Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
227 words
Apparatus for controlling the braking action of a roll of web material supported for rotation on an unwinding device, comprising: means for continuously measuring line speed and rate of change thereof of said web downstream of said unwinding device and providing an output signal proportional to said line speed; means for continuously measuring rotational speed of said roll of web and providing an output signal proportional to said rotational speed; means receiving said output signals from said line speed and rotational speed measuring means and combining said signals to produce an output signal proportional to the diameter of said roll; means receiving said output signal proportional to said roll diameter and producing an ouput signal proportional to a predetermined desired web tension downstream of said roll; means receiving said output signals from said line speed and rotational speed measuring means and producing an output signal proportional to the energy in said roll; braking means for applying variable braking force to said roll; brake control means receiving the surmation of said output signals proportional to the roll diameter and the energy in said roll and producing an output signal to said braking means for causing said braking means to apply variable braking force thereto so as to substantially maintain said predetermined tension in said web as it is being unwound during acceleration, deceleration and constant web speed conditions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
227 words
Apparatus for controlling the braking action of a roll of web material supported for rotation on an unwinding device, comprising: means for continuously measuring line speed and rate of change thereof of said web downstream of said unwinding device and providing an output signal proportional to said line speed; means for continuously measuring rotational speed of said roll of web and providing an output signal proportional to said rotational speed; means receiving said output signals from said line speed and rotational speed measuring means and combining said signals to produce an output signal proportional to the diameter of said roll; means receiving said output signal proportional to said roll diameter and producing an ouput signal proportional to a predetermined desired web tension downstream of said roll; means receiving said output signals from said line speed and rotational speed measuring means and producing an output signal proportional to the energy in said roll; braking means for applying variable braking force to said roll; brake control means receiving the surmation of said output signals proportional to the roll diameter and the energy in said roll and producing an output signal to said braking means for causing said braking means to apply variable braking force thereto so as to substantially maintain said predetermined tension in said web as it is being unwound during acceleration, deceleration and constant web speed conditions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including: means for measuring the tension of said web downstream of said unwinding device and producing an output signal proportional to said measured web tension; said brake control means receiving said output signal proportional to said measured tension and modifying said output signal to said braking means sufficiently to substantially compensate for any difference between said predetermined desired tension and said measured tension.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
153 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for producing an output signal proportional to the energy in said roll includes: means receiving said output signal proportional to the diameter of said roll and producing an output signal proportional to the square of the diameter of said roll; means receiving said output signal proportional to the square of the diameter and producing an output signal proportional to the inertia of said roll, said last named means including means for manually adjustment to modify said output signal thereof to correspond to the density and width of said roll; means receiving said output signal proportional to said line speed and producing an output signal proportions to the acceleration or deceleration of said roll, if any; and means combining said signals proportional to the inertia and the acceleration or deceleration of said roll to produce said output signal proportional to the energy in said roll.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2 including antihunt means interposed between said tension measuring means and said brake control means, for preventing modification of said predetermined tension when the difference between said predetermined tension and said measured tension is below a predetermined value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
77 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said brake control means includes: a current to pressure converter for receiving said output signals proportional to a predetermined web tension, the energy in said roll and said measured tension, and producing a fluid pressure output therefrom proportional to the summation of said signals received thereby; said braking means receiving said output pressure and applying substantially sufficient braking force to said roll to maintain said desired tension in said web.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 5, including: fluid pressure multiplying means for receiving said output pressure from said current to pressure converter and multiplying said output pressure to a desired level to provide sufficient pressure to said braking means to maintain said desired tension in said web.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of controlling the braking action of a roll of web material supported for rotation on an unwinding device, the steps comprising: continuously measuring line speed and the rate of change thereof of said web downstream of said unwinding device; and providing an output signal proportional to said line speed; continuously measuring rotational speed of said roll of web; continuously calculating the diameter of said roll from said line speed and rotational speed measurements; continuously calculating the energy in said roll from said rate of change of said line speed and said roll diameter; continuously calculating the braking force needed to apply a predetermined tension to said web from said diameter and energy calculations; and applying said braking force to said roll.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of controlling the braking action of a roll of web material supported for rotation on an unwinding device, the steps comprising: continuously measuring line speed and the rate of change thereof of said web downstream of said unwinding device; and providing an output signal proportional to said line speed; continuously measuring rotational speed of said roll of web; continuously calculating the diameter of said roll from said line speed and rotational speed measurements; continuously calculating the energy in said roll from said rate of change of said line speed and said roll diameter; continuously calculating the braking force needed to apply a predetermined tension to said web from said diameter and energy calculations; and applying said braking force to said roll.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as defined in claim 7 including the steps of: measuring the tension in said web downstream of said roll; comparing said measured tension to said predetermined tension; modifying said braking force sufficiently to correct said calculated braking force to obtain said predetermined tension in said web.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as defined in claim 8 including the step of preventing the correction of said braking force if the difference between said predetermined tension and said measured tension is less than a predetermined value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method as defined in claim 7 wherein said step of continuously calculating the energy in said roll includes: squaring the diameter of said roll and multiplying said squared diameter by a predetermined constant proportional to the density and width of said roll to obtain the inertia of said roll; continuously calculating the acceleration or deceleration of said roll; and multiplying said inertia by said acceleration or deceleration to obtain said energy in said roll.