DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of machines that cut and rewind the adhesive and unadhesive tapes having different sizes.

The present invention foresees in particular the layout of a fully automatic machine, that carries out the lon- gitudinal cut in various widths of adhesive or undhesive tapes and foresees their rewinding around a core having an external nominal diameter of variable sizes. It is foreseen a machine that, as well-known by the prior Art, is supplied with a jumbo roll and an unwind- ing stand, separated from the same machine that, using rollers of different diameters, unwinds the tape from the jumbo roll, which machine applies automatically on the tape one or more cross tabs made of paper or pla¬ stic film, then cuts the tape longitudinally in prefixed widths by one of the three cutting systems, with which the machine is equipped, and more particularly: razor blade cutting device, score cutting by means of a harde¬ ned cylinder and circular dinking dies, or circular blades and counterblades. These cutting systems are well known by the prior Art.

According to the present invention, the above mentioned tape strips are rewound around cores of different exte nal diameters, then they are cut when the rolls of the rewound strips have reached the wished length and then the rolls, using a loading and unloading unit of these finished rolls, are discharged into a basin and after-

wards the same rolls are discharged into a suitable con¬ veyor belt. The same unloading station carries out the loading of the new cores that must be rewound with the tape. In.particular, the present invention foresees a machine of the above mentioned type, characterized in that it is provided with one or more rewinding turrets, each of these turrets being supplied with three following sta¬ tions, a first station having the aim of rewinding the previously cut tape strips, a second station having the ai of cutting and fastening automatically the cut end of. the tape and a third station having the aim of unload ing:the rewound rolls and loading the new cores, the

• - ... _* said stations being arranged at 120"-angular distance with one another.

The above mentioned working cycle is carried out operat¬ ing rotatably one of the said turrets, the so-called drive turret that is connected to an hydraulic cylin- deπ/free wheel system, that moves the drive turret and ^' a.group of gears joined in series drive also the other eventual turrets contemporaneusly and in phase with the drive turret with the aim of getting a cyclic operation ofthe turrets moving them into the three 120"-spaced positions in all winding turrets after the rewinding of the roll plurality is over.

In addition to the above mentioned movement in three 120°-steps in sequence, it is necessary to drive the rewinding station, when it is in the rewinding position, by means of a further motor, said rewinding motor and ^" having an adjustable rotation speed according to the tape type to be rewound. With this aim each rewinding

turret shows three shafts corresponding to the three stations used for tape rewinding, cutting and unloading/ loading, which are driven rotatably by means of the re¬ winding motor and a toothed or belt (or gear) transmis- sion. Using proper friction means, the rotation movement is transmitted to the core-holders foreseen for the tape rewinding around the cores, for getting a plurality of finished tape rolls. This rotation movement is carried out disengaging the clutch connected to the rewinding mo_ tor and the roll rotation drive shaft and operating on the contrary an external belt (or spur gear) transmis¬ sion driven by the second rewinding motor, that causes the rotation of the rewinding shaft, that in this moment is located in the rewinding station. In detail, when the rewinding shaft is joined definitive ly with the above mentioned belt transmission (or gear series) through a pair of gears external to the turret, it transmits the movement to a series of rewinding shafts, on which it is foreseen the expanding plastic material core-holders, that have the aim of supporting the cores, on which the previuosly cut tape strips are rewound.

Each single core-holder is driven, during the rewinding phase, by means of a toothed belt and pulley (or a se- ries of gear) one of them being assembled as idle ele¬ ment on the shaft and locked between a series of spacers introduced on the shaft and driven through the rewinding motor. On the contrary these spacers are joined by friction with the pulley (or gear) and then they rotate together with the same pulley and the rewinding shaft. The torque

trasmitted by the drive pulley (or gear) assembled on the driven shaft is a consequence of the friction produc ed between the pulley (or gear) and the spacers that lock the same pulley (or gear), pressed by two springs, 5 ^" on its turn pressed by two corresponding opposite adjust^ ing ring nuts foreseen at the two ends of the shaft. When the wished rewinding length is achieved in each co¬ re, the turret or plurality of turrets make a contempora neous 120"-rotation under the action of the above men- TX- tioned hydraulic cyclinder bringing the rewound rolls from the rewinding station to the cutting and automatic cut end fastening station.

