Reel-up The present invention relates to a reel-up in a paper machine in which paper is produced in a continuous web which is reeled up in the reel-up on reeling drums to form paper reels, each reeling drum having end portions provided with bearing houses, said reel-up comprising stand means including two elongate parallel stand members each having a rail to support the reeling drum at its bearing house; a surface winding means over which the web runs, arranged at the upstream ends of the stand members; and a secondary system consisting of at least one linearly movable secondary unit for receipt of a reeling drum; wherein each secondary unit comprises a first secondary body and a second secondary body said secondary bodies being linearly movably journalled in said stand means by means of journalling means, each secondary body comprising an actuator for its linear movement along the stand member and a press device arranged to press against the bearing house of the reeling drum so that a predetermined linear pressure is maintained in the nip between the surface winding drum and the paper reel as it increases in size.

A plurality of different types of reel-ups exist for reeling a continuous paper web from a paper machine to a paper reel. These are usually designed with two separate systems in order to enable continuous production to be maintained, namely a primary system for receipt of an empty reeling drum from a pair of lowering arms upstream of the reel-up and, when the paper web has been wound a few turns, a secondary system which takes over the reeling drum with the beginnings of a paper reel for continued reeling to a finished reel of paper.

Examples of usual types of reel-ups are those in which the secondary system comprises either a pair of secondary

arms or a pair of secondary carriages which are turned or displaced linearly depending on the increase in diameter of the paper reel. Reel-ups with secondary arms are described in the following patent specifications, for instance: US-4,143,828, US-4,283,023, US-4,175,714, US-3,614,011 and US-5,520,354. Reel-ups with linearly movable secondary carriages are described in the following patent specifications, for instance: US-4,934,619 and US-5,370,327.

Another example is a slightly different and more modern type of reel-up which entirely lacks the primary system described above, but which is instead provided with double secondary units to replace said primary system. A reel-up of this type is described in US-5,370,327.

In the present context we have chosen to use the prefix "secondary" in the terms "secondary system", "secondary unit", "secondary part", "secondary body", , etc., even if the reel-up does not have a primary system.

In reel-ups of the first-mentioned type, i.e. with primary systems, reeling occurs briefly in the following way: An empty reeling drum is transferred from a stock of drums upstream of the reel-up to a pair of primary forks which bring it into contact with a driven surface winding drum over which the web runs, in order to initiate reeling of the web. Considerable friction thus occurs between the reeling drum and the surface winding drum, so that the reeling drum is generally first caused to rotate at the same speed as the surface winding drum before coming into contact with this. The reeling drum is then moved along the periphery of the surface winding drum, down to horizontal stand members where secondary units in the form of secondary arms or secondary carriages take over control of the reeling drum. Continued reeling to a finished reel is achieved in that the secondary arms or

secondary carriages, turning around a joint or being displaced linearly along the stand members, follow the horizontal movement of the reel caused by its increasing size. Press devices arranged on the secondary units, operate against bearing houses disposed on the end portions of the reeling drum so that a desired and adjustable linear pressure is maintained in the nip between the surface winding drum and the paper reel as it increases in size. For certain grades of paper the linear pressure in the nip must be low in order to avoid negative properties in the paper reel. Too low a linear pressure will result in a risk that the individual layers in the reel will be wound too loosely. However, this problem can be solved by connecting the reeling drum to a central drive means with the aid of a coupling device disposed to one end of the reeling drum since the reeling drum no longer needs to be driven by the friction against the surface winding drum. Central driving also allows the linear pressure to be varied within a wider range so that the compression of the paper web in the nip between the paper reel and the surface winding drum can be reduced.

Reel-ups with central driving are described in the following patent specifications, for instance: US-4,934,619, US-5,370,327, US-5,520,354, US-5,375,790 (SE-469 071) and US-5,393,008 (SE-469 072).

