Abstract An apparatus for unwinding a predetermined length of rolled material from a supply thereof and rolling the unwound material includes first and second spaced parallel sets of supply rollers, for supporting the supply of rolled material therebetween and first and second spaced parallel sets of take-up rollers for supporting a roll of material unwound from the supply. The rollers of each set are fixed on one of four elongated shafts rotatably supported on a frame. Guide means, mounted between the supply and take up rollers, are elevated a sufficient distance above the take-up rollers to prevent any tendency of the material taken up to unwind and avoids the necessity of employing a material holddown means at the take-up rollers. First and second driving motors drive the supply and take-up rollers in synchronism to pay off material from the supply over the guide means and take-up the rewound material at a constant linear speed. The motors may be controlled individually or jointly. A footage counter driven by a wheel in contact with the unwound material as it passes between the supply rollers and the take-up rollers, measures the desired length of material to be unwound from the supply. When a predetermined amount of material has been unwound from the supply, a motor-driven cutter, mounted for rectilinear movement in a track aligned transversely with respect to the path of the unwound material, is actuated to sever the material taken-up from the supply.
An apparatus for unwinding a predetermined length of rolled material from a supply thereof and rolling the unwound material, which comprises: first and second sets of parallel horizontal supply rollers for rotatably supporting the supply of rolled material therebetween; first and second sets of parallel horizontal take-up rollers, parallel to and spaced first and second distances, respectively, away from said supply rollers, for rotatably supporting the unwound material therebetween; means spacing said second set of take-up rollers above said first set of take-up rollers; an elongated guide roller means, parallel to and interposed between said supply rollers and said take-up rollers and adjacent to said first set of take-up rollers for guiding the unwound material onto said take-up rollers; means supporting said guide roller means a sufficient distance above said supply rollers and said take-up rollers to prevent the unwound material from contacting said first set of take-up rollers until the material has passed over the uppermost portions of said first set of take-up rollers, to prevent any tendency of the material to unwind itself; and means for driving said take-up rollers to roll said unwound material.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
187 words
An apparatus for unwinding a predetermined length of rolled material from a supply thereof and rolling the unwound material, which comprises: first and second sets of parallel horizontal supply rollers for rotatably supporting the supply of rolled material therebetween; first and second sets of parallel horizontal take-up rollers, parallel to and spaced first and second distances, respectively, away from said supply rollers, for rotatably supporting the unwound material therebetween; means spacing said second set of take-up rollers above said first set of take-up rollers; an elongated guide roller means, parallel to and interposed between said supply rollers and said take-up rollers and adjacent to said first set of take-up rollers for guiding the unwound material onto said take-up rollers; means supporting said guide roller means a sufficient distance above said supply rollers and said take-up rollers to prevent the unwound material from contacting said first set of take-up rollers until the material has passed over the uppermost portions of said first set of take-up rollers, to prevent any tendency of the material to unwind itself; and means for driving said take-up rollers to roll said unwound material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
103 words
An apparatus as defined in claim 1 and including: cutter means comprising a support, means for mounting a pair of blades on said support in aligned relationship with the cutting edGes thereof facing opposite directions; means mounting said cutter for rectilinear movement in said opposite directions along a path between said supply rollers and said elongated guide roller means adjacent and parallel to said guide roller means and transverse to the direction in which the material is unwound; and means for selectively driving said cutter in said opposite directions along said path to sever the unwound material from the supply in either direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the axes of said supply rollers and said first set of take-up rollers lie in a common horizontal plane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each of said blades is mounted at a predetermined angle.