US3414210A - Expanding arbor for winding and unwinding of strips - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 3, 1968 J. GAUDIN 3,414,210

EXPANDING ARBOR FOR WINDING AND UNWINDING OF STRIPS Filed Feb. 24, 1967 ATTORNEY United States Patent 4 Claims. 2:1. 242-72 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An expanding arbor comprising a cone of polygonal cross-section having outer segments slidably mounted thereon. Inflatable flat tubular members are disposed between the core and segments to allow of free lateral deformation of said members and cause expansion of the segments to hold a coil of material.

The present invention relates to improvements in expanding arbors or mandrels, more particularly of the type used for the winding and unwinding of materials in strip or web form, such arbors including means to vary the diameter thereof between limits, to facilitate both their removal from and insertion into a wound roll or coil of material.

Expanding winding arbors or mandrels are already used in connection with the winding of material in strip or web form on reels, for example certain metallurgical products, such as plate or sheet metal or the like. After winding of the strips or webs, withdrawal of the arbor would be impossible unless the latter were arranged or constructed to allow of retraction or reduction of the diameter thereof. Similarly, for the purpose of unreeling or uncoiling the same strips or webs, the arbor must be temporarily contracted, to allow of its insertion into the roll or coil,

and then expanded to cause the roll or coil to rotate with the arbor.

In order to achieve the foregoing end, it is customary to subdivide the external part of arbors of this type into a plurality of longitudinal segmental elements arranged to be displaced radially by the action of mechanical means, such as cams, ramps, connecting rods, cones or the like expanding and contracting devices or mechanisms. The construction of such arbors and their actuating elements is both complex and difficult, as well as time consuming. Besides, their operation is not always safe or perfect in view of jamming actions which are likely to occur and the more to be feared the greater the longitudinal dimension of the arbor.

Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is the provision of an expanding and contracting arbor of the referred to type which is substantially devoid of the foregoing and related drawbacks and defects inherent in the known strip winding and unwinding devices according to the prior art.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of an improved expanding arbor of the referred to type which is both simple in construction as well as direct and positive in its operation, compared with similar winding arbors or mandrels heretofore known and used in the art.

The invention, both as to the foregoing and ancillary Objects as well as novel aspects thereof, will be better understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an expanding arbor constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, one segmental element of the arbor being shown, for purposes of illustration, in expanded position and another segmental element being shown in retracted position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1, the arbor being shown in its retracted position;

FIG. 3 is a further vertical cross-section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1, the arbor being shown in its expanded position;-and

FIG. 4 is still a further vertical cross-section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1 with the arbor being shown in its expanded position.

Like reference numerals denote like parts and elements in the diflerent views of the drawing.

With the foregoing objects in view, the invention involves generally the provision of a Winding arbor or mandrel of the referred to type, comprising essentially a plurality of expansible and contractible radially displaceable longitudinal segmental elements mounted upon a central core or body and improved means to operate said elements pneumatically or hydraulically by means of inflatable members of elastic material inflated with a suitable pressurized fluid medium, in particular compressed air, though not limited thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the core or central body .1 of the arbor is extended on one side by a driving spindle 2 supported by ball or roller bearings 3 and 4 which may be mounted in suitable supports, such.

as the frame of a reduction gearing or the like, outside of which the spindle 2, being provided with an axial duct 5 extending into the core 1, carries a rotary joint 6 of well-known form. Connected to the latter is a pipe or line 7 leading to a source of a pressurized fluid, such as compressed air. The mechanism for the driving and braking of the spindle 2 and core 1 (not shown as being beyond the scope of the invention) may be advantageously disposed between the bearings 3 and 4.

The core or body 1 of the arbor is of polygonal crosssection, that is, square in the example illustrated, or with the outer segments 8 amounting to four in number. As will be understood, a smaller or greater number of segments conforming with the cross-section of the body 1, that is, other than square, may be provided for the purpose of the invention. At all events, the outer surfaces of the segments 8 are practically continuous in the retracted or return position, presenting a substantially cylindrical surface, as more clearly shown in FIG. 2 and in the lower part of FIG. 1. In practice, the number of segments may, for instance, vary between three and eight.

At each of the two extremities of each segment 8 there acts an element for both their radial guidance and entrainment during rotation of the arbor, said elements consisting, in the example shown, of bolts or guide pins 9 screwed into the body 1 and having a circular head 9' in close fitting sliding engagement with corresponding bore 10 of the segments 8 which are thus solidary in rotation with the body 1, while affording a radial displacement relative to said body in both directions. The radial or outward stroke of the elements 8 is limited by the heads 9 of the pins 9 engaging inturned flanges at the base of the bores 10 acting as stops, as more clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

The segments 8 are normally urged to their retracted position by the action of sets of resilient return elements equally arranged at both their extremities and at points beyond the pins 9. At the free end of the arbor 1, driven by the spindle 2 cantilever fashion, that is to say its lefthand extremity in FIG. 1, the resilient return elements consist, in the example shown, of an appropriate number of tension coil springs 11 anchored at one of their extremities on the body 1 of the arbor and connected at their other extremity to the segments 8. At this free end of the arbor, the resilient return elements 11 are thus completely clear of the outer surface of the arbor. By contrast, at its internal extremity, that is to say its righthand extremity in FIG. 1, compression springs 12 are employed as return elements being interposed between an internal bearing face formed at the corresponding extremity of the segments 8, on the one hand, and another outer bearing face formed on the inner face of a crown or ring 13 being fast on the holy 1, on the other hand. The peripheral surface of the ring 13, being still clear of the coil or roll to be wound or unwound, may be of optional diameter.

According to the invention, there is interposed between the central portions of the polygonal outer faces of the body 1 and each of the segmental elements 8 an inflatable cushion or tubular member -14 being flat in the idle or collapsed condition and made of any suitable single or composite and appropriate deformable (elastic) material, for example natural or synthetic rubber or a synthetic plastic, capable of changing from the deflated or collapsed position as shown in FIG. 2 to an inflated or expanded condition, as illustrated in FIG. 3. More than one inflatable member 14 may be provided for each segment 8, if desirable or required.

Each of the flat tubular members 14 is connected, via suitable joints (not shown), to a radial passage 15 in the core 1 which is in communication with the axial duct 5 of the core and spindle 2. The pressurized fluid used for inflation of the members 14 may for example be air compressed to a pressure of between 3 and kgs. per cm.

In operation, if the members 14 are not supplied with fluid under pressure, the springs 11 and 12 act to urge the segments 8 to their retracted position shown in FIG. 2 and the lower part of FIG. 1, thereby expelling any air or other fluid contained in the members. In other words, in the retracted condition, FIG. 2, members 14 have a rel atively small thickness. As a consequence, the arbor may now be inserted into a roll or coil which is to be unwound.

By the actuation of appropriate control elements (not shown), compressed air or the like fluid is then introduced, via the ducts 5 and 15, into the members 14 which, by expansion and in overcoming the force of the springs 11 and 12, repel the segments 8 to their expanded position as illustrated in FIG. 3, in which position the arbor is firmly wedged in the roll or coil to be unwound. In other words, in the expanded condition, FIG. 3, the members 14 are deformed to a greater thickness and reduced width, compared with the retracted condition according to FIG. 2. During this radial displacement of the segments 8, the latter are guided by the heads 9 of the bolts or pins 9 sliding in the bores 10. The arbor may then be driven in rotation with the spindle 2, to entrain the roll or coil, its rotation being transmitted to the segments 8 by the bolts or pins 9.

As pointed out hereinabove, at the extreme position of expansion of the segments 8, the heads 9' bear against the flange at the bottom of the bores 10,- thus limiting the outward radial stroke or displacement of the segments. The bolts or pins 9 thus accomplish a threefold purpose, to wit the radial guidance of the segments 8, limitation of their outward radial displacement, and their entrainment during rotation of the arbor.

The combination according to the invention, involving the use of pneumatic or hydraulic expansion means in cooperation with resilient return means, is both simple in construction and eflicient in operation, ensuring thereby a positive and reliable operation under practically any circumstances and without the requirement of mechanically complex control and operating devices or.

mechanisms.

As will be understood, when using compressed air or a like compressible fluid as operating medium for the members 14, the latter may be inflated and deflated intermittently by the provision of suitable valve means (not shown) inserted in the duct 5. On the other hand, when using a non-compressible fluid as operating medium, such as oil, for the members 14, the latter must be operated continuously via the line 7 and rotating joint 6, in a manner well known to and understood by those skilled in the art.

In the foregoing the invention has been described in reference to an illustrative and exemplary device. It will be evident, however, that variations and modifications, as well as the substitution of equivalent parts or elements for those shown and described for illustration may be made without departing from the broader scope and spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. The specification and drawing is accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

I claim:

1. An expanding winding arbor comprising in combination:

(1) an inner core of polygonal cross-section having a plurality of outer planar faces,

(2) a plurality of segmental elements disposed in angularly juxtaposed relation and having internal planar faces each parallel to and spaced from a face of said core,

(3) a plurality of inflatable tubular members of deformable elastic material each interposed between and engaging a pair of opposite faces of said core and elements,

(4) radial supporting and guide means for said elements disposed at the outer ends of said core exteriorly of said members, to allow of radial expansion and retraction of said elements in respect to said core,

(5) resilient biasing means to urge said elements to a retracted position relatively close to said core, and

(6) means to apply a pressurized fluid to said members, whereby to deform the same against the action of said resilient means and to radially expand said members.

2. An expanding arbor as claimed in claim 1, said guide means being comprised of a plurality of radial guide pins extending from said core and engaging bores in the adjacent elements, and cooperating stop means upon said pins and elements, to limit the radial expansion of said elements.

3. An expanding arbor as claimed in claim 1, said core being rotatively supported at one end cantilever fashion and said resilient means being comprised of tension springs disposed each between the free end of said core and the adjacent elements and compression springs disposed each between the opposite ends of said core and the adjacent elements.

4. An expanding arbor as claimed in claim 1, said arbor having a central duct communicating with radial ducts each connected to one of said members for inflation and deflation thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,950,071 8/ 1960 Tidland 24272 3,273,817 9/ 1966 Damiron 24272 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,254,383 1/1961 France.

FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

NATHAN L. MINTZ, Assistant Examiner.

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