Method and apparatus for convolutely winding tubes of irregular shapes

Claim 2

In apparatus for convolutely winding a sheet into a tube having a non-circular cross-sectional shape: an elongated mandrel having a non-circular shape in cross section; means supporting said mandrel for rotation about its central longitudinal axis; means to rotate said mandrel about said axis; an elongated presser roll having a non-circular shape in cross section different from that of said mandrel; means supporting said presser roll for rotation about its longitudinal axis and with its longitudinal axis parallel to and adjacent the axis of said mandrel; the shapes of said mandrel and presser roll being such that the combined distance from the central longitudinal axis to the surface of each, in the plane of the two axes, remains constant when both the mandrel and the presser roll are rotated in opposite directions and in a predetermined timed relationship from a predetermined initial relationship; and means to rotate said presser roll in sAid predetermined timed relationship with said mandrel.

Claim 3

In apparatus for convolutely winding a sheet into a tube having a non-circular cross-sectional shape: an elongated mandrel having a non-circular shape in cross section; means supporting said mandrel for rotation about its central longitudinal axis; means to rotate said mandrel about said axis; an elongated presser roll having a non-circular shape in cross section different from that of said mandrel; means supporting said presser roll for rotation about its longitudinal axis and with its longitudinal axis parallel to and adjacent the axis of said mandrel; the shapes of said mandrel and presser roll being such that the combined distance from the central longitudinal axis to the surface of each, in the plane of the two axes, remains constant during equal angular rotation in opposite directions from a predetermined starting relationship; and means to rotate said presser roll at an angular velocity equal to that of said mandrel.

Claim 4

In apparatus for convolutely winding a sheet into a tube having a non-circular cross-sectional shape: an elongated mandrel having a non-circular shape in cross section; means supporting said mandrel for rotation about its central longitudinal axis; means to rotate said mandrel about said axis; an elongated presser roll having a non-circular shape in cross section different from that of said mandrel; means supporting said presser roll for rotation about its longitudinal axis and with its longitudinal axis parallel to and adjacent the axis of said mandrel; the shapes of said mandrel and presser roll being such that the combined distance from the central longitudinal axis to the surface of each, in the plane of the two axes, remains constant during equal angular rotation in opposite directions from a predetermined starting relationship; and means to rotate said presser roll at an angular velocity equal to that of said mandrel.

Claim 5

In apparatus for convolutely winding a sheet into a tube having a non-circular cross-sectional shape: an elongated mandrel having a non-circular shape in cross section; means supporting said mandrel for rotation about its central longitudinal axis; means to rotate said mandrel about said axis; an elongated presser roll having a non-circular shape in cross section different from that of said mandrel; means supporting said presser roll for rotation about its longitudinal axis and with its longitudinal axis parallel to and adjacent the axis of said mandrel; the shapes of said mandrel and presser roll being such that the combined distance from the central longitudinal axis to the surface of each, in the plane of the two axes, remains constant during rotation of each in opposite directions in timed relationship through 360* cycles of equal time duration; and means to rotate said presser in timed relationship with said mandrel.

Claim 6

In apparatus for convolutely winding a sheet into a tube having a non-circular cross-sectional shape: an elongated mandrel having a non-circular shape in cross section; means supporting said mandrel for rotation about its central longitudinal axis; means to rotate said mandrel about said axis; an elongated presser roll having a non-circular shape in cross section different from that of said mandrel; means supporting said presser roll for rotation about its longitudinal axis and with its longitudinal axis parallel to and adjacent the axis of said mandrel; the shapes of said mandrel and presser roll being such that the combined distance from the central longitudinal axis to the surface of each, in the plane of the two axes, remains constant during rotation of each in opposite directions in timed relationship through 360* cycles of equal time duration; and means to rotate said presser in timed relationship with said mandrel.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means supporting said presser roll permits changes in the distance between the axes of the follower and mandrel and includes means yieldably biasing said presser roll toward said mandrel.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said mandrel is right-triangular-shaped in cross section with rounded corners and said presser roll has a cross-sectional shape having three lobes.

Claim 9

In apparatus for convolutely winding a sheet into a tube having a non-circular cross-sectional shape: an elongated mandrel having a non-circular cross-sectional shape and means for securing an end of a sheet to the mandrel; means for supporting said mandrel for rotation about its central longitudinal axis; means to rotate said mandrel about said axis; an elongated presser roll having a non-circular shape in cross section; means supporting said presser roll for rotation about its longitudinal axis and with its longitudinal axis parallel to and opposite the axis of said mandrel; at least one of said means for supporting said mandrel and said means supporting said presser roll being constructed to permit a change in transverse distance between the axes thereof; means for yieldably biasing said mandrel and presser relatively toward one another; the shapes of said mandrel and presser being such that the combined distance from the axis to the surface of each in the plane of the two axes remains constant during rotation of each in opposite directions in timed relationship; and means to rotate said presser in said timed relationship with said mandrel.

Claim 10

In apparatus for convolutely winding a sheet into a tube having a non-circular cross-sectional shape: an elongated mandrel having a non-circular cross-sectional shape and means for securing an end of a sheet to the mandrel; means for supporting said mandrel for rotation about its central longitudinal axis; means to rotate said mandrel about said axis; an elongated presser roll having a non-circular shape in cross section; means supporting said presser roll for rotation about its longitudinal axis and with its longitudinal axis parallel to and opposite the axis of said mandrel; at least one of said means for supporting said mandrel and said means supporting said presser roll being constructed to permit a change in transverse distance between the axes thereof; means for yieldably biasing said mandrel and presser relatively toward one another; the shapes of said mandrel and presser being such that the combined distance from the axis to the surface of each in the plane of the two axes remains constant during rotation of each in opposite directions in timed relationship; and means to rotate said presser in said timed relationship with said mandrel.

Claim 11

In a method of convolutely winding a tube of non-circular cross-sectional shape from a sheet of paper or the like, the steps comprising: securing an end of a sheet to an elongated mandrel of non-circular cross-sectional shape; rotating said mandrel about a fixed longitudinal axis to wind the sheet about the mandrel; rotating an elongated presser roll in an opposite direction from said mandrel and in timed relation therewith about a longitudinal axis parallel to the aXis of said mandrel, said presser roll being non-circular in cross-sectional shape and having a surface contour that varies in distance from its longitudinal axis in correlation with the shape of the mandrel such that the combined distance from the axis to the surface of each of the mandrel and presser roll in the plane of the two axes remains constant during rotation of the mandrel and presser roll in timed relationship; supporting said presser roll for movement toward and away from said mandrel; yieldably maintaining said presser roll in continuous contact with said sheet during rotation of the mandrel and presser roll without reciprocation of said presser roll axis relative to said mandrel axis; and permitting said presser rolls axis to progressively move laterally away from said mandrel axis as said sheet is wound.

Claim 12

In a method of convolutely winding a tube of non-circular cross-sectional shape from a sheet of paper or the like, the steps comprising: securing an end of a sheet to an elongated mandrel of non-circular cross-sectional shape; rotating said mandrel about a fixed longitudinal axis to wind the sheet about the mandrel; rotating an elongated presser roll in an opposite direction from said mandrel and in timed relation therewith about a longitudinal axis parallel to the aXis of said mandrel, said presser roll being non-circular in cross-sectional shape and having a surface contour that varies in distance from its longitudinal axis in correlation with the shape of the mandrel such that the combined distance from the axis to the surface of each of the mandrel and presser roll in the plane of the two axes remains constant during rotation of the mandrel and presser roll in timed relationship; supporting said presser roll for movement toward and away from said mandrel; yieldably maintaining said presser roll in continuous contact with said sheet during rotation of the mandrel and presser roll without reciprocation of said presser roll axis relative to said mandrel axis; and permitting said presser rolls axis to progressively move laterally away from said mandrel axis as said sheet is wound.

Claim 13

The method as set forth in claim 7 including the step of rotating the mandrel and presser roll at equal angular velocities.