Core Pusher Feeding Pairs Into Winder

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for winding fiber webs, such as paper and board webs, face challenges in reliably and efficiently feeding cores into the winder, particularly due to issues like core adherence and complex gripping mechanisms, which hinder the winding process.

Innovation Solution

A method and device where cores are fed into the winder in pairs using a core pusher that simultaneously positions them at correct locations on winding rolls, with a core storage and batching system outside the winder to facilitate efficient and cost-effective core placement, ensuring cores are aligned correctly for winding stations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If cores are fed into the winder using traditional gripping mechanisms, then cores can be transferred to winding stations, but the gripping mechanisms become complicated and cores tend to adhere to each other

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecore feeding reliabilityVSAvoidgripping mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the complex gripping mechanism entirely and replaces it with a simple pusher device that feeds cores directly to the winding stations. By extracting the gripping function and replacing it with a pushing action, the system eliminates the complexity of grippers while maintaining reliable core transfer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of gripping cores to move them, the invention inverts the approach by using a pusher to apply force from behind, propelling cores forward along the feeding path. This inversion from gripping-to-moving to pushing-to-moving simplifies the mechanism and prevents core adhesion issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Productivity

If cores are fed one at a time into the winder, then positioning is simpler, but the winding process becomes slower and less efficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewinding speedVSAvoidcore positioning simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple core feeding operations into a single synchronized action. The pusher device feeds two cores simultaneously to adjacent winding stations in one motion, merging what would traditionally be two separate feeding operations into one unified action, thereby doubling productivity without complicating positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The pusher device is designed to pre-position multiple cores at their respective winding stations simultaneously before the winding operation begins. This preliminary synchronized positioning ensures that when winding starts, all cores are already in place, enabling high-speed continuous operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If a core storage system is located inside the winder, then core access is convenient, but the winder structure becomes more complex and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecost-effectivenessVSAvoidcore access convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a core transfer path as an intermediary between the external storage and the winding stations. Instead of placing storage inside the winder, cores are stored externally and transferred through a dedicated path using a simple pusher mechanism, acting as a mediator that connects storage to winding without requiring complex internal storage structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The core storage system is positioned in a different spatial dimension (outside the winder) rather than within it. The core transfer path extends the feeding operation to an external location, utilizing space outside the main winder structure to house storage, thereby simplifying the internal winder design while maintaining operational efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2669223B1Method for winding fiber webs and device in a winder for winding fiber webs, especially for partial paper and board webs
Publication Date: 2014.05.28 VALMET TECH INC
  • EP2669223B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2669223B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2669223B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for winding of partial webs, in which method the partial webs are wound around cores (31; 31 L", 31 R") to partial web rolls (35L, 35R) as set in winding stations by a nip between a winding roll and the partial web roll being formed in a multistation type winder, which comprises one or two winding rolls (35L, 35R) and arrangement for feeding cores (31; 31 L, 31 R; 31 L', 31 R') into the winder. In the method the cores (31; 31 L, 31 R; 31 L', 31 R') for one set are moved into the winder in pairs (31 L, 31 R; 31 L', 31 R') by a core pusher (21) that pushes two adjacent cores (31 L, 31 R; 31 L', 31 R') into the winder simultaneously and that the cores (31 L, 31 R; 31 L', 31 R') are positioned one at time to a location for pick up to the winding stations and that in the method in case of uneven number of cores (31; 31 L, 31 R; 31 L', 31 R') needed for winding a set of partial web rolls (35L, 35R) one core is moved and located at time. The invention also relates to a device in a winder for winding of partial webs in a multistation type winder, which comprises one or two winding rolls on which winding stations are provided for winding the partial webs around cores (31; 31 L", 31 R") to partial web rolls (35L, 35R) as set in the winding stations by a nip between the winding roll and the partial web roll being formed, which device comprises an arrangement for feeding cores (31; 31 L, 31 R; 31 L', 31 R') into the winder. The arrangement comprises a core pusher (21) for pushing one or two adjacent cores (31 L, 31 R) at time into the winder and for locating the cores (31 L, 31 R) in the winder to be picked up to the winding stations on the winding rolls.