Paper tube supply system

Claim 1

A paper tube supply system for supplying a paper tube stored in a vertical stack of paper tubes to an automatic winder having a plurality of winding units, said system comprising: a paper tube discharging means for separating the lowermost one of said tubes from said vertical stack of paper tubes; a paper tube delivering means for delivering said separated paper tube to one of said winding units; a paper tube conveying means for conveying said separated paper tube from said paper tube discharging means to said paper tube delivering means, wherein said paper tube conveying means further comprises: a continuous conveyor belt having a first section on which said tube is transported substantially vertically and a second section on which said tube is transported substantially horizontally, said conveyor belt comprising guide means for maintaining said tube in the same relative orientation with respect to said conveyor on both said first and second sections of said conveyor belt; and wherein said paper tube delivering means further comprises: a pair of ceiling rails adjacent to and suspended above said plurality of winding units; a car having a plurality of wheels supported and guided by said ceiling rails to thereby enable said car to travel along said ceiling rails to each of said winding units; and wherein said paper tube discharging means further comprises: a first horizontal partition plate provided with a through-hole of sufficient size to allow said vertical stack of paper tubes to pass therethrough; a vertical shaft extending through said partition plate, said shaft being supported for rotation with respect to said partition plate by means of bearings; a disk secured to one end of said shaft above said partition plate, said disk having a plurality of hollow cylinders disposed therein in circumferentially equally spaced relationship, one or more of said hollow cylinders containing said vertical stack of paper tubes; and a latch wheel secured to said shaft, said latch wheel being provided with a plurality of latches therearound for stopping rotation of said disk at a position at which one of said cylinders lies above said through-hole to thereby enable said vertical stack of paper tubes within said cylinder drop to through said through-hole.