Abstract
The invention relates to a reel handling system for a winder (50), in which bobbins (1) with a material web (2) can be applied, with the result that a plurality of reels (3) which are wound on the bobbins (1) with a material web (2) are produced, having a feed unit (10), in order to transfer a plurality of bobbins (1) to a receiving unit (20), wherein the receiving unit (20) is arranged movably between the feed unit (10) and a transfer station (60), by way of which receiving unit (20) bobbins (1) can be transferred to the winder (50) and reels (3) can be transferred from the winder (50) to the transfer station (60), wherein a positioning device (80) is provided between the transfer station (60) and the feed unit (10), which positioning device (80) brings about positioning of the bobbins (1) during the movement of the receiving unit (20) in the direction of the transfer station (60).
Claims
1. A reel handling system for a winder (50) which is impingeable with tubes (1) having in each case one material web (2), such that a plurality of reels (3) of tubes (1) having in each case one material web (2) wound thereon are created, the reel handling system having an infeed unit (10) for transferring a plurality of tubes (1) to a receptacle unit (20), wherein the receptacle unit (20) is disposed so as to be movable between the infeed unit (10) and a transfer station (60) by way of which tubes (1) are consignable to the winder (50) and reels (3) is transferable from the winder (50) to the transfer station (60), wherein a position installation (80) which effects positioning of the tubes (1) when the receptacle unit (20) is moved in the direction of the transfer station (60) is provided between the transfer station (60) and the infeed unit (10); wherein for applying an adhesive medium to the tubes (1) an adhesive bonding device (90) is disposed between the infeed unit (10) and the transfer station (60), and wherein a sensor unit (100) is disposed between a wiper element (81) and the adhesive bonding device (90).
2. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the position installation (80) is configured in such a manner that positioning of the tubes (1) is performed in a mutually relative manner.
3. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the adhesive bonding device (90) is integrated in the position installation (80).
4. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the position installation (80) has a sensor unit (100) which checks the tubes (1) passing by, checks whether the tubes (1) bear correctly on the receptacle unit (20) and/or the correct tubes (1) are located on the receptacle unit (20).
5. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the position installation (80) has a wiper element (81) which serves for contacting at least one tube (1) while the receptacle unit (20) is moved in the direction of the transfer station (60).
6. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the position installation (80) is displaceable, and assumes an operating position (21) when the receptacle unit (20) having the tubes (1) is moved in the direction of the transfer station (60), and assumes a standby position (22) which differs from the operating position (21), when the receptacle unit (20) having the reels (3) is moved.
7. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a reel discharge (130) to which reels (3) for conveying away are infeedable from the receptacle unit (20) is provided.
8. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the transfer station (60) has a supporting device (61) on which a winding shaft (62) is releasably fastened, wherein the tubes (1) are capable of being push-fitted onto the winding shaft (62) when the receptacle unit (20) is moved in the direction of the transfer station (60).
9. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the winding shaft (62) on one side is mounted on and/or fastened to the supporting device (61).
10. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the mounting of the winding shaft (62) is disposed on that side of the supporting device (61) that faces away from the infeed unit (10).
11. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the winding shaft (62) in relation to the horizontal axis (4) is downwardly inclined, such that the winding shaft (62) in relation to the horizontal axis (4) is inclined at an angle , wherein the angle is 5.
12. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that a free end (53) of the winding shaft (62) that faces the infeed unit (10) is downwardly inclined.
13. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the position installation (80) has a temperature-control unit for the adhesive medium and/or a pressurized unit for applying the adhesive medium, wherein the adhesive medium is a hot-melt adhesive.
14. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receptacle unit (20) has a first bearing face (23) having positioning means (24), so as to align the tubes (1) in the receptacle unit (20) by means of the position installation (80).
15. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receptacle unit (20) has a second bearing face (25) for receiving the reels (3), in that the second bearing face (25) is movable independently of the receptacle unit (20).
16. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receptacle unit (20) is movable in a linear manner between the infeed unit (10) and the transfer station (60), and/or has a lifting device by way of which the receptacle unit (20) is movable in a perpendicular manner to the direction of movement between the infeed unit (10) and the transfer station (60).