When central driving is used for transferring the reeling drum from the primary system to the secondary system, a change of transmission must be effected between different drive devices, which affects the linear pressure due to a temporary pressure increase in the said nip. To optimise reeling, the same driving may be connected throughout the reeling procedure from the start with an empty reeling drum, to finished reel. To achieve this it is previously known to use double sets of secondary carriages only, which alternate with each other and enable omission of the primary arms. In this way a single drive means

connected to one of the carriage pairs can follow the reeling drum throughout the reeling process to a finished reel. A reel-up of this type is described in US-5,370, 327.

All these known reel-ups of various types, both with and without primary systems, suffer from another considerable common problem, namely that of undesired frictional forces. The reason these forces constitute such a great problem is that, as mentioned above, it is extremely important during the reeling procedure to be able to control the linear pressure in the nip between the surface winding drum and the growing paper reel as exactly as possible in order to avoid negative properties in the paper reel, particularly when reeling soft crape paper such as "soft tissue" and similarly delicate paper used for sanitary purposes, which requires a low linear pressure. However, this control is made more difficult by said frictional forces. A reliable and correct control of the nip pressure thus requires a linear loading system with very little friction.

Undesired frictional forces arise, inter alia, due to friction in bearings and contact surfaces, friction in joints of the primary and secondary arms, press devices, etc.

Friction may also arise in the hydraulic cylinders that move the secondary carriages. Every reel-up with secondary carriages also has one or more rails in its stand members, arranged to control the secondary carriage and to minimize the friction during the to and fro movement of the secondary carriage. The latter is suitably effected through some form of bearings such as roller or slide bearings.

In a reel-up with a linear load system comprising horizontally movable secondary units for the reeling drum, it is the friction between the reeling drum and the stand rails, the stand-rail friction, which is responsible for the greatest limitation in accuracy and reliability in the control over the linear pressure in the reel nip.

Even if the linear bearings of the secondary carriages are designed with very little friction, the stand-rail friction will be the same, regardless of any improvements in the bearings of the secondary carriage, i.e. unchanged high friction in this case, as long as the reel is supported by the stand rail during the production phase.

Even in the case of very low frictional forces caused by the linear bearings, the stand-rail friction will still give relatively considerable negative effects on the properties of the paper reel, which may also affect the quality of the paper in other respects.

In the known reel-ups the reeling drum gives rise to at least three different cooperating frictional forces, namely a first friction in the bearing house caused by rotation of the reeling drum and by movement of the reeling drum along the stand rail as the reel increases in size, a second friction through abutment against the stand rail and finally a third friction in the linear bearings of the secondary carriage.

When the reeling drum runs along the stand rail during production of a new paper reel, there is a not negligible risk of obstacles in the form of foreign objects such as accumulated dust from the paper web, or deformities in the stand rail or the reeling drum, having a detrimental effect on the horizontal movement and causing temporary oscillations in the nip pressure due to the increased force that must be intermittently supplied to the

actuators when the reeling drum encounters the obstacle, and this may have a negative effect on the paper reel.

The uneven linear movement caused by said obstacles, including deformations in the form of surface damage to the stand rail, for instance, also gives rise to unfavourable vibrations, which affect the paper reel and in the long term may result in unnecessary wear on the bearing house of the reeling drum, for instance, and thus also on the coupling device for central driving of the reeling drum.

When positioning the reeling drum along the stand as the paper reel increases in size, the stand friction constitutes an additional problem since it complicates the adjustments necessary for the actuators of the secondary unit.

The main object of the present invention is to essentially reduce the friction problems occurring in known reel-ups.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reel-up having arrangements that give a linear load system with very little friction thereby enabling reliable, correct nip-pressure control.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reel-up in which it is possible to completely eliminate stand-rail friction during the production of a paper reel.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a reel-up in which the installation of the actuators of the secondary-units for positioning the reeling drum along the stand in relation to the growth of the paper reel, is facilitated.

The reel-up according to the invention is characterized in that each secondary body, comprises a lifting means arranged to lift the reeling drum from the associated stand rail to a raised production level so that the reeling drum is free from the stand rails and the load of the paper reel and the reeling drum is taken up entirely by the secondary bodies and transferred from them to said stand means via said journalling means, said lifting means comprising a top rail which has an upper support surface and is parallel to the adjacent stand rail, and at least one actuator to bring the support surface of the top rail into contact with the reeling drum and effect said lifting movement through continued substantially vertical movement of the top rail.

