Speed matching system for a web splicer mechanism in a web-fed printing press or the like

• US 6,695,027 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Nobuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Crispino, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOCH, GEORGE R
• Application Number:
  US09/994,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20020074087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 156/351, 156/361, 156/366, 156/367, 156/502, 156/504, 156/358, 156/505, 156/506, 156/378, 156/379, 156/360, 242/554.3, 242/554.5, 242/554.6, 242/555, 242/555.3, 242/555.5, 242/555.6, 242/555.7, 242/563.2
• US Class Current: 156/351
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/1821 the replacement web being accelerated or running prior to splicing contact
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/1868 The roll support being of the turret type
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/11 indicating that the input or output entities exclusively relate to machine elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/12 Width
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/14 Diameter, e.g. of roll or package
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/23 Coordinates, e.g. three dimensional coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/10 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/41 Photoelectric detectors

Abstract

An apparatus splices a web of paper being paid out from a one web roll and fed into a printing press to another web roll being rotated in a splicing position. The new web roll of any diameter is spaced a prescribed distance from the old web traveling along a predefined path into the press. A sensor positioning mechanism adjustably moves a photoelectric web roll speed sensor along two orthogonal axes to an optimum sensing position with respect to the new web roll regardless of its diameter. An electronic control circuit has an input connected to a speed sensor for the old web traveling along the predefined path, and another to the photoelectric speed sensor for the new web roll, for energizing a new web roll drive motor according to a departure of the peripheral speed of the new web roll from the running speed of the old web.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for splicing a web of paper like-material, which is traveling at any given speed along a predefined path by being unwound from a first web roll, to a second web roll of a variable diameter being rotated in a splicing position in which the second web roll of any diameter is spaced a prescribed constant distance from the web traveling along the predefined path, a speed matching system for matching the peripheral speed of the second web roll to the running speed of the web traveling along the predefined path preparatory to the splicing of the webs, the speed matching system comprising:

(a) a first speed sensor for sensing the running speed of the web traveling along the predefined path by being unwound from the first web roll;

(b) web roll drive means for driving the second web roll in the splicing position;

(c) a second speed sensor for photoelectrically sensing the peripheral speed of the second web roll being driven in the splicing position;

(d) sensor positioning means for adjustably moving the second speed sensor along two orthogonal axes to an optimum sensing position with respect to the second web roll being held in the splicing position, no matter how large the second web roll may be in diameter; and

(e) an electric control circuit having inputs connected to the first and the second speed sensor and an output connected to the web roll drive means for causing the web roll drive means to be controllably energized according to a departure of the peripheral speed of the second web roll in rotation in the splicing position from the running speed of the web traveling along the predefined path.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the sensor positioning means comprises:

(a) first drive means for moving the second speed sensor in a first direction at right angles with the axis of the second web roll being held in the splicing position;

(b) second drive means for moving the second speed sensor in a second direction at right angles with the first direction and with the axis of the second web roll being held in the splicing position; and

(c) a sensor positioning control circuit electrically connected to the first and the second drive means for controlling the same.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein at least the second web roll is rotatably supported by a rotary web roll stand which is angularly displaceable to move the second web roll from a standby position to the splicing position, and wherein the sensor positioning means further comprises:

(a) a displacement sensor for sensing the angle of displacement of the rotary web roll stand in moving the second web roll from the standby to the splicing position;

(b) the sensor positioning control circuit being electrically connected to the displacement sensor for ascertaining the position of the axis of the second web roll in the first direction on the basis of the angle of displacement of the rotary web roll stand and for causing the first drive means to bring the second speed sensor to a preselected position in the first direction.

4. The invention of claim 2 wherein the sensor positioning means further comprises:

(a) a web roll distance sensor for sensing the distance of the second speed sensor from the surface of the second web roll being held in the splicing position;

(b) the sensor positioning control circuit being electrically connected to the web roll distance sensor for causing the second drive means to bring the second speed sensor to a preselected position in the second direction in response to an output from the web roll distance sensor.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the sensor positioning means comprises:

(a) a carriage;

(b) first drive means for moving the carriage in a first direction at right angles with the axis of the second web roll being held in the splicing position;

(c) second drive means mounted to the carriage for movement therewith in the first direction and coupled to the second speed sensor for moving the same in a second direction at right angles with the first direction and with the axis of the second web roll being held in the splicing position; and

(d) a sensor positioning control circuit electrically connected to the first and the second drive means for controlling the same.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein at least the second web roll is rotatably supported by a rotary web roll stand which is angularly displaceable to move the second web roll from a standby position to the splicing position, and wherein the sensor positioning means further comprises:

(a) a sensor carrier through which the second drive means is coupled to the second speed sensor;

(b) a web roll distance sensor mounted to the sensor carrier in prescribed positional relationship to the second speed sensor for sensing a distance from the surface of the second web roll being held in the splicing position; and

(c) a displacement sensor for sensing the angle of displacement of the rotary web roll stand in moving the second web roll from the standby to the splicing position;

(d) the sensor positioning control circuit being electrically connected to the displacement sensor for ascertaining the position of the axis of the second web roll in the first direction on the basis of the angle of displacement of the rotary web roll stand and for causing the first drive means to bring the web roll distance sensor to a position of register with the axis of the second web roll in the second direction.

7. The invention of claim 5 wherein the sensor positioning means further comprises:

(a) a sensor carrier through which the second drive means is coupled to the second speed sensor; and

(b) a web roll distance sensor mounted to the sensor carrier in prescribed positional relationship to the second speed sensor for sensing a distance from the surface of the second web roll being held in the splicing position;

(c) the sensor positioning control circuit being electrically connected to the web roll distance sensor for causing the second drive means to bring the second speed sensor to a preselected position in the second direction in response to an output from the web roll distance sensor.

8. The invention of claim 1 wherein the electric control circuit comprises:

(a) web roll speed calculator means connected to the second speed sensor for computing at prescribed time intervals the peripheral speed of the second web roll being driven in the splicing position;

(b) web speed calculator means connected to the first speed sensor for computing, in synchronism with the computation of the peripheral speed of the second web roll by the web roll speed calculator means, the running speed of the web traveling along the predefined path;

(c) a comparator circuit connected to the web roll speed calculator means and the web speed calculator means for providing an output indicative of a departure of the peripheral speed of the second web roll from the running speed of the web traveling along the predefined path; and

(d) a driver circuit connected between the comparator circuit and the web roll drive means for driving the latter so as to reduce the departure to zero.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein the second speed sensor senses the peripheral speed of the second web roll on the basis of interference fringes created by two crossing beams of light.

10. The invention of claim 1 wherein the second speed sensor senses the peripheral speed of the second web roll on the basis of the frequency deviation of a light beam reflected back from the surface of the second web roll.

11. The invention of claim 1 wherein, after the sensor positioning means positions the second speed sensor when the second web roll is in the splicing position, the second speed sensor lies at a preselected angle to and at a preselected distance from a line of intersection of a vertical plane disposed on a surface of the second web roll, the vertical plane containing an axis of rotation of the second web roll.