17. The reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receptacle unit (20) is disposed so as to be rotatable about an axis (31).
18. A method for positioning tubes (1) in a reel handling system as claimed in claim 1, the reel handling system having an infeed unit (10) for transferring a plurality of tubes (1) to a receptacle unit (20), wherein the receptacle unit (20) is disposed so as to be movable between the infeed unit (10) and a transfer station (60), and a position installation (80) which effects positioning of the tubes (1) when the receptacle unit (20) is moved in the direction of the transfer station (60) is provided between the transfer station (60) and the infeed unit (10).
19. The method as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that a winding shaft (62) is releasably fastened to the transfer station (60), wherein the tubes (1) are push-fitted onto the winding shaft (62) when the receptacle unit (20) is moved in the direction of the transfer station (60) and final positioning of the tubes (1) on the winding shaft (62) is hereby performed.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Further advantages, features, and details of the invention may be derived from the following description in which a plurality of exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, the features mentioned in the claims and in the description may in each case be relevant to the invention both individually or in any arbitrary combination thereof. In the drawings:
(2) FIGS. 1 to 11 show schematic views of a reel handling system having a winder, an infeed unit, a receptacle unit, a transfer station, a position installation, and a reel discharge, wherein the reel handling system is in various operational states;
(3) FIG. 12 shows a detailed view of the position installation;
(4) FIG. 13 shows an enlarged view according to FIG. 12;
(5) FIG. 14 shows a view A according to FIG. 12;
(6) FIG. 15 shows a view B according to FIG. 12;
(7) FIG. 16 shows a detailed view of the transfer station;
(8) FIG. 17 shows a further view of the transfer station;
(9) FIG. 18 shows a three-dimensional view of a winding shaft of the reel handling system;
(10) FIG. 19 shows an enlarged illustration of a part-region of the winding shaft according to FIG. 18;
(11) FIG. 20 shows a sectional view of the winding shaft according to FIG. 18; and
(12) FIG. 21 shows a schematic view of the winding shaft disposed in the transfer station and of the receptacle unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
(13) FIGS. 1 to 11 schematically show a reel handling system for a winder 50 in which tubes 1 having in each case one material web 2 may be wound. The reel handling system here comprises an infeed unit 10 for transferring a plurality of tubes 1 to a receptacle unit 20. According to FIG. 1, three reels 3 have already been transferred to the receptacle unit 20, wherein the receptacle unit 20 has a first bearing face 23 on which the tubes 1 bear. The tubes 1 here are configured so as to be cylindrical.
(14) The receptacle unit 20 may be moved between the infeed unit 10 and a transfer station 60. The tubes 1 may be transferred to the winder 50 in the transfer station 60, to which further reference will be made in the following. In each case one material web 2 is applied onto each individual tube 1 in the winder 50, and a plurality of reels 3 of tubes 1 having a material web 2 wound thereonto results (cf. FIGS. 3 and 6, for example). The reels 3 are subsequently transferred again from the winder 50 to the transfer station 60 (shown in FIGS. 4 and 5).
(15) A position installation 80 which effects positioning of the tubes 1 on the first bearing face 23 when the receptacle unit 20 is moved in the direction of the transfer station 60 is provided between the transfer station 60 and the infeed unit 10. The position installation 80 is configured in such a manner that positioning of the tubes 1 in a mutually relative manner is performed. The position installation 80 has a sensor unit 100 (illustrated in FIG. 12) wherein the sensor unit 100 checks the tubes 1 passing by as to what extent the tubes 1 correctly bear on the receptacle unit 20 and/or the correct tubes 1 are located on the receptacle unit 20. According to FIG. 12 the sensor unit 100 has a first sensor 110 which checks to what extent the diameter of the tube 1 in relation to a fixedly predetermined maximum diameter is excessive, so as to protect the downstream installation of the reel handling system. If the measured diameter of the tube 1 actually is larger than a memorized maximum diameter, the reel handling system is shut down.
