CLAMPING DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING A REEL HAVING A TUBULAR CORE

Abstract

A clamping device (18) for supporting a reel having a tubular core is described. The clamping device (18) comprises a base body (20) with a mounting interface (22) for fixing the base body (20) on a machine frame. Additionally, it has a carrier body (36) configured for being placed inside the tubular core of the reel. The carrier body (36) is rotatably supported on the base body (20) such that the carrier body (36) can rotate with respect to the base body (20) about an axis (38) of rotation. Moreover, a plurality of clamping elements (42) are coupled with an actuation mechanism (76) such that the clamping elements (42) can selectively protrude from an outer circumference of the carrier body (36) and selectively be retracted to be at least flush with the outer circumference of the carrier body (36). Furthermore, a brake mechanism is arranged between the base body (20) and the carrier body (36) for selectively decelerating or blocking the rotation of the carrier body (36) with respect to the base body (20).

Claims

1. A clamping device for supporting a reelhaving a tubular core, the clamping device comprising: a base body with a mounting interface for fixing the base body on a machine frame, a carrier body configured for being placed inside the tubular core of the reel, wherein the carrier body is rotatably supported on the base body such that the carrier body can rotate with respect to the base body about an axis of rotation, a plurality of clamping elements being coupled with an actuation mechanism such that the plurality of clamping elements can selectively protrude from an outer circumference of the carrier body and selectively be retracted to be at least flush with the outer circumference of the carrier body, and a brake mechanism being arranged between the base body and the carrier body for selectively decelerating or blocking the rotation of the carrier body with respect to the base body, wherein the brake mechanism is integrated into the clamping device so that the brake mechanism is a functional and structural unit of the clamping device.

2. The clamping device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier body is supported on the base body via at least two separate bearing members, especially two separate roller bearing members.

3. The clamping device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier body is sleeve-shaped or cup-shaped, wherein a portion of the base body extends into an interior of the carrier body.

4. The clamping device according to claim 1, wherein the brake mechanism comprises a loading arrangement for generating and/or adjusting a brake torque to be effective between the base body and the carrier body.

5. The clamping device according to claim 4, wherein the brake mechanism comprises a plurality of disks forming a stack which generally extends along the axis of rotation, wherein the plurality of disks are rotationally fixed on the base body or on the carrier body respectively in an alternating manner.

6. The clamping device according to claim 5, wherein the loading arrangement comprises a compression member for compressing the stack of disks in order to generate a brake torque.

7. The clamping device according to claim 6, wherein the compression member is a compression ringcooperating with the base body via a screw thread and acting on the stack of disks via at least one spring element.

8. The clamping device according to claim 5, wherein a cantilevered end of the carrier body and the loading arrangement are arranged opposite each other.

9. The clamping device according to claim 1, wherein the clamping elements are positioned closer to a first, cantilevered end of the carrier body than to a second end of the carrier body, being arranged opposite the first end.

10. The clamping device according to claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanismcomprises a push member and the clamping elements are arranged between the carrier body and the push member along the axis of rotation, wherein the push member is selectively movable with respect to the carrier bodyalong the axis of rotation.

11. The clamping device according to claim 10, wherein each of the clamping elements abuts against the carrier body and the push member via respective contact faces which are inclined with respect to the axis of rotation and with respect to a corresponding radial direction such that the clamping elements can be pushed radially outward if the push member approaches the carrier body and can be retracted if the push member departs from the carrier body.

12. The clamping device according to claim 10, wherein the actuation mechanism comprises a screw member connecting the carrier body and the push member and generally extending along the axis of rotation in order to selectively move the push member.

13. The clamping device according to claim 12, wherein the screw member is accessible from an end of the clamping device being opposed to a cantilevered end of the carrier body.

14. The clamping device according to claim 12, wherein, along the axis of rotation, a tool interface of the screw member is arranged in an axial section being defined by an axial extension of the brake mechanism.

Description

[0025] The invention will now be explained with reference to an embodiment which is shown in the attached drawings. In the drawings,

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a reel having a tubular core and carrying a web material, wherein the reel is supported on two clamping devices according to the invention,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary one of the clamping devices of FIG. 1 in a perspective view,

[0028] FIG. 3 shows the clamping device of FIG. 2 in a sectional view with retracted clamping elements, and

[0029] FIG. 4 shows the clamping device of FIG. 3 with protruding clamping elements.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a reel 10 having a tubular core 12 on which a web material 14 is wound. In the present example the web material is a polymer foil.

[0031] The reel 10 is supported on a machine frame 16 of a web material processing machine via two clamping devices 18. In this context, the frame 16 is only represented in a schematic manner.

[0032] Both clamping devices 18 are identical.

