Reversible surface winder

Abstract

Disclosed is a winder having: a drum about which a web passes in use; a cutter which severs the web as it passes around the drum into segments; a suction facility which draws air through a suction portion of the drum such that, when severed, the trailing web segment is carried by the suction portion to a release position; a loader which, for each segment, receives a core at a starting position whereat the core is rotated by contact with said drum and whereat the core receives the leading edge of said trailing segment, without fold-over, from said drum when the trailing segment reaches the take-up position; a guide which receives the core after the segment has started to wind thereupon; and a transfer mechanism which receives the core from the guide and supports same in driven contact with the drum as the segment is wound the Disclosed is a winder having: a drum about which a web passes in use; a cutter which severs the web as it passes around the drum into segments; a suction facility which draws air through a suction portion of the drum such that, when severed, the trailing web segment is carried by the suction portion to a release position; a loader which, for each segment, receives a core at a starting position whereat the core is rotated by contact with said drum and whereat the core receives the leading edge of said trailing segment, without fold-over, from said drum when the trailing segment reaches the take-up position; a guide which receives the core after the segment has started to wind thereupon; and a transfer mechanism which receives the core from the guide and supports same in driven contact with the drum as the segment is wound thereon.

1 . A winder for use with an advancing web and a supply of cores, said winder comprising:
 a rotating drum around which said web passes in use and including a suction portion; a cutter mechanism adapted to sever said web, as it passes around said drum, into segments to be wound around one each respective cores from the supply;   a suction facility adapted to draw air through the suction portion of the drum such that, when the web is severed, the trailing segment is carried by the suction portion of the drum to a release position;   a core loader which, for each segment, receives a core from the supply at a starting position whereat the core is rotated by operative driven contact with said drum and whereat the core receives the leading edge of said trailing segment, without fold-over, from said rotating drum when the trailing segment reaches the take-up position;   a guide, to which, after said each segment has started to wind upon the core, the core is moved, and which supports the core as said each web segment is partially wound thereon; and   a transfer mechanism which receives the core from the guide and supports same in operative driven contact with the drum until such time as said each web segment is completely wound thereon.   
   
   
       2 . A winder for use with an advancing web and a supply of adhesive cores, said winder comprising:
 a rotating drum around which said web passes in use and including a suction portion;   a cutter mechanism adapted to sever said web, as it passes around said drum, into segments to be wound around one each respective cores from the supply;   a suction facility adapted to draw air through the suction portion of the drum such that, when the web is severed, the trailing segment is carried by the suction portion of the drum to a take-up position;   a core loader which, for each segment, receives a core from the supply at a starting position whereat the core is rotated by operative driven contact with said drum and whereat the core adhesively receives the leading edge of said trailing segment, without fold-over, from said rotating drum when the trailing segment reaches the take-up position;   a guide, to which, after said each segment has started to wind upon the core, the core is moved, and which supports the core as said each web segment is partially wound thereon; and   a transfer mechanism which receives the core from the guide and supports same in operative driven contact with the drum until such time as said each web segment is completely wound thereon.   
   
   
       3 . A winder according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 an adhesive applicator which applies adhesive to the core before the leading edge of the segment reaches the release position, such that said core adhesively receives the leading edge of said segment from said rotating drum when the web reaches the take-up position.   
   
   
       4 . A winder according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 an adhesive applicator which applies adhesive to the leading edge of the segment before it reaches the release position, such that said core adhesively receives the leading edge of said segment from said rotating drum when the web reaches the take-up position.   
   
   
       5 . A winder according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotating drum is a reversible rotating drum and the transfer mechanism provides for the winding of said segment on said core either web face up or web face down, depending upon the direction of drum rotation. 
   
   
       6 . A winder according to  claim 1 , wherein the drum has a longitudinal channel in the outer circumferential surface thereof, and the cutter mechanism has a knife which is selectively inserted into said channel to sever the web. 
   
   
       7 . A winder according to  claim 6 , wherein, when the web is to be severed, the knife is carried to a position near the drum and caused to pivot in sync with the drum such that knife rotates in mesh with the channel. 
   
   
       8 . A winder according to  claim 7 , wherein a cam pin on the drum and a pivotable fork which is engaged by and moved by the pin on rotation of the drum provides for said pivotal movement of the knife in sync with the drum. 
   
   
       9 . A winder according to  claims 6  wherein the knife moves longitudinally in the channel to sever the web in use. 
   
   
       10 . A winder according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the fork is pivotally mounted to a knife carriage that moves radially from a retracted position, relatively distant from the drum, to an extended cutting position, relatively proximal to the drum, when the web is to be severed; and   wherein longitudinal movement of the knife is provided by coacting cam surfaces provided, respectively, on the fork and the knife carriage.   
   
   
       11 . A winder according to  claim 1 , wherein the core loader, for each segment, receives a core from the supply and moves same to the starting position and, after said each segment has started to wind upon the core, moves the core to the guide. 
   
   
       12 . A winder according to  claim 11 , wherein the core loader comprises
 a pair of radially-extending, longitudinally-spaced loading arms disposed at opposite ends of the drum,   a core cradle for and mounted to each guide arm for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the drum axis for substantially radial movement,   the loading arms and the cradles: having a loading configuration, for receiving a core;   being movable, by pivotal movement of the cradles, from the loading configuration, to a starting configuration, for movement of the core to the start position and whereat the core cradles each support an end of the core in use for rotatable movement by the drum; and being movable, by pivotal movement of the loading arms about the drum axis, to a transfer configuration, for movement of the core to the guide.   
   
   
       13 . A winder according to  claim 1 , wherein the transfer mechanism moves the core from the guide to an offloading position whereat the core is released as said each segment is wound upon the core. 
   
   
       14 . A winder according to  claim 13 , wherein the transfer mechanism comprises:
 a pair of longitudinally spaced support arms, pivotally mounted at respective lower ends thereof for movement between transfer and offloading positions which correspond to the transfer and offloading positions of the transfer mechanism, each support arm supporting an end of the core in use for rotatable movement by the drum during movement of the core between the transfer and offloading positions.   
   
   
       15 . A winder according to  claim 6 , wherein, the knife is caused to rotate in mesh with the channel to sever the web. 
   
   
       16 . A winder according to  claim 15 , wherein the knife rotates in sync with the rotation of the drum and is carried to a position near the drum so as to rotate in mesh with the channel when the web is to be severed. 
   
   
       17 . A winder according to  claim 16 , wherein the knife is coupled to a motor which is actuated when the web is to be severed to cause the knife to rotate in mesh with the channel.