(16) The second sensor 120 checks to what extent the actual diameter of the tube 1 corresponds to a predetermined value within the reel handling system. For example, it is conceivable for the machine operator of the reel handling system to beforehand enter the value of the tube 1 in terms of its diameter. Subsequently a comparison between the measured diameter of the tube 1 and the previously entered diameter value is performed by way of the measurement of the second sensor. The sensor unit 100 which is disposed on the position installation 80 may thus also establish to what extent a tube 1 is missing, this likewise leading to the reel handling system being shut down. A wiper element 81, which according to the present exemplary embodiment is flexible and may be configured from spring steel, is located between the two sensors 110, 120. The position installation 80 furthermore has an adhesive bonding device 90 which is disposed in the direction toward the transfer station 60.
(17) It is shown in FIGS. 12 to 15 that the receptacle unit 20 has positioning means 24 for aligning the tubes 1 in the receptacle unit 20 by means of the position installation 80. The first bearing face 23 of the receptacle unit 20 here has tray elements 26 which are at least partially adapted to the geometrical shape of the tubes 1. The tray elements 26 are mutually spaced apart, wherein the positioning means 24 project in a protruding manner from the bearing face 23; this can be particularly clearly seen from FIGS. 13 to 15. According to the present exemplary embodiment the positioning means 24 are configured in a disk-like manner, wherein the positioning means 24 are embodied as metallic disks which are disposed on the sides of the tray elements 26.
(18) When the tubes 1 are transferred from the infeed unit 10 to the receptacle unit 20 (cf. FIG. 10), the tubes 1 according to FIG. 12 are in each case located on one or a plurality of positioning means 24, on account of which the tubes 1 have an oblique orientation on the first bearing face 23 of the receptacle unit 20; this can be clearly seen in FIG. 12. Should there now be movement of the receptacle unit 20 from the position according to FIG. 1 in the direction of FIG. 2, the wiper element 81 will contact each obliquely disposed tube 1, such that the tube 1 is taken from its oblique orientation and is pushed onto the bearing face 23 of the receptacle unit 20, on account of which first positioning 5 of the tubes 1 is performed. According to FIG. 12 the right-hand tube 1 has already been positioned above the wiper element 81, wherein the tube 1 by way of its left-hand region touches the positioning means 24 which is shown in FIG. 13a. The central tube 1 and the left-hand tube 1 are thus also positioned, wherein the receptacle unit 20 having the tubes 1 is simultaneously moved in the direction of the transfer station 60. At the same time, checking of the diameters of the tubes 1 is performed by the sensor unit 100. After first positioning 5 of the tubes 1, application of an adhesive medium onto the sleeve face of each tube 1 is performed by the adhesive bonding device 90. The position installation 80 here may have a temperature-control unit and/or a pressurized unit for applying the adhesive medium onto the tubes 1 according to defined parameters. For example, it is conceivable for the adhesive medium to be a hot-melt adhesive. The adhesive medium performs the function of enabling the material web 2 to be reliably fastened to the sleeve face of the tube 1 in the winder 50.
(19) The tray element 26a according to FIG. 12 has two positioning means 24 which are at the same level and serve as stops for the central tube 1. This is also shown in FIG. 15.
(20) The rearmost tray element 26b has a further positioning means 24 which is elevated in relation to the two positioning means 24. This further locking means 24 serves as a locking element for avoiding tilting during positioning of the left-hand tube 1.
(21) The position installation 80, on which the adhesive bonding device 90 and the sensor unit 100 are integrated, is displaceable, wherein the position installation 80 assumes an operating position 21 (shown in FIG. 12) when the receptacle unit 20 having the tubes 2 is moved in the direction of the transfer station 60 according to FIG. 2. Furthermore, the position installation 80 may be brought to a standby position which is schematically shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and in which no application of the adhesive medium and/or checking of the diameter of the tubes 1 is required.
