Coil holder

Claim 2

A holder for rotatably supporting a plurality of coils thereon for unwinding comprising a container, means for supporting such coils on said container, a plurality of pairs of side plates on said container for receipt of a coil between each pair of side plates, and means for simultaneously adjusting the position of at least one side plate of each pair to permit simultaneous variation in the spacing between said plural pairs of side plates.

Claim 3

The holder of claim 1 wherein said means for simultaneously adjusting the position of at least one side plate of each pair comprises a plurality of mounts on said one side plate of each pair having threaded engagement with a plurality of screw shafts extending through said side plates, whereby rotation of said screw shafts causes said one side plates to move simultaneously.

Claim 4

The holder of claim 2 further comprising chain drive means interconnecting all of said screw shafts, whereby rotation of one of said screw shafts causes rotation of all of said screw shafts.

Claim 5

The holder of claim 2 wherein each of said mounts includes a threaded bushing having threaded engagement with said screw shafts, a boss on said side plates for receipt of said bushing, means for clamping said bushing to said boss, and set screw means for varying the axial position of said bushing within said boss to obtain precise adjustment of said one side plates.

Claim 6

The holder of claim 2 wherein each of said mounts includes a threaded bushing having threaded engagement with said screw shafts, a boss on said side plates for receipt of said bushing, means mounting said bushing for relative axial movement with respect to said bushing but not relative rotation, a cap plate secured to the end of said boss for retaining said bushing within said boss, and spring means interposed between said bushing and associated side plate for urging said side plate toward the other side plate of each pair.

Claim 7

The holder of claim 1 wherein said last-mentioned means provides for simultaneous adjustment of the spacing between both side plates of said plural pairs of side plates.

Claim 8

The holder of claim 6 wherein said means for simultaneously adjusting the spacing between both side plates of said plural pairs comprises a plurality of mounts on said side plates having threaded engagement with a plurality of screw shafts extending through said side plates, said screw shafts having threads of opposite hand threadedly engaging said mounts of each pair of side plates, whereby rotation of said screw shafts in opposite directions causes movement of said side plates of each pair toward and away from each other.

Claim 9

The holder of claim 1 wherein said means for simultaneously adjusting the position of at least one side plate of each pair comprises a plurality of elongated longitudinally adjustable bars having longitudinally spaced slots therein for removable receipt of the edges of a plurality of said one side plates in said slots in longitudinally spaced relation, and a plurality of screw shafts having threaded engagement with said bars, whereby rotation of said screw shafts causes said bars and thus said one side plates to move simultaneously.

Claim 10

The holder of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of relatively fixed bars having slots therein for removable receipt of the other side plates of each pair.

Claim 11

The holder of claim 9 further comprising means for providing limited longitudinal adjustment of said relatively fixed bars to permit limited adjustment of the vertical position of said other side plates of each pair.

Claim 12

The holder of claim 1 further comprising means for independently adjusting the position of at least one side plate of each pair to permit variations in the spacing between each pair of side plates.

Claim 13

The holder of claim 11 wherein said means for independentLy adjusting the position of at least one side plate of each pair comprises a plurality of mounts on said one side plates including threaded bushings having threaded engagement with a plurality of screw shafts extending through said one side plates, bosses on said one side plates in which said bushings are rotatably received, sprockets attached to said bushings, a locking device comprising a toggle clamp having a lever arm mounted for pivotal movement, a sprocket segment carried by said lever arm for movement into and out of engagement with one of said sprockets for releasably locking said one sprocket against rotation, and a chain interconnecting said sprockets, whereby locking said one sprocket against rotation also locks said other sprockets against rotation.

Claim 14

The holder of claim 1 wherein said container is supported on rollers for movement along rails laterally of a stock processing line, and indexing means are provided for automatically indexing said holder to bring any one of the coils carried thereby into proper alignment with said stock processing line, said indexing means comprising a gear rack on said container, a gear motor adjacent said processing line having a drive shaft, a spur gear mounted on said drive shaft, and means mounting said gear motor for raising and lowering of said gear motor to bring said spur gear into and out of engagement with said gear rack.

Claim 15

The holder of claim 1 wherein said means for supporting such coils on said container comprises separate support rolls for each coil, and separate drive means on said container for rotating the respective separate support rolls for each of the coils.

Claim 16

The holder of claim 1 further comprising means for sensing the pay out of the stock material from said container, and means for automatically indexing the container after the stock from each coil is exhausted.

Claim 17

The holder of claim 1 further comprising means for automatically controlling the indexing and pay out of each coil carried by said container.

Claim 18

A holder for rotatably supporting a plurality of coils thereon for unwinding comprising a container, means for supporting such coils on said container, a plurality of pairs of side plates on said container for receipt of a coil between each pair of side plates, said container being supported on rollers for movement along rails laterally of a stock processing line, and indexing means for automatically indexing said holder to bring any one of the coils carried thereby into proper alignment with said stock processing line, said indexing means comprising a gear rack on said container, a gear motor adjacent said processing line having a drive shaft, a spur gear mounted on said drive shaft, and means mounting said gear motor for raising and lowering of said gear motor to bring said spur gear into and out of engagement with said gear rack, a plurality of limit switches adjacent said processing line for controlling the operation of said gear motor, and a plurality of adjustable stops carried by said container for selectively engaging said limit switches to interrupt the operation of said gear motor for locating the coils on said container with respect to said processing line.