[0033] Consequently, only one exemplary clamping device 18 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. These explanations obviously apply to both clamping devices 18 shown in FIG. 1.

[0034] The exemplary clamping device 18 comprises a base body 20.

[0035] On the base body 20 a mounting interface 22 is provided for fixing the base body 20 on the machine frame 16.

[0036] In the example shown in the figures, the mounting interface 22 comprises a mounting arm 24.

[0037] At an end of the mounting arm 24 which is to be connected to the machine frame 16, two mounting slots 26a, 26b are provided.

[0038] The base body 20 also comprises a substantially ring-shaped member 28 which is fixedly connected to the mounting arm 24.

[0039] Moreover, the base body 20 comprises a tubular support member 30 which is immovably mounted on the ring-shaped member 28.

[0040] The tubular support member 30 extends through the interior of the ring-shaped member 28 and protrudes from the ring-shaped member 28.

[0041] On the protruding portion of the tubular support member 30 two bearing members 34a, 34b are provided and a carrier body 36 is rotatably supported on the tubular support member 30 via these bearing members 34a, 34b.

[0042] In the present example the bearing members 34a, 34b are roller bearing members which are positioned such that a certain distance is provided between them.

[0043] Consequently, the carrier body 36 can rotate about an axis 38 of rotation with respect to the base body 20.

[0044] In other words, the carrier body 36 is rotatably supported on the base body 20.

[0045] The carrier body 36 is substantially cup-shaped, wherein an open end thereof is oriented towards the ring-shaped member 28 of the base body 20 such that a portion of the tubular support member 30 of the support body 20 is received inside the interior of the carrier body 36.

[0046] At a closed end of the cup-shaped carrier body 36 a generally plate-shaped push member 40 is provided.

[0047] Along the axis 38 of rotation, i.e. axially, in between the carrier body 36 and the push member 40 a plurality of clamping elements 42 are arranged.

[0048] Each of the clamping elements 42 is generally plate-shaped and substantially is oriented in an axial and radial direction with respect to the axis 38 of rotation.

[0049] Along a circumference of the carrier body 36 and the push member 40 the clamping elements 42 are arranged in a regular pattern. This means that neighboring clamping elements 42 have substantially the same angular distance respectively.

[0050] A circumferentially outer surface 44 of each of the clamping elements 42 comprises a sharp tip 47. Preferably, the outer surface 44 of each of the clamping elements 42 is provided with a toothed pattern 46 which facilitates the clamping of the reel 10 as will be explained later. The sharp tip as well as the toothed pattern are especially well adapted for a reel having an axle made of soft material, for example cardboard, by penetrating the axle and providing very tight clamping.

[0051] Axial end faces 48, 50 of the clamping elements 42 are inclined with respect to a radial direction and with respect to an axial direction defined by the axis 38 of rotation.

[0052] The axial end faces 48 which are oriented towards the carrier body 36 abut against corresponding contact faces 52 of the carrier body 36 which are also inclined with respect to the axis 38 of rotation and with respect to a corresponding radial direction.

[0053] The axial end faces 50 which are oriented towards the push member 40 abut against corresponding contact faces 54 provided on the push member 40. These contact faces 54 are inclined with respect to the axis 38 of rotation and with respect to a corresponding radial direction.

[0054] The above-mentioned inclinations are oriented such that the clamping elements 42 are pushed radially outward if the push member 40 approaches the carrier body 36 and can be radially retracted towards the axis 38 of rotation if the push member 40 departs from the carrier body 36.

[0055] Moreover, each clamping element 42 comprises an opening 56, wherein two holding rings 58, 60 are arranged such that they extend through the openings 56 of all of the clamping elements 42.

[0056] The holding rings 58, 60 also pre-load the clamping elements 42 radially inwards, thus the axial end faces 48, 50 of the clamping elements 42 are always kept in abutment with the corresponding contact faces 52, 54.

[0057] The carrier body 36 and the push member 40 are biased in an axial direction away from each other by a spring element 62.

[0058] However, against the force of the spring element 62, the push member 40 and the carrier body 36 are connected via a screw member 64.

[0059] The screw member 64 generally extends along the axis 38 of rotation.

[0060] The screw member 64 threadedly engages the push member 40 and extends through the carrier body 36 such that a head 66 of the screw member is positioned on a side of the carrier body 36 which is opposed to the push member.

[0061] Consequently, the push member 40 can be selectively moved relative to the carrier body 36 by turning the screw member 64.

[0062] On the side of the carrier body 36 which is opposed to the push member 40, an elongate sleeve 68 is provided and the screw member 64 extends through the sleeve 68.

[0063] Thus, the head 66 of the screw member 64 is arranged at a certain distance from a bottom portion of the carrier body 36 which essentially corresponds to an axial length of the sleeve 68.