According to another feature of the invention it is fore seen that each turret is provided, - between the first 5 rewinding station and the second cutting and automatic cut end fastening station, with the cutting unit, that can be made in the form of blade assembled on trolley or similar one, sand also with idle roller, this roller pro vinding the automatic sticking of the adhesive tape on 0L its own external surface, with the aim σf getting that the just cut tape end is kept fixed and provides a stre¬ tch sufficient for allowing the bearing of the adhesive tape on the new core to be wound with the same tape. This idle roller is foreseen in a number of three for 5 each rewinding turret, and these rollers are assembled between the three station and equispaced among the same stations.

According to another feature, it is provided a loading and unloading unit, one in number for each rewinding tur 0 ret, which, after the 120"-rotation and using a puller, forming a part of the same loading and unloading unit,

draws the rewound rolls and make them fall into a proper underlying basin and introduces a new core onto the free rewinding core-holder.

It is foreseen that the whole core loading/unloading unit is assembled on a mobile frame, sliding along fixed guides by means of proper sliding rollers and driven by an hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. This mobile unit al¬ lows an easy inspection of the internal parts holding some conveyor belts for the finished pieces ejection, that is the rewound rolls. For making this inspection the same mobile unit can be extracted towards the ma¬ chine outside.

Further the said loading/unloading unit, during its back movement and after having introduced the new cores onto the core-holders, causes the opening of trap doors of the basins holding the rewound rolls and make them fall in tidy sequence into proper underlying conveyor belts. This movement is also got by hydraulic or pneumatic or electric means. In the following phase, after the back movement, the loading/unloading unit will be fed through a series of channels that convey the spaced cores, that were pre- viuosly introduced into the same channels by the proper feeder foreseen into the hoppers. As the above mentioned channels are obtained on a sloped plane, during the opening of the core stop device, a plurality of new cores will be drawn from the loading/ unloding unit for being charged into the loading and un¬ loading station of the various rewinding turrets. Further, when the loading/unloading unit draws the new cores to be introduced on the core holders, t- controls

the real presence of core-holders by means of a proper electric sensor formed by a metallic blade fixed to the loading and unloading unit, joined to an electric sy¬ stem, therefore if the core that must be used is not ^' present, the blade is brought in touch with the metallic core stop device, tripping a switch that locks the load¬ ing and unloading unit. '.

The above mentioned features and other ones, such as the aims and advantages of the invention will be explained better by means of the following description of its ful¬ filment, as shown in the annexed drawings, in which: - shows a schematic view of the ^' machine according to the present invention; _Fig 2/2A shows one of the four rewinding turrets in de- tail and the machine loading and unloading unit, shown in ^' Fig.1/1A.

Making reference to Fi jyiA the machine structure is fo med from a fixed frame TF1 made of two sheet plates con¬ nected by fixed elements. This fixed frame TF1 includes in its inside the various main machine working stations, that are described in the following.

The secundary frame CM1 allows the movement of all ser- . vice parts made up from: hopper TR holding the cores AN, the channels CN guiding the cores AN and tøie rolls R0 unloading and new cores AN loading unit CA.

This secundary frame CMl- can slide along the guides GF by means of the rollers ROT and is driven by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder CI2. This secundary frame CM1 sup¬ ports another frame SM laterally mobile by means of pro- per guides GL and driven by pneumatic or hydraulic cy¬ linders CI1 and mobile towards the axle of the rewinding

SUBSTITUTE SHEET

turrets TO by means of guides and driven by the hydrau¬ lic or pneumatic cylinders CI.

