Abstract:
A conveying device directs printed products past a stationarily arranged ink jet printer. A control system initiates a printing operation by the printer each time a printed product passes through the effective printing zone or region of the printer. The conveying device comprises an individual conveyor equipped with gripper units arranged in spaced relationship from each other, each of which is structured to take-up or engage one printed product. The control system includes a pulse generator driven by the individual conveyor and transmits a control pulse for each one of the gripper units. The control pulse is suppressed by a monitor responsive to empty gripper units. Since the printed products are conveyed by the gripper units, their reference position relative to the conveying device is defined over the entire product conveying path. The control signal initiating the printing operation thus can be utilized for initiating other operations after passing through a delay element.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for sensing advancement of a web from a web supply remove the web from the supply in successive distinct and constant increments. Each constant increment is sensed upon its removal from the supply. Advancement of the web is then determined from the sensed constant increments. The requisite constant increments may be provided by advancing web from the supply and selectively arresting the supply to limit the advanced web to the constant increment for each advance.
Abstract:
This relates to a dancer roll assembly wherein there are a pair of dancer roll assemblies disposed in side-by-side relation and each vertically disposed. Each dancer roll assembly includes an upper shaft and a lower shaft having spaced sprockets thereon which are vertically aligned and over which are engaged belts. Each pair of belts carries a dancer doll for vertical movement under the influence of a tensioned web passed around the dancer roll. The upper shaft is a control shaft and has connected thereto a pneumatic control motor which resists the rotation of the shaft and thus resists the upward movement of the dancer roll. After the dancer roll has moved to an uppermost permitted position, the pneumatic motor is actuated to rotate the upper shaft and thus return the dancer roll to its lowermost starting position. The tension on the web is controlled by controlling the air pressure to the air motor.
Abstract:
A device is provided for transporting, in a stepwise manner, tape between a feed reel and takeup reel. An indexer moves across the normal path of the tape displacing it while the tape on the takeup reel side of the indexer is braked. After displacement, the takeup reel takes up the displaced tape while the tape on the feed reel side of the indexer is braked, providing stepwise tape transport in precise intervals determined by the amount of displacement caused by the indexer.
Abstract:
A feeding mechanism for supplying elongated strips of material, such as photographic print paper and the like, in a tension-free state by use of a slack loop of said material, the size of which varies in response to the demands of a processing machine. Said loop actuates a switch for energizing and deenergizing a drive mechanism for supplying said loop from a supply roll so that the size of the slack loop directly controls the supply mechanism.
Abstract:
Apparatus for leading long lengths of woven or nonwoven textile material over a series of rolls in a sinous path in which the rolls are arranged in upper and lower tiers and some of the upper rolls are driven from electric motors. The lower tier of rolls is supported by parallel beams which are pivoted at one end. At their other ends the beams are connected by a chain and sprocket connection to a motor-speed-control device which automatically adjusts the speed of certain rolls to maintain constant tension on the material along its path through the apparatus, when the material causes the bottom rolls to move up or down.
Abstract:
A braking apparatus for a tape transport device including first and second, stacked coaxial reels includes first and second feelers respectively mounted in proximity to the first and second reels for respectively sensing the tape being fully wound on the first and second reels. A brake means is mounted in proximity to adjacent, central hubs of the first and second reels. The brake means simultaneously, frictionally engages both hubs to brake both reels by virtue of a mechanical actuator being mechanically coupled to both feelers and the brake means. The brake means comprises a pair of rubber shoulders that extend in opposite directions relative to a common axis. The brake means turns about the axis in response to either of the feelers, which are eccentrically mounted relative to the axis, being turned about the axis. Thereby, in response to the first reel being fully wound with tape, the first feeler turns in a first direction about the axis so one of the brake shoulders engages the central hubs of both reels; in response to the tape being fully wound on the second reel the second feeler turns in the opposite direction so the second shoulder engages the central hubs.
Abstract:
A device for regulating tension in a continuously moving web of paper consists of a third order lever having a tension sensing roller at the end remote from its pivot and a brake pad between the roller and pivot, the brake pad serving to resist rotation of a roll which frictionally engages the web.
Abstract:
A device for automatically positioning a weight on a lever arm in response to the diameteral change in a roll of sheet material which is rotatively driven by a torque generating mechanism which includes the weight as the primary motive force component thereof. The weight is mounted upon a lever arm of the torque generating mechanism and positioning of the weight controls the amount of torque produced to drive the roll. A sensing device responsive to buildup of sheet material being wound upon the roll temporarily releases a brake mechanism holding the weight in position upon the lever arm thereby permitting adjustment of the weight moment arm in response to roll enlargement.
Abstract:
A take-up device, adapted to receive a reel on a rotatable support member of such device and to wind strip material onto a reel so received, is provided with a plurality of guide members which are movable to respective threading positions surrounding a received reel for snubbing a leading portion of strip material onto the received reel. One of the guide members is movable to several sensing positions (1) for detecting the presence at the support member of a reel without strip material wound thereon, (2) for detecting the absence of a reel at the support member and (3) for detecting the presence at the support member of a reel with a predetermined length of strip material wound thereon. A control is operatively associated with the sensing guide member and a strip feeding mechanism for preventing strip threading either in the absence of a reel at the support member or should a reel with a predetermined length of strip material wound thereon be received on the support member. Upon snubbing of a leading portion of a strip material onto a received reel, a succeeding portion of such material is tensioned and a strip tension sensor of the take-up device actuates retraction of the guide members other than the sensing guide member from the outermost convolution of strip material wound on the received hub.