CN114644258A - Spool changing device for winding machine and finishing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The application discloses a spool changing device for a winding machine and a finishing machine. The spool replacing device includes: a first feeding path of a plate supporting the spool; an input disc arranged to intercept a first feeding path, rotatable about a first rotation axis, and comprising a first side wall shaped with a first curvilinear section; an output disc rotatable about a second axis of rotation, the output disc including a second sidewall formed with a second curvilinear section; a second release path of the spool holder plate; a branch connecting the first feeding path and the second releasing path and intercepting the input tray and the output tray to allow the bobbin holder plate to be exchanged between the input tray and the output tray. With the arrangement of the present application, greater autonomy is allowed, greater flexibility is allowed, spool management is allowed to be better optimized, spools of different sizes of corresponding support plates can be handled, and more accurate spool replacement is allowed.

Description

Spool changing device for winding machine and finishing machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a spool changing device for a finishing machine, such as a winding machine, and to a related finishing machine.

Background

The spool changing device is a device used in a finishing machine (such as a winder), and basically has the following main functions:

dispensing the spool for a subsequent unwinding stage;

unloading the empty pipe from the unwinding stage;

serving as a local reservoir for the spools.

Physically, the spool changing device is located below the winding units and, in practice, one spool changing device is typically provided for each winding unit (or alternatively, one spool changing device for each two winding units).

Functionally, the spools coming from the spinning machine (directly or with the aid of an automatic loading device called body) are prepared by a specific preparer. The preparation machine arranges the initial end of the yarn inside the bobbin or winds it on top of the bobbin by means of a yarn end search function.

The conveyor belt transports the spools from the previous preparation phase to the various winding units which will unwind the spools and at the same time rewind the yarn into a larger form called a cone.

The whole bobbin treatment process is controlled by the control unit of the winder.

The control unit controls the various winding stages by means of its software and organizes and drives the distribution of the various spools according to the workload of the various winding units.

Thus, the situation will arise: in the vicinity of each winding unit, the spool is assigned to the specific winding unit and it is at this stage that the spool exchange device of this unit starts operating.

Spool changing devices currently used in the art utilize conveyor belt systems, rotating disc systems and lever-equipped rotating disc systems.

These known solutions are not without drawbacks and limitations.

For example, they do not allow good autonomy, since they do not offer the possibility of storing spools ready for use; for the same reason, the known systems are not very flexible and do not allow an optimal management of the available spools.

In fact, in the known systems, the spool is transferred to the first free-winding unit, not where there is an actual feeding demand.

Furthermore, in the known systems it is not possible to easily and quickly handle spools equipped with support plates having different dimensions.

Finally, in some known spool changing devices, spool changes are not very precise and may be prone to jamming as they require ejection of an empty tube caused by an incoming spool pushing its leading tube towards the outlet.

Disclosure of Invention

Therefore, there is a need to address the cited drawbacks and limitations with reference to the prior art.

The following spool changing device for a winding machine satisfies this need. The spool replacing device includes: a first feeding path of plates supporting a spool comprising a tube on which a yarn is wound, said plates comprising an enlarged base supporting a collar and comprising an upper central pin on which said tube is engaged, said first feeding path being shaped to feed a plurality of said plates supporting said spool to be unwound; an input disc arranged to intercept said first feeding path, rotatable about a first rotation axis, and comprising a first side wall shaped with a first curvilinear section, said first side wall being provided with at least one first recess or radial seat having a convex surface facing said first rotation axis, said first recess or radial seat being configured to selectively retain and release at least one spool holder plate; an output disc rotatable about a second axis of rotation, the output disc comprising a second side wall shaped with a second curvilinear section, the second side wall being provided with at least one second recess or radial seat having a convex surface facing the second axis of rotation, the second recess or radial seat being configured to retain the bobbin holder plate received from the input disc and to release the plate supporting the tube of the bobbin after the bobbin has been unwound; a second release path of the spool holder plate shaped and positioned to receive the plate released from the output tray; a branch connecting the first feed path and the second release path and intercepting the input tray and the output tray to allow the bobbin holder plate to be exchanged between the input tray and the output tray.

With the arrangement of the present application, greater autonomy is allowed, greater flexibility is allowed, spool management is allowed to be better optimized, spools of different sizes of corresponding support plates can be handled, and more accurate spool replacement is allowed.

Drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the following description of a preferred and non-limiting embodiment thereof, wherein:

figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a spool changing device according to the present invention;

figures 2 to 9 are schematic plan views of the spool change device of figure 1 during subsequent stages of operation, better described below;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a condition in which a plurality of bobbin holder plates meet;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the spool retainer plate;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a spool holder plate supporting a spool;

fig. 13 and 14 are plan and perspective views of the plates, in which schematic views of the contact forces exchanged with the plates defining the tube release path and with the adjacent plates are shown.

Elements or portions of elements common to the embodiments described below will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

Detailed Description

With reference to the previous figures, a general schematic diagram of a spool changing device according to the invention is indicated in common with 4.

The spool changing device 4 is inserted into a finishing machine (such as a winder, not shown). In particular, in the course of changing the form of the bobbins 7 (unwinding from bobbins and rewinding onto cones) produced by conventional spinning machines (not shown), the winding machine must handle a large number of bobbins 7, wound onto fewer cones in a known manner. The bobbin 7 is processed through the bobbin exchanging device 4, which must be fed to a process of fast rewinding into a cone.

It should be noted that the yarn or thread 5 is wound onto the tube 6 to form a spool 7; when the yarn or thread 5 is unwound to form a cone, the tube 6 is supported by the corresponding plate.

It should be clear that the term "thread" or "monofilament" or "continuous thread" refers to a single filament or continuous tow (for example in the case of silk, rayon or synthetic fibers), while the term "yarn" refers to a group of fibrils of variable length, which are parallel and joined by twisting. In the following, one or the other term will be used indiscriminately, it being understood that the invention is not limited in its application to any one type.

Each tube 6 is supported by a corresponding plate 8 shaped with an enlarged base 9 connected to an upper central pin 10. The enlarged base 9 (preferably circular) serves as a support and guide for the tube 6 or the spool 7 resting thereon, locked in position from above by said upper central pin 10. Preferably, a collar 11, also having a cylindrical geometry, is provided between the enlarged base 9 and the upper central pin 10. The collar 11 serves as a support base for the upper central pin 10 on which the tube 6 is engaged.

It should be noted that the spool changing device 4 is used to manage the spool 7 and the tube 6; in fact/functionally, the spool changing device 4 interacts with a plate 8 supporting the spool 7 and the tube 6: for this reason, the two terms will be used interchangeably in the rest of this chapter, such distinction being implied.

The spool changing device 4 comprises a first feed path 12 of a spool 7 comprising a tube 6 on which the yarn 5 is wound.

The first feeding path 12 of said spools 7 is shaped to feed a plurality of spools 7 to be unwound.

In particular, the first feed path 12 comprises a conveyor belt 13 on which the plate 9 supporting the tube 6 rests directly.

The first feed path 12 is defined by a series of partitions or sheet metal support structures 14 which define the path of said first feed path 12; said path has a width 15 smaller than that of the plate 9, constituting an undercut preventing the plate from being extracted from above. Furthermore, the width 15 of the path is greater than or equal to the width of the collar 11, which in turn can slide freely inside the path in a known manner. In other words, the collar 11 acts as a guide for the plate 8 within the path.

The spool exchange device 4 further comprises an input disc 20 arranged to intercept the first feeding path 12, which is rotatable about a first rotation axis X1 and comprises a first lateral wall 22 shaped with a first curvilinear section 23, provided with at least one first recess or radial seat 24 having a convex surface facing said first rotation axis X1, configured to selectively retain and release said at least one spool 7. In particular, the first recess or radial seat 24 is configured to selectively retain and release the plate 8 carrying the tube 6 of said at least one spool 7.

For example, the first curved section 23 is a circular arc with respect to the first rotation axis X1.

The first curved section 23 of the input disc 20 is configured to prevent the bobbin 7 originating from the input disc 20 from entering into said at least one first recess or radial seat 24.

According to one embodiment, at least one first recess or radial seat 24 is delimited by a pair of converging walls 25, 26. Specifically, the converging walls 25, 26 converge on one side of the first rotation axis X1.

At least one first recess or radial seat 24 is shaped to allow the input disc 20 to accommodate at least one spool 7 by dragging it during the rotational movement of said input disc 20.

The input disc 20 is connected to a motor means (not shown) for rotating the input disc about a first rotational axis X1, as described more fully below.

Preferably, the input disc 20 is provided with three radial recesses or seats that are angularly equidistant from each other, i.e. equidistant from each other by 120 °.

Preferably, the input disc 20 is provided with at least one plate presence sensor 28 which detects the presence or absence of the spool 7 at said at least one first recess or radial seat 24.

The spool changing device further comprises an output disc 30 rotatable about a second rotation axis X2, comprising a second side wall 32 formed with a second curvilinear section 33, the second side wall being provided with at least one second recess or radial seat 34 having a convex surface facing said second rotation axis X2, configured to retain a spool 7 received from the input disc 20 and to release said spool 7 after the tube holder 6 plate 8 thereof has been unwound. In particular, the second recess or radial seat 24 retains and releases the bobbin 7 by means of its tube 6.

The second curved section 33 is a circular arc with respect to the second rotation axis X2.

The second curved section 33 of the second disc is configured to prevent the plate 8 of the spool holder 7 from the first feeding path 12 from entering into the at least one second recess or radial seat 34.

According to one embodiment, the at least one second radial recess 34 is delimited by a pair of converging walls 35, 36. Specifically, the converging walls 35, 36 converge on one side of the second rotation axis X2.

The at least one second radial recess 34 is shaped to allow the output disc 30 to accommodate the at least one bobbin holder 7 plate 8 by dragging it during the rotational movement of said output disc 30.

The output disc 30 is connected to motor means (not shown) for rotating the output disc about a second axis of rotation X2, as described more fully below.

Preferably, the output disc 30 is provided with four radial recesses or seats 34, which are angularly equidistant from each other, i.e. equidistant from each other by 90 degrees.

According to a possible embodiment, the output disc 30 is provided with plate-retaining catches 38 configured to retain the plate 8 of the bobbin holder 7 housed in the second recess or radial seat 34 during the step of unwinding said bobbin 7. Said plate retention catches 38 can be made by means of a pneumatic piston that passes from a take-out configuration, in which it intercepts and locks in position the plate 8 and its relative spool 7, to a retracted configuration, in which it does not affect the plate 8 as it passes.

The output tray 30 engages a second release path 40 for the bobbin 7 tube 6 that is shaped and positioned to receive the tube 6 released from the output tray 30, as described more fully below.

In particular, the second release path 40 comprises a second conveyor belt 43 on which the plate 9 supporting the tubes 6 rests directly.

The second release path 40 is defined by a series of partitions or sheet metal support structures 44 that define the path of said second release path 40; said path has a width 45 smaller than that of the plate 9, constituting an undercut preventing the plate from being extracted from above. Furthermore, the width 45 of the path is greater than or equal to the width of the collar 11 of the plate 8 of the tube holder 6, which collar in turn can slide freely in the track in a known manner.

A branch 50 is also provided which connects the first feed path 12 and the second release path 40 and intercepts the input and output discs 20, 30 to allow the exchange of the bobbin holder 7 plate 8 and the associated bobbin 7 between the input and output discs 20, 30. In turn, the branches 50 are defined by a series of baffles or sheet metal support structures that define the course of the branches. The course of the branches has a width 52 smaller than that of the plate 9, so as to constitute an undercut preventing the plate from being extracted from above. Furthermore, the width 52 of the path of the branches 50 is greater than or equal to the width of the collar of the plate 8 of the tube holder 6, which collar can therefore slide freely within the path in a known manner.

According to one embodiment, the input disc 20 and the output disc 30 are positioned so that the respective first 22 and second 32 lateral walls approach each other to exchange at least one spool 7 from the first recess or radial seat 24 to the second recess or radial seat 34 and so as to intercept at least partially said branch 50.

The input disc 20 and the output disc 30 may rotate in the same direction or in opposite directions about their respective rotational axes X1 and X2. The rotation axes X1 and X2 are parallel to each other; furthermore, they are preferably parallel to the tube 6 of the bobbin 7.

According to one embodiment the spool changing device 4 is provided with an anti-jamming bearing 60 arranged near the junction of the branch 50 and the second release path 40. In particular, said anti-jamming bearing 60 comprises a peg calibrated to engage with the collar 11 of the plate 8, so as to guide the movement of the plate 8 by means of the respective collar 11. Preferably, the anti-jam bearing 60 rotates about a vertical axis parallel to the axes of rotation X1-X1, X2-X2.

Said anti-jamming bearing 60 is characterized in that it has an external profile of the circular type and is free to rotate, i.e. so that it does not cause friction that prevents it from rotating about its axis of rotation. The outside diameter of the calibrated peg must be 0.3 to 3 times the diameter of the collar 11 with which it interacts.

The anti-jamming bearing 60 should be positioned so as to allow the collar 11 of the plate 8, which would contact its outer profile, to slide away without jamming, and in particular should be positioned so that its profile projection on the lower plate 44 has a value between 0 and 1/4 relative to the diameter of the plate 44 projecting collar 11.

