Core feeding device
United States Patent 1 Saarima et a1.  
 [ CORE FEEDING DEVICE [75] Inventors: William A. Saarima, Park Ridge,  
 111.; Soenke Soennichsen, Flensburg, Germany [73] Assignee: Concep Machine Company, Inc..  
 Northbrook, ll].  
 [22] Filed: Nov. 23, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 418,199  
 [52] 11.5. C1. 198/287; 198/53; 221/201 [51] Int. Cl. 865g 47/24 [58] Field of Search 198/33 AA, 44, 47, 53, 198/54, 64, 287, 56, 57, 58; 221/201, 175, 236, 237  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,750,328 3/1930 Patchin et al. 198/33 AA 2.734.621) 2/1956 Fischer et al. 221/175 X Apr. 8, 1975 Randles 198/33 AA Brink 221/237 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Assistant Examiner-Douglas D. Watts Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hill, Gross, Simpson, Van Santen, Steadman. Chiara &amp; Simpson [57] ABSTRACT A device for feeding ring shaped cores one at a time to a core utilizing device which includes a pair of opposed counter rotating rollers spaced from one another approximately the axial length of the cores and having thereon raised spiral ridges whereby the cores pass between the rollers in parallel axes position to a converging wall area having anti-bridging means which feed the cores one at a time to a chute where the cores are aligned in a single core width row on a common diameter with parallel axes.  
 12 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures CORE FEEDING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention This invention relates to sorting and feeding devices and more particularly to a core feeding machine.  
 2. The Prior Art Ring cores, such as are commonly used as a bases around which tape or the like may be wound. may be assembled in axial spaced relation on a mandrel which may then be utilized in a winding machine. Devices for applying the cores to the mandrel are known in the prior art. In order for these devices to place the cores on the mandrel. the cores must be fed to the mandreling device one at a time in parallel axis position.  
  However the cores may originally be jumbled together and it is necessary to sort them out and to arrange them in a common feed line in parallel axis position. Since modern mandrel feeding devices may operate at speeds requiring a feed of between 200-300 or more cores per minute, the need for a high speed core feeding device is apparent.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Our invention provides such a high speed core feeding device which includes a large hopper into which a large number of individual cores may be dumped. A conveyor leads from the large hopper to a small hopper. The small hopper may have inclined bottom walls which converge to an area having a length many times the diameter ofthe individual cores and a width greater than the axial length of the cores. This area communicates to a pair of opposed counter rotating rollers which are spaced apart slightly greater than the axial length of the cores. The counter rotating rolls have raised spirals on the surfaces thereof, the distance between the winds of the spirals being greater than the diameter of the cores. As the cores pass between the rolls, they will be aligned parallel axis to one another. A plurality of cores may pass between the rolls at the same time along the length of the rolls. The cores pass to a chamber having opposed walls spaced apart approximately the axial length of the cores to maintain the cores in parallel axis position. The chamber has sloping bottom walls converging to a common chute. The common chute has a dimension in one direction equal to the chamber&#39;s dimension of approximately the axial length of the cores and a dimension in the direction normal to that direction approximately equal to the diameter of the cores. In this manner the cores may enter the chute only one at a time and be aligned along a common diameter in the chute. In order to provide a constant feed to the chute, the bottom walls of the chamber include anti-bridging means. In the embodiment illustrated the anti-bridging means comprise a plurality of rubber belts which form the bottom walls of the chamber. The belts are received around sheave wheels positioned with respect to one another so that the belts are on a converging angle to one another. One of the sheave wheels in each belt set rotates off center to provide an eccentric motion to the belts so that the belts cause a constant vibration of the cores resting thereon. In this manner the cores will not bridge as they are directed to the chute.  
  An air flow is provided to the chute to maintain movement of the cores through the chute to provide acceleration of the cores in the chute to assure proper feed of the cores from the chute to the mandreling device.  
  It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an automatic core feeding device.  
