Machine and method for winding webs

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 includes a rim wheel encircling the rider support and a pusher reciprocatably mounted on the rider support within the rim wheel. Each of the pushers is commonly coupled within the rider support to enable the pushers to be driven toward an extended position in response to a common force. An extrinsic force can push the pusher into a retracted position to switch into a holding state limiting the ability of the pusher to move to the extended position.

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, each of said rider rollers including: 
 (a) a rim wheel encircling said rider support; and  
 (b) a pusher reciprocatably mounted on said rider support within said rim wheel to move between an extended position and a retracted position, each of said pushers being commonly coupled within said rider support to enable said pushers to be driven toward said extended position in response to a common force, said pusher being operable in response to extrinsic force pushing said pusher into said retracted position to switch into a holding state limiting the ability of said pusher to move to said extended position.  
   
     
     
         2 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein said rider support supports said plurality of rider rollers without projecting between the rider rollers.  
     
     
         3 . 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.  
     
     
         4 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are contiguous.  
     
     
         5 . 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.  
     
     
         6 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein said plurality of rider rollers reside alongside and between each of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         7 . A winding machine according to  claim 6  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are distributed evenly along said rider support.  
     
     
         8 . A winding machine according to  claim 6  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are each smaller in width than any of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         9 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein said rider support comprises a hollow shaft with a central longitudinal passageway.  
     
     
         10 . A winding machine according to  claim 9  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.  
     
     
         11 . A winding machine according to  claim 10  wherein said hollow shaft is pressurized to urge said pushers through said transverse bores in order to push said rim wheels.  
     
     
         12 . A winding machine according to  claim 11  wherein said pusher has an axially varying, cross-sectional area for producing from pressure in said hollow shaft a net axial force on said pusher tending to drive said pusher through said transverse bore toward said extended position.  
     
     
         13 . A winding machine according to  claim 12  wherein said pusher has a first and a second section, said second section having an effectively larger cross-sectional area than said first section, said pusher having between said first and said second section a switching seal, said switching seal being normally located in said central longitudinal passageway, motion of said pusher toward said retracted position ultimately bringing said switching seal out of said central longitudinal passageway to seal said switching seal in said transverse bore and isolate said first section from said central longitudinal passageway, so that the net axial force on said pusher is repressed.  
     
     
         14 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  wherein each of said rider rollers has a holding mechanism for holding said pusher upon arrival of the pusher in the retracted position in order to undermine the ability of said pusher to move toward said extended position.  
     
     
         15 . A winding machine according to  claim 14  wherein said pusher has a peripherally mounted yielding member, said transverse bore having a recess positioned and sized to receive said yielding member upon said pusher moving into said retracted position.  
     
     
         16 . A winding machine according to  claim 14  wherein said pusher has a yielding member encircling said pusher, said transverse bore having an annular groove positioned and sized to receive said yielding member upon said pusher moving into said retracted position.  
     
     
         17 . A winding machine according to  claim 14  wherein said rider support has at each of said transverse bores an inwardly biased yielding member, said pusher having a recess positioned and sized to receive said yielding member upon said pusher moving into said retracted position.  
     
     
         18 . A winding machine according to  claim 1  comprising: 
 a carriage supporting said rider support; and  
 a carriage drive coupled to said carriage for moving said rider support relative to said plurality of rolls.  
 
     
     
         19 . A winding machine according to  claim 18  comprising: 
 a sensor responsive to the quantity of the web wound onto the winding roll assembly of said winding machine; and  
 a controller coupled to said sensor and said carriage drive for bringing the rider support in proximity to said plurality of rolls in response to said sensor.  
 
     
     
         20 . A winding machine according to  claim 18  comprising: 
 a sensor responsive to an operating parameter of said winding machine; and  
 a controller coupled to said sensor and said carriage drive for bringing the rider support in proximity to said plurality of rolls in response to said sensor.  
 
     
     
         21 . A winding machine according to  claim 18  wherein said carriage comprises a pair of pivotally supported arms with distal ends supporting opposite ends of said rider support.  
     
     
         22 . A winding machine according to  claim 20  wherein said controller is operable to bring said rider rollers to bear on said plurality of rolls in order to avoid entrapment of air entrained on the webs.  
     
     
         23 . A winding machine according to  claim 22  wherein the web arrives at said rider rollers and said rolls substantially simultaneously.  
     
     
         24 . A winding machine according to  claim 22  wherein the web arrives at said rider rollers and substantially reverses direction before arriving at said rolls.  
     
     
         25 . A winding machine according to  claim 22  wherein the winding roll assembly comprises a drive shaft supporting said plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         26 . A winding machine according to  claim 25  wherein said winding roll assembly comprises: 
 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 in order to drive said rolls.  
 
     
     
         27 . A winding machine according to  claim 22  wherein each of said rider rollers has a width corresponding to an associated one of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         28 . A winding machine according to  claim 27  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.  
 
     
     
         29 . 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.  
 
