Single web automatic splicing unwind machine and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12384640-B2
Application number	US-202318223602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2023
Priority date	Aug 17, 2022
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A converting line has a unwind machine with a load station assembly and a vertical movement assembly. The load station assembly rotatably supports a roll as the web is unwound during a first portion of an unwind cycle. The vertical movement assembly rotatably supports the roll during movement between lowered and raised positions during a second portion of the unwind cycle. A lower brake assembly controls rotation of the roll in the load station assembly, and an upper brake assembly controls rotation of the roll with the roll in the vertical movement assembly. With the roll rotatably supported in the load station assembly, the converting line control generates signals for the lower brake assembly to control an unwind rotation rate of the roll. With the roll rotatably supported by the vertical movement assembly, the control generates signals for the upper brake assembly to control the unwind rotation rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A converting line comprising:
a control for the converting line, the control including a controller having a processor and a memory, the control including a load sensor downstream of an unwind machine, the load sensor being adapted and configured to sense a tension in the web downstream of the unwind machine and generate signal corresponding thereto;
the unwind machine adapted and configured to deliver a web of material to downstream equipment in the converting line, the unwind machine comprising:
a stand for supporting components of the unwind machine;
a load station assembly operatively coupled to the stand, the load station assembly being adapted and configured to receive a roll of the web material, the load station assembly being configured to rotatably support the roll as the web material is unwound from the unwind machine during a first portion of the unwind cycle;
a vertical movement assembly operatively coupled to the stand, the vertical movement assembly adapted and configured to receive the roll from the load station assembly, the vertical movement assembly including a vertical movement actuator, the vertical movement actuator being configured to move the vertical movement assembly between a lowered position adjacent the load station assembly and a raised position away from the load station assembly, the vertical movement assembly being configured to rotatably support the roll as the vertical movement assembly moves the roll between the lowered position and the raised position as the web material is unwound from the unwind machine during a second portion of the unwind cycle;
a lower brake assembly operatively coupled to the stand, the lower brake assembly being adapted and configured to control rotation of the roll in the load station assembly during the first portion of the unwind cycle;
an upper brake assembly operatively coupled to the vertical movement assembly, the upper brake assembly being adapted and configured to control rotation of the roll with the roll in the vertical movement assembly during the second portion of the wind cycle;
wherein with the roll rotatably supported in the load station assembly during the first portion of the unwind cycle, the control is adapted and configured to generate signals for the lower brake assembly to control a rate of rotation of the roll in the load station assembly;
wherein with the roll rotatably supported by the vertical movement assembly during the second portion of the unwind cycle, the control is adapted and configured to generate signals for the upper brake assembly to control a rate of rotation of the roll in the vertical movement assembly;

and
a splice box assembly, the splice box assembly being configured to splice and join the web material from the roll with web material of a further roll.

2. The converting line of claim 1 wherein:
the lower brake assembly includes a lower brake arm, a lower brake arm actuator, and a rail assembly extending outward from the stand, the lower brake arm being operatively connected to the lower brake arm actuator and being operatively slidingly connected to the rail assembly, the lower brake arm actuator being configured to move the lower brake arm away from and toward the stand on the rail assembly and move the lower brake arm into and out of engagement with the roll when the roll is received in the load station assembly during the first portion of the wind cycle, the lower brake arm actuator including a position sensor and a pressure sensor; and
wherein with the roll rotatably supported in the load station assembly during the first portion of the unwind cycle, the control is adapted and configured to receive the position sensor signal and the pressure sensor signal from the lower brake arm actuator and based upon the lower brake arm actuator position sensor and pressure sensor:
generate signals for the lower brake arm actuator to position the lower brake arm relative to the load station assembly and the stand to engage the roll with the lower brake arm;
determine a diameter measurement corresponding to the roll when the lower brake arm is engaged with the roll of web material; and
generate signals for the lower brake arm actuator to control a level of force exerted by the lower brake arm actuator on the lower brake arm and against the roll when the lower brake arm is engaged with the roll.

3. The converting line of claim 1 wherein:
the upper brake assembly includes an upper brake arm and an upper brake arm actuator, the upper brake arm being operatively pivotally connected to the upper brake arm actuator, the upper brake arm actuator being operatively connected to the vertical movement assembly and moving with the vertical movement assembly between the raised and the lowered positions of the vertical movement assembly, the upper brake arm actuator being configured to move the upper brake arm into and out of engagement with the roll when the roll is received in the vertical movement assembly, the upper brake arm actuator including a position sensor and a pressure sensor;
wherein with the roll rotatably supported by the vertical movement assembly during the second portion of the unwind cycle, the control is adapted and configured to receive the position sensor signal and the pressure sensor signal from the upper brake arm actuator, and based upon the upper brake arm actuator position sensor and pressure sensor:
generate signals for the upper brake arm actuator to position the upper brake arm relative to the vertical movement assembly to engage the roll of the web of material;
determine a diameter measurement corresponding to the roll when the upper brake arm is engaged with the roll; and
generate signals for the upper brake arm actuator to control a level of force exerted by the upper brake arm actuator on the upper brake arm and against the roll when the upper brake arm is engaged with the roll.

4. The converting line of claim 1 wherein:
the control is adapted to:
receive the load sensor signal;
compare the load sensor signal to a desired tension level of the web; and

when the is roll rotatably supported in the load station assembly during the first portion of the unwind cycle, the control is adapted to:
generate control signals for the lower brake assembly to control the rate of rotation of the roll in the load station in a manner so as to maintain a tension in the web being unwound from the unwind machine in a desired operating range; and

when the roll is rotatably supported by the vertical movement assembly during the second portion of the unwind cycle, the control is adapted to:
generate signals for the upper brake arm assembly to control the rate of rotation of the roll in a manner so as to maintain a tension in the web being unwound from the unwind machine in a desired operating range.

5. The converting line of claim 1 wherein:
with the roll rotatably supported in the load station assembly during the first portion of the wind cycle, the control is enabled to:
determine the diameter measurement of the roll; and
generate signals for the vertical movement actuator to lower the vertical movement assembly when the diameter measurement reaches a desired set point.

6. The converting line of claim 5 wherein:
with the roll rotatably supported in the load station assembly during the first portion of the wind cycle and the vertical movement assembly in the lowered position, the control is enabled to:
generate signals for the vertical movement actuator to move the vertical movement assembly from the lowered position to the raised position; and
generate signals for the upper brake assembly to control the rate of rotation of the roll in the vertical movement assembly so as to maintain a tension of the web in a desired operating rang

Assignees

• Paper Converting Machine Co
• Bw Converting Inc

Inventors

• Heroux Jamie

Classifications

• B65H2403/725

  Brakes · CPC title

• B65H2301/46024

  by collecting a loop of material of the fresh web downstream of the splicing station · CPC title

• B65H19/12

  Lifting, transporting, or inserting the web roll; Removing empty core · CPC title

• B65H2515/30

  Forces; Stresses · CPC title

• B65H2513/10

  Speed · CPC title