Roll End Protection

This invention relates generally to the protection of rolls of material, and more particularly concerns protecting the edges of thin sheet material rolled on cores.

Thin sheet material, as for example vinyl sheets, when rolled on cores for shipment or other handling requires edge protection at the ends of the roll to prevent damage. In the past, such protection was provided by manually extending an elongated fastener such as the shaft of a bolt through the core, and manually connecting the ends of the bolt to protective retainers at opposite ends of the roll. This procedure is time consuming and labor intensive, and consequently is not well suited to the automated, high volume, high speed packaging of this sheet material.

It is a major object of the invention to provide a solution to the above packaging problem, and also to provide positive connection of a protective retainer device at the end of the sheet roll. Basically, the invention is embodied in a device that comprises:

(a) an annular body sized to be located in protective position proximate said roll end, and

(b) at least one prong having attachment to the body to be inserted relatively endwise into the core interior when the annular body is located in said position,

(c) said prong having a tip angled to penetrate the core when the prong is deflected toward the core bore whereby the device then becomes attached to the core with the annular body in said position.

As will appear, a flange or disc, typically non-metallic, may be attached to or otherwise made integral with the body to project radially outwardly to the periphery of the roll end, the flange being annular and having a central opening to pass a tool that deflects the prong toward the core bore; at least two and preferably 3-5 prongs may be provided and spaced about the body axis; each prong may have a metallic main planar section one end of which is attached to the body, and the prong tip at the opposite end of the section typically projects at an angle and toward the core bore; also, two such devices may be simultaneously applied to opposite ends of the core by automated tooling, after which rams may be carried to enter the core bore at its opposite ends to deflect the prongs into connected relation with the core, whereby the invention is seen to facilitate automated protection of roll ends.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation showing a roll of material to which the invention is applicable;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation, taken in section, in elevation, showing details of roll end protection in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2a is a fragmentary view showing prong penetration of the core of the roll;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged frontal elevation of a protector body or cap;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the FIG. 3 body or cap;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section showing details of a prong portion of the FIGS. 3 and 4 body or cap;

FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 3, showing a flat pattern form of the cap; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section on lines 7--7 of FIG. 6.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a roll of material is shown at 10 wrapped on a tubular core 11 which extends axially through the roll. The latter may for example consist of sheet vinyl material, the edges 10a of which require protection as during shipment. The core, which may consist of pasteboard, wood, or other non-metallic material, has a bore 11a which extends about central axis 12. In addition, a Kraft paper or other wrapping may extend about the roll, and at its opposite ends, as indicated at 60.

In accordance with the invention, and extending the description of FIGS. 3-6, a protective device which includes an annular body or cap 13 is provided and sized to be located in protective position adjacent the roll end, and typically two such bodies are respectively located at opposite ends of the roll as shown. In addition, an annular flange or disc 14 is provided for association with each body 13, the two typically being integrally connected as by fasteners 15 spaced about axis 12. The flange or disc 14 extends coaxially with body 13, and projects radially outwardly from the core to a point beyond the body periphery to extend or fit closely adjacent the entirety of the roll end, as is clear from FIG. 2. Accordingly, the non-metallic flange or disc acts to protect the spiral edge of the sheet wrapped on the core, at the roll end, and it is in turn mounted to the inner side of the body or cap 13 which is typically metallic and may consist of a thin steel stamping.

Further in accordance with the invention, at least one prong or tab 16 has integral (or other) attachment to the body 13, to project from the inner annular edge 13a of the body annulus as seen in FIGS. 3-6. Typically two or more such prongs may be provided and spaced about axis 12, four being shown and as being integral with the body stamping. Each prong is adapted to be inserted relatively endwise into the core interior, at the core end, when or after the annular body is located in protective position proximate the roll end, with the flange 14 adjacent that end. The prong has a tip 16a angled to penetrate the core when the prong is deflected radially outwardly away from axis 12, as is better seen in FIG. 2a. In FIG. 5 the prong tip 16a is sharpened at 16b to aid in such penetration, which may be effected by a pusher or ram 17 displaced coaxially into the core bore interior with sufficient clearance from the bore to displace or bend the prong as shown. The ram may have a tapered end 17a as shown to aid in such progressive outward displacement of the prong or prongs as the ram moves into the core. After retraction of the ram, each prong remains in the position shown in FIG. 2a, attached to the core and holding the body 13 and flange 14 in the roll end protective position seen in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 also shows the body 13 to define a central opening 18 to pass the ram, and FIG. 4 shows the prongs initially projecting out of the plane of body 14, at angles .alpha. therefrom, .alpha. being between 20.degree. and 70.degree., preferably. This also permits the angled junctions of the prongs with the body to act as centering guides to coaxially center the body relative to the roll. Turned tip 16a typically extends at about 90.degree. from the plane of the prong main extent. Each prong is typically tapered toward its tip, and may consist of flat steel stock, stamped out with body 13. The tip edges are sharp as appears in FIG. 7.

The method of protecting the end of a roll of material using the device of FIGS. 3-6 includes the following steps:

(a) applying the body 13 to one end of the roll so that the prong 16 enters the core interior, and

(b) deflecting the prong toward and into adjacency to the bore of the core so that the tip 16a then penetrates into the core to hold these body firmly to the core and roll.

A like device may be similarly applied to the opposite end of the roll, and both devices may be simultaneously applied to the opposite ends of the roll and the prongs simultaneously deflected as by rams 17. In addition, holders 20 may be applied to the discs 14 to hold them against the roll ends while the ram are advanced to deflect the prongs. Holders 20 may also take the form of suction applicators to apply the discs to the roll ends in the first instance. Note suction passages 21 in the applicators.

When it is desired to remove the roll end protection devices, the prongs can easily be dislodged from the core by inserting a tool such as a screw driver into the core end and between the prong main extent and the core, at location 40. The prong can then be quickly pried loose.