US3780962A - Light rigid mandrel able to engage paper or fibre tubes - Google Patents

Abstract

A light rigid mandrel able to engage paper or fibre tubes so as to overcome the deflection of the tubes and prevent bunching of fabric as well as greatly reduce the damage generally caused by gripping. The mandrel comprises a tubular high strength aluminum body rigidly held under compression . The tubular aluminum body is provided with a deformable material able to engage an inner part of the paper or fibre tubes, so that light and inexpensive paper tubes could be used successfully for the first time.

Description

LIGHT RIGID MANDREL ABLE TO ENGAGE PAPER OR FIBRE TUBES [75] Inventor: Josef Sykora, Drummondville,

Quebec, Canada [73] Assignee: Celanese Canada Limited, Montreal,

Quebec, Canada [22] Filed: June I, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 258,647

[52] US. Cl. 242/72 [51] Int. Cl. B65h 75/24 [58] Field of Search 242/72, 68, 68.2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,903,200 9/1959 McDougall 242/72 X 1,878,264 9/1932 Clayboum 242/72 2,066,659 1/1937 Templeton 242/72 2,638,282 5/1953 Prevost 242/72 [451 Dec. 25, 1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,102,659 2/1968 Great Britain 242/72 Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz Assistant Examiner-Edward J. McCarthy Att0rneyThomas J. Morgan et al.

[ 5 7 ABSTRACT A light rigid mandrel able to engage paper or fibre tubes so as to overcome the deflection of the tubes and prevent bunching of fabric as well as greatly reduce the damage generally caused by gripping. The mandrel comprises a tubular high strength aluminum body rigidly held under compression The tubular aluminum body is provided with a deformable material able to engage an inner part of the paper or fibre tubes, so that light and inexpensive paper tubes could be used successfully for the first time.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIEU nan 25 m5 SHEET 10F 2 k NMQ w- LIGHT RIGID MANDREL ABLE TOJENGAGE PAPER OR FIBRE TUBES tubes has to limit his inventory to a minimum and this reduces freedom.

Paper tubes have been tried, but the gripping arrangements of the conventional mandrels on the tube rapidly damage the interior of these tubes and also tapered sleeves or conically shaped inserts which engage at each .end of'the interior of the tubes. These inserts are slidably mounted on a large metallic rod which runs within the tube and serves to support it. Other conventional mandrels employ a gripping bar pressed into the tube. In either case, due to the high contact pressure of 300 to 1,000 psi, the paper tubes are soon damaged and have to be discarded.

There has now been provided a light, rigid mandrel able to engage paper or fibre tubes so as to substantially overcome the deflection of tubes and prevent bunching of fabric as well as greatly reduce the damage generally caused by gripping.

Broadly stated there has now been found a light mandrel for gripping tubes, said mandrel comprising a tubular high strength aluminum body rigidly held under compression, said tubular aluminum body provided with a deformable material able to engage an inner part of a tube, so that light and inexpensive paper tubes could be used.

Preferably a plurality of elements having high tensile strength exert a compressive force along the longitudinal axis of the tubular body, said elements being equally spaced so as to exert said compressive force uniformly and thereby reduce considerably the deflection in said tubular body.

Still in a preferred embodiment there is provided a light mandrel for gripping tubes comprising:

a. a tubular body made of high strength aluminum having end portions,

b. said end portions provided with means to receive a plurality of high tensile strength elements,

c. a plurality of high tensile strength elements to compress uniformly said tubular body along its longitudinal axis,

(1. at least one of said end portions comprising a recess to receive a sleeve of deformable incompressible elastic material and compressing ring to outwardly actuate said deformable material,

e. means to actuate said compressing ring. By elastic is meant substantially able to return to its original shape.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention:

FIG. 4 is a view of acrank of the type that can be used to engage deformable material against -a tube.

Referring now to FIG. 1 the mandrel comprises a tubular aluminum body having end portions 12 and 14. A plurality of tension rods 16 provided with threaded couplings 18 are first tightened in the end portion 14. The threaded couplings 18 have a noncircular configuration: generally square so as to be locked in a key plate 20, better shown on FIG. 2. In this manner, when bolts 22 are tightened under high torque the threaded couplings 18 are prevented from rotating. The key plate is itself held between roll pins 24 which act as stoppers and a cement 26. The rods are 6 FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a mandrel. 5

FIG. 2 is a view taken along line 2 2 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3 3 of FIG. 1.

under high tensile stress to reduce considerably the 'deflection of the tubular body 10. A removable sleeve 28 is locked on the end portion 12 so as to define a male configuration which will snuggly fit into the female configuration of a loom. This sleeve 28 is removable for access to bolts 22.

The end portion 14 is provided with a recess 14a for a rubber sleeve or for other suitable deformable equivalents 30 able to frictionally lock a tube 32 by means of a compression ring 34 slidably mounted on the recess 14a, to radially deform the rubber sleeve on moving towards it.

