US4500045A — Laterally translatable roll apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 268 words

A laterally translatable roll apparatus for supply and/or take-up of a continuous web of material to maintain said roll in proper alignment as the web is paid from or rewound onto said roll, comprising: a pair of frame members; a roll for supporting said continuous web of material; means on said frame members to rotatably support said roll therebetween, said support means comprising open ended bearing support means; roll drive means having a drive shaft extending to one end of said roll; interengagable coupler means on the output end of said roll drive shaft and said roll one end to permit said roll to be rotatably driven by said roll drive shaft while allowing for immediate lateral disengagement of said coupler means upon removal of the other end of said roll from said open ended bearing support means; means axially mounted at said roll one end and biased to move axially outward away therefrom for engagement against said drive shaft output end; lateral translation drive means mounted on the other of said frame members with translation output means engaging in axially aligned, abutting contact relation the other end of said roll, said axially aligned, abutting contact relation to permit disengagement of said roll other end from said translation output means by singularly lifting said roll other end from its open ended bearing support means while not interfering either with the lateral operation or rotational operation of said roll when said roll is positioned for said operations in said open ended bearing support means; control means to operate said lateral translation drive means to translate said lateral output means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 268 words

A laterally translatable roll apparatus for supply and/or take-up of a continuous web of material to maintain said roll in proper alignment as the web is paid from or rewound onto said roll, comprising: a pair of frame members; a roll for supporting said continuous web of material; means on said frame members to rotatably support said roll therebetween, said support means comprising open ended bearing support means; roll drive means having a drive shaft extending to one end of said roll; interengagable coupler means on the output end of said roll drive shaft and said roll one end to permit said roll to be rotatably driven by said roll drive shaft while allowing for immediate lateral disengagement of said coupler means upon removal of the other end of said roll from said open ended bearing support means; means axially mounted at said roll one end and biased to move axially outward away therefrom for engagement against said drive shaft output end; lateral translation drive means mounted on the other of said frame members with translation output means engaging in axially aligned, abutting contact relation the other end of said roll, said axially aligned, abutting contact relation to permit disengagement of said roll other end from said translation output means by singularly lifting said roll other end from its open ended bearing support means while not interfering either with the lateral operation or rotational operation of said roll when said roll is positioned for said operations in said open ended bearing support means; control means to operate said lateral translation drive means to translate said lateral output means.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 96 words

The laterally translatable roll apparatus of claim 1 wherein said lateral translation drive means comprises: a stepper motor mounted on said other frame member with its drive shaft in axial alignment with the rotational axis of said roll; said stepper motor mounted for movement along the rotational axis of said roll toward and away from said other frame member; said translation output means comprising a drive screw threadably mounted in said other frame member in axial alignment with said rotational axis and having one end secured to the output end of said stepper motor drive shaft.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 158 words

The laterally translatable roll apparatus of claim 2 wherein said control means comprises: circuit means connected to said stepper motor to drive said stepper motor in either direction based upon signals comprising two inputs to said circuit means; an optical edge sensor mounted at the edge of said web as the same is paid from said roll and productive of a voltage signal indicative of the amount of coverage of said sensor by said web edge, said voltage signal one of said inputs to said circuit means; a voltage reference source providing a voltage reference signal representative of the desired lateral position of said web as the same is paid from or rewound onto said roll, said voltage reference signal being the other of said inputs to said circuit means; comparator means in said circuit means to compare said inputs and produce a signal indicative of the amount of incremental steps to be taken by said stepper motor.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 25 words

The laterally translatable roll apparatus of claim 1 wherein said axially mounted biased means is a spring loaded plunger mounted in said roll one end.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 77 words

The laterally tanslatable roll apparatus of claim 1 wherein said lateral translation drive means comprises: a stepper motor mounted on said other frame member with its drive shaft in axial alignment with the rotational axis of said roll; said translation output means comprising a drive screw slidably mounted in said other frame member in axial alignment with said rotational axia and having one end thereof threadably driven by the output end of said stepper motor drive shaft.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 158 words

The laterally translatable roll apparatus of claim 5 wherein said control means comprises: circuit means connected to said stepper motor to drive said stepper motor in either direction based upon signals comprising two inputs to said circuit means; an optical edge sensor mounted at the edge of said web as the same is paid from said roll and productive of a voltage signal indicative of the amount of coverage of said sensor by said web edge, said voltage signal one of said inputs to said circuit means; a voltage reference source providing a voltage reference signal representative of the desired lateral position of said web as the same is paid from or rewound onto said roll, said voltage reference signal being the other of said inputs to said circuit means; comparator means in said circuit means to compare said inputs and produce a signal indicative of the amount of incremental steps to be taken by said stepper motor.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 285 words