(22) According to FIGS. 1 to 11 the transfer station 60 has a supporting device 61 to which a winding shaft 62 is releasably fastened. When the tubes 1 by means of the receptacle unit 20 are moved in the direction of the transfer station 60, the tubes 1 are threaded or push-fitted, respectively, onto the winding shaft 62, so that the tubes 1 reach the position in FIG. 2. The winding shaft 62 on one side is mounted on and fastened to the supporting device 61 (shown in FIGS. 16, 17, and 21). The mounting of the winding shaft 62 is disposed on that side of the supporting device 61 that faces away from the infeed unit 10. The winding shaft 62 in relation to the horizontal axis 4 here is downwardly inclined (schematically shown in FIG. 21). The winding shaft 62 in relation to the horizontal axis 4 is inclined at an angle , the angle being less than 5. The free end 53 of the winding shaft 62 that faces the infeed unit 10 is downwardly inclined. In order for the free end 53 to be able to be initially driven into the hollow tubes 1 when the receptacle unit 20 is moved in the direction of the transfer station 60, a guide element 29 makes for the winding shaft 62 to be briefly placed in the horizontal axis 4. The guide element 29 is disposed on the receptacle unit 20, wherein the guide element 29 may be placed between an active position 27 and a passive position 28, these positions 27, 28 being schematically shown in FIG. 21. In the active position 27 the guide element 29 places the winding shaft 62 in the horizontal axis 4, wherein the winding shaft 62 penetrates the tubes 1. According to the invention it suffices for the winding shaft 62 to have only partially penetrated one or a plurality of tubes when the receptacle unit 20 is moved in the direction of the transfer station 60. The guide element 29 may subsequently be returned to the passive position 28, so that the winding shaft 62 is moved back to its inclined position. On account thereof, a certain level of friction in relation to the inner sleeve face of the tube 1 occurs, the receptacle unit 20 having the tubes 1 being moved farther in the direction of the transfer station 60. The winding shaft 62 here acts on the tubes 1, so that the tubes 1 are in each case finally positioned at a positioning means 24 of the receptacle unit 20, this being a second positioning 6 of the tubes 1 on the first bearing face 23. The tubes 1 here are urged toward the respective positioning means 24, so that each tube 1 comes into contact with its positioning means 24, this corresponding to FIGS. 14 and 15.
(23) According to FIG. 21 the guide element 29 is embodied with a roller element 30 which in the active position 27 rolls on the winding shaft 62. On account thereof, a low level of friction can be achieved with hardly any noise being developed. The roller element 30 may be embodied from a suitable plastics material.
(24) In order for the tubes 1 to remain on the winding shaft 62 in a fixed manner, in particular also within the winder 50, the winding shaft 62 has fixing means 54 (shown in FIGS. 18 and 20). According to the exemplary embodiment illustrated the fixing means 54 are configured as tensioning elements which are movable on the winding shaft 62 and which are movable between a deployed state 55 and a retracted state 56. Fixing of the tubes 1 on the winding shaft 62 is performed in the deployed state 55, wherein the tensioning elements 54 in the deployed state 55 extend in a protruding manner from the winding shaft 62 and thus bear with a defined force on the inner sleeve face of each tube 1. On account thereof, additional centering of the tubes 1 on the winding shaft 62 is performed, in particular since the fixing means 54 are disposed in a uniform manner around the sleeve face of the winding shaft 62 (as is shown in FIG. 18). When the winding shaft 62 having the tubes 1 is transferred to the winder 50 and back from the winder 50 in the direction of the transfer station 60, the fixing means 54 are in their deployed state 55. The drive for moving the tensioning elements 54 to their respective state 55, 56 in the present exemplary embodiment is performed by air which is introduced into the winding shaft 62 via an air supply 57 (schematically shown in FIG. 19). The air supply 57 is axially aligned with the winding shaft 62. According to FIG. 16, the air is introduced via a nozzle 58, wherein the nozzle 58 is initially moved into the air supply 57. By way of the pressure being established within the winding shaft 62 the tensioning elements 54 are driving to the defined deployed state 55. Before the winding shaft 62 is transferred to the winder 50, the nozzle 58 which is disposed on the transfer station 60 is retracted to the position illustrated in FIG. 16. A check valve (not explicitly illustrated) prevents the fixing means 54 departing from the deployed state 55.