Claim 19

A holder for rotatably supporting a plurality of coils thereon for unwinding comprising a container, means for supporting such coils on said container, a plurality of pairs of side plates on said container for receipt of a coil between each pair of side plates, said container being supported on rollers for movement along rails laterally of a stock processing line, and indexing means for automatically indexing said holder to bring any one of the coils carried thereby into proper alignment with said stock processing line, said indexing means comprising a gear rack on said container, a gear motor adjacent said processing line having a drive shaft, a spur gear mounted on said drive shaft, and means mounting said gear motor for raising and lowering of said gear motor to bring said spur gear into and out of engagement with said gear rack, a plurality of limit switches adjacent said processing line for controlling the operation of said gear motor, and a plurality of adjustable stops carried by said container for selectively engaging said limit switches to interrupt the operation of said gear motor for locating the coils on said container with respect to said processing line.

Claim 20

A holder for rotatably supporting a plurality of coils thereon for unwinding comprising a container, means for supporting such coils on said container, a plurality of pairs of side plates on said container for receipt of a coil between each pair of side plates, and an automatic pressure compensating back-up roll for supporting the coils during pay-out to resist disengagement from said support means comprising a roll assembly, means mounting said roll assembly for movement toward and away from said holder for engaging the coils supported thereby, means for providing a variable amount of pressure urging said roll assembly into engagement with the coils and means for automatically decreasing such pressure as the size of the coils engaged by said roll assembly decreases during pay-out.

Claim 21

A holder for rotatably supporting a plurality of coils thereon for unwinding comprising a container, means for supporting such coils on said container, a plurality of pairs of side plates on said container for receipt of a coil between each pair of side plates, and an automatic pressure compensating back-up roll for supporting the coils during pay-out to resist disengagement from said support means comprising a roll assembly, means mounting said roll assembly for movement toward and away from said holder for engaging the coils supported thereby, means for providing a variable amount of pressure urging said roll assembly into engagement with the coils and means for automatically decreasing such pressure as the size of the coils engaged by said roll assembly decreases during pay-out.

Claim 22

The holder of claim 18 whereiN said last-mentioned means comprises a cylinder, and a variable pressure reducing valve for supplying pressure to said cylinder urging said roll assembly toward said coils, said roll assembly having a rack thereon engaging a gear on said valve which is rotated in a direction resulting in automatic reduction in pressure to said cylinder during movement of said roll assembly toward said coils.

Claim 23

The holder of claim 19 further comprising means for varying the angular position of said roll assembly.

Claim 24

A holder for rotatably supporting a plurality of coils thereon for unwinding comprising a container, support rolls for rotatably supporting such coils on said container, a plurality of pairs of side plates on said container for receipt of a coil between each pair of side plates, said container being supported on rollers for movement along rails laterally of a stock processing line, and a common drive means adjacent said processing line for selective actuation of the respective support rolls for each of the coils, said drive means comprising a single drive motor, a spur gear driven by said drive motor, and means mounting said spur gear for movement into and out of engagement with a plurality of spur gears associated with said support rolls when brought into alignment therewith.

Claim 25

A holder for rotatably supporting a plurality of coils thereon for unwinding comprising a container, support rolls for rotatably supporting such coils on said container, a plurality of pairs of side plates on said container for receipt of a coil between each pair of side plates, said container being supported on rollers for movement along rails laterally of a stock processing line, and a common drive means adjacent said processing line for selective actuation of the respective support rolls for each of the coils, said drive means comprising a single drive motor, a spur gear driven by said drive motor, and means mounting said spur gear for movement into and out of engagement with a plurality of spur gears associated with said support rolls when brought into alignment therewith.

Claim 26

The holder of claim 21 wherein said process line includes pinch rolls for receipt of the stock during pay-out, said pinch rolls being operated by said single drive motor for synchronous operation of said rolls.

Claim 27

The holder of claim 21 further comprising means for adjusting the longitudinal position of said drive motor between said rails.

Claim 28

A holder for rotatably supporting a plurality of coils thereon for unwinding comprising a container, support rolls for rotatably supporting such coils on said container, a plurality of pairs of side plates on said container for receipt of a coil between each pair of side plates, said container being supported on rollers for movement along rails laterally of a stock processing line, drive means for rotating said coil support rolls for feeding material to said processing line, automatic loop control means adjacent said processing line for controlling the operation of said drive means to maintain the stock when pulled from the bottom of the coils in a loose condition for advancement by a feed device in said processing line, a feed chute for guiding the stock being paid out from the bottom of the coils, and means for varying the contour of said feed chute along the length thereof to suit the thickness and width of the coil stock being fed to the processing line.

Claim 29

A holder for rotatably supporting a plurality of coils thereon for unwinding comprising a container, support rolls for rotatably supporting such coils on said container, a plurality of pairs of side plates on said container for receipt of a coil between each pair of side plates, said container being supported on rollers for movement along rails laterally of a stock processing line, drive means for rotating said coil support rolls for feeding material to said processing line, automatic loop control means adjacent said processing line for controlling the operation of said drive means to maintain the stock when pulled from the bottom of the coils in a loose condition for advancement by a feed device in said processing line, a feed chute for guiding the stock being paid out from the bottom of the coils, and means for varying the contour of said feed chute along the length thereof to suit the thickness and width of the coil stock being fed to the processing line.

Claim 30

The holder of claim 24 wherein said loop control means comprises a pivotally mounted lever arm, a roller on said lever arm about which the stock material is looped, spring means for urging said roller arm away from said holder, switch means actuated by said roller arm when moved a predetermined amount toward said holder to start said drive means, additional switch means actuated by said roller arm when moved a predetermined amount away from said holder to stop said drive means, and still additional switch means for stopping said drive means when said lever arm is moved a greater predetermined amount toward said holder, and spring means for resisting movement of said lever arm such greater predetermined amount.

Claim 31

The holder of claim 24 further comprising means for adjusting the position of said feed chute toward and away from said coil holder.