US3787001A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Web roll cradle with positive drive
Assignee: Kliklok LLC
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Filing: 1972-03-14
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Granted: 1974-01-22
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Expires: 1992-03-14
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and method of cyclic or intermittent feeding and unwinding of sheet material includes a pneumatic motor that drives the rotary web roll support and a brake that serves to stall out the motor when the predetermined length of material has been unwound. Draw means is provided to draw the predetermined length of film in a manufacturing process, such as packaging, with a slack loop being formed between the draw means and the web roll. The pneumatic motor is preferably a cylinder and rack combination with a drive stroke producing a capability greater than said predetermined length with the brake stalling out the motor at the end of the stroke to assure proper feed during each cycle and to maintain the tension in the web at a minimum and substantially constant during the complete operation. The slack loop is formed by a dancer assembly with linkage means comprising a cam and leaf spring applying the brake in a progressive manner only during the final moments of unwinding of the material. The dancer assembly desirably has insufficient pulling or tensioning power to pull film from the web roll so that complete reliance for feeding is put on the positive drive. The drive means and the draw means are operated at mutually exclusive times and are coordinated by first and second valves that actuate the drive means as the draw means are withdrawn to complete the drawing step.
Inventors
- 👤 N Henry
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 15:57
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B9/00; B65B9/10; B65B9/20; B65B9/213; B65B41/00; B65B41/18; B65B51/00; B65B51/10; B65B51/26; B65B51/30; B65B51/303; B65H; B65H16/00; B65H16/10; B65H16/106; B65H23/00; B65H23/04; B65H23/06; B65H23/08; B65H23/085; B65H2403/00; B65H2403/30; B65H2801/00; B65H2801/69
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
Apparatus for cyclic or intermittent feeding and unwinding of sheet material from a web roll comprising rotary support means for said web roll, means to positively drive said support means to unwind a predetermined length of said material from said roll, means to intermittently draw said predetermined length of said material, slack take-up means for tensioning said material in a slack loop between said web roll and said draw means, control means for said drive means interconnected with said draw means to activate said drive means independently of the tension in said web, disabling means for said drive means responsive to said slack take-up means, whereby the tension in said web may be maintained at a minimum and substantially constant as determined by the action of said slack take-up means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
Apparatus for cyclic or intermittent feeding and unwinding of sheet material from a web roll comprising rotary support means for said web roll, means to positively drive said support means to unwind a predetermined length of said material from said roll, means to intermittently draw said predetermined length of said material, slack take-up means for tensioning said material in a slack loop between said web roll and said draw means, control means for said drive means interconnected with said draw means to activate said drive means independently of the tension in said web, disabling means for said drive means responsive to said slack take-up means, whereby the tension in said web may be maintained at a minimum and substantially constant as determined by the action of said slack take-up means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drive means has sufficient capacity to unwind more than one predetermined length of material on each cycle, said disabling means being operative to limit the actual unwind of material to said predetermined length.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
116 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said driVe means comprises a pneumatic motor, an air pressure source for supplying pressurized air to said motor, said control means comprises valve means for operating said motor, and said disabling means includes brake means associated with said rotary support means and responsive to said slack take-up means, said brake means being applied when the slack loop formed by the slack take-up means is at a maximum, said brake means providing sufficient force to stall out said pneumatic motor when said slack loop is at a maximum, said brake means being released for drive of said roll by said pneumatic motor when said slack loop is reduced from a maximum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said pneumatic motor comprises an air cylinder to provide drive strokes, a drive rack mounted on the piston of said cylinder, transfer means connected between said rack and said support means, and one-way clutch means in said transfer means to allow free reverse motion of said rack to provide an additional drive stroke.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a pneumatic motor, an air pressure source for operating said motor, air pressure regulating means for controlling the pressure of the air from said source to said motor, and said disabling means comprises brake means for said rotary support means having sufficient power to override said pneumatic motor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein is included linkage means operated by said slack take-up means, said linkage means serving to progressively apply said brakes to said support means, whereby the braking of said support means remains isolated from said web means to prevent an increase in tension in said web.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said slack take-up means includes a dancer arm and roller assembly, pivot means for mounting said dancer arm assembly, said linkage means including cam means mounted on the end of said arm, and said brake means comprises a brake shoe engaging said rotary support means and operated by said cam means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said linkage means further includes a leaf spring mounted on said brake shoe on a curved surface to engage said cam means, the length of said spring progressively decreasing to increase the leverage of said cam means as the braking effect is increased.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said draw means comprises a pair of reciprocating jaws for toward and away movement with respect to said web, and carriage means for supporting said reciprocating jaws to move the jaws in the longitudinal direction of said web when said jaws are in the gripping position across said web.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
98 words
The aparatus of claim 9 wherein air cylinder means is provided to operate said reciprocating jaws, valve means for operating said air cylinder means and said control means includes a first valve for supplying pressurized air to said air cylinder means and a second valve for supplying pressurized air to said pneumatic motor and means for operating said valves simultaneously so that said web roll is being driven only during the time when said gripping jaws are not drawing film, whereby the maintenance of constant tension in said web as determined by said slack take-up means is assured.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
76 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said slack take-up means includes a dancer roller extending transversely across said web within the slack loop, arm means mounting said roller at opposite ends to form a dancer assembly, pivot means for mounting said dancer assembly and wherein said disabling means comprises brake means for retarding and stopping the rotation of said rotary support means, said brake means being operative in response to the positioning of said dancer roller.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