(25) According to FIGS. 16 and 17 the supporting device 61 of the transfer station 60 which disposes of a movable bolt 60 which serves as an axial lock for the winding shaft 62, specifically when the winding shaft 62 is located in the supporting device 61 of the transfer station 60, is furthermore shown. High forces may act on the winding shaft 62 in particular when the reels 3 of FIG. 6 are pulled out in the direction of the infeed unit 10 according to FIG. 7. The axial lock 60 is then located in a locked position 59 (cf. FIG. 17), the axial lock 60 in the locked position 59 being located in a receptacle 63 according to FIG. 18. According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment the receptacle 63 is configured as a groove in the winding shaft 62.
(26) Besides the axial lock 60, the supporting device 61 has supporting plates 66, 67 which according to the concept of a bell-crank lever act with a defined force on the winding shaft 62 (schematically shown in FIG. 16). On account thereof, it is achieved that the winding shaft 62 on one side is fastened to the transfer station 60. According to FIG. 19 the winding shaft 62 has a further receptacle 64 which is disposed so as to be adjacent to the first receptacle 63, wherein a gripper element 51 (schematically shown in FIGS. 3 to 5) of the winder 50 is insertable into the further receptacle 64. The further receptacle 54 is likewise embodied as a groove, wherein the gripper element 51 is embodied so as to correspond to the geometry of the receptacle 64 and engages in this receptacle 64 when the winding shaft 62 is moved from the transfer station 60 into the winder 50 and from the winder 50 back to the transfer station 60. During transfer the afore-described supporting device 61 is released, so that the axial lock 60 is separated from the winding shaft 62. This means that the axial lock 60 does not assume the locked position 59 but is located in a releasing position (not explicitly illustrated) in which the bolt 60 is positioned so as to be spaced apart from the winding shaft 62. The supporting plates 66, 67 also do not bear on the winding shaft 62. The winding shaft 62 is merely held by the gripper elements 51.
(27) Once the reels 3 according to FIG. 4 have been transferred to the transfer station 60, an evacuation of the winding shaft 62 during which on account of the venting of air from the winding shaft 62 the tensioning elements 54 are moved into their retracted state 56 is performed. The receptacle unit 20 moves so far up to the reels 3 until contact with the material web 2 is established. Once the reels 3 reliably bear on the receptacle unit 20 the axial lock 60 is brought into its locked position 59, and the supporting plates 66, 67 are moved to their supporting position according to FIG. 16, in which the winding shaft 62 is reliably held and fixed in the supporting device 61. The gripper elements 51 which are movably disposed on the winder 50 may be released from the winding shaft 62 and be driven to a position which is shown in FIG. 8.
(28) In order for the reels 3 to be able to be reliably received by the receptacle unit 20, the receptacle unit 20 has a second bearing face 25 which according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment is able to be moved independently of the receptacle unit 20. While the receptacle unit 20 according to FIG. 4 maintains its position, the receptacle unit 20 has a lifting device for the second bearing face 25, which can move the second bearing face 25 from its position according to FIG. 4 in the direction of the reel 3 according to FIG. 5 until the reel 3 reliably bears on the second bearing face 25. The advantage of two bearing faces 23, 25 which in size and shape are of different configuration is that the geometries of the tubes 1 and of the reels 3 are very different. Moreover, the weight of the reels 3 as compared to the weight of the tube 1 is significantly higher. It is particularly advantageous that the receptacle unit 20 is disposed so as to be rotatable about an axis 31, wherein in one rotational position the first bearing face 32 is active in order for the tubes 1 to be received (for example in FIG. 10). The second bearing face 25 here is deactivated and without function. In a further rotational position of the receptacle unit 20 the second bearing face 25 is active (shown in FIG. 5, for example), so as to reliably receive the reels 3. The first bearing face 23 here is deactivated.
(29) According to FIG. 19 it is furthermore shown that the air supply 57 which simultaneously may also serve as an air extraction during venting is disposed on the end face 54 of the winding shaft 62. The end face 65, as shown in FIG. 18, here is embodied as a three-edged wedge. The three-edged wedge has the advantage that high torques can be accommodated in the winder 50.