The immediate advantage gained by raising the reeling drum from the stand is reduced total friction in the secondary system, thanks to the stand-rail friction having been eliminated. When the load from the paper reel is instead transferred only to the linear bearings of the secondary carriages the friction in these increases, but the total friction will still be lower over all since the friction in the linear bearings is lower than in the case of a corresponding direct contact between reeling drum and stand rail.

Horizontal positioning of the reeling drum depending on the growth of the paper reel will be easier to perform if it is raised by the secondary unit and is thus free from the stand rail since, as described above, the friction will be lower.

The stand rails are retained for reasons of safety but they can very well be made of lower grade steel than the stand rails which support the reeling drum throughout the entire reeling phase.

The invention will be described in more detail in the following with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a side view of a reel-up with double secondary units and provided with lifting means in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the reel-up according to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an inner secondary carriage of one secondary unit in the reel-up according to Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an outer secondary part of one secondary unit in the reel-up according to Figures 1 and 2, with a part of the box part removed.

Figure 5 is a side view of the upstream part of the reel-up according to Figure 1 and illustrates one operating position during the reeling process.

Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of part of a reel-up similar to that shown in Figure 1, but provided with lifting means according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a first stand member and secondary carriage in a reel-up of the type having a secondary unit, the secondary carriages of which are provided with lifting means according to a third embodiment of the invention, with the lifting means in inoperative position.

Figure 9 shows the same as Figure 8 but with the lifting means in operative position.

Figure 10 is a view of the secondary carriage according to Figure 8 seen from the outside.

Figure 11 is a view of the secondary carriage according to Figure 9 seen from the inside.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a second stand member and secondary carriage of the reel-up according to Figure 8, said second secondary carriage being provided with equipment for central driving, with the lifting means in inoperative position.

Figure 13 shows the same as Figure 12 but with the lifting means in operative position.

Figure 14 is a side view of an outer support plate of the second secondary carriage according to Figure 12.

Figure 15 is a side view of the lifting means of the second secondary carriage according to Figure 12.

Figure 16 is a side view of an inner support plate of the second secondary carriage according to Figure 12.

Figures 1 and 2 show schematically parts of a reel-up 1 in a paper machine in which paper is manufactured in a continuous web 2. Paper reels 3 are reeled continuously in the reel-up 1 on a core in the form of a reeling drum 4. The reel-up 1 comprises a stand means 5 with first and second identical, elongate, parallel stand parts 6, 7. A surface winding drum 8 is rotatably journalled in the stand parts 6, 7. Over the surface winding drum 8 runs an endless belt 9 which supports the paper web 2 coming from a drying section, not shown, with a through-blow drying cylinder and/or Yankee cylinder on its way to the reel-up 1. A drive motor (not shown) gives the surface winding drum 8 a peripheral speed corresponding to that of the

belt 9 and thus also the speed at which the paper web 2 is fed forward. The surface winding drum 8 may alternatively be driven by the belt 9 which runs over a plurality of rolls 10 one of which, e.g. the belt turning roll 11, is then driving. A horizontal stand rail 12 is also rigidly mounted above each stand member 6, 7. The stand rail 12 commences with a raised portion 12a having a lowering surface 13 for the reeling drum 4 at the upstream end of the reel-up 1, seen in the feed direction of the paper web 2. The stand rails 12 are arranged slightly further apart from each other than the width of the paper web 2. The reeling drum 4 is provided at each end with a braking drum 14 comprising a coupling device 15 with internal toothed rim 16 and a bearing house 17 situated inside the coupling device 15 and provided with a groove 18 running peripherally around it for receipt of the stand rail 12 or other control element as described below. At the upstream end of the reel-up 1, above the surface winding drum 8, is a stock 29 of empty reeling drums 4. The stock 29 comprises a substantially horizontal shelf 30 on which empty reeling drums 4 rest side by side and parallel to the surface winding drum 8, ready for use in the reel-up 1. Actuating means (not shown) comprising support arms and an actuator, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, control the gradual forward feeding of the new reeling drums 4. An empty reeling drum 4 is transferred from the stock 29 to the lowering surfaces 13 of the stand rails 12 by a pair of lowering arms 33 when the growing paper reel 3 located downstream approaches a predetermined size. The reeling drum 4 rests with its peripheral grooves 18 on the lower surfaces 13. At the downstream end of the reel-up 1 (see Figure 1) is a braking station 69 with a braking arm 70 in which braking station 69 the paper reel 3 is finally retarded before being transported along the stand rail 12 to a reel-handling section (not shown) of the machine.

