Winding machine and method using interlocked rim wheels

Abstract

A winding machine can wind webs into a plurality of rolls at spaced positions. The machine has a winding roll assembly including a winding roll support and driver. A rider support supports a plurality of rider rollers at and between the spaced winding positions, without projecting between the rider rollers. Some of the rider rollers can contact the rolls. Each of the rider rollers has encircling the rider support a rim wheel with a member. The member is selectively operable to interlock and move together with an adjacent one of the rim wheels. Rider rollers at the spaced winding positions can be pressed in a common direction toward the rolls to limit air entrapment. At least one adjacent pair of the rider rollers at the edge of a roll can be linked together in order to move in unison.

1 . A winding machine for winding webs into a plurality of rolls, comprising: 
 a winding roll assembly including a winding roll support and driver;    a rider support; and    a plurality of rider rollers mounted on said rider support for contacting said rolls, said rider support supporting said plurality of rider rollers without projecting between the rider rollers, each of said rider rollers including:    a rim wheel encircling said rider support and having a member, said member being selectively operable to interlock and move together with an adjacent one of said rim wheels.    
     
     
         2 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein said rim wheel comprises: 
 a pusher reciprocatably mounted on said rider support within said rim wheel to move between an extended position and a retracted position.  
 
     
     
         3 . A winding machine according to  claim 2  wherein each of said pushers are commonly coupled within said rider support to enable said pushers to be driven toward said extended position in response to a common force.  
     
     
         4 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein said rider support supports said plurality of rider rollers without projecting past said rim wheel between any of the rider rollers.  
     
     
         5 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are contiguous.  
     
     
         6 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein said plurality of rider rollers each have a predetermined width, the spacing between adjacent ones of said rider rollers being less than 5% of said predetermined width.  
     
     
         7 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein said plurality of rider rollers reside alongside and between each of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         8 . A winding machine according to  claim 7  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are distributed evenly along said rider support.  
     
     
         9 . A winding machine according to  claim 7  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are each smaller in width than any of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         10 . A winding machine according to  claim 2  wherein said rider support comprises a hollow shaft with a central longitudinal passageway.  
     
     
         11 . A winding machine according to  claim 10  wherein said hollow shaft has a plurality of transverse bores intersecting said central longitudinal passageway, the pushers of said rider rollers being separately mounted in individual ones of said transverse bores, said hollow shaft being pressurized to urge said pushers through said transverse bores in order to push said rim wheels.  
     
     
         12 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein the winding roll assembly comprises a drive shaft supporting said plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         13 . A winding machine according to  claim 12  comprising: 
 a driving roller spaced from said plurality of rolls, motion of said rider rollers toward said extended position bringing said rider rollers into contact with said driving roller and said plurality of rolls, said driving roller engaging and driving said rider rollers.  
 
     
     
         14 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein each of said rider rollers has a width corresponding to an associated one of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         15 . A winding machine according to  claim 14  comprising: 
 a driving roller spaced from and extending across said plurality of rolls, motion of said rider rollers toward said extended position bringing said rider rollers into contact with said driving roller and said plurality of rolls, said driving roller engaging and driving said rider rollers.  
 
     
     
         16 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein each of said rider rollers comprises: 
 an inner ring encircling said rider support, said rim wheel encircling said inner ring, said inner ring and said pusher being pivotally connected to allow said inner ring to translate and rotate relative to said rider support.  
 
     
     
         17 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein said rim wheel has a receptacle, said member being adjustable to project from a selected one of said rim wheels to the receptacle on an adjacent one of said rim wheels.  
     
     
         18 . A winding machine according to  claim 17  wherein said member comprises: 
 a pin mounted to reciprocate axially on said rim wheel between an deployed and a stowed position, said pin and said receptacle being at the same radial displacement to allow insertion of said pin on the selected one of said rim wheels into said receptacle of the adjacent one of said rim wheels.  
 
     
     
         19 . A winding machine according to  claim 18  wherein said rim wheel has a recess and in said recess a hole for holding said pin, said pin having (a) a forward end for selectively projecting beyond said rim wheel, and (b) an aft end arranged to remain in said recess in said stowed and said deployed positions.  
     
     
         20 . A method employing a plurality of rider rollers for winding webs into a plurality of rolls, comprising the steps of: 
 directing webs to a plurality of spaced winding positions across a winding region;    positioning a plurality of rider rollers at and between the spaced winding positions while supporting said rider rollers at either end of said winding region without employing supporting structure projecting between rider rollers in the winding region; and    winding the webs at said spaced winding positions into a plurality of rolls while pressing associated ones said rider rollers at said spaced winding positions in a common direction toward said rolls to limit air entrapment, at least one adjacent pair of the associated ones of said rider rollers that are next to unassociated ones of said rider rollers being linked together in order to move in unison.    
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein said rider rollers are driven in the common direction in response to a common force that is commonly coupled to said rider rollers.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein said associated ones of said rider rollers are driven toward said plurality of rolls in response to a common force that is commonly coupled to said associated ones of said rider rollers.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 20  comprising the step of: 
 manually interlocking said adjacent pair of the associated ones of the rider rollers.  
 
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 23  wherein said adjacent pair of the associated ones of the rider rollers is (a) adjacent to an edge of an adjacent one of the webs, and (b) next to one of the rider rollers that initially touches the adjacent one of the webs.  
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 24  wherein one of said adjacent pair of the associated ones of the rider rollers is spaced to the outside of the adjacent one of the webs in a position to avoid initial contact with said adjacent one.  
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 24  wherein said adjacent pair of the associated ones of the rider rollers and said adjacent one of the webs have a partially overhanging relationship.  
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 26  wherein the portion of said adjacent pair of the associated ones of the rider rollers looming against said adjacent one of the webs is no more than 60% axially.  
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 20  most of the unassociated ones of said rider rollers are deployed in the common direction farther than the associated ones of the rider rollers.  
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are positioned contiguously.  
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein said plurality of rider rollers each have a predetermined width, the method includes keeping the spacing between adjacent ones of said rider rollers less than 5% of said predetermined width.  
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are distributed evenly.  
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 20  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are each smaller in width than any of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 20  comprising the step of: 
 simultaneously moving said rider rollers as a group relative to said plurality of rolls.  
 
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 33  comprising the step of: 
 measuring an operating parameter associated with a relation between the plurality of rolls and the rider rollers, the step of simultaneously moving said rider rollers as a group being performed by bringing the group in proximity to said plurality of rolls in accordance with said operating parameter.  
 
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 34  wherein the step of simultaneously moving said rider rollers as a group is performed to bring said rider rollers to bear on said plurality of rolls in order to avoid entrapment of air entrained on the webs.  
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 35  wherein the web arrives at said rider rollers and said rolls substantially simultaneously.  
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 35  wherein the web arrives at said rider rollers and substantially reverses direction before arriving at said rolls.  
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 20  employing a driving roller spaced from said plurality of rolls, motion of said rider rollers in said common direction bringing said rider rollers into contact with said driving roller and said plurality of rolls, the method including the step of: 
 engaging and driving said rider rollers with said driving roller.