(30) According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 19 the winding shaft 62 has a tilt protection which is implemented in the form of a pendulum bearing 68 which is movably disposed at the periphery of the winding shaft 62. The pendulum bearing 68 is embodied from a plastics material and may prevent tilting of the winding shaft 62 when flexing occurs in the winding shaft 62.
(31) If and when the receptacle unit 20 having the reels 3 has arrived at the position according to FIG. 7, the receptacle unit 20 rotates about the axis 31. The second bearing face 25 in particular rotates about the axis 31, wherein the reels 3 are infed to a reel discharge 130 (cf. FIG. 9). The next cycle for adding tubes commences, wherein according to FIG. 10 the infeed unit 10 approaches the receptacle unit 20 and further tubes 1 are infed to the first bearing face 23. The infeed unit 10 has a singularizing element 11 which effects that only one tube 1 is infed to the receptacle unit 20 from a duct 12 of the infeed unit 10. Advantageously, all functional units of the reel handling system, in particular the infeed unit 10, the singularizing elements 11, the receptacle unit 20 having its bearing faces 23, 25, the guide element 29, the transfer station 60, the supporting device 61, the fixing means 54, the axial lock 60, the supporting plates 66, 67, the position installation 80, and the reel discharge 130 are electronically interconnected by a controller unit so that a mutual exchange of data may take place. On account thereof, the reel handling system may be further optimized in terms of efficiency. The winder 50 may also communicate data with the controller unit; the controller unit may in particular be integrated in the winder 50. Moreover, the infeed unit 10 is configured in such a manner that the ducts 12 according to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 in terms of their width are adjustable to the geometry of the tube 1; it is in particular conceivable for the infeed unit 10 to be further configured in such a manner that the number of ducts may be varied.
(32) The exemplary embodiment of the reel handling system shown is particularly advantageous since on account of the arrangement of the individual functional units the winder 50 is accessible and visible to the operator (shown by the arrows according to FIG. 1). This is achieved inter alia in that the supporting device 61 is laterally disposed, so as to be opposite the infeed unit 10 or the reel discharge 130, respectively, wherein the winding shaft 62 on one side is releasably held on the supporting device 61.
(33) While the material webs 2 are applied onto the tubes 1 in the winder 50, a reel 3 having in each case one material web 2 is created, wherein the material webs 2 are applied onto various tubes 1 which lie beside one another. The reels 3 are subsequently returned to the transfer station 60. Prior to the material web 2 being applied onto the tube 1, the material web 2 advantageously has a larger width than the direction of extent of the tube 1. This unfinished material web (not explicitly shown) in an upstream step is separated to form the individual material webs 2, this being performed by either a cutting blade or a cutting disk. The step of separating may be performed within the winder 50, for example.
(34) The gripper elements 51 which act laterally on the winding shaft 62 in terms of their length may be driven in or out in a translatory manner and be pivoted about a defined axis, this being schematically shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 or FIG. 8, respectively. On account thereof, the winding shaft 62 can be positioned in a precisely targeted manner.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
(35) 1 Tube 2 Material web 3 Reel 4 Horizontal axis 5 First positioning 6 Second positioning 10 Infeed unit 11 Singularizing element 12 Duct 20 Receptacle unit 21 Operating position 22 Standby position 23 First bearing face 24 Positioning means 25 Second bearing face 26 Tray element 27 Active position 28 Passive position 29 Guide element 30 Roller element 31 Axis of the receptacle unit 50 Winder 51 Gripper element 53 Free end 54 Fixing means, tensioning element 55 Deployed state 56 Retracted state 57 Air supply/Air extraction 58 Nozzle 59 Locked position 60 Transfer station 61 Supporting device 62 Winding shaft 63 Receptacle 64 Receptacle 65 End face 66 Supporting plate 67 Supporting plate 68 Pendulum bearing 69 Bolt, axial lock 80 Position installation 81 Wiper element 90 Adhesive bonding device 100 Sensor unit 110 First sensor 120 Second sensor 130 Reel discharge