The reel-up 1 comprises a secondary system which, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, consists of a first secondary unit 19 and a second secondary unit 20, said secondary units 19, 20 being reversed in relation to each other as regards tender side and drive side. Each secondary unit 19, 20 has a first outer secondary body 21 arranged externally on the first or second stand member 6, 7, respectively, and an inner second secondary body 22 arranged internally on the second or first stand member 7, 6, respectively. Each secondary body 21, 22 is in the form of a carriage or sledge which is horizontally, linearly movably journalled on a platform 23 of the stand member 6, 7 by means of journalling means including one or more tracks, e.g. two parallel tracks 26 on the platform 23, and bearings consisting of roller or sliding bearings in the secondary carriage 22 to reduce the friction to a minimum during its to and fro movements along the track or tracks 26. The inner secondary carriages 22 are also journalled in the vertical inner sides of the stand members 6, 7 by means of similar linear bearings, i.e. a track 26, which are rigidly mounted on the inner side of each stand member 6, 7, and bearings of the secondary carriage 22. The movement of the secondary carriage 21, 22 is affected by an actuator 27, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, attached by one end to the secondary carriage 21, 22 and by its other end to the stand member 6, 7. The movements along the guide tracks 26 of the two secondary carriages 21, 22 in one and the same secondary unit 19, 20, respectively, are synchronised with one another. Outermost on each platform 23 cables are arranged in a cable package 28 which is flexible, allowing it to follow the to and fro movements of the secondary carriage 21, 22.

Each secondary carriage 21, 22 of the reel-up 1 comprises lifting means according to a first embodiment of the present invention for lifting the reeling drum 4 from the

stand rails 12 to a raised position so that the reeling drum 4 is free from the stand rails 12 and the load of the paper reel 3 and reeling drum 4 is entirely taken up by the secondary carriages 21, 22 and transferred to the stand means 5 via their journalling means.

In the embodiment of the lifting means shown in Figures 1-5 each secondary carriage 21, 22 is provided with a pivot unit 34 for supporting cooperation with the reeling drum 4, an actuator 41 such as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder for turning the pivot unit 34, and a level retaining means 44 to distinctly retain the pivot unit 34 in the raised position.

Each secondary carriage 21, 22 has a bottom plate 35 with journalling elements 37 for pivotable journalling of the pivot unit 34 about an axis of pivot that is parallel with an active reeling drum 4.

Each pivot unit 34 comprises a substantially rectangular, vertical support plate 48, a locking device 49, a press device 50 and actuators 51, 52 for the locking device 49 and press device 50. The press device 50 is intended to press against the bearing house 17 of the reeling drum 4 so that a predetermined linear pressure is maintained in the nip between the surface winding drum 8 and the paper reel 3 during growth of the latter. The support plate 48 is provided at its upper edge with a top rail 38 which is parallel with the stand rail 12 and arranged to cooperate with the reeling drum 4. An H-shaped connecting element 53 is rigidly mounted horizontally along one long side to the support plate 48. The locking device 49 consists of an arc-shaped locking arm 54 hinged at its lower end to the above-mentioned H-shaped connecting element 53 by a horizontal bearing pin 55 extending parallel to the central axis of the reeling drum 4, between the two legs of the H-shaped connecting element 53 arranged upstream.