Making now reference to the said figures, the reference NA(Fig.1/1A)indicates the adhesive or unadhesive tape, coming from a jumbo roll (not represented) , which can reach a max. diameter of 1200 mm and a variable width. The tape coming from the said jumbo roll crosses in a well known way a proper unwinding stand and proper rol¬ lers having different diameters, reaches at first the automatic device DB for the application of one or more cross tabs saparating the end of the tape to be cut, then reaches the cutting unit that cuts the tape in lon¬ gitudinal direction in many strips of wished widths by means of one of the three cutting systems used, and more precisely: razor blade cutting TL, or score cutting by hardened»cylinder TP or blade and counterblade cutting TF, that are used at choice according tσ the type of tape to be worked out. In the following, according to the present invention, the tapes previously cut in strips, crossing a series of further guiding rollers RG (Fig.1/1A) each the rewinding turrets TO (indicated as four in number, as example).

Making now reference toFig.2/2A- ^" the various machine parts are described. A very important feature of the present invention is that the rewinding turret/turrets

TO are made in a form that is quite identical to the t spindle head and tailstock system present in lathes of the know Art. Each one of the rewinding turrets TO is made up by two end plates PE1 and PE2, that are joined in the central part by a prismatic piece TO' with equi¬ lateral triangle basis, that is used as support for the

SUBSTITUTE SHEET

square rests SQ, on its turn used for the support of the pins AL of the rewinding core-holders PT, as it shall be described in the following. Further the two plates PE1 and PE2 support between themselves three fixed shafts AF that support three idle rollers RF, whose aim shall be also described in the following. The left end of the tur ret T0(Fig.2/2A)foresees ^' the end plate PE2 that is for¬ ced against the tailstock CP turning by bearings, that is well-known by the prior Art of machine tools. Each one of the turrets TO foresees the use of three sta tions supporting the core-holders PT for the adhesive or unadhesive tape rolls RO: a first station RV represents the rewinding position of the tape NA; a second station FR equal to the former one, but 120°-shifted with res- pect to it, represents the cutting position and the au- tomatic cut end fastening position of the adhesive tape rewound on the core; the third station SC is used for unloading the rewound ^{' '} rolls and for loading the new cores AN 120"-shifted from the second station. One of these rewinding turrets, named drive turret inclu des a transmission gearbox ST, is connected directly to the hydraulic cylinder CI5 that causes the rotation of the said drive turret TO in 120"-steps. In detail the hydraulic cylinder CI5 is fixed to the fixed frame TF1 of the machine. The connection between the drive turret TO and the hydraulic cylinder CI5 is made through a rack fixed the the cylinder CI5 rod, that drives a gear IG5 connected directly to the free wheel RLA, keyed on the transmission shaft AT and the drive gear IP1 is keyed at the other end of this shaft AT. This main gear IP1 tran smits the 120"-rotation movement to the other rewinding

SUBSTITUTE SHEET

turrets TO through the idle gears IF and other main gears IP. Each main gear IP forms also a wall of a gear¬ box ST holding the primary gear IPL1 keyed on the shaft AT1, that transmits the rotation supplied from the re¬ winding motor MT to the three secundary planetary gears IPL2, foreseen one in number for each drive shaft AR causing the rotation of the rolls RO. These last gears IPL2 are keyed idle on the secundary shaft AT2 through a bearing and are also joined in a fixed way to a first right half of a friction or electro magnetic clutch FRZ, that allows the engagement or disen gagement between these secundary gears IPL2 and the secundary shaft AT2. The disengagment of the clutch FRZ is got by means of-the fork FL acting onto a cylindrical cam BOC sliding on the shaft AT2 and joined with the second left half of the clutch FRZ. The fork FL is con¬ trolled by a rod PK, on its turn operated externally to the gearbox ST by means of a circular cam CF, that is fastened to the fixed frame TF1 of the machine. The 120" rotation movement of the transmission gearbox ST and the drive turret TO and then of all turrets in the same time Is possible only when the clutch FRZ is engaged. In detail this happens under the control of a photocell (not shown in figures) that signals the end of the adhesive tape rewinding on the cores AN. This pho- tocell operates the hydraulic cylinder CI5, which turns the main gear IP and then drives the whole transmission geabox ST causing the progress of the rod PK by means of the cam CF, supplied with three depressions correspond- ing to the three 120"-positions. Then the rod PK, under the action of the recovery spring MR and fork FL and cy-

