US 12,012,299 B2
Device for replacing a reel in an unwinder and related method
Roberto Morelli, S. Maria a Colle (IT); and Andrea Petrone, Lucca (IT)
Assigned to Fabio Perini S.p.A., Lucca (IT)
Appl. No. 17/436,184
Filed by FABIO PERINI S.P.A., Lucca (IT)
PCT Filed Mar. 3, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/055529
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 3, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/178278, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 102019000003205 (IT), filed on Mar. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0127094 A1, Apr. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. B65H 19/18 (2006.01); B65H 19/10 (2006.01); B65H 19/12 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 19/1852 (2013.01) [B65H 19/102 (2013.01); B65H 19/126 (2013.01); B65H 2301/41732 (2013.01); B65H 2301/46115 (2013.01)] 35 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An unwinder for unwinding reels of web material to be fed to a converting line, comprising an unwinding station, in which to arrange a reel to be unwound, wherein the unwinding station comprises:
a stationary structure;
a series of guide rollers, defining a feed path of the web material;
a cutting member adapted to cut web material coming from an exhausted reel;
splicing members to splice a trailing edge of a first web material coming from the exhausted reel to a leading edge of a second web material coming from a new reel;
a pick-up device associated with the stationary structure and adapted to pick up the leading edge of the second web material from a temporary retaining element, carried by a transfer unit adapted to transfer reels to the unwinding station;
wherein the transfer unit comprises a bridge crane with a pair of hooks configured to engage said reels, the bridge crane being movable with respect to the stationary structure of the unwinding station.