EP4653361A1

EP4653361A1 - Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto tubular cores flexible materials wound on reels without the use of double-sided adhesive tape; in double-turret slitter rewinders

Info

Publication number: EP4653361A1
Application number: EP25177702.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paola Cason