  It is another object of this invention to provide a core feeding device which is capable of separating cores from a jumbled batch of cores and feeding the cores one at a time in parallel axis relation to a core utilizing device.  
  It is another more specific object of this invention to provide a core feeding device which utilizes counter rotating rolls having raised spirals thereon to align a plurality ofjumbled cores in parallel axis relation by passing them between the rolls.  
  It is another object of this invention to provide a core feeding device utilizing counter rotating rolls having raised spirals thereon as a means for aligning cores in parallel axis relation and to feed the cores to a spaced apart wall chamber where the cores will be maintained in parallel axis relation. the chamber having converging bottom wall means open to a common chute. the bottom wall means incorporating vibratory means to prevent the cores from bridging as they are directed to the chute.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of the inven tion will be readily apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure, and in which:  
  FIG. 1 illustrates a mandreling machine equipped with a core feeding device according to this invention.  
  FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the core feeding device of FIG. I illustrating underlying portions of the mechanism by dotted lines and showing an interior view of the main hopper through a broken away section of the hopper wall.  
  FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the core feeding device taken along the lines IIIIII of FIG. 2.  
  FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the core feeding device taken along the lines IV-lV of FIG. 3.  
  FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the air feed to the chute of the core feeding device of previous figures.  
  FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the chute taken along the lines Vl&#39;v&#39;l of FIG. 5.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates a mandreling machine 10 equipped with a core feeding device 11. The mandreling machine is effective to place a plurality of cores 12 on a common mandrel 13. The mandrels 13 are fed one at a time from a feed position 14 to a loading position where the cores are fed onto the mandrel from a loading end 15 of the device. The mandrels are then released to a pickup section 16 where they may be removed from the mandreling machine and utilized in some other device such as, for example, a tape winding machine. The cores 12, which may be formed of layered paper or plastic or the like, consist of rings having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and an axial length. The axial length and the diameter dimensions of the cores depend upon their ultimate utilization. Such cores are commonly used as the central core ofa winding of tape, which may, for example. be surgical tape, masking tape, celophane tape. or the like.  
  Since the cores are received on the mandrels from an end of the mandrel, the cores must be fed one at a time to the loading station where they can then he slipped axially over the mandrel. In order for this to occur. it is necessary for the cores to be positioned at the end of the mandrel with their axes coaxial with the mandrel. One method of doing this, is to feed the cores through a four walled chute which has a terminous at the load ing position where the cores are loaded to the mandrel. Preferably the chute will have a width equal to the diameter of the cores or slightly larger and a depth equal or slightly larger than the axial length of the cores. In this manner the cores can move through the chute only in a row which, for purposes ofillustration will be illustrated as a vertical row, but which could be horizontal and which has therefore been described as being a row of cores aligned along a common diameter or a single core width row.  
  The core feeding device 11 functions to feed the cores to the chute from a common hopper. In doing so it is necessary to first align the cores in a single plane so that they are positioned with respect to one another with their axes parallel. After this has been done, it is necessary to feed the cores one at a time into the chute so that they are positioned in a single row with parallel axes.  
  The cores normally come in ajumble and for this reason, the core feeding device of our invention includes a hopper to which is positioned on a frame 21 which in turn rests on the mandreling device 10. The hopper 20 is best illustrated in FIG. 2 and has a slanted bottom wall 22 which terminates at a conveyor 23, which forms another slanted bottom wall diverging from the wall 22. Side walls 24 and an end wall 25 complete the hopper. The conveyor consists of an endless belt having a plurality of spaced apart raised ribs 27 extending transversely thereof, The conveyor projects below the bot tom of the wall 22 around an axle 27 and is positioned such that the ribs 27 project into the main portion of the hopper. The conveyor is motor driven as at 28 and moves the cores 12 to a small hopper 30 which is positioned above the chute 40. The small hopper 30 has converging walls 31 and 32 which extend downwardly to two spaced apart rolls 35 and 36. The rolls are spaced apart by a distance slightly larger than the axial length ofthe cores 12 and the curved V area 38 formed between the rolls froms the bottom of the small hopper 30. The rolls 35, 36 have raised spirals 39, 41 thereon. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the raised spirals cooperate to form a series of channels between the rotating rolls so as to allow the cores to pass vertically between the rolls. Because the rolls are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the axial length of the cores, and since the axial length of the cores is less than the diameter of the cores, the cores can pass between the rolls only when they are in parallel axis position to one another. Further, because the constant movement of the spirals caused by rotation of the rolls will act against the bottom most cores in the small hopper 30, the cores will be kept in a constant state of agitation and their positions will be rearranged constantly until they fall between the rolls in parallel axis position.  
  The rolls are much longer than the diameter of the cores and a plurality of cores are capable of passing between the rolls at the same time. A full width chamber is positioned below the rolls and has front 5] and back 52 walls spaced apart slightly greater than the axial length of the cores. The chamber 50 extends across the full width of the rolls and receives cores from the rolls across its full width. In this manner a plurality of cores will be received in the chamber as illustrated in FIG. 3. The chamber has side walls 54 and 55 and is closed at the bottom by rubber belts 60. As best illustrated in FIG. 3, two sets of rubber belts are provided received around sheave wheels with a pair of sheave wheels 61 and 62 spaced from one another towards the center of the chamber 50 and a pair of more remote sheave wheels 63, 64 positioned adjacent the side walls 54, 55. As best illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the sheave wheels has a plurality of belts received there around, so that the sheave wheels 62, 64 on one side of the center of the chamber will have a plurality of belts extending therebetween, the belts on the upper run 67 forming a bottom wall for the chamber 50. The same is true on the other side of the chamber where a plurality of belts will be received between the sheave wheels 61, 63. The central sheave wheels 61, 62 are positioned eccentric on their axes so that rotation of the center sheave wheels 61, 62 will cause a vibratory movement of the entire belt system resulting in the upper reach 67 of the belts moving upwardly and downwardly in the chamber to accommodate the eccentricity of the sheave wheels 61, 62. The belts are preferably formed of a material having a degree of elasticity so as to allow the belts to stretch to accommodate the eccentricity of the sheave wheels 61, 62. The one set of belts and sheave wheels 61, 63 is positioned above the other set 62, 64 and both sets are driven so that the upper reach 67 moves towards the center portion of the chamber 50. Movement of the belts will cause the cores 12 in the chamber to be moved towards the center of the chamber. The walls 70 of the chute 40 extend upwardly to a position between and below the inner ends of the sheave wheel-belt sets so that cores moved by the belt sets will be deposited in the open end 71 of the chute which extends into the chamber 50 between the sheave wheels 61, 62. The vibratory nature of the movement of the belts 60 caused by the eccentricity of the sheave wheels 61, 62 will prevent the cores from bridging in the chamber 50. Because the sheave wheels 61, 62 have their outer diameter spaced apart from one another by a distance which is less than twice the diameter of the cores, only one core at a time will pass therebetween into the open end 71 of the chute. Further because the front and back walls 51, 52 of the chamber are spaced apart by a distance less than twice the axial length of the cores, the cores will maintain their parallel axes from the time of discharge between the rolls 35, 36 until they enter the chute where they will be maintained in that position because of the spacing of the walls of the chute.  
  Should any jamming occur in the chamber, because the belts 60 are spaced slightly apart from one another and because they are elastic, the jamming can be eliminated by stopping movement of the belts and reaching between the belts into the interior of the chamber. In order to further aid in access to the chamber, the sheave wheels 64 can be mounted on a pivotable member which is pivoted as at 81 spaced from the sheave wheel 64 thereby allowing the sheave wheel 64 to be pivoted downwardly and towards the center to allow access to the chamber 50.  