The actuator 51 of the locking device 49 extends between a lower attachment point on the support plate 48 of the pivot unit 34 and the locking arm 54 and is joined to these in hinged manner at the ends. The free upper end of the locking device 49 supports a roll 56 designed to cooperate with the axis of the reeling drum 4 when the locking device 49 is in its upper production position.

The press device 50 is situated immediately opposite the locking device 49 in the two legs of the H-shaped connecting element 53 and is connected therewith in hinged manner in the same way as the locking device 49.

The press device 50 is also pivotably journalled by means of a bearing pin 57, influenced by an actuator 52 extending between the press device 50 and the support plate 48 of the pivot unit 34. The locking device 49 and press device 50 of the two secondary carriages 21, 22 together form a gripping device for the reeling drum 4.

The reeling drum 4 is enclosed by the gripping devices 49, 50 while at the same time being freely rotatable within these throughout the entire reeling phase of the paper reel 3.

At the inner secondary part 22 (see Figure 3), the bottom plate 35 is rectangular in shape and a vertical side plate 36 is arranged along the edge of the bottom plate 35 nearest to the stand member 6, 7. Said journalling element 37 comprises a beam 39 extending vertically up from the bottom plate 35 at the end nearest the surface winding drum 8, and a bearing pin 40 arranged at the upper end of the beam 39 and forming said axis of pivot.

The pivot unit 34 is pivotable about said bearing pin 40 with the aid of the actuator 41 flexibly attached by one end to the lower end portion of the beam 39 and by its other end to the pivot unit 34 with the aid of guide pins 42, 43. Said level retaining means 44 is arranged on the bottom plate 35 and comprises an actuator 45 and a horizontally movable level block 46 for level retaining

cooperation with a stepped level shoulder 47 on the pivot unit 34. Since the level block 46 of the level retaining means 44 can be set in two positions by means of the actuator 45, the vertical position of the pivot unit 34 can be set in an upper production position where the ends of the reeling drum 4 rest with their bearing house 17 on the top rail 38 of each pivot unit 34, and a lower position where said top rail 38 on its pivot unit 34 is at a level below the upper edge of the stand rail 12.

When the pivot units 34 of one of the secondary units 19 or 20 is in this lower return position and the pivot units 34 of the other secondary unit 20 or 19 is in its upper production position, the secondary carriages 21, 22 can pass pairwise under each other. In other words, the secondary unit 19 or 20 which has delivered a finished paper reel 3 downstream can in other words pass below the paper reel 3 in the process of being formed in the other secondary unit 20, 19, respectively. The reeling drum 4 which is in the production position is then raised from the stand rail 12.

The outer secondary carriage 21 of each secondary unit 19, 20 is described in more detail with reference to Figure 4, the same reference designations being used for equivalent construction elements with respect, to the inner secondary carriage described above. The outer secondary carriage 21 has a bottom plate 35 which is somewhat larger than that of the inner secondary carriage 22. Said journalling element 37 for pivotable journalling of the pivot unit 34 about a bearing shaft comprises two vertical beams 39, each arranged at one edge extending parallel to the stand member 6, 7, and two bearing pins 40 arranged at the upper end parts of the beams 39 and forming said bearing shaft for the pivot unit 34. Said level retaining means 44 has its actuator 45 arranged horizontally at right angles to the stand member 6, 7.

The pivot unit 34 comprises a stand 58 with a box-shaped

part 59 and a platform 60 projecting therefrom. The box part 59 is provided with an upper horizontal plate 61 on which parts of a means 62 for central driving of the reeling drum 4 are arranged. Said vertical lifting plate 48 is here rigidly mounted to the inner vertical wall of said box part 59 forming a part of the pivotable stand 58. Since the central drive means 62 is rigidly mounted on the pivot unit 34 it is linearly displaceable together with the secondary carriage 21 in a direction parallel to the stand rails 12 and also pivotably together with the pivot unit 34.

