Automatic core loading system

Abstract

An automatic core loading system for loading a plurality of cores onto a rewind shaft includes a populating conveyor and a loading conveyor. The populating conveyor is configured to grab and move each core from a core source with the plurality of cores to a loading point for the loading conveyor one core at a time. The loading conveyor is configured to grab and move each of the cores from the populating conveyor at the loading point and move each core to a set position with a pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core on the rewind shaft. Wherein, the automatic core loading system is configured to automatically load the plurality of cores onto the rewind shaft with the pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core to match slit widths and spacing between a slit web of material.

1 . An automatic core loading system for loading a plurality of cores onto a rewind shaft, the automatic core loading system comprising:
 a populating conveyor;   a loading conveyor;   the populating conveyor is configured to grab and move each core from a core source with the plurality of cores to a loading point for the loading conveyor one core at a time; and   the loading conveyor is configured to grab and move each of the cores from the populating conveyor at the loading point and move each core to a set position with a pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core on the rewind shaft.   
     
     
         2 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 1  configured to automatically load the plurality of cores onto the rewind shaft with the pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each of the cores to match slit widths and spacing between a slit web of material. 
     
     
         3 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 2  further comprising a gap sensor upstream of the rewind shaft, the gap sensor is configured to sense the slit widths and spacing of the slit web of material after being slit and communicate said slit widths and spacing to said automatic core loading system. 
     
     
         4 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 3  further comprising bowed rolls and slitters upstream of the rewind shaft, where the gap sensor is configured to sense the slit widths and spacing of the slit web of material after being slit by the slitters and run through the bowed rolls. 
     
     
         5 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 3 , wherein the gap sensor is a single gap sensor driven by a web servo, where the gap sensor is configured to traverse across a machine width of the slit web of material after being slit for sensing the slit widths and spacing of the slit web of material. 
     
     
         6 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 5 , wherein the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor are servo controlled. 
     
     
         7 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 6  further comprising a programmable logic controller in communication with the web servo and configured for controlling the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor to automatically load the plurality of cores onto the rewind shaft with the pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each of the cores to match the slit widths and spacing between the slit web of material, the programmable logic controller including a human machine interface panel configured for operator input to the automatic core loading system. 
     
     
         8 . The automatic core loading system of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the populating conveyor including populating servos configured to control movements of the populating conveyor;   the loading conveyor including loading servos configured to control movements of the loading conveyor; and   the programmable logic controller is in communication with the populating servos and the loading servos to automatically load the plurality of cores onto the rewind shaft with the pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core to match the slit widths and spacing between the web of material.   
     
     
         9 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 1 , wherein the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor are positioned in line with the rewind shaft. 
     
     
         10 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 1  further comprising a frame configured to position the populating conveyor in line with the loading conveyor, the frame is also configured with an adjustable height for raising and lowering the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor. 
     
     
         11 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 10  further comprising a staging conveyor in line with the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor, the staging conveyor is configured to move the plurality of the cores from the core source to the populating conveyor. 
     
     
         12 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 11 , wherein the staging conveyor including a flat belt staging conveyor configured to move each of the cores from a core hopper to the populating conveyor, whereby each of the cores are configured to move from the flat belt staging conveyor into the populating conveyor. 
     
     
         13 . The automatic core loading system of  claim 12 , wherein the staging conveyor including a core sensor for scanning and checking the plurality of the cores from the core hopper, including scanning and checking an inside diameter of each of the cores, an outside diameter of each of the cores, and a length of each of the cores, whereby if any of the plurality of the cores are not to a core specification, the staging conveyor is configured to eject such a non-conforming core prior to being picked by the populating conveyor. 
     
     
         14 . The automatic core loading system of  claim 13 , wherein the outside diameter of each of the cores is communicated to the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor, wherein the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor are configured to utilize the outside diameter of each of the cores for grabbing and moving each of the cores. 
     
