Abstract: An apparatus and method for severing and removing wires surrounding a bale of pulp are disclosed, as well as a unique severing and coiling head. A bale of pulp is loaded onto a turn conveyor and the turn conveyor transports the bale from where it was loaded to the operating position, where a containment disk is lowered onto the top of the bale to restrain the wires wrapped around the bale during severing. A control arm moves a severing head until the head is in contact with the lateral surface of the bale, and keeps it there during the severing and removal process. The turn conveyor rotates the bale through 360 degrees about its vertical axis, thus drawing the severing head across each of the four lateral faces of the bale. The severing blade's teeth engage the wires, pull them free from the bale, and coil them around a spool that is coaxial with the severing blade and attached thereto.

Abstract: An apparatus for severing and removing wires surrounding a bale of pulp are disclosed, as well as a unique severing and coiling head. A bale of pulp is loaded onto a turn conveyor which transports the bale from where it was loaded to the operating position, where a containment disk is lowered onto the top of the bale to restrain the wires wrapped around the bale during severing. A control arm moves a severing head until the head is in contact with the lateral surface of the bale, and keeps it there during the severing and removal process. The turn conveyor rotates the bale through 360 degrees about its vertical axis, thus drawing the severing head across each of the four lateral faces of the bale. In the first 90 degree increment of the bale's rotation, the teeth of a rotating severing blade engage the wires on the first lateral face of the bale and sever them. In the next 90 degree increment of the bale's rotation, the severing blade engages the wires on the second lateral face of the bale and severs them.

Abstract: A method for removing wires from a bale of waste cardboard and paper material that is compacted in vertical layers with wires running at right angles to the layers and in vertical planes. A cutting blade is moved downwardly through the wires and bale of waste material to separate a forward portion of the bale of waste material from the remainder of the bale of waste material and from the cut wires. The cut wires are gathered ahead of and beneath the bale of waste material into a bundle with opposed pairs of hook blades moved toward one another to interdigitate in overlapping relation to grasp the bundle of wires in a wire-receiving recess. A rotating fork is inserted into the wire receiving recess to coil the cut wires and pull them free from the bale of waste material as the bale of waste material is moved forward. The recess is cleared by withdrawing the fork from the coil and pushing the coiled wire with a pushing finger clear of the recess.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing wires from a bale of waste cardboard and paper material that is compacted in vertical layers with wires running at right angles to the layers and in vertical planes, sawing downwardly through the wires and bale to separate a forward portion of the bale from the remainder of the bale and from the cut wires, gathering the cut wires ahead of and beneath the bale into a bundle with opposed pairs of hook blades moved toward one another to interdigitate in overlapping relation, grasping the bundle in a wire-receiving recess with a rotating fork to coil the cut wires and pull them free from the bale, and clearing the recess by withdrawing the fork and pushing the coiled wire with a pushing finger clear of the recess.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for aligning a shaft puller axis with a central axis of a shaft in a filled roll of tissue having a core and a shaft in the core, the shaft puller adjusting its axis to be coincident with the axis of the shaft, and assembling unfilled cores by axially aligning core segments and positioning the assembled core with the shaft puller to push the shaft into the unfilled cores. The core segments may be separated by a spacer ring. Combination apparatus and methods for pulling shafts and combination apparatus and methods for assembling cores and inserting shafts are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for applying a wrapper to a paper roll, a turret mechanism has a crimper and an inside head holder on one side and an outside head applying platen on the opposite side, a drive for rotating the turret mechanism to place the crimper and inside head holder adjacent the paper roll end to place an inside head on the paper roll and crimp the wrapper over the inside head, and then rotating the turret mechanism to place the outside head applying platen adjacent the paper roll to place an outside head over the crimped wrapper all at a single station. The inside head holder has several retractable vacuum cups that can also apply positive air pressure to hold the inside head against the roll and during crimping. The vacuum cups are sequentially, independently retracted as a crimp approaches to clear the crimp as the paper roll is rotated.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for cutting a wrapper on a cylindrical roll in which a blade has a pointed tip joined to an inclined edge extending outwardly and an opposite smooth surface, the blade being moved under the outer wrap of the wrapper but outward of the material of the roll and continuing to be moved along a predetermined path along the length of the roll, with the inclined edge cutting the outer wrapper. The blade is positioned perpendicular to the roll and circumferentially from the outer end of the wrapper. In a preferred embodiment a longitudinal bubble is formed in the outer wrap of the wrapper and the blade tears through the crown of this bubble. Also in the preferred embodiment, a gathering device is provided for removing and flattening the cut wrapper.

Abstract: A roller conveyor supports a bale at a cutting and removing station. Side compactors and a top compactor compress the bale slightly for positioning it. The bale is pushed against a wire cutting channel in which a blade having a surface that protrudes into and forms a groove in the bottom surface of the bale is passed diagonally across the bale, with the wires springing into a recess in the blade. The blade continues to move, pulling the wire against the back wall of the recess until the wire exceeds its tensile strength and breaks. The bale is then lifted on pins so that a wire pulling blade can be moved also diagonally across the top of the bale. The pulling blade also has a forwardly inclined surface that pushes the bale down while allowing the wires to be captured in a recess in the blade. The blade is moved across the bale, capturing all of the wires and removing them from the bale. Another embodiment uses a turner to rotate the bale to cut and remove wires from adjacent sides of the bale.

Abstract: A roller conveyor supports a bale at a cutting and removing station. Side compactors and a top compactor compress the bale slightly for positioning it. The bale is pushed against a wire cutting channel in which a blade having a surface that protrudes into and forms a groove in the bottom surface of the bale is passed diagonally across the bale, with the wires springing into a recess in the blade. The blade continues to move, pulling the wire against the back wall of the recess until the wire exceeds its tensile strength and breaks. The bale is then lifted on pins so that a wire pulling blade can be moved also diagonally across the top of the bale. The pulling blade also has a forwardly inclined surface that pushes the bale down while allowing the wires to be captured in a recess in the blade. The blade is moved across the bale, capturing all of the wires and removing them from the bale. Another embodiment uses a turner to rotate the bale to cut and remove wires from adjacent sides of the bale.