     
     
         30 . A winding machine for winding webs into a plurality of rolls, comprising: 
 a winding roll assembly including a winding roll support and driver means;    a rider support means including a hollow shaft with a pressurized, central longitudinal passageway and a plurality of transverse bores intersecting said central longitudinal passageway;    a carriage means for supporting said rider support means;    a carriage drive means coupled to said carriage means for moving said rider support means;    a sensor means for measuring a parameter corresponding to the amount of the web wound at least one of said plurality of rolls;    a control means coupled to said sensor means and said carriage drive means for bringing the rider support means toward said plurality of rolls in response to said sensor means; and    a plurality of rider roller means mounted on said rider support means for contacting said rolls, said rider support means supporting said plurality of rider roller means without projecting between the plurality of rider roller means, each of said rider roller means including: 
 (a) a rim wheel encircling said rider support means; and  
 (b) a pusher means reciprocatably mounted in a different corresponding one of said transverse bores on said rider support means within said rim wheel to move between an extended position and a retracted position, said pusher means having an axially varying, cross-sectional area for producing from pressure in said hollow shaft a net axial force on said pusher means tending to drive said pusher means through said transverse bore toward said extended position, said pusher means being operable in response to extrinsic force pushing said pusher means into said retracted position to switch into a holding state limiting the ability of said pusher means to move to said extended position, said pusher means having a yielding means encircling said pusher means, said transverse bore having an annular groove positioned and sized to receive said yielding means upon said pusher means moving into said retracted position.  
   
     
     
         31 . 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) a rim wheel encircling said rider support; and  
 (b) a pusher reciprocatably mounted on said rider support within said rim wheel to move between an extended position and a retracted position.  
   
     
     
         32 . A winding machine according to  claim 31  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.  
     
     
         33 . A winding machine according to  claim 31  wherein said rider support supports said plurality of rider rollers without projecting past said rim wheel between any of the rider rollers.  
     
     
         34 . A winding machine according to  claim 31  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are contiguous.  
     
     
         35 . A winding machine according to  claim 31  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.  
     
     
         36 . A winding machine according to  claim 31  wherein said plurality of rider rollers reside alongside and between each of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         37 . A winding machine according to  claim 36  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are distributed evenly along said rider support.  
     
     
         38 . A winding machine according to  claim 36  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are each smaller in width than any of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         39 . A winding machine according to  claim 31  wherein said rider support comprises a hollow shaft with a central longitudinal passageway.  
     
     
         40 . A winding machine according to  claim 39  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.  
     
     
         41 . A winding machine according to  claim 31  wherein the winding roll assembly comprises a drive shaft supporting said plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         42 . A winding machine according to  claim 41  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.  
 
     
     
         43 . A winding machine according to  claim 31  wherein each of said rider rollers has a width corresponding to an associated one of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         44 . A winding machine according to  claim 43  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.  
 
     
     
         45 . A winding machine according to  claim 31  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.  
 
     
     
         46 . 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, each of said rider rollers including: 
 (a) an inner ring encircling said rider support;  
 (b) a rim wheel encircling said inner ring; and  
 (c) a pusher reciprocatably mounted on said rider support within said rim wheel to move between an extended position and a retracted position, said inner ring and said pusher being pivotally connected to allow said inner ring to translate and rotate relative to said rider support.  
   
     
     
         47 . A winding machine according to  claim 46  wherein the winding roll assembly comprises: 
 a drive shaft supporting said plurality of rolls; and  
 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.  
 
     
     
         48 . 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 against said rolls to limit air entrapment, unassociated ones of said rider rollers between said associated ones of said rider rollers being unused.    
     
     
         49 . A method according to  claim 48  wherein said rider rollers are driven in the common direction in response to a common force that is commonly coupled to said rider rollers.  
     
     
         50 . A method according to  claim 48  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.  
     
     
         51 . A method according to  claim 48  comprising the step of: 
 extrinsically pushing at least a selected one of the rider rollers into a retracted position and contemporaneously switching the selected one into a holding state limiting the ability of the selected one to move in the common direction.  
 
     
     
         52 . A method according to  claim 51  wherein the selected one 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.  
     
     
         53 . A method according to  claim 52  wherein the selected one 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.  
     
     
         54 . A method according to  claim 52  wherein the selected one of the rider rollers and said adjacent one of the webs have a partially overhanging relationship.  
     
     
         55 . A method according to  claim 54  wherein the portion of the selected one of the rider rollers looming against said adjacent one of the webs is less than 10% axially.  
     
     
         56 . A method according to  claim 48  most of the unassociated ones of said rider rollers are deployed in the common direction farther than the associated ones of the rider rollers.  
     
     
         57 . A method according to  claim 48  comprising the step of: 
 extrinsically pushing some of the unassociated ones of the rider rollers into a retracted position and contemporaneously switching the retracted ones of the rider rollers into a holding state limiting the ability of the retracted ones to move in the common direction, the unassociated ones of the rider rollers that are not among the retracted ones are deployed in the common direction farther than the associated ones of the rider rollers.  
 
     
     
         58 . A method according to  claim 48  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are positioned contiguously.  
     
     
         59 . A method according to  claim 48  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.  
     
     
         60 . A method according to  claim 48  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are distributed evenly.  
     
     
         61 . A method according to  claim 48  wherein said plurality of rider rollers are each smaller in width than any of the plurality of rolls.  
     
     
         62 . A method according to  claim 48  comprising the step of: 
 simultaneously moving said rider rollers as a group relative to said plurality of rolls.  
 
     
     
         63 . A method according to  claim 62  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.  
 
     
     
         64 . A method according to  claim 63  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.  
     
     
         65 . A method according to  claim 64  wherein the web arrives at said rider rollers and said rolls substantially simultaneously.  
     
     
         66 . A method according to  claim 64  wherein the web arrives at said rider rollers and substantially reverses direction before arriving at said rolls.  
     
     
         67 . A method according to  claim 48  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.