sub.2, L.sub.n and the sum of the lengths of the reels (.sub.i=1.sup.nL.sub.i) is less than the width (Wr) of the fabric roll (11) (.sub.i=1.sup.nL.sub.i<Wr).

14. A fabric roll (11) according to claim 13, wherein the sum of the lengths of the reels (.sub.i=1.sup.nL.sub.i) is at least 13% of the width of the roll (Wr).

15. A fabric roll (11) according to claim 11, wherein the edge (7) of the fabric (4) in contact with said at least two reels, is tensioned over its width and attached to said at least two reels.

16. A fabric roll (11) according to claim 15, wherein said fabric (4) is attached to said reels by a two-sided adhesive tape (14).

17. A fabric roll (11) according to claim 12, further including a reel that is centrally positioned with respect to the said width (Wr) of the fabric roll (11).

18. (canceled)

19. A reel system for a fabric roll (11) according to claim 11, comprising a plurality of reels (L) for a single fabric roll (11).

20. The method according to claim 3, wherein the sum of the lengths of the reels (.sub.i=1.sup.nL.sub.i) is at least 40% of the width of the roll (Wr).

Description

[0015] The invention will now be further illustrated with reference to the attached schematic drawings, where:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a top view of a traditional reel and of three reels according to the invention, which can replace the traditional reel;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a prospective view of the three reels of FIG. 1 on a portion of fabric;

[0018] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a fabric roll including an offset reel;

[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a reel having a porous structure;

[0020] FIG. 5 to 7 are a schematic view of the steps of positioning the reels on a pneumatic aligning shaft.

[0021] With reference to FIG. 1, it is schematically shown a reel T that is a traditional reel having length L.sub.T suitable for being used with a fabric having width Wr. Reel T is a single piece reel that can extend from one side or edge of fabric 4, whereby the length of reel T is identical or substantially identical to width Wr of fabric 4. In FIG. 1, a reel system according to the invention is shown below reel T. The reel system shown in FIG. 1 has three reels, 1-3, each having a length L.sub.1, L.sub.2, L.sub.3; as immediately visible, the sum of the lengths L.sub.1+L.sub.2+L.sub.3 is less than the length L.sub.T of reel T and is also less that the width Wr of the fabric web 4 that is to be wound into a fabric roll having the three reel 1-3 at its center.

[0022] FIG. 2 schematically shows the reels 1-3 of FIG. 1 located on fabric 4, at the initial steps of the method of the invention. The reels 1-3 are positioned to have two external reels that are aligned or slightly offset with sides 5 and 6 of the fabric web 4, and a third reel 2 that is located centrally to the width of fabric 4. Preferably, the disposition of the reels with respect to the longitudinal axis A-A of the fabric, is symmetrical or substantially symmetrical to said axis. The reels are coaxial or substantially coaxially aligned along axis B-B of the roll 11 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The number of reels to be used depends on the width of the fabric. The invention provides for a minimum of two reels. In FIG. 2 the embodiment has three reels 1, 2 and 3, that are spaced from each other, i.e. two adjacent reels are spaced by a distance that is referred to as D.sub.1 for reels 1-2 and D.sub.2 for reels 2-3. The distance between two adjacent reels depends on the width Wr of the fabric and on the number n of reels and on their length L.sub.i.

[0023] As above mentioned, a preferred embodiment of the method provides for a step in which the front edge 7 of the fabric web 4 is attached to the plurality of reels 1-3. This is done by manually winding the fabric's edge 7 around to reels or by attaching edge 7 of the fabric to reels 1-3; to this purpose, reels 1-3 are provided with suitable attachment means, preferably a strip of two-sided adhesive tape 14.

[0024] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, two reels, 1 and 3 are positioned at least at the ends of the roll width to support the edges of said fabric roll and avoid the fabric being without support at the edges of the roll, which can easily damage the fabric. It is however possible, as visible in FIG. 3, that the edge 10 of reels 1 and 3 is offset from the edge 9 of the roll 11 of fabric by a distance 8 that has a value up to about 10 cm. In other words, the edge, or extremity, 10 of the reel 1 may be spaced about 10 cm from the edge, or side, 9 of the fabric roll; the offset may be towards the outside, i.e. the reel protrudes from the roll as shown in FIG. 3, or towards inside the roll 11, i.e. the external edge 10 of reel 1 is housed inside the roll 11.