Said anti-jamming bearing 60 prevents the group of plates 8 supporting the tube 6 for unloading from the second release path 40 from interacting with the plates 8 exiting from the winding head and just released from the output disc 30.

In this case, the contact force (highlighted by the arrow F in fig. 14) is mainly discharged onto the guide blades of the plates 8 exiting at an angle very close to 90 °, so as to produce a sufficiently stable equilibrium tending to "jam" the plate pack, which does not in fact allow the plate pack or the plates exiting from the output disc to overcome the resistance produced by said jamming, thus eliminating the resulting blockage.

The presence of very unstable contacts (such as the movable contact provided by the anti-jam bearing 60) instead allows the balance of the forces generated to become highly unstable; in fact, because the output plate 8 may easily move backwards or forwards with respect to the position that would result in maintaining jamming, the geometrical configuration that would create jamming is not maintained, so that the spool holder 7 plate 8 is practically impossible to block and thus jam.

In the known solutions, the processing and control unit managing the device reverses precisely the rotation of the second conveyor belt 43 of the second release path 40 at regular intervals, so as to unblock all those "jamming" situations (events that occur quite frequently) of regular unloading of the clogged pipes 6.

With the proposed solution of providing an anti-jamming bearing 60, the reversal of the second conveyor belt 43 is no longer necessary and the time losses and wear associated with frequent stops and reversals are avoided.

The spool changing device 4 is provided with a processing and control unit (not shown) operatively connected to motor means controlling the rotation of the input disc 20 and the output disc 30.

Preferably, said processing and control unit is operatively connected to at least one angular position sensor of the input disc 20 and/or of the output disc 30.

Preferably, the processing and control unit is operatively connected to the board presence sensor 28 and/or the board retention catch 38.

The processing and control unit effectively supervises the entire operation of the spool changing device 4 and its coordination with the first feeding path 12, the branch 50 and the second release path 40. It also supervises the operation, i.e. the rotation of the input disc 20 and the output disc 30, based on data/signals received from the corresponding plate presence sensor 28, plate retention catch 38 and angular position sensor 56.

The operation of the spool changing device according to the present invention will now be described.

The spool changing device 4 is able to achieve accumulation of the spool holder plate 7 by holding it in various radial recesses or seats 24, 34 formed on the input and output discs 20, 30 and releasing it when the spool has completely unwound or when it is no longer possible to finish unwinding. All this is done by different and consecutive stages.

Specifically, in an initial phase (fig. 2), the spool exchange device 4 finds itself in an empty state (without the spool 7 and the tube 6 holder plate 8) and in which the input disc 20 is in an initial position (controlled by the corresponding angular position sensor 56). In said angular position, the input disc 20 at the conveyor belt 13 of the first feeding path 12 faces a first curved section 23, which, as shown, is not suitable for housing any tube 6. In this position, the input tray 20 is not loaded with any spool holder 7 sheet 8 and the bypass is achieved by forcing the spool holder 7 sheet 8 carried by the conveyor belt 13 of the first feed path 12 over the input tray 20 to the next winding unit. In this case, the plate presence sensor 28 will inform the machine processing and control unit that there are no spools 7 loaded in the input tray 20.

When the processing and control unit has to fill the input disc 20, it rotates said disc anticlockwise until it aligns the first recess or radial seat 24 with the arrival direction of the plate 8 of the spool holder 7 carried by the conveyor belt 13 of the first feed path 12 (figure 3). In doing so, the incoming bobbin holder 7 plate 8 fills the first recess 24 forming the first storage location 24'. When this is reached, the board presence sensor 28 informs the processing and control unit of the machine.

It should be noted that when the board 8 of spool holders 7 occupies this first storage position 24 'and the input tray 20 is in this position (as shown in fig. 3), the board 8 of other possible incoming spool holders 7 that should be carried by the conveyor belt 13 of the first feed path 12 will hit the spool 7 in said first storage position 24' and thus pass over it. Due to the assumed overflow situation, a new bypass situation will then occur forcing the subsequent bobbin 7 to continue to the next winding unit.

Continuing to rotate the input disc 20 anticlockwise (figure 4) allows a new first radial seat 24 to be aligned with the arrival direction of the spools 7 carried by the conveyor belts 13 of the first feed path 12. In doing so, the newly entered board 8 of spool holders 7 fills the second storage location 24 "; when this occurs, the board presence sensor 28 notifies the processing and control unit.