In an electrographic printer of plotter system, a laterally translatable roll apparatus for lateral translation of a recording medium as the medium is paid from or rewound onto a medium roll to properly align the medium for movement through one or more stations comprising said system, said roll apparatus comprising: a pair of frame members; a roll for supporting said continuous web of said recording medium; means on said frame members to rotatably support said roll therebetween, said support means comprising open ended bearing support means; roll drive means having a drive shaft extending to one end of said roll; interengagable coupler means on the output end of said roll drive shaft and said roll one end to permit said roll to be rotatably driven by said roll drive shaft while allowing for immediate lateral disengagement of said coupler means upon removal of the other end of said roll from said open ended bearing support means; means axially mounted at said roll one end and biased to move axially outward away therefrom for engagement against said drive shaft output end; lateral translation drive means mounted on the other of said frame members with translation output means engaging in axially aligned, abutting relation the other end of said roll said axially aligned, abutting contact relation to permit disengagement of said roll other end from said translation output means by singularly lifting said roll other end from its open ended bearing support means while not interfering either with the lateral operation or rotational operation of said roll when said roll is positioned for said operations in said open ended bearing support means; control means to operate said lateral translation drive means to translate said lateral output means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 285 words

In an electrographic printer of plotter system, a laterally translatable roll apparatus for lateral translation of a recording medium as the medium is paid from or rewound onto a medium roll to properly align the medium for movement through one or more stations comprising said system, said roll apparatus comprising: a pair of frame members; a roll for supporting said continuous web of said recording medium; means on said frame members to rotatably support said roll therebetween, said support means comprising open ended bearing support means; roll drive means having a drive shaft extending to one end of said roll; interengagable coupler means on the output end of said roll drive shaft and said roll one end to permit said roll to be rotatably driven by said roll drive shaft while allowing for immediate lateral disengagement of said coupler means upon removal of the other end of said roll from said open ended bearing support means; means axially mounted at said roll one end and biased to move axially outward away therefrom for engagement against said drive shaft output end; lateral translation drive means mounted on the other of said frame members with translation output means engaging in axially aligned, abutting relation the other end of said roll said axially aligned, abutting contact relation to permit disengagement of said roll other end from said translation output means by singularly lifting said roll other end from its open ended bearing support means while not interfering either with the lateral operation or rotational operation of said roll when said roll is positioned for said operations in said open ended bearing support means; control means to operate said lateral translation drive means to translate said lateral output means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 98 words

In the electrographic printer or plotter system of claim 7 wherein said lateral translation drive means comprises: a stepper motor mounted on said other frame member with its drive shaft in axial alignment with the rotational axis of said roll; said stepper motor mounted for movement along the rotational axis of said roll toward and away from said other frame member; said translation output means comprising a drive screw threadably mounted in said other frame member in axial alignment with said rotational axis and having one end secured to the output end of said stepper motor drive shaft.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 160 words

In the electrographic printer or plotter system of claim 8 wherein said control means comprises: circuit means connected to said stepper motor to drive said stepper motor in either direction based upon signals comprising two inputs to said circuit means; an optical edge sensor mounted at the edge of said web as the same is paid from said roll and productive of a voltage signal indicative of the amount of coverage of said sensor by said web edge, said voltage signal one of said inputs to said cicuit means; a voltage reference source providing a voltage reference signal representative of the desired lateral position of said web as the same is paid from or rewound onto said roll, said voltage reference signal being the other of said inputs to said circuit means; comparator means in said circuit means to compare said inputs and produce a signal indicative of the amount of incremental steps to be taken by said stepper motor.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 27 words

In the electrographic printer or plotter system of claim 7 wherein said axially mounted biased means is a spring loaded plunger mounted in said roll one end.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 79 words

In the electrographic printer or plotter system of claim 7 wherein said lateral translation drive means comprises: a stepper motor mounted on said other frame member with its drive shaft in axial alignment with the rotational axis of said roll; said translation output means comprising a drive screw slidably mounted in said other frame member in axial alignment with said rotational axis and having one end thereof threadably driven by the output end of said stepper motor drive shaft.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 160 words

In the electrographic printer or plotter system of claim 11 wherein said control means comprises: circuit means connected to said stepper motor to drive said stepper motor in either direction based upon signals comprising two inputs to said circuit means; an optical edge sensor mounted at the edge of said web as the same is paid from said roll and productive of a voltage signal indicative of the amount of coverage of said sensor by said web edge, said voltage signal one of said inputs to said circuit means; a voltage reference source providing a voltage reference signal representative of the desired lateral position of said web as the same is paid from or rewound onto said roll, said voltage reference signal being the other of said inputs to said circuit means; comparator means in said circuit means to compare said inputs and produce a signal indicative of the amount of incremental steps to be taken by said stepper motor.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1988-02-19	1988-08-20	1989-02-19	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1992-02-19	1992-08-20	1993-02-19	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1996-02-19	1996-08-20	1997-02-19	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Laterally translatable roll apparatus

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