[0025] Suitable materials for the reels are cardboard or similar materials of natural fibers such as cellulosic fibers, and man-made or synthetic materials such as PP, PE, PET, ABS, Rubber, PU etc. Light materials are preferred. To make the reel lighter, the surface of the reel can have a porous structure as shown in FIG. 4, i.e. a plurality of holes, or a plurality of areas (i.e. portions of the reel) having a reduced thickness with respect to the remaining parts of the reel, may be present on the reel. In the embodiment of FIG. 4 reel 1 is provided with a plurality of through holes 12. The total area of the holes, or the total area of the reduced thickness portions in the reel surface, may be in the range of 40% to 80% of the area of the external surface 13 of reel 1, preferably at least 60%. The ratio can be in the range between 0%-90%.

[0026] In a further embodiment, the method can comprise the use of an aligning shaft in order to assure optimal conditions and a coaxial alignment between the reels in order to facilitate the required positioning and spacing of the reels to be used for each fabric roll. The aligning shaft is provided with a cross section diameter that is lower than the internal diameter of the reels, so as to allow the shaft to be inserted in the reels. At least part of the external surface of the shaft is configured to expand radially to increase its external diameter and thus engage the internal surface of the reels to retain them in a required position. The shaft is preferably a pneumatic shaft wherein at least a portion of the surface or at least an element arranged on said surface can provide the requested radial expansion due to a feeding of pressurized air into the shaft.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, a pneumatic shaft 14 enables reels 1, 2 and 3 to be positioned coaxially spaced between each other as required and, referring specifically to the two outermost reels 1 and 3 (one at each end of the shaft 14), to position reel 1 and 3 at the two side edges of the fabric 11 as previously described.

[0028] The shaft 14 has a tubular-like body with longitudinal elements or tabs on its circumferential outer surface, running lengthways parallel to its longitudinal axis (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6). The pneumatic shaft 14 has an air-tight hollow core with its circumferential wall having means to allow the pneumatic shaft 14 to expand radially once air is fed under pressure inside its hollow core. Preferably,

[0029] The method involving the use of a pneumatic shaft 14 thus implies the following steps for the mounting of reels 1-3:

[0030] positioning the reels in sequence along the pneumatic shaft 14 spaced as required (see FIG. 7);

[0031] pressurizing the pneumatic shaft 14 using air under pressure allowing radial expansion of the shaft, preferably through radial expansion of longitudinal elements 15 of the pneumatic shaft 14, thereby blocking in position the previously mounted reels 1-3. To this regard it should be noticed that any circumferential slippage between reels 1, 2 and 3 and shaft 14 is minimized through the circumferential contact between elements 15 of shaft 14 and reels 1-3. Similarly, longitudinal movement of reels 1-3 is prevented due to the rigidity of each reel core;

[0032] inserting the pneumatic shaft 14 in the winding module of the fabric winding machine ready for the process of fabric roll production.

[0033] The method has then a second phase involving the winding of the fabric 11 as per following steps:

[0034] starting the winding of fabric 11 and winding required length of fabric 11 on reels 1, 2 and 3 mounted on pneumatic shaft 14 with a velocity in the range of 5-25 meters/minute with a preferred value of approximately 10 meters/minute

[0035] ending the winding operation and discharging air from inside the core of pneumatic shaft 14;

[0036] pulling out the pneumatic shaft 14 (which has regained its nominal diameter) from the core of roll fabric 11;

[0037] At the end of the process, the reels remain into the core of the fabric roll, i.e. they are retained in the position selected on the shaft, which actually is the position required for the reels with respect to the width of the fabric roll. The reels are coaxially aligned and are retained in this aligned and spaced position by the rigidity of the overall structure of the roll.