REWINDING MACHINE WITH SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR REEL AND RIBBON

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rewinding machine equipped with a support system for the reel and the ribbon-like product.

In particular, the invention relates to a rewinding machine (1) for a ribbon-like product (N), comprising: a fixed support structure which supports an unwinding unit (SV) and a rewinding unit (RB); an independent first carrier roller (2), movable along a direction parallel to a support surface of the rewinding machine (1); a second independent carrier roller (4), movable in the opposite direction with respect to the first carrier roller (2); a third roller (3), placed between the first (2) and second (4) carrier rollers and movable integrally with the first carrier roller (2); a set of driving rollers (110) placed along a path between the unwinding unit (SV) and the rewinding unit (RB); a web (10), forming at least one loop, made of a material with an air-permeable texture, said web (10) unwinding between the second carrier roller (4), the third roller (3), and the set of driving rollers (110); one or more suction boxes (6) placed under the web (10) to retain the ribbon-like product (N).

Claims

1. A rewinding machine for a ribbon-like product, comprising: a fixed support structure which supports an unwinding unit and a rewinding unit; an independent first carrier roller, movable along a direction parallel to a support surface of the rewinding machine; a second independent carrier roller, movable in the opposite direction with respect to the first carrier roller; a third roller, placed between the first and second carrier rollers and movable integrally with the first carrier roller or the second carrier roller; a set of driving rollers placed along a path between the unwinding unit and the rewinding unit; a web, forming at least one web loop, made of a material with an air-permeable texture, said web unwinding between the second carrier roller, the third roller, and the set of driving rollers; optionally, one or more suction boxes placed under a lower surface of the web to retain the ribbon-like product.

2. The rewinding machine according to claim 1, wherein the rewinding unit comprises a fixed structure which supports a first movable structure and a second movable structure, said movable structures being movable on a plane parallel to the support surface of the rewinding machine, wherein the first movable structure supports the first carrier roller and the second movable structure supports the second carrier roller.

3. The rewinding machine according to claim 1, wherein an arm pivots on the rotation axis of the first carrier roller or the second carrier roller, the third roller pivoting at the distal end of the arm, wherein said arm is connected, in a point adjacent to the third roller, to an actuator, for example a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator, to control the position register of the third roller.

4. The rewinding machine according to claim 2, wherein the second movable structure supports the second carrier roller and a cutting unit configured to make cuts on the ribbon-like product.

5. The rewinding machine according to claim 1, wherein said web has a width at least equal to the width of the ribbon-like product and comprises a web guiding system which allows the web to remain in a central position.

6. The rewinding machine according to claim 1, wherein the driving rollers comprise a tensioning roller, installed on a slide movable by means of an actuator, which keeps the web taut as a function of the displacement of the movable structures.

7. The rewinding machine according to claim 4, wherein a suction box, having a length equal to the width of the web, is placed between the second carrier roller and the cutting unit, parallel to the roller axis, and is positioned to skim the bottom surface of the web.

8. The rewinding machine according to claim 4, comprising two web loops, of which: a first loop forms a path about the third roller, about the second carrier roller, and closes by means of diverter rollers, thus unwinding between the two movable structures, a second web loop forms a support path for the ribbon-like product from the tensioning roller to a diverter roller close to the cutting unit, wherein the first loop and the second loop are configured to be moved at different speeds.

9. The rewinding machine according to claim 1, comprising a third web loop provided with suction boxes and a web guiding system, which accompanies the ribbon-like product immediately downstream of the unwinding point from the reel up to near a web loop.

10. The rewinding machine according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said web loops is operatively coupled to a presser belt so that the ribbon-like product is kept sandwiched between web loop and presser belt up to near the cutting unit.

11. A method of rewinding a ribbon-like product unwound from a reel and rewound onto a second reel, comprising the steps of: a) providing a rewinding machine according to claim 1; b) as the winding of the ribbon-like product progresses to form the reel, increasing the mutual distance between said first carrier roller and said second carrier roller, until a distance is created between said carrier rollers so that the third roller can be introduced therebetween; c) taking said third roller from a lowered position to a contact position with the reel, so as to create a segment of web for supporting the reel; d) continuing to increase the mutual distance between said first carrier roller and said second carrier roller and thus the width of the support segment of web until the winding of the reel is completed.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the rotation speed of the first carrier roller is different from the rotation speed of the second carrier roller.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, when the rewinding machine is as defined in claim 8, the speed of the first loop of the web is different from the speed of the second loop of the web.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0072] These and further advantages and embodiments of the present invention will be better understood from the following description with the aid of the accompanying drawings, provided by way of non-limiting example, in which:

[0073] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a rewinding machine according to the invention in an operating sequence in a step of starting the winding;

[0074] FIG. 2 is a side view of the rewinding machine in FIG. 1 in an operating sequence in a step of ending the winding;

[0075] FIG. 3 shows a detail of the carrier rollers and the third roller of the rewinding unit in a step of the advanced winding of a reel;

[0076] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a different embodiment of the rewinding machine of the invention in an operating sequence;

[0077] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the rewinding machine according to a different embodiment in a step of ending the winding;

[0078] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the rewinding machine according to a yet different embodiment in a step of ending the winding;

[0079] FIG. 7 shows a side view of the rewinding machine according to a further embodiment in a step of ending the winding;

[0080] FIG. 8 shows a detail of the carrier rollers and the third roller of the rewinding unit in FIG. 7 in a step of the advanced winding of a reel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0081] Referring to the figures from 1 to 3, a rewinding machine indicated by reference numeral 1 will first be described as a whole, comprising an unwinding unit SV and a rewinding unit RB of the carrier roller type.

[0082] The rewinding unit RB consists of a fixed structure 12 and a first 9 and a second 8 movable structure, which are movable preferably on a horizontal plane. Said movable structures 8, 9 support a first carrier roller 2 and a second carrier roller 4, respectively. The first movable structure 9 supports the first carrier roller 2. An arm 3.1 pivots on the rotation axis of the first carrier roller 2, a third roller 3 pivoting on the distal end of the arm. An actuator 3.2, e.g., a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator, is installed to control the position register of the third roller 3 by acting, e.g., by means of a piston, on a point of the arm 3.1 adjacent to the third roller 3.

[0083] The second movable structure 8 supports the second carrier roller 4 and a cutting unit 7, of the type known in the industry, consisting of a series of circular blades to make cuts on the ribbon-like product N.

[0084] A web, at least as wide as the ribbon-like product N, closed in a loop and made of a material with an air-permeable texture (e.g., a woven synthetic fiber material or a set of coupled belts), unwinds on a set of driving rollers 110 between the rewinding unit RB and the unwinding unit SV, so that it acts as a conveyor for the ribbon-like product N. A web guiding system 13, not described here because known from the prior art, allows the web 10 to remain in the center of the line.

[0085] In certain embodiments, the web is made of a polymer fiber woven into warp and weft. For example, the polymer fiber can incorporate carbon fibers, or it can be PEEK (polyetheretherketone) or PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) fiber to achieve antistatic properties.

[0086] The driving rollers 110 comprise a tensioning roller 14, installed on a slide 14.1 movable by means of an actuator, which keeps the web 10 taut as a function of the displacement of the movable structures 8 and 9.

[0087] A suction box 6, having a length equal to the width of the web 10, is placed between the second carrier roller 4 and the cutting unit 7, parallel to the roller axis. The suction box 6 is positioned to skim the bottom surface of web 10.

[0088] The web 10 extends as follows: from the unwinding unit SV, in particular between the tensioning roller 14 to near the cutting unit 7, the web 10 travels along a straight segment which coincides with the path of the ribbon-like product N, after that the web 10, by means of the diverter rollers 11 (belonging to the set of driving rollers 110), passes under the cutting unit 7 until it winds about the second carrier roller 4, the third roller 3 and then returns, under the straight segment described above, to the tensioning roller 14.

[0089] From the unwinding unit SV, where the members for rotating the reel BSV adapted to unwind it are not shown for simplicity of the drawing because they are known from the prior art, the ribbon-like product N is accompanied by the support rollers 15 up to tangency with web 10. Other suction boxes 6 are installed in the straight segment of web 10, on the side opposite to the support surface of the ribbon-like product N, in a number which varies as a function of the specifications of the processed ribbon-like strip product N. All suction boxes 6 are connected by means of pipes to vacuum means, e.g., a pump to generate an air vacuum, thus allowing the suction boxes 6 to apply a retaining force to the product itself.

[0090] It is easy to understand the operation of the conveying function of the web 10 without affecting, modifying, or stressing the ribbon-like product N. Furthermore, the suction air for the retaining force on the ribbon product N also performs a function of removing dust particles from the ribbon-like product N, so as to prevent them from being released into the environment.