Within the end portions 14 of the mandrel, a housing is provided to receive a slidable cylinder 42. A screw 44 joins the exterior of the end portion 14 to the top of the cylinder 42. The top of the screw 44 is itself shaped to receive a crank 45 of the type shown in FIG. 4.

The cylinder 42 is joined to the compression ring 34 by roll pins 46, always urged against screw 44 by biasing means such as spring 48 held within a recess 42a of the cylinder, a flat washer 50 and retaining ring 52. End portion 14 is provided with a collar 54 having a shoulder 54a acting as a stopper for the paper tube 32. The collar 54 is secured to end portion 14. by roll pins 56, which at the same time serve to transmit the driving torque from the loom to the mandrel.

Paper tube 32 is centered by centering ring 60, mounted on the tubular aluminum body 10 and strengthened within the tube by a spacer disc 62, better shown in FIG. 3 and both are held by common roll pins 64. Another centering ring 66 is also mounted on the tubular aluminum body 10 and held by the roll pins 24.

As is easily seen the various components or elements are limited to minimize the weight and structure and like roll pins 24 and 64 these elements have as far as possible dual functions. The same applies to the end portion 14 shaped to serve as support for the tube 32.

OPERATION This mandrel is a device which makes it possible to wind fabric under tension on low cost paper tubes directly on the loom. A paper tube 32 is slid over the mandrel and one clockwise turn of screw 44 with crank 45 generally locks the paper tube 32 to the mandrel. Similarly, one clockwise turn will generally free the paper tube 32.

EXAMPLE The following example will serve to illustrate embodiments of the invention:

Fabric was taken up directly from looms on paper tubes driven by a mandrel such as shown on the drawings. These tubes were transferred to the main plant and either used to form batch rolls or stored as received in warehouses. Due to the low cost of paper tubes, a generous supply was made.

Previously the fabric had to be taken-up on stainless steel cloth rolls and rewound on shells to form large diameter batch rolls for immediate processing or rewound on paper tubes for storage. Due to their high cost, stainless steel cloth rolls were limited in number, empty rolls had to be returned quickly.

Also in accordance with thepresent invention, the uniformly distributed low contact pressure exerted by the deformed rubber sleeve on a larger contact area, for instance of the order of about 50 psi, on the inside of the paper tube is sufficient to transmit, without slippage, the torque required for winding fabric under tension ranging up to 200 lbs. This low contact pressure is causing the least possible damage to the paper tubes and they can be re-used over and over again.

OTHER USES a plurality of high tensile strength rods positioned in the end portions so as to exert a compressive force along the longitudinal axis of the tubular body,

a deformable material positioned in the recess of the end portion,

means to deform radially outward said deformable material, and

a plurality of centering rings positioned on the tubular body.

2. The mandrel of claim 1 wherein the deformable material is a sleeve of deformable incompressible elastic material and the deforming means comprises a compressing ring and a screw operatively connected to said compressing ring.

3. The mandrel of claim 1 wherein the deforming means comprises a compressing ring, a piston slidably mounted within the recess-bearing end portion and connected to said compressing ring, a screw operatively connected to said piston whereby the screw, on being actuated, exerts on the piston a pressure enabling displacement of the compressing ring which deforms radially outward the deformable incompressible elastic material.

4. The mandrel of claim 1 which further comprises at least one spacer disc positioned inside the tubular body.

5. The mandrel of claim 4 wherein said spacer disc is connected to a centering ring.

6. The mandrel as defined in claim 3 which further includes biasing means for urging said piston against said screw.

Claims (6)

1. A light weight mandrel for engaging winding tubes comprising a tubular aluminum body having end portions adapted to receive and position tension rods therebetween, at least one of said end portions additionally having a recessed area thereon, a plurality of high tensile strength rods positioned in the end portions so as to exert a compressive force along the longitudinal axis of the tubular body, a deformable material positioned in the recess of the end portion, means to deform radially outward said deformable material, and a plurality of centering rings positioned on the tubular body.

2. The mandrel of claim 1 wherein the deformable material is a sleeve of deformable incompressible elastic material and the deforming means comprises a compressing ring and a screw operatively connected to said compressing ring.

3. The mandrel of claim 1 wherein the deforming means comprises a compressing ring, a piston slidably mounted within the recess-bearing end portion and connected to said compressing ring, a screw operatively connected to said piston whereby the screw, on being actuated, exerts on the piston a pressure enabling displacement of the compressing ring which deforms radially outward the deformable incompressible elastic material.

4. The mandrel of claim 1 which further comprises at least one spacer disc positioned inside the tubular body.

5. The mandrel of claim 4 wherein said spacer disc is connected to a centering ring.

6. The mandrel as defined in claim 3 which further includes biasing means for urging said piston against said screw.

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