  Because the mandreling device accepts the cores one at a time, movement of the cores through the chute will be intermittent. the use of the rotating belt bottom walls for the chamber 50 together with the eccentricity of the sheave wheels 61, 62 will accommodate this intermittent movement of the cores into and through the chute by continually jossling the cores within the chamber so that no jam up of cores occurs at the entrance to the chute.  
  A cross section of the chute is illustrated in FIG. 5 showing the front wall 51 and the back wall 52 with a plurality of cores 12 received therebetween positioned axis parallel and in a row along a common diameter. The front wall 51 is double walled having an outer wall 85 and an inner wall 86 with a space 87 therebetweeri. The space 87 is closed at the top 88 and at the bottom 89 as illustrated in FIG. 4 and an air hose 90 attached to a blower (not illustrated) feeds to the interior space 87. The inner wall 86 has a plurality of angled ports 95 therein. the ports are angled in the direction of desired movement ofthe cores 12. when the blower is actuated a constant stream of air will move through the ports 95 as illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 5. This stream of air will impinge upon the cores to aid in moving the cores quickly to the mandreling device. This not only main tains a smooth movement of the cores through the chute, but preventing them from cocking in the chute and jamming up. Further it aids in overcoming the inertia of the cores to accommodate the intermittent nature of the feed to the mandreling device.  
  In order to allow accommodation to differing axial length cores, the portion of the core feeding device of our invention which consists of the main hopper 20, the conveyor 23. the roll 35, the wall 31 of the small hopper, the front wall 51 of the chute, and the corresponding front wall 98 of the chamber are all attached together and are movable with the frame 21. The frame 21 is preferably supported on rollers 100 and a slide bar I01 so as to allow movement towards and away from the remainder of the core feeding device which includes a portion of the side walls of the small hopper and the back wall 32 of the small hopper and the roll 36 and back walls, and side walls of the chamber and chute. Preferably, the walls of the chamber, chute and small hopper are as illustrated in FIG. 2 and overlap side wall portions of the movable section of the device as is illustrated at 105 and 106 of FIG. 2. Since the roll 36 is attached to the stationary portion of the core feeding device and the roll 35 is attached to the movable portion, movement of the movable portion will move the rollers apart from one another so as to accommodate larger axial length cores. This movement will cause a corresponding increase in the depth dimen sions of the chamber and of the chute. If desired, one of the side walls 70 of the chute 40 may be movable towards and away from the other side wall so as to accommodate different diameter cores.  
  When the movable portion of the core feeding device is moved so as to increase or decrease the dimension of the chamber 50, the bottom of the chamber can still be blocked by adding or removing one or more belts 60 from the pulley roller assemblies. To this end, it is preferred that the sheave sheels 60, 61, 63 and 64 be multigrooved and have an axial length sufficient to accommodate the maximum desired number of belts 60.  
  It should further be appreciated that although we have shown a chute which is centrally positioned with respect to the chamber, the chute could be positioned at one side of the chamber and a single longer sheave wheel-belt assembly could be provided extending slightly at an angle across the bottom of the chamber to the side opening to the chute.  
  It can therefore be seen from the above that our invention provides a core feeding device which includes means for supplying a plurality of cores to a space between two rotating rolls. the rolls effective to align the cores axes parallel to one another by passing the cores between the rolls to a restricting chamber. The chamber includes means for delivering the cores one at a time in a row to a chute in access parallel relation while preventing jamming and bridging of the cores.  
  Although the teachings of our invention have herein been discussed with reference to specific theories and embodiments, it is to be understood that these are by way of illustration only and that others may wish to uti lize our invention in different designs or applications.  