[0064] This leads to a configuration in which the head 66 of the screw member 64 and especially a tool interface 70 arranged on the head 66 is accessible from an end of the clamping device 18 being opposed to a cantilevered end 72 of the carrier body 36.

[0065] In the example shown, the cantilevered end 72 of the carrier body 36 corresponds to the end where the push member 40 is provided.

[0066] This design renders the tool interface 70 accessible by a standard tool 74 which is represented in FIG. 3 by an Allen key.

[0067] In contrast thereto, the clamping elements 42 are positioned in proximity to the cantilevered end 72 of the carrier body 36.

[0068] The push member 40, the screw member 64, the carrier rings 58, 60 and the inclined faces 48, 50, 52, 54 thus form an actuation mechanism 76 for the clamping elements 42.

[0069] Using the actuation mechanism 76, the clamping elements 42 can selectively protrude from an outer circumference of the carrier body 36 and selectively be retracted to be at least flush with the outer circumference of the carrier body 36.

[0070] The carrier body 36 and the push member 40 are configured for being placed inside the tubular core 12 of the reel 10. In this context, the carrier body 36 and the push member 40 are preferably moved into the inside of the tubular core 12 with the clamping elements 42 being retracted.

[0071] Once arranged inside the tubular core, the clamping elements 42 may be moved to the protruding position by turning the screw member 64. Consequently, the clamping elements 42 will engage the tubular core 12. More precisely, the toothed patterns 46 will engage an interior circumference of the tubular core 12 thereby holding the reel 10.

[0072] The clamping device 18 also comprises a brake mechanism 78 being arranged between the base body 20 and the carrier body 36 for selectively decelerating or blocking the rotation of the carrier body 36 with respect to the base body 20.

[0073] The brake mechanism 78 comprises a multiple disk brake 80 having a plurality of disks forming a stack 81 which generally extends along the axis 38 of rotation.

[0074] According to the working principle of a multiple disk brake the plurality of disks comprises so-called outer disks 82 which are rotationally fixed on the ring-shaped member 28 of the base body 20 and so-called inner disks 84 which hare rotationally fixed on the carrier body 36. In the present example, the inner disks 84 are coupled with a support member 86 of the carrier body 36.

[0075] The inner disks 84 and the outer disks 82 are arranged in an alternating order along the axis 38 of rotation.

[0076] Both the inner disks 84 and the outer disks 82 are axially movable to a certain extend.

[0077] The brake mechanism 78 also comprises a loading arrangement 88 for generating and/or adjusting a brake torque to be effective between the base body 20 and the carrier body 36.

[0078] To this end, the loading arrangement 88 comprises a compression member 90 for compressing the stack 81 of inner disks 84 and outer disks 82 in order to generate a brake torque.

[0079] In the example shown the compression member 90 is a compression ring 92 cooperating with the base body 20 via a screw thread 94 and acting on the stack 81 of disks 82, 84 via a plurality of spring element 96.

[0080] For reasons of better visibility, only one spring element 96 is represented in FIG. 3 in a schematical manner. In reality, the clamping device 18 comprises 3 to 5 spring elements 96 which are equally distributed over a circumferential direction.

[0081] Alternatively, the spring element 96 may be replaced by any elastically compressible element, for example a piston.

[0082] More precisely, the screw thread 94 of the compression ring 92 engages a screw thread 98 being provided on a sleeve member 100 of the base body 20 which his fixedly connected to the ring-shaped member 28 and the tubular support member 30.

[0083] Thus, by turning the compression ring 92 with respect to the sleeve member 100 the spring elements 96 may be compressed such that the stack 81 of inner disks 84 and outer disks 82 is compressed. As a consequence thereof, a brake torque is increased.

[0084] If the compression ring 92 is turned in an opposite direction, the spring elements 96 are de-compressed. Consequently, a brake torque is reduced.

[0085] In the example shown in the figures, the cantilevered end 72 of the carrier body 36 and the loading arrangement 88 are arranged opposite each other. This means that the loading arrangement 88 and the cantilevered end 72 of the carrier body 36 are positioned at opposing axial ends of the clamping device 18.

[0086] Moreover, the tool interface 70 of the screw member 64 and the brake mechanism 78 may be arranged such that the tool interface 70 is located in an axial section S of the clamping device 18 being defined by the axial extension of the brake mechanism 78, such that when the tool 74 is inserted into the tool interface, the tools protrudes by a margin from the stub. This margin avoid any interference between the tool and the stub, while avoiding to protrude too much.

[0087] In the example shown, a first axial end of the brake mechanism is defined by the compression ring 92 and a second axial end of the brake mechanism 78 is defined by the inner brake disk 84 having the biggest distance from the compression ring 92.

[0088] When considering the direction of the axis 38 of rotation, the tool interface 70 is arranged between these axial ends.