     
         15 . The automatic core loading system of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the populating conveyor including a left populating conveyor side and a right populating conveyor side, wherein a populating width between the left populating conveyor side and the right populating conveyor side is adjustable, whereby the populating conveyor is configured to grab and move one of the cores by decreasing the populating width between the left populating conveyor side and the right populating conveyor side to the outside diameter of each of the cores, and the populating conveyor is configured to release the core by increasing the populating width between the left populating conveyor side and the right populating conveyor side to greater than the outside diameter of each of the cores; and   the loading conveyor including a left loading conveyor side and a right loading conveyor side, wherein a loading width between the left loading conveyor side and the right loading conveyor side is adjustable, whereby the loading conveyor is configured to grab and move one of the cores by decreasing the loading width between the left loading conveyor side and the right loading conveyor side to the outside diameter of each of the cores, and the loading conveyor is configured to release the core by increasing the loading width between the left loading conveyor side and the right loading conveyor side to greater than the outside diameter of each of the cores.   
     
     
         16 . The automatic core loading system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the left populating conveyor side, the right populating conveyor side, or a combination thereof including populating grabbers with pointed ends configured for grabbing and holding one of the cores in the populating conveyor;   the left loading conveyor side, the right loading conveyor side, or a combination thereof including loading grabbers with the pointed ends configured for grabbing and holding one of the cores in the loading conveyor; and   wherein, the populating conveyor grips an individual core and indexes it forward a pre-determined or electronically measured length to the loading conveyor which is in line with and simultaneously loading the cores on the rewind shaft.   
     
     
         17 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the length of each of the cores is communicated to the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor for automatically loading the plurality of cores onto the rewind shaft with the pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core to match slit widths and spacing between the slit web of material;   as the populating conveyor indexes one of the cores onto the loading conveyor, each of the cores has the pre-determined or electronically measured gap between the adjacent core;   once a series of gapped cores has been loaded on the loading conveyor, the series of gapped cores is then moved to predetermined locations that align with the slit widths and spacing between the slit web of material;   once the series of gapped cores reach the predetermined locations, the rewind shaft includes an internal bladder configured to expand to hold the series of gapped cores in place on the rewind shaft at the predetermined locations; and   once the series of gapped of cores are released from the loading conveyor, the frame of the automatic core loading system is configured to lower to a home position and allow a turret to index a populated rewind shaft in a cycle to a winding position.   
     
     
         18 . The automatic core loading system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the automatic core loading system is configured to eliminate the need for cores to be manually loaded or spaced onto the shaft;   the automatic core loading system is configured to allow an automated winder/rewinder machine to finish more rolls compared to an unautomated winder/rewinder machine with manual core loading, manual taping of the slit web of material to the cores, or manual finishing of the rolls; or   a combination thereof.   
     
     
         19 . An automatic core loading system for loading a plurality of cores onto a rewind shaft, the automatic core loading system comprising:
 a populating conveyor, the populating conveyor including populating servos configured to control movements of the populating conveyor;   a loading conveyor, the loading conveyor including loading servos configured to control movements of the loading conveyor;   the populating conveyor is configured to grab and move each core from a core source with the plurality of cores to a loading point for the loading conveyor one core at a time;   the loading conveyor is configured to grab and move each of the cores from the populating conveyor at the loading point and move each core to a set position with a pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core on the rewind shaft;   the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor are positioned in line with the rewind shaft;   a gap sensor upstream of the rewind shaft, the gap sensor is configured to sense slit widths and spacing of a slit web of material after being slit and communicate said slit widths and spacing to said automatic core loading system, wherein the gap sensor is a single gap sensor driven by a web servo, where the gap sensor is configured to traverse across a machine width of the slit web of material after being slit for sensing the slit widths and spacing of the slit web of material;   the gap sensor is configured to sense the slit widths and spacing of the slit web of material after being slit by slitters and run through bowed rolls;   a staging conveyor in line with the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor, the staging conveyor is configured to move the plurality of cores from the core source to the populating conveyor, wherein the staging conveyor is a flat belt staging conveyor configured to move the cores from a core hopper to the populating conveyor, wherein the cores move from the flat belt staging conveyor into the populating conveyor;   the staging conveyor including a sensor for scanning and checking the plurality of cores from the core hopper, including scanning and checking an inside diameter of each core, an outside diameter of each core, and a length of each core, whereby if any of the plurality of cores are not to a core specification, the staging conveyor is configured to eject such a non-conforming core prior to being picked by the populating conveyor;   the outside diameter of the cores is communicated to the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor, wherein the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor are configured to utilize the outside diameter of the cores for grabbing and moving each of the cores, wherein:
 the populating conveyor including a left populating conveyor side and a right populating conveyor side, wherein a populating width between the left populating conveyor side and the right populating conveyor side is adjustable, whereby the populating conveyor is configured to grab and move one of the cores by decreasing the populating width between the left populating conveyor side and the right populating conveyor side to the outside diameter of the cores, and the populating conveyor is configured to release the core by increasing the populating width between the left populating conveyor side and the right populating conveyor side to greater than the outside diameter of the core; and 
 the loading conveyor including a left loading conveyor side and a right loading conveyor side, wherein a loading width between the left loading conveyor side and the right loading conveyor side is adjustable, whereby the loading conveyor is configured to grab and move one of the cores by decreasing the loading width between the left loading conveyor side and the right loading conveyor side to the outside diameter of the cores, and the loading conveyor is configured to release the core by increasing the loading width between the left loading conveyor side and the right loading conveyor side to greater than the outside diameter of the core; 
   wherein:
 the left populating conveyor side, the right populating conveyor side, or a combination thereof including populating grabbers with pointed ends configured for grabbing and holding the core in the populating conveyor; 
 the left loading conveyor side, the right loading conveyor side, or a combination thereof including loading grabbers with the pointed ends configured for grabbing and holding the core in the loading conveyor;
 wherein, the populating conveyor grips an individual core and indexes it forward a pre-determined or electronically measured length to the loading conveyor which is in line with and simultaneously loading the cores on the rewind shaft; 
 
