US3601327A — Apparatus for storing and for transporting webs t…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 248 words

Apparatus for storing webs of material, especially webs of fabric, and for transporting such webs superimposed upon each other to a cutting device, said apparatus comprising, in combination, storing means including frame means and a plurality of supply rolls rotatably mounted in said frame means and arranged in a plurality of rows transversely spaced from each other and in each row one above the other; transporting means including endless conveyor means mounted on said frame means and having an upper and a lower run, and drive means operatively connected to said conveyor means for moving said runs with a predetermined linear speed; a plurality of guide means for guiding the webs of each row of supply rolls superimposed upon each other in longitudinal direction toward one of said runs of said conveyor means; a plurality of withdrawal means, one for each row, for simultaneously withdrawing webs in the superimposed condition and for feeding the same onto said one run, each of said withdrawal means comprising at least one rotary withdrawal member; driven from said one run of said endless conveyor means for rotating said rotary withdrawal member at a peripheral speed equal to said predetermined linear speed of said runs, said conveyor means receiving said webs from said withdrawal means and said webs being transported between said withdrawal means and said cutting device solely by engagement with said endless conveyor means so that the webs are fed by said conveyor means in untensioned condition to said cutting device.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 248 words

Apparatus for storing webs of material, especially webs of fabric, and for transporting such webs superimposed upon each other to a cutting device, said apparatus comprising, in combination, storing means including frame means and a plurality of supply rolls rotatably mounted in said frame means and arranged in a plurality of rows transversely spaced from each other and in each row one above the other; transporting means including endless conveyor means mounted on said frame means and having an upper and a lower run, and drive means operatively connected to said conveyor means for moving said runs with a predetermined linear speed; a plurality of guide means for guiding the webs of each row of supply rolls superimposed upon each other in longitudinal direction toward one of said runs of said conveyor means; a plurality of withdrawal means, one for each row, for simultaneously withdrawing webs in the superimposed condition and for feeding the same onto said one run, each of said withdrawal means comprising at least one rotary withdrawal member; driven from said one run of said endless conveyor means for rotating said rotary withdrawal member at a peripheral speed equal to said predetermined linear speed of said runs, said conveyor means receiving said webs from said withdrawal means and said webs being transported between said withdrawal means and said cutting device solely by engagement with said endless conveyor means so that the webs are fed by said conveyor means in untensioned condition to said cutting device.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 47 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotary member of said withdrawal means is constituted by a roll, and including transmission means between said withdrawal roll and said one run of said conveyor means for rotating said withdrawal roll during movement of said conveyor means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 38 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said transmission means includes a friction roll engaging said one run on the other side thereof and gear means between said friction roll and said at least one withdrawal roll.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 49 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said endless conveyor means has an upper and a lower run and is mounted above said plurality of supply rolls of said storing means and wherein said guide means guide said webs against saId lower run of said endless conveyor means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 49 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said endless conveyor means has an upper and a lower run and is mounted below said plurality of supply rolls of said storing means and wherein said guide means guide said webs against said upper run of said endless conveyor means.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 23 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including roller means supporting said frame means movable toward and away from said cutting device.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 43 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of supply rolls are arranged in a plurality of rows so that the centerlines of the rolls in each row are located in a plane which includes with the vertical an acute angle.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 110 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein each of said withdrawal means includes only one withdrawal roll, and means supporting said withdrawal roll and said friction roll movable between an active position in which said withdrawal roll is closely adjacent said one side of said one run and presses a plurality of superimposed webs against said one side while said friction roll frictionally engages the other side of said one run, and an inactive position in which said withdrawal roll is further spaced from said one side of said run than in said active position and said friction roll is disengaged from said other side of said one run.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 53 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said supporting means includes a pair of levers tiltably mounted intermediate the ends thereof on said frame means and turnably carrying on opposite ends said withdrawal roll and said friction roll, respectively, said gear means comprising a plurality of gears likewise carried by said levers.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 48 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said conveyor means is mounted above said plurality of rolls and wherein said withdrawal roll cooperates with the bottom face of the lower run of said conveyor means and said friction roll with the top face of said lower run.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 86 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said guide means include a guide plate for each withdrawal means extending downstream therefrom adjacent and substantially parallel to the bottom face of said lower run and each having a downwardly curved inlet end arranged so that a plurality of superimposed webs from the respective row of supply rolls may be clamped between the peripheral surface of the respective withdrawal roll and the inlet end of said plate when said withdrawal means are in the inoperative position thereof.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 44 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, and including turning means releasably connectable to each of said supply rolls for turning the same in the direction in which the web wound thereon is withdrawn from the withdrawal means of the respective row of rolls.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 85 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said conveyor means is mounted below said plurality of supply rolls, and wherein each of said withdrawal means comprises a pair of withdrawal rolls arranged to clamp in the nip between the withdrawal rolls webs from the respective row of rolls and to feed the webs superimposed upon each other onto the upper face of the upper run, respectively onto the uppermost of the superimposed webs from the row of rolls upstream from the respective withdrawal means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 61 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein one roll of each pair of withdrawal rolls is mounted movable between an active position closely adjacent to the other roll of the respective pair for clamping and feeding the webs passing between the nip of said rolls and an inactive position spaced further from the other roll than in the active position.