With further rotation of the input disc (fig. 5), the origin spools 7 occupying the first storage position 24' in the same input disc 20 may be transferred to the output disc 30, thereby freeing that position. In this position, a new spool 7 will be allowed to enter the disc due to the shape of the input disc 20. In fact, the third first seat 24 "' of the input disc 20 will be aligned with the input of the new bobbin 7 dragged by the conveyor belt 13 of the first feeding path 12. This situation is also verified by the board presence sensor 28 and communicated to the processing and control unit.

By rotating the output tray (fig. 6), the spool 7 is brought into the unlocked position and locked in place by the plate retention catch 38. In this position, the spool 7 is suitably prepared by a search (insertion inside the spool or winding on top of the spool) for the end of the yarn, which is captured (in a known manner) by a special compressed air device with which the machine is equipped. This is where the winding unit actually starts to unwind the spool 7.

During the spool unwinding phase (fig. 7), the output disc 30 remains stationary while the rotation of the input disc 20 causes the spool 7 to be transferred from one storage position to the next. Doing so will once again free the first recess or radial seat 24 of the input disc 20, allowing the input of a new spool 7 (this operation is always controlled by the board presence sensor 28 which communicates this operation to the processing and control unit).

At the end of the unwinding phase (fig. 8), when the spool 7 is completely emptied of the yarn wound around it, only the empty tube 6 remains. By means of the subsequent rotation of the output tray 30, the tubes 6 are unloaded onto a second conveyor belt 43 of the second release path 40, which is provided for removing the tubes 6. At the same time, due to the arrangement of the second recess or radial seat 34, it will be possible to accommodate a new spool 7 from the input disc 20 in the output disc 30 and to move the previously loaded spool 7 to the unwinding position.

In the transition between one of the above phases and the subsequent phase, the spool changing device 4 adopts a configuration similar to that shown in fig. 9; this is a kind of "parking position" which occurs whenever the processing and control unit does not require other specific phases. In this configuration, the input tray 20 does not allow any spools 7 to be loaded, forcing the spools transported on the conveyor belts 13 of the first feeding path 12 to continue to a specific unit requiring a new spool 7.

As can be appreciated from the above description, the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

In particular, the present invention provides numerous advantages as follows.

First, it allows greater autonomy, since the system allows to store up to three spools for use near the unwinding position, in addition to the spool being unwound, thus increasing the autonomy of the winding unit.

Furthermore, the system allows greater flexibility, since the double discs allow to perform simultaneously or at different times the various functions for which the spool changing device is designed, thus making better use of its unique features.

Furthermore, the spool changing device of the present invention allows to better optimize spool management, since the spools are distributed to the place where there is a real need, instead of simply to the first free winding unit as is the case in prior art solutions.

Furthermore, the invention is able to handle spools of different sizes (from Φ 60 to Φ 82.5), including intermediate sizes, corresponding to the support plates.

Furthermore, the spool changing device of the present invention allows for more accurate spool changes that are less prone to possible jamming than some current systems where, for example, the ejection of an empty tube is accomplished by an incoming spool "pushing" the tube in front of it towards the outlet.

A man skilled in the art can bring numerous modifications and variants to the solution described above in order to satisfy contingent and specific requirements.

The scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims.

Claims (23)

1. A spool change device (4) for a winding machine, characterized in that it comprises:

a first feeding path (12) of a plate (8) bearing a spool (7) comprising a tube (6) on which the yarn (5) is wound, said plate (8) comprising an enlarged base (9) supporting a collar (11) and comprising an upper central pin (10) on which said tube (6) engages, said first feeding path (12) being shaped to feed a plurality of said plates (8) bearing said spool (7) to be unwound,

an input disc (20) arranged to intercept said first feeding path (12), rotatable about a first rotation axis (X1), and comprising a first lateral wall (22) shaped with a first curvilinear section (23) provided with at least one first recess or radial seat (24) having a convex surface facing said first rotation axis (X1) configured to selectively retain and release at least one spool holder (7) plate (8),

an output disc (30) rotatable about a second rotation axis (X2), comprising a second side wall (32) shaped with a second curvilinear section (33) provided with at least one second recess or radial seat (34) having a convex surface facing the second rotation axis (X2) configured to retain the plate (8) of the spool holder (7) received from the input disc (20) and to release the plate (8) supporting the tube (6) of the spool (7) after the spool has been unwound,

a second release path (40) of the spool holder (7) plate (8) shaped and positioned to receive the plate (8) released from the output tray (30),

a branch (50) connecting the first feeding path (12) and the second release path (40) and intercepting the input disc (20) and the output disc (30) to allow the exchange of the spool holder (7) plates (8) between the input disc (20) and the output disc (30).

