The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 for handling winding shafts, that is, reel spools. The invention also relates to an apparatus implementing the method. After unwinding, some fibrous web is usually left over these winding shafts, typically in a layer of a few centimetres. In the following, empty winding shafts as well as those containing a small amount of the fibrous web are both referred to as winding shafts.

In the process of manufacturing a fibrous web, such as paper or board, the fibrous web after the paper or board machine is wound into a machine roll on a winding shaft. The winder is generally referred to as a Pope reeler named after its inventor. Also other winders are known, such as a central driver winder. After winding, the machine rolls are temporarily stored, typically parallel to the track, in several storage sites before unwinding. Because the machine rolls are very heavy, they are transferred either by rolling the reel spools inside the machine rolls along support rails or by means of a crane.

Next, the machine rolls are transferred to an unwinder from which the unwound web is transferred to a slitter or to the next processing stage. The winding shafts are returned to the winder. The returning involves a number of problems.

The winding shafts are large, as their length may be even up to ten metres, and heavy. Their transferring causes many difficulties. The common method of transferring by rolling requires rolling rails. The difficulty in their positioning and their wearing, as well as the difficulty of controlling the rolling motion, are known problems. Further, pillar and overhead cranes as well as transfer carts are generally used for transferring the winding shafts. The cranes are normally manually operated, incurring major labour costs in shift work.

One problem involves emptying the residual fibrous web left over the winding shaft. This requires finding enough space and time to do it.

In Finnish patent publication FI 121461 B, a method for returning emptied winding shafts to a winder is described. Their returning takes place at the side of the mother roll storage without changing the orientation of the winding shafts. This requires a very large space especially at wide track widths .

Brief description of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved solution for handling winding shafts.

More specifically, the invention is characterised by the features presented in the independent claims.

The idea of the present solution is that the transfer or returning of the winding shafts at the side of the fibrous web processing device is carried out by moving the winding shafts in their longitudinal direction. Thus, the orientation of the winding shaft, which is transverse to the track of the processing device, is changed by means of a turning device to be parallel to the track for transfer. The transfer in a parallel orientation relative to the track between winding stations is carried out by carriage means .

The present solution provides a compact solution which may function automatically, and a crane is not needed for transferring the winding shaft between the winding stations. In the solution it is also easy to arrange sufficient time and space for emptying the residual web from the winding shaft.

Brief description of the Figures

Some embodiments of the invention are described in more detail in the accompanying figures in which

Figure 1 shows a lay-out view of a winding shaft at different stages of the transfer system and parts of the apparatus ,

Figure 2 shows a partly sectional side view of a turning device 11, and

Figure 3 shows a central sectional view of a turning device 11 and a transfer cart 6.

As shown in Figure 1, the track's moving direction A is from left to right. The web is fed from a paper or board machine, a laminating machine or the like to a winder W where mother rolls 1' are formed. Full-wound mother rolls 1'' are transferred, for example by rolling on rails 2, to a storage S. From the storage the mother roll 1 ' is transferred to an unwinding station UW from which the unwound web is carried to a slitter or other converting. The winding, storage and unwinding take place with the winding shaft disposed in a transverse orientation relative to the track's moving direction. A substantially emptied winding shaft 3' is transferred, preferably by means of a hydraulic power device, to a cart which transfers the winding shaft, substantially in the direction of arrow B, to the side of the track. Then the winding shaft 3'' is transferred, preferably by means of a hydraulic power device, to a first turning device 11. Said power devices may also be pneumatically or electrically operated. Then the winding shaft 3 is turned in the horizontal plane, preferably in the direction of arrow C, by substantially 90 degrees to lie parallel to the track before return transfer in a direction opposite to the track's direction A. From the turning device 11 the winding shaft is transferred to a cart 6 which transfers the winding shaft via emptying to a second turning device 12, and before being returned to the winder W, the empty winding shaft 4 is again turned, preferably in the direction of arrow F, by substantially 90 degrees in the horizontal plane and is returned to the track in a direction perpendicular to the track's moving direction A. The returning preferably takes place by means of a cart.

Carrying the winding shafts between the turning stations 11, 12 takes place by means of at least one reciprocating carriage cart 6. The cart 6 transfers the substantially empty winding shaft 3 to an emptying station E and from there, after being emptied, further to the side of the second turning device 12. The empty winding shaft 4 is transferred to the turning device 12, and the cart 6 returns back to the pick-up station. In one embodiment of the invention, in order to speed up the operating time, the residual web on the winding shaft is removed during transfer into a container 7 located in the cart 6, and the container is emptied, preferably during the return travel, at the emptying station E. Preferably, the emptying takes place by unwinding, but the emptying may alternatively take place by cutting through the layers of fibrous web. Transferring the cart takes place in the guidance of rails 8.

The structure of one embodiment of the first turning device 11 is as follows. A cradle 9 is connected to a turning frame 14 via joints 13. Removing the winding shaft from the cradle takes place by tilting the cradle with a power device 10. Alternatively, the winding shaft is pushed out of the cradle by means of a power device. The power device may be a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder or an electric motor. The turning device 11 is pivotally connected at one end, for instance via a shaft 17 and bearings 16, to a frame 15. At the other end of the turning frame there is mounted a power device 18, preferably a gear motor, its output shaft being provided with a carrying wheel 19. The latter is supported during turning on a ring 20. The carrying wheel is preferably coated with elastic frictional material, such as rubber, polyurethane or the like. Alternatively, the turning of the turning device may be implemented by means of a pressure medium driven device, such as a cylinder. The structure of the second turning device 12 essentially corresponds to the first turning device 11.

According to one embodiment, the turning device 11, 12 may alternatively comprise a crane or other lifting device which is configured to turn the winding shaft to lie parallel to the track and, correspondingly, transversely to the track. The transfer between the turning stations may, however, take place by other carriage means than a crane. However, in some cases it is possible that the turning and transferring between the turning stations are both carried out by means of a crane. Thus, the crane may also function as a carriage means.

The lateral transfer of the winding shafts to the turning station at the side of the track and back may be carried out by means of a transfer device, such as a cart, moving in a transverse direction relative to the track' s direction. The cart may be arranged, for example, to be guided by rails. Thus, the apparatus may comprise transversely moving carts at both turning stations, and a cart moving in the longitudinal direction between the turning stations.

It is obvious that other embodiments are also possible within the scope of the same inventive idea.