 wherein the length of the cores is communicated to the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor for automatically loading the plurality of cores onto the rewind shaft with the pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core to match slit widths and spacing between the slit web of material; 
 wherein as the populating conveyor indexes an individual core onto the loading conveyor, each core has a pre-determined or electronically measured gap between the adjacent core; 
 a programmable logic controller in communication with the web servo and configured for controlling the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor to automatically load the plurality of cores onto the rewind shaft with the pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core to match slit widths and spacing between the slit web of material, wherein the programmable logic controller is in communication with the populating servos and the loading servos to automatically load the plurality of cores onto the rewind shaft with the pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core to match slit widths and spacing between webs of material; 
 the programmable logic controller including a human machine interface panel configured for operator input to the automatic core loading system; 
   wherein, the automatic core loading system is configured to automatically load the plurality of cores onto the rewind shaft with the pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core to match slit widths and spacing between the slit web of material;   wherein:
 once a series of gapped cores has been loaded on the loading conveyor, the series of gapped cores is then moved to predetermined locations that align with the slit widths and spacing between the slit web of material; 
 once the cores reach the predetermined locations, the rewind shaft includes an internal bladder that is configured to expand to hold the series of cores in place on the rewind shaft at the predetermined locations; 
 once the series of cores are released from the loading conveyor, the automatic core loading system including a frame that holds the populating conveyor and the loading conveyor that is configured to lower to a home position and allow a turret to index the populated rewind shaft in a cycle to a winding position; 
 wherein:
 the automatic core loading system is configured to eliminate the need for cores to be manually loaded or spaced onto the shaft; and 
 the automatic core loading system is configured to allow an automated winder/rewinder machine to finish more rolls compared to an unautomated winder/rewinder machine with manual core loading, manual taping of the web to the cores, or manual finishing of the roll. 
 
   
     
     
         20 . A method of automatically loading a plurality of cores onto a rewind shaft of a winder/rewinder machine with predetermined gaps and locations of each core, the method including:
 providing an automatic core loading system comprising:
 a populating conveyor; 
 a loading conveyor; 
 the populating conveyor is configured to grab and move each core from a core source with the plurality of cores to a loading point for the loading conveyor one core at a time; and 
 the loading conveyor is configured to grab and move each of the cores from the populating conveyor at the loading point and move each core to a set position with a pre-determined or electronically measured gap between each core on the rewind shaft; and 
   using the provided automatic core loading system to automatically load the plurality of cores onto the rewind shaft of the winder/rewinder machine with the predetermined gaps and the locations of each core.