lindrical cam BOC and clutch FRZ cuts-in the connection between the gear IPL2 and the gear IPL1 causing in this way the start of the rewinding of roll RO, whatever is the position reached in a certain moment by the turret. The other end of the shaft AT2 foresees an elastic joint GT that connects the shaft AT1 with the rewinding shaft AR. The idle gears IF transmit ^' the rotation to the under_ lying turrets and this is necessary for adjusting the phase of all various lenghts of rolls in the winding : stations TO, which in the execution example are shown as four in number, but that can be provided in a greater number. Each one of the three shafts AR belonging to a rewinding turret(Fig.2/2A)is supported by three supports one central support SP1 and two lateral supports SP. The shaft AR is provided with the axial assembly of a series of parts made-up alternatively by spacers DT and toothed pulleys (or drive gear) PL among which some disks D1, made of a wear resistent material, are inter¬ posed. The taking-up of wear play of these disks D1 is made through the use of two end ring nuts GR. The pul¬ leys (or gears) PL are assembled idle on the shaft AR. The central support SP1 of the shaft AR divides the se¬ ries of spacers DT and toothed pulleys <-or, ears) PL in two halfs and acts as fixed central point against which the springs ML apply an axial thrust adjusted by the above mentioned ring nuts GR, that allow also an adjust¬ ment of the transmission torque between the shaft AR and the pulleys (or gears) PL. The two ring nuts GR are screwed on the two ends of the shaft AR, that are thread ^' e ^~ d and further are supplied with a stop grub screw (not numbered) for preventing the unlocking of the ring nuts

SUBSTITUTE SHE T

GR after their axial position was beeen adjusted.

These grub screws are engaged into a slot machined on the shaft AR. When these grub screws are tightened, it is prevented the loss of the adjustment of spring pres- sure force, that on its turn act onto the spacers DT se_ ries and then on the torque transmitted to the rewinding belts (or gears) CD. The"series of square supports SQ, assembled on the central part TO' of the turret TO, sup¬ port the fixed pins AL that support rotatably the core reels PT, assembled on bearings. The core holders PT are made of plastic or other similar materials and are of the expansion type, having the aim of holding in posi¬ tion the core AN, on which the tape strips NA must be rewound. The toothed belts (or gear couples) CD transmit the mo¬ vement from each pβdley (or gear) PL to the^pulley (or gear) assembled on the pin AL, so that torque transmit¬ ted is proportional to the pressure force obtained be¬ tween the lateral surfaces of spacers DT and the face surface of the pulleys (or gears) PL, under the action of the springs ML, adjusted on its turn by the two ring nuts GR(F ^; tg:..2./2A)of the shaft AR, as above said.

• The rewinding shaft AR, in the left side opposite to the s\ side in which the rewinding motor MT is keyed, is provid ed with a straight-tooth gear IG2 that enters in mesh with the gear IG1 during the rewinding active phase of the turret shaft AR (after the 120"-rotation of the tur¬ ret TO). This gear IG1 is keyed on the rewinding control shaft AB. The toothed pulleys PL1-PL2-PL3-PL4 allow the transmission of the rewinding movement from an adjusta¬ ble speed motor (not represented) to the winding shaft

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AB, through an adjustable electromagnetic joint FM.

Obviously, when the rewinding motor MT is connected to the shaft AT2 by means of the clutch FRZ, the transmis¬ sion made up of the gears IG1 and IG2 is not engaged in the same time, as the two movements are independent from one another and act in different and following times. In fact the rewinding motor MT is used for the rotation of expansible core-holders PT for stretching the adhesi¬ ve tape strips and the relevant start-up of rewinding and acts only when the clutch FRZ is engaged, this action goes on until the rewinding motor is cut-in and acts only when one of the three gears IG2 enters in mesh with the gear IG1, that is in fixed position owing to the shaft AB position with relevant support SB. When the rewinding turret TO undergoes a 120"-rotation under the action of the cylinder CI5 and the gear IG2 enters in mesh with the gear IG1, nearly in the same time the clutch FRZ is disengaged under the action of the fork FL operated by the fixed cam CF and further under the action of the spring MR. This fork FL causes the disengagement of the gear IPL2 from the shaft AT2 and it is possible to make the rewinding of the plura¬ lity of tapes on the station RV active in this moment. The three rewinding shafts AR foreseen on the turrets T0- are all equally spaced with respect to the rotation axle of the turret TO, that can be got joining the axle of the tailstock CP with the axle of the main transmission shaft AT1 related to the rewinding motor MT. In this way, owing to the fixed position of the support SB and therefore of the shaft AB and relevant gear IG1, the gear IG2 of the shaft AR, that must work during the pha-