 We claim as our invention:  
  1. A device for feeding ring cores to a core using device in an axis parallel single core width row which comprises: a pair of rotating parallel axis roll members having their outer surfaces spaced apart at a point of closest proximity by a distance less than twice the axial length ofa core, raised sprials on said rolls, a space between said rolls having a dimension between said rolls effective to prevent cores from passing between said rolls except in substantially axis parallel relation to one another. the space between said rolls discharging to a chamber, the chamber having a depth approximately equal to the depth of the space between said rolls whereby cores discharged from between said rolls into the chamber are maintained in the chamber in substan tially axis parallel relation. the chamber discharging to a chute having a width dimensioned to receive cores only one at a time into the chute, and endless belt jos tling means forming at least a partial bottom wall of the chamber and having an oscillatory stroke effective to move cores within the chamber to the chute.  
  2. The device of claim 1 wherein the rolls are counter rotating and the raised spirals have a distance between windings greater than a diameter of the cores.  
  3. The device of claim 2 wherein the jossling means includes at least one pair of sheave wheels with a plurality of belts extending therearound and therebe tween, one of said sheave wheels being mounted eccen trically, the belts contacting cores within the chamber, the sheave wheels being rotated, and the direction of movement of the belts being effective to move the cores contacted thereby to an opening to the chute.  
  4. The device of claim 3 wherein two sets of sheave wheels and belts are provided in the chamber, the sets spaced apart from one another at their closest point by a distance greater than the diameter of the cores and the entrance to the chute being between the sets.  
  5. The device of claim 4 wherein air flow means are provided to the chute, the air flow means being in a direction of desired movement of the cores through the chute, the air flow means effective to aid in moving the cores through the chute.  
  6. The device of claim 1 wherein the space between the rolls and the depth deminsions of the chamber and the chute are adjustable.  
  7. The device of claim 1, wherein air flow means are provided to the chute, the air flow means being in a direction of the desired movement of the cores through the chute, the air flow means effective to aid in moving the cores through the chute.  
  8. A device for aligning and feeding ring cores from a jumble of cores one at a time to a ring core using device in an axis parallel single core width row which comprises: a hopper, a conveyor associated with said hopper for moving ring cores from the hopper to a second hopper, said second hopper having an open bottom discharging ring cores to a means for aligning said ring cores substantially in axis parallel relation, the means for aligning ring cores substantially in axis parallel relation discharging to a chamber, the chamber having associated therewith means for maintaining the cores substantially axis parallel and means for aligning the ring cores in a single core width roll, the means for aligning the ring cores in a single core width row including vibratory endless belt jostling means discharg&#39; ing to a chute, the chute having a width diminished with respect to the diameter of the ring cores to maintain the ring cores in a single ring core width row and a depth sufficient to maintain the ring cores in axis parallel alignment with one another, the chute discharging to a ring core using device.  
  9. The device of claim 8 wherein the means for aligning the ring cores in substantially axis parallel relation includes a pair of parallel axes counter rotating rolls having raised spirals thereon, the rolls opposed to one another with their longitudinal area of closest surface proximity being spaced apart from one another by a distance greater than the axial length of the ring cores but less than twice the axial length of the ring cores whereby the ring cores may pass between the rolls only in substantially axis parallel relation to one another.  
  10. The device of claim 9 wherein the means for aligning the ring cores in a single core width roll includes at least one pair of spaced apart rotatable sheave wheels with at least one flexible belt received therearound and extending therebetween, the belt forming a bottom wall portion of the chamber, means for rotating the sheave wheels to drive the belt, one of said sheave wheels located adjacent an entrance the chute, movement of the belt moving the ring cores in the chamber to the entrance to the chute, the entrance to the chute dimensioned to accept only one ring core at a time.  
  11. The device of claim 10 wherein one of said sheave wheels is eccentric and the belt is elastic.  
  12. The device of claim 11 wherein two sets of sheave wheels and belts are provided, one of said sets forming a partial bottom wall at one side of the bottom of said chamber and the other said sets forming a partial bottom wall at the other side of said chamber, said sets spaced apart from one another centrally of said chamber by a distance less than twice the diameter of the ring cores, the entrance to the chute being aligned with the space between the two sets of sheave wheels and belts and at least one sheave wheel of each set being eccentric.