[0091] During the step of rewinding, the segment of the web 10 between the third roller 3 and the second carrier roller 4, shown in FIG. 3 with reference numeral 10t, is of critical importance for supporting the reel B being formed. As mentioned above, it is easy to see the beneficial effect of discharging the weight of the reel B especially when it reaches a large diameter.

[0092] The operation of the rewinding process is described below.

[0093] The movable structures 9, 8 of the carrier rollers 2, 4 are positioned at a short distance so as to contain the small diameter of the reel B at the start of the winding, while the third roller 3 is lowered so that it does not interfere with the second carrier roller 4.

[0094] A rider roller 5, as referred to in jargon because known from the prior art, is placed at the top of the reel B with the function of stabilizing it and accompanying its growth in diameter.

[0095] As winding progresses and thus as the diameter of the reel B grows, the carrier rollers 8, 9 are progressively moved symmetrically away from each other by an extent determined by the production specifications.

[0096] As soon as the sufficient space is created, the third roller 3 is lifted by the actuator 3.2 and inserted between the carrier rollers 2, 4, thus moving the web segment 10t supporting the reel B (FIG. 3).

[0097] Advantageously, the third roller 3, being aboard the movable structure 9 which has a displacement away from the second carrier roller 4, allows increasing the web segment 10t proportionally to the increase in diameter of the reel B and thus in its weight. By means of the arm 3.1, the third roller 3 can also apply an additional pressure or possibly modify the web segment 10t, as a function of the establishment of critical speeds which naturally occur with masses at high rotation speed.

[0098] The first carrier roller 2, remaining independent from the speed of the second carrier roller 4, can be adjusted while winding to create a reel B with different density according to the required specifications.

[0099] FIG. 4 shows a different embodiment in which two web loops are obtained, the first loop 10a of which forms a path about the third roller 3, about the second carrier roller 4, and closes by means of diverter rollers 11, thus unwinding between the two movable structures 8, 9. A second web loop 10b forms a support path for the ribbon-like product N from the tensioning roller 14 up to a diverter roller 11 close to the cutting unit 7. In this embodiment, the possibility to diversify the speed between the two web loops 10a, 10b is advantageously obtained, in order to manage the tensioning of the ribbon-like product N as a function of the cutting process of the cutting unit 7.

[0100] FIG. 5 shows a different embodiment yet, entirely similar to that in FIGS. 1 and 2, but further comprising a third web loop 10c, provided with suction boxes 6 and a web guiding system 13, which accompanies the ribbon-like product N immediately downstream of the unwinding point from the reel BSV to near the first web loop 10, where a support roller 15 promotes the change of direction thereof.

[0101] In such an embodiment, as shown by the arrow in the figure, the unwinding of the reel BSV takes place in the opposite direction, i.e., counterclockwise, with respect to the embodiment in FIG. 1.

[0102] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment, similar to that in FIG. 5, but in which both the first and the third web loops 10, 10c are operatively coupled to a presser belt 20 so that the ribbon-like product N is kept sandwiched between the web 10, 10c and the presser belt 20 up to near the cutting unit 7. Although FIG. 6 shows the suction boxes 6, the latter could also be omitted by virtue of the retaining action applied by the presser belt 20.

[0103] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a yet further embodiment, comprising a first, a second and a third web loop 10a, 10b, 10c as described above. In this embodiment, the third roller 3 pivots on the distal end of an arm 3.1, which pivots on the rotation axis of the second carrier roller 4. An actuator 3.2, e.g., a pneumatic, hydraulic, hydraulic-pneumatic or electric actuator, is installed to control the position register of the third roller 3 by acting, e.g., by means of a piston, on a point of the arm 3.1 adjacent to the third roller 3.

[0104] Of course, the features described in connection with the aforesaid embodiments can be combined in manners other than that described in the figures. For example, the presser belt 20 can also be coupled to the machine in FIGS. 1 and 2, adapting it to a uniquely horizontal shape.

[0105] Similarly, the third roller 3 can also be made integral with the second movable support 8 in the machine in FIG. 1 or in those in FIG. 5 or 6.

[0106] All steps of loading the winding spindle between the carrier rollers of the rewinding unit RB or unloading the reel B when winding is completed have not been shown to simplify the drawings because they are common systems of already known machines.

[0107] Finally, the aforesaid advantages remain safeguarded even in the presence of variations or modifications of a practical application nature which can be made by those skilled in the art to a rewinding line as described above, while remaining within the scope of protection defined by the following claims.