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 47 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said one roll is mounted on tiltable lever means for movement between said active and said inactive position, said lever means and said one roll thereon being arranged to urge said one roll by gravity to its active position.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 79 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said frame means comprise a main frame carrying said plurality of supply rolls and said endless conveyor means, and an auxiliary frame between said main frame and said cutting device, and including an endless drive and conveyor belt on said auxiliary frame between one end of said endless conveyor means and said cutting device, drive means driving said belt and further including transmission means between said belt and said conveyor means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 90 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein said drive and conveyor belt and said endless conveyor means are each supported by a pair of pulleys turnable about substantially parallel axes, and wherein one pulley of each pair is adjacent to a corresponding one of the other pair, and wherein said transmission means between said belt and said conveyor means comprises a pair of gears respectively coaxially mounted on said adjacent pulleys, and an additional gear mounted on one of said frames for meshing engagement with said pair of gears.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 41 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 16, including releasable coupling means between said main frame and said auxiliary frame for releasably holding said frames in a position in which said additional gear is in meshing engagement with said pair of gears.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 80 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 8, including a gear coaxially mounted on said other pulley of the pair of pulleys supporting said endless conveyor means and a further gear mounted on said main frame meshing with said one gear on said other pulley and adapted to be brought in meshing engagement with a corresponding gear on a pulley of an endless conveyor means on the main frame of an additional apparatus for storing and transporting a plurality of webs.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 106 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 16, and including a roll adapted to carry a paper web wound thereon carried by said auxiliary frame means and driven by said drive means so that a paper web may be applied to the upper surface of the upper run of said belt beneath the lowermost of the superimposed webs from said supply rolls, and a further roll means above said upper run of said belt for supplying on top of said superimposed webs supplied thereto a web of a repeating pattern showing the outline according to which said superimposed webs are to be cut by said cutting device.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 35 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including means mounting each of said supply rolls on said frame means movable in axial direction to extend at least in part laterally of the frame means.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 77 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said mounting means include for each supply roll a shaft coaxial with said supply roll, a pair of rails fastened to said frame means and extending substantially parallel to the shaft axis, carriage means riding on said rails and supporting said shaft adjacent one end of the latter, and a tiltable bracket fastened to said frame means and supporting said shaft in the region of the other end thereof.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 70 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein said frame means includes upright struts respectively located to opposite sides of said shaft axis and wherein said bracket comprises a substantially U-shaped member mounted in the region of opposite ends in said struts tiltable between a supporting position in which it is inclined at an acute angle to the vertical toward the roll and an outwardly and downwardly turned releasing position.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 38 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein said carriage means and said bracket each carry in a central region thereof a pair of support rollers having axes parallel to said shaft axis and turnably supporting said shaft.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 47 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 22, and including a bearing carried by said frame means axially spaced from said one end of said shaft, and centering means connected to and projecting in axial direction from said one end of said shaft and received in said bearing.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 34 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 25, wherein said centering means is connected to said one end of said shaft tiltable to a limited degree about an axis extending transverse to said shaft axis.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 70 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, and including a shaft for each supply roll and a pair of positioning members mounted on said shaft to opposite sides of said supply roll for preventing shifting of said supply roll in axial direction, at least one of said positioning members being adjustable in axial direction of said shaft and fixable on the latter in an adjusted position adjacent said supply roll.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 54 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein each of said supply roll includes an inner sleeve surrounding said shaft with clearance and wherein said positioning members have conical outer surfaces respectively engaging the inner surface of said sleeve at opposite ends of the latter so as to center said sleeve on said shaft.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 52 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide means comprise a plurality of guide rolls, one for each of said supply rolls, the axes of said guide rolls being located in planes extending substantially parallel to the planes in which the axes of the rows of supply rolls are located.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 80 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said frame means comprises a first elongated lower frame, said endless conveyor means extending in longitudinal direction and being supported on said lower frame, and a second frame straddling with a lower portion thereof said first frame and carrying at an upper portion thereof above said endless conveyor means said supply rolls, and including wheel means supporting said second frame movable relative to said first frame in longitudinal direction of the latter.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 99 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein said supply rolls are carried by said second frame in a plurality of substantially vertically arranged rows, and including a plurality of withdrawal means mounted on said first frame, one for each row of supply rolls, each of said withdrawal means including a pair of oppositely arranged clamping and feed rolls adapted to receive in the nip therebetween a plurality of webs from the respective row of rolls, and means cooperating with the upper run of said endless conveyor means for rotating each of said pair of clamping and feed rolls.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-08-23	1975-02-22	1975-08-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-08-23	1979-02-22	1979-08-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-08-23	1983-02-22	1983-08-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus for storing and for transporting webs to a cutting device

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