The central drive means 62 comprises a drive motor 63 firmly rigidly mounted on the platform 60, a transmission box 64 rigidly mounted to the box part 59 and a power transmission 65 arranged between them which, in the embodiment shown, consists of a tooth belt. A rotatable shaft 66 projects from the transmission box 64 in a direction parallel to the reeling drum 4. A coupling device 67 is arranged on this shaft 66 at its inner end facing the stand member 6, 7. The coupling device 67 has an external toothed rim 68 designed to cooperate with a corresponding internal toothed rim 16 on the reeling drum 4. This cooperation between the two coupling devices 15, 67 is achieved by the coupling device 67 of the central drive means 62 being displaced coaxially in relation to the coupling device 15 until connection occurs.

As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, each pivot unit 34 of a secondary unit 19, 20 is also arranged to be turned past the stand rails 12 up to an upper fetching position for receipt of an empty reeling drum 4 which has been deposited on the lowering surfaces 13 to be carried thereafter by the top rails 38 of the pivot units 34 when the pivot units 34 are turned back. This turning is taken care of by the actuator 41.

Unless the reeling drum 4 with the associated growing paper reel 3 must be lowered to the stand rails 12 for reasons of safety or for some other reason, it is advantageous for the reeling drum 4 and paper reel 3 to be carried by the secondary carriages 21, 22 via their top rails 38 through the whole production phase from empty, or substantially empty reeling drum 4 to finished paper reel 3, after which the reeling drum 4 with finished paper reel 3 is lowered to the stand rails 12.

Figures 6 and 7 show parts of a reel-up similar to that described with reference to Figures 1-5, but provided with lifting means in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. The lifting means comprises an actuator 41 pivotable by means of a pivot unit 34 in accordance with the first embodiment. However, it is provided with a level retaining means 44 of a different type. In the inner secondary carriage 22 shown in Figure 6, the level retaining means 44 comprises an actuator 71 in the form of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. The cylinder 71 is vertically rigidly mounted to the lifting plate 48 and its piston rod 72 is directed downwards, said piston rod 72 carrying a pivotable pulley 73 for cooperation with the bottom plate 35. When the cylinder 71 is activated the piston rod 72 assumes an extended position, whereupon the pulley 73 rests against the bottom plate 35 so that the reeling drum 4 is distinctly retained at a level immediately above the stand rail 12 as described earlier.

In the outer secondary carriage 21 shown in Figure 7 two vertical actuators 71 of the type described are used to distinctly retain the reeling drum 4 at its upper level immediately above the stand rail 12. The vertical actuators 71 described may also be used to turn the pivot unit 34 from the lower position, when the pivot unit 34 suitably rests on the bottom plate 35, to the upper position when the top rail 38 is located at a level

somewhat above the stand rails 12 so that the reeling drum 4 is free from the latter. Alternatively the pulley 73 may be replaced by a block which is rigidly mounted to the end of the piston rod and suitably has a rounded support surface.

Figures 8-16 show schematically parts of a reel-up of a different type from that described above. This type of reel-up comprises a primary system (not shown) and a secondary system comprising first and second secondary carriages 78, 79 arranged on the outer sides of two parallel stand members 80, 81 similar to those described above. Such a reel-up is described, for instance, in SE-B-469 071 (corresponding to US-5,375,790). Each secondary carriage 78, 79 is linearly movably journalled on the outside of its stand member 80, 81 by means of journalling means comprising two parallel tracks 82 and bearings 83, e.g. roller or sliding bearings. Each secondary carriage 78, 79 is moved to and fro by means of a suitable actuator (not shown).

In the embodiment of the first secondary carriage 78 shown in Figures 8-11 the lifting means according to a third embodiment of the invention is arranged on the inner side of a vertical support plate 84 on the first secondary carriage 78. A press device 85 and locking device 86 with actuators 87, 88 as described above in connection with the reel-up according to Figures 1-5 are located on the outside of the support plate 84. The lifting means comprises a lifting plate 89 which is linearly movably journalled in the support plate 84 by journalling means comprising two vertical tracks 90 mounted on the support plate 84, and opposite bearings 91 which may consists of roller or sliding bearings, on the lifting plate 89. The lifting means is also provided with an actuator 92, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, for moving the lifting plate 89 up and down.

The actuator 92 also has the function of level retaining means to distinctly retain the lifting plate 89 in the raised position when the reeling drum 4 is free from the stand rail 94. The lifting plate 89 is provided with a relatively short top rail 95 which is rigidly mounted to the upper edge of the lifting plate 89 and has a flat horizontal support surfaces which is brought into contact with the reeling drum 4 vertically below this. The lifting plate 89 is shaped like an inverted U, the actuator 92 extending between its shanks.

The second secondary carriage 79, shown in more detail in Figures 12-16, also includes means 98 for central driving of the reeling drum 4. The secondary carriage 79 has an inner support plate 96 by means of which the secondary carriage 79 is linearly movably journalled to its stand member 81 in the same way as described above for the first secondary carriage 78. The secondary carriage 79 also has an outer support plate 97 carrying the central drive means 98 via a stand 99, as well as a locking device 100 and a press device 101 with associated actuators 102, 103 of the same type as described above for the first secondary carriage 78. The lifting means is arranged between the inner and outer support plates 96, 97 and comprises a lifting plate 104 which is linearly movably journalled to the inner support plate 96 by journalling means comprising two vertical tracks 105 rigidly mounted on the inner support plate 96uand opposite, cooperating bearings 106, consisting of roller or sliding bearings, on the lifting plate 104. The lifting means is also provided with an actuator 107, such as a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, for moving the lifting plate 104 up and down, whereupon the actuator 107 also functions as level retaining means to distinctly retain the lifting plate 104 in the raised position when the reeling drum 4 is free from the stand rail 108. The lifting plate carries a relatively short top rail 110

which is rigidly mounted to the upper edge of the lifting plate 104 and has a flat horizontal support surface which is brought into contact with the reeling drum 4 vertically below this. As is more easily seen in Figures 15 and 16, the lifting plate 104 and the inner support plate 96 are provided with apertures 111, 112 for mounting of the actuator 107, the lower end thereof being attached to the inner support plate 96 and the upper end to the lifting plate 104 by means of lower and upper attachments 113, 114. The outer support plate 97 is vertically linearly movably journalled on the lifting plate 104 by means of journalling means comprising vertical guide tracks 115 mounted on the lifting plate 104, and opposing bearings 116, consisting of roller or sliding bearings, on the outer support plate 97. A stop (not shown) is arranged to fix the outer support plate 97 in a lower position when the reeling drum 4 rests on the rails 94, 108, in which case the outer support plate 97 is situated with its upper edge a predetermined distance from the reeling drum 4. The lifting plate 104 is provided at its lower end and on its outer side, with a boss-shaped follower 117 for cooperation with the outer support plate 97 so that a small space is formed between the follower 117 and the lower edge of the outer support plate 97 when the outer support plate 97 is in said lower position and when the reeling drum 4 rests on the stand rail 108. This space is as great as the space between the top rail 110 of the lifting plate 104 and the reeling drum 4. When the actuator 107 is activated the lifting plate 104 is moved upwards and will then lift the reeling drum 4 at the same time as the follower 117 is brought into engagement with the outer support plate 97 and lifts this a corresponding distance so that the central axis of the central drive means 98 is kept in line with the central axis of the reeling drum 4.

In a reel-up in particular with secondary carriages according to Figures 1-7, embodiments of the lifting means other than those shown here can be used. The lifting means may, for instance, comprise a wedge-shaped level block which is horizontally displaceable in order to raise and lower the pivot unit, or a pivotable eccentric device, the eccentric peripheral surface of which raises and lowers the pivot unit by means of turning, or a suitable screw means.

The distance between the stand rails 12 and the reeling drum 4 in its said raised production position is the same at both stand rails 12 and is at least 1 mm, preferably at least 2 mm.

It is preferred that the support surface of the top rail 38 is flat and horizontal.