se shown in the(Fig2/2A)enters automatically in mesh with the gear IG1, driven by the rewinding motor and disengaging in the same time the rotation of the rewind¬ ing motor MT by means of the clutch FRZ. This disenga- gement of the clutch FRZ is made naturally only in this' position owing to the action controlled of the timing fixed cam CF. The main gear IP is provided with three recesses spaced at 120"-angles, that act onto the switch IT1 for controlling in an exact way the three different working phases of the hydraulic cylinder CI5, correspon¬ ding to the three wished 120° positions. Further this switch IT1 is used also for starting the re_ winding cycle, employing pneumatic or hydraulic means, for unloading the finished roll R0 and loading the new core AN onto the final station SC, as it shall be shown in the following. The gear IP rotates under the action of the hydraulic cylinder CI5, this action being started by a photocell, as above said, and the roll RV is tran¬ sferred into the station FR. Here the cutting is made by means of a blade (not represented), that falls onto the tape or is slided laterally in a well-known manner. The idle roller RF is used for keeping the end of the adhesive tape NA until the new rewinding cycle starts in the core AN placed in the station RV. After the cutting of the tape NA, the rewound roll FR is brought into the station SC and here it shall be extracted from the core- holder PT indicated above.

This extraction process shall be described in the follow ing and forms an aim of the the invention. The three idle rollers RF are also joined with the plates PE1 and PE2 by means of the relevant shaft AF and supported on

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14

bearings. When the adhesive tape NA is unwound, these three idle roller RF are made in the form of a smooth pipe for allowing the temporarily adhesion of the just cut tape NA and for holding it onto their external sur- face until the rewinding roll RV starts its rotation and then rewinds the tape NA. If the tape used in the machine of the present invention is of the unadhesive type, the rollers RF must be covered with biadhesive paper for allowing the adhesion of the unadhesive tape onto the roller RF. In this case these rollers must be supplied with a brake for allowing the temporary locking of the unadhesive tape until other rollers (not represen ted) act onto the core-holder PT of the station RV, co¬ operating for the rewinding of the-unadhesive tape. According to another feature of the present invention, the four turrets TO are laterally supplied with a feed¬ ing system of cores AN, made-up with two or more hoppers TR(Fig.l/lA) in whose inside a system of rotating blades LR acts for feeding the cores AN into proper channels CN (Fig2/2A) at a prefixed distance and in a position suita¬ ble for being charged onto the loading and unloading unit CA.

According to another feature of the present invention, the channels CN (Fig.2/2A)at the outlet o'f each hopper TR are divided for controlling the feeding of cores AN to¬ wards the four windin turrets TO. Some bulkheads FM are foreseen at the end of each of the four sloped planes PI that support the channels CN. These bulkheads FM have the aim of stopping the continuous flow of cores AN, so that the core loading and unloading units CA are fed with a sole series of cores AN each time. A characteri-

1 stic element of the loading and unloading unit CA is the fork part CA1, supplied with the cavity FO, that is used as unloading organ of the finished roll RO and as intro¬ ducing means for the new cores AN, that shall be descri- 5 bed better in the following. After the tape strips NA rewound onto the core AN have reached a prefixed winding length, the rewinding turrets undergo a 120"-rotation, exchanging in this way the three stations assembled on each turret, that is: the various rewinding stations RV