The combination of claim 11 wherein said drive means comprises a pneumatic motor and said brake means is sufficient to stall said motor upon formation of a maximum slack loop by said slack take-up means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
89 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rotary support means includes an arborless roll cradle Having a pair of spaced support rollers with parallel and horizontally disposed axes, said rollers being spaced to allow said roll to rest between the same for unwinding, the surface of said support rollers moving a distance equal to said predetermined length during each cycle, and said drive means connected to said support rollers, whereby movement of said drive means during each cycle regardless of the diameter of said web roll is the same.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
62 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said drive means comprises an air cylinder, rack means mounted on the piston of said cylinder, gear train means positioned between one of said support rollers and said rack to transfer the driving relationship and one-way clutch means in said drive train to allow a return stroke of said rack in readiness for the next cycle.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
65 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means being operative to allow driving of said support means by said drive means only during a period of inoperativeness of said draw means, whereby the web between said web roll and said draw means is moving in response to said drive means and said draw means in succession forming in turn maximum and minimum slack loops.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
111 words
The method of cyclic or intermittent feeding and unwinding of sheet material from a web roll comprising the steps of intermittently drawing a predetermined length of sheet material of said web roll, intermittently directly driving said web roll to unwind a predetermined length of material substantially equal to that drawn and concurrently forming a slack loop between said web roll and said draw means varying from a minimum to a maximum slack loop, said direct driving step being initiated and performed substantially independently of the tension in said web, whereby the tension in said web remains at a minimum and substantially constant as determined by the formation of said slack loop.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
111 words
The method of cyclic or intermittent feeding and unwinding of sheet material from a web roll comprising the steps of intermittently drawing a predetermined length of sheet material of said web roll, intermittently directly driving said web roll to unwind a predetermined length of material substantially equal to that drawn and concurrently forming a slack loop between said web roll and said draw means varying from a minimum to a maximum slack loop, said direct driving step being initiated and performed substantially independently of the tension in said web, whereby the tension in said web remains at a minimum and substantially constant as determined by the formation of said slack loop.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of feeding and unwinding of claim 21 wherein the driving step is commenced concurrently with the completion of the drawing step.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of feeding and unwinding of claim 16 wherein said driving step lasts longer than necessary to produce the predetermined length of material and braking is applied with respect to said roll to override said driving to produce said predetermined length.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of feeding and unwinding of claim 16 wherein tension is placed on said web in said slack loop that is limited to a value insufficient to unwind said material by itself.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 16 wherein is provided a progressive braking of said web roll only during the final moments of unwinding, whereby free rotation at other times allows minimum tension, and progressively reducing said tension further during braking to avoid stretching of said material during down time.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
131 words
The method of cyclic or intermittent feeding and unwinding of sheet material from a web roll comprising the steps of intermittently drawing a predetermined length of sheet material of said web roll, intermittently driving said web roll to unwind a predetermined length of material substantially equal to that drawn and concurrently forming a slack loop between said web roll and said draw means varying from a minimum to a maximum slack loop, said driving step being initiated and performed substantially independently of the tension in said web, the drawing step and the driving step being at different times and the driving step being terminated prior to said drawing step, whereby the tension in said web remains at a minimum and substantially constant as determined by the formation of said slack loop.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
131 words
The method of cyclic or intermittent feeding and unwinding of sheet material from a web roll comprising the steps of intermittently drawing a predetermined length of sheet material of said web roll, intermittently driving said web roll to unwind a predetermined length of material substantially equal to that drawn and concurrently forming a slack loop between said web roll and said draw means varying from a minimum to a maximum slack loop, said driving step being initiated and performed substantially independently of the tension in said web, the drawing step and the driving step being at different times and the driving step being terminated prior to said drawing step, whereby the tension in said web remains at a minimum and substantially constant as determined by the formation of said slack loop.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
136 words
The method of cyclic or intermittent feeding and unwinding of sheet material from a web roll comprising the steps of intermittently drawing a predetermined length of sheet material of said web roll, intermittently driving said web roll to unwind a predetermined length of material substantially equal to that drawn and concurrently forming a slack loop between said web roll and said draw means varying from a minimum to A maximum slack loop, said driving step being initiated and performed substantially independently of the tension in said web, said maximum slack loop being provided at the start of the drawing step and the minimum slack loop being provided at the start of said driving step, whereby the tension in said web remains at a minimum and sub-stantially constant as determined by the formation of said slack loop.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
136 words
The method of cyclic or intermittent feeding and unwinding of sheet material from a web roll comprising the steps of intermittently drawing a predetermined length of sheet material of said web roll, intermittently driving said web roll to unwind a predetermined length of material substantially equal to that drawn and concurrently forming a slack loop between said web roll and said draw means varying from a minimum to A maximum slack loop, said driving step being initiated and performed substantially independently of the tension in said web, said maximum slack loop being provided at the start of the drawing step and the minimum slack loop being provided at the start of said driving step, whereby the tension in said web remains at a minimum and sub-stantially constant as determined by the formation of said slack loop.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-21 | 1977-07-23 | 1978-01-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-21 | 1981-07-23 | 1982-01-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-21 | 1985-07-23 | 1986-01-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |