Method for handling parent reels in paper converting plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10807828-B2
Application number	US-201515512697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 23, 2014
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

Method for the handling of parent reels in paper converting plants, comprising the following steps: (a) providing at least one platform with a base adapted to support a parent reel in a waiting station and at least one unwinder (S) adapted to receive said reel in an unwinding station where the parent reel is unwound; (b) positioning a parent reel (1) on the platform at the waiting station; (c) transporting the parent reel (1) along a predefined path from said platform to said unwinder (S) by means of a bridge crane (CP) equipped with movable arms (BC). The step (c) is preceded by a first step consisting in the temporary association of two pins (P) to the arms (BC) of the bridge crane (CP) and by a second step consisting in inserting the two pins (P) in two opposite bases of the parent reel (1) using the same arms (BC); and the step (c) involves the transport of the reel (1) along a path comprising at least one ascending or descending portion with the pins (P) thus inserted into the parent reel (1).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for handling parent reels in paper converting plants, the method comprising the following steps:
providing at least one platform with a base adapted to support a parent reel in a waiting station and at least one unwinder adapted to receive said parent reel in an unwinding station where the parent reel is unwound;
positioning the parent reel on the platform at the waiting station;
transporting the parent reel along a predefined path from said platform to said at least one unwinder via a bridge crane equipped with movable arms; and
temporarily associating two pins with the movable arms of the bridge crane before transporting the parent reel along the predefined path and inserting the two pins in two opposite bases of the parent reel using the movable arms before transporting the parent reel along the predefined path, said transporting the parent reel along said predefined path comprising at least one ascending or descending portion with the two pins inserted into the parent reel, wherein each of the movable arms is moved to a position located at a spaced location from the two pins after the parent reel is transported along the predefined path.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
rotating the parent reel one-hundred and eighty degrees around a vertical axis before transporting the parent reel along the predefined path if an orientation of the parent reel on the at least one platform is different from a desired orientation.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the rotation of the parent reel is performed in said waiting station.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said rotation of the parent reel is performed with the parent reel positioned on said platform so that any rotation is performed with the parent reel in a not suspended position.

5. A method according to claim 2 , wherein rotation of the parent reel is performed with the parent reel positioned on said platform so that any rotation is performed with the parent reel in a not suspended position.

6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting possible load variations on said movable arms during insertion of the two pins in the reel, and providing a relative movement between the parent reel and the movable arms when an absolute value of a variation of a load exceeds a predetermined limit up to bring said absolute value below the predetermined limit.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the parent reel is moved vertically with respect to the movable arms.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein each pin comprises an outer side and an inner side, the inner side being adapted to be inserted into the parent reel of paper material and the outer side remaining on an outside of the parent reel when the inner side is inside the parent reel, said outer side being provided with a hooking portion adapted to be engaged by a means for vertically moving at least one of the two pins.

9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the outer side of a respective pin comprises a shank having a longitudinal axis coinciding with a longitudinal axis of the respective pin and said hooking portion comprises an eyelet formed on the shank and delimited by two parallel arms that emerge radially from the shank and the two parallel arms are joined by a body parallel to said longitudinal axis of the respective pin.

10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein said eyelet is provided on an upper side of the shank.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said two pins are expandible pins.

12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein each of said two pins has an inner side formed by sectors, each of the sectors being formed by a cylindrical surface portion with a free front part to provide a number of front parts, the front parts of said sectors defining a substantially circular shape with a diameter varying between a maximum value ( 4 a ) and a minimum value ( 4 c ), and a difference between the maximum value and said minimum value is comprised between 10% and 30% of the maximum value ( 4 a ): 0.30*( 4 a )≥Δ=( 4 a − 4 c )≥0.10*( 4 a ).

13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said ascending or descending portion is a vertical portion of said predefined path.

14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said two pins are extracted, by means of the movable arms of the bridge crane, from an exhausted parent reel that is transferred to an unloading station for exhausted reels.

15. A method according to claim 1 , wherein transporting the parent reel along the predefined path ends in correspondence of the unwinder equipped with an unwinding means positioned and acting under a support adapted to support the parent reel, the unwinder being free from superstructures.

16. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said platform receives exhausted reels removed from the unwinder.

17. A method for handling parent reels in paper converting plants, the method comprising the following steps:
providing at least one platform with a base configured to support a parent reel in a waiting station and at least one unwinder configured to receive said parent reel in an unwinding station where said parent reel is unwound;
positioning said parent reel on said platform at said waiting station;
providing a bridge crane comprising movable arms;
moving a plurality of pins relative to said parent reel via said movable arms such that one of said plurality of pins is inserted in one base of said parent reel and another one of said pins is inserted in another base of said parent reel via said movable arms; and
transporting said parent reel along a predefined path from said platform to said at least one unwinder via said bridge crane after inserting said plurality of pins in said parent reel, wherein one of said movable arms is in contact with said one of said plurality of pins and another one of said movable arms in contact with said another one of said plurality of pins when said parent reel is transported along at least a portion of said predefined path via said bridge crane, said transporting said parent reel along said predefined path comprising at least one ascending or descending portion with said two pins inserted into said parent reel, wherein each of said movable arms is moved to a position located at a spaced location from said two pins after said parent reel is transported along said predefined path.

18. A method for handling parent reels in paper converting plants, the method comprising the following steps:
providing at least one platform with a base configured to support a parent reel in a waiting station and at least one unwinder configured to receive said parent reel in an unwinding station where said parent reel is unwound;
positioning said parent reel on said platform at said waiting station;
providing a bridge crane comprising a plurality of movable arms;
moving a plurality of pins relative to said parent reel via said movable arms such that one of said plurality of pins is inserted in one base of said parent reel and another one of said pins is inserted in another base of said parent reel via said movable arms;
transporting said parent reel along said predefined path via said bridge crane after inserting said pins in said parent reel, wherein said one of said movable arms is in contact with said one of said plurality of pins and said another one of said movable arms in contact with said another one of said plurality of pins when said parent reel is transported along at least a portion of said predefined path via said bridge crane, said tran

Assignees

• Futura Spa

Inventors

• Perini Fabio

Classifications

• B65H2801/84

  Paper-making machines · CPC title

• B65H75/2487

  comprising a linkage · CPC title

• B65H2515/10

  Mass, e.g. mass flow rate; Weight; Inertia · CPC title

• B65H2301/4137

  on its outer circumference · CPC title

• B65H19/126 Primary

  with both-ends supporting arrangements · CPC title