10 of the turrets are displaced to the final stations FR for cutting and automatic tape cut end fastening, the stations FR with the rolls rewound in the stations RV are transferred.to the uloading and loading stations SC, when the rolls RO are discharged from the core-holders

15 PT and the core-holders PT are recharged with the new

«* cores AN, and finally the stations SC with the cores AN to be rewound just introduced are brought to the rewind¬ ing station RV. According to another feature of the pre¬ sent invention, at the end of the 120"-rotation of the

20 rewinding turrets TO and during the cross cutting exe¬ cution in the stations FR, a series of units CA are operated with the aim of discharging the rewound rolls RO and of loading the new cores AN to be wound. This operation is made in the following way. The unit CA as-

25 sembled on the mobile shoulders SM is displaced as. a trolley towards the bottom along the sloped chute PI under the action of a first hydraulic cylinder CI pas¬ sing from the start position (pos. 0) to the position SC of lateral engagement with the rewound rolls RO (Pos.

30 1). This movement of the unit CA is made by the sliding along the sloped bar guides BG fixed on the mobile frame

SM. In the following under the action of second hy¬ draulic cylinder CI1 the unit CA(Fig.l/lAaπd2/2A)is di¬ splaced to the right side in direction of the axle of the rewound roll (pos. 2) causing the extraction of the rewound roll RO from the core-holder PT and then the roll RO is discharged into the basin BA placed under the trolley CA by the action of the fork CA1 with the cavity FO. After this, the hydraulic cylinder CI moves forward in a further step the mobile shoulders SM and then the unit CA is displaced to bring the new core onto the ax¬ le of the core-holder PT (pos. 3).

A further lateral left movement opposite to the former one of the unit CA, under the action of the action of the cylinder CI1 against the mobile shoulders SM, brings the new core AN in the insertion position against the core-holder PT (pos. 4). The units ^' CA, during the back movement to the start position (pos. 0) , after having put the new cores to be wound on the core-holders PT, cause the opening of the traps BT of the basins BA and make fall the rewound rolls tidily towards the outside of the machine on the conveyor belts TP1 collecting the rewound rolls RO. When the units CA during the back pha¬ se have reached the start position (pos. 0) , the bulk¬ heads FM are opened automatically, allowing to a sole series of cores AN each time to enter ^' into the proper seat SE included in the units CA.

Making now referece to the Figl/lA.it can be noticed that the frame CM1 , made-up by the mobile shoulders SM, the hopper TR support unit and the core loading channels CN and this frame CM1 is supported by fixed circular and horizontal guides GF, and by the rollers ROT and under

SUBSTiTUV .t., .

the action of the hydraulic or pneumatic piston CI2 can be driven away from the working zone of the machine in¬ cluding the various rewinding turrets TO for allowing the inspection of the the turrets TO in the cases of accidental entanglements of the adhesive tapes NA and for making the cleaning and control of the conveyor belts TP1.

According to another feature of the present invention, a proper blade LA is assembled on each single roll un¬ loading and core loading unit CA for controlling the real presence of the cores AN in the seat SE.

In fact each blade LA is connected to the machine me¬ tallic structure acting as negative pole in a 24V di- rect current electric system, while the bulkhead FM is insulated from the machine structure and acts as positi- ve polarity.

If one core AN to be wound is not accidentally intro¬ duced in the right way into the seat SE of the roll un¬ loading and core loading unit CA or is broken, when the bulkheads FM are closed, the blade LA is not in touch onto the core AN and remains in touch with the bulkhead FM, sending consequently an electric signal that forbids the start of a new roll RO unloading and new core AN loading cycle. As the sizes of the cores AN can vary greatly, the feed- ing system of the cores AN with hoppers TR and the seat SE made on the roll unloading and core loading elements CA1, that receive the cores AN, can have different si¬ zes. The aforegoing description is given with the sole explicative aim and therefore does not limit in any way its possibility of embodiment even in fields different from the above mentioned one, such as for example in

1 printing machines for ^' industrial objects, pens, paper, cloths or the like. The aim of the present invention is described better in the following claims that show the preferred embodiments.

10

T5

0

25

30