2. Spool changing device (4) according to claim 1, characterized in that said input disc (20) and said output disc (30) are positioned with the respective first side wall (22) and second side wall (32) approaching each other to exchange at least one spool (7) from said first recess or radial seat (24) to said second recess or radial seat (34) and to intercept at least partially said branch (50).

3. The spool changing device (4) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said first recesses or radial seats (24) is shaped to allow the input disc (20) to accommodate at least one of said spool holder (7) plates (8) to drag the spool (7) during the rotational movement of the input disc (20).

4. Spool changing device (4) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the first curvilinear section (23) of the input disc (20) is configured to prevent the spool holder (7) plate (8) and the associated spool (7) from the first feeding path (12) from entering at least one of the first recesses or radial seats (24).

5. Spool changing device (4) according to any of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one of said first recesses or radial seats (24) is delimited by a pair of converging walls (25, 26).

6. Spool change device (4) according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the first curvilinear section (23) is a circular arc relative to the first rotation axis (X1).

7. The spool changing device (4) according to any of the claims 1 to 6 wherein said input disc (20) is provided with at least one plate presence sensor (28) detecting the presence or absence of a spool (7) at least one of said first recess or radial seat (24).

8. Spool change device (4) according to any of the claims from 1 to 7, characterized in that said input disc (20) is provided with three recesses or radial seats (24', 24 ", 24") angularly equidistant from each other.

9. Spool changing device (4) according to any of the claims 1 to 8, wherein at least one second radial recess (34) is shaped to allow the output disc (30) to accommodate at least one of the spools (7) dragging the spool during the rotational movement of the output disc (30).

10. The spool changing device (4) according to any of the claims 1 to 9 wherein the second curvilinear section (33) of the output disc (30) is configured to prevent the spool holder (7) plate (8) and the associated spool (7) from the input disc (20) from entering inside the at least one second recess or radial seat (34).

11. Spool changing device (4) according to any of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that at least one of said second recesses or radial seats (34) of the output disc (30) is delimited by a pair of converging walls (35, 36).

12. Spool change device (4) according to any of the claims 1 to 11, wherein the second curved section (33) is a circular arc relative to the second rotation axis (X2).

13. Spool changing device (4) according to any of the claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the output disc (30) is provided with a plate retaining catch (38) configured to retain the spool (7) received in the second recess or radial seat (34) during an unwinding phase of the spool (7).

14. Spool change device (4) according to any of the claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the output disc (30) is provided with four recesses or radial seats (34) angularly equidistant from each other.

15. The spool changing device (4) according to any of the claims 1 to 14 characterized in that said spool changing device (4) is provided with a control unit operatively connected to motor means controlling the rotation of said input disc (20) and said output disc (30).

16. The spool changing device (4) according to claim 15, characterized in that the control unit is operatively connected to an angular position sensor (56) of the input disc (20) and/or the output disc (30).

17. Spool change device (4) according to any of the claims 15 to 16 in combination with claims 7 and 13, characterized in that the control unit is operatively connected to the plate presence sensor (28) and/or the plate retention catch (38).

18. Spool change device (4) according to any of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that said spool change device (4) is provided with an anti-jamming bearing (60) located near the junction between said branch (50) and said second release path (40).

19. Spool changing device (4) according to claim 18, wherein the anti-jamming bearing (60) rotates around a vertical axis parallel to the first and second rotation axes (X1-X1, X2-X2) of the input and output discs (20, 30).

20. Spool changing device (4) according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that the anti-jamming bearing (60) comprises a peg calibrated to engage with the collar (11) of the plate (8) in order to guide the movement of the plate (8) by means of the respective collar (11).

21. Spool change device (4) according to claim 20, characterized in that the calibrated external diameter of the peg is 0.3 to 3 times the diameter of the collar (11) of the plate (8).

22. Spool changing device (4) according to any of the claims 18 to 21, characterized in that the anti-jamming bearing (60) is positioned such that its profile projects on a lower sheet metal (44) at least partially defining a tube release path (40) by a value between 0 and 1/4 of the diameter of the collar (11) from the sheet metal (44).

23. Finishing machine, such as a winding machine, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of winding units operatively connected to at least one spool change device (4) according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

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