Abstract: In a method for manipulating paper roll heads by a multi-axis robot (8), heads are picked-up and transferred by the robot (8) from multiple stacks in accordance with stored data concerning the height and position of each stack as well as the dimension characteristics of the articles in the stack. At initial start-up, or immediately after a shut-down, previously stored information on the position or height of the stacks is considered not known by or otherwise unreliable by the robot (8) controller. That is, when the operation of the robot (8) is halted to accommodate replacement or replenishment of the head stacks, the stored parameter data for all stacks is set unknown. In accordance with its operating program, the system operation is restarted, the robot performs a slow-speed approach toward an uncalibrated stack, measures the stack data, that is, calibrates the stack height and position, and thus can perform the next stack approach through a normal transfer cycle on the basis of the measured data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for placing headers onto the ends of paper or paperboard rolls by inserting the headers into the tubular cavity formed by the overlapping rim of the roll wrapper to the roll end. The roll to be packaged is transferred to the header inserter station, a header of desired type for the roll is fetched from a header support shelf and delivered to a header inserter grabber of a header inserter assembly waiting in its delivery position. Next, the header is transferred by movement of the header inserter grabber into the tube formed by the wrapper overlap, and subsequently, the header is transferred against the end of the roll. The header is transferred into the wrapper tube by means of rotating the header inserter grabber about a shaft, which is offset from the transfer path of the roll and is aligned orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the roll.

Abstract: A two-sided clamp for manipulating heads of paper rolls,which includes an arm having one end attached to the wrist joint of a robot and another end that carries two grasping members which are aligned parallel and outwardly facing in opposite directions. Each of the grasping members has a base plate and multiple resilient suction cups which are mounted to the base plate. The grasping members are mounted to the arm so that the clamping center point of the first grasping member is farther removed from the wrist joint of the robot in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the arm than the clamping center point of the second grasping member. The grasping members are mounted in an asymmetrical manner to the arm, which asymmetrical structure of the clamp facilitates the two-sided structure of the clamp.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and assembly suited to determining the size and position of a head relative to a clamp when using an industrial multi-axis robot. The invention is based on moving the clamp by means of the robot advantageously past three sensor elements and providing the clamp with a target element suitable for aiding in the position detection of the reference point of the clamp at the instant the clamp moves past a first sensor element. The size and position of the head are determined on the basis of geometrical lines computed from the head edge intercept signals obtained by means of the sensor elements. The lengths of the geometrical lines are determined from the speed of the clamp and the time intervals of intersect instants counted by a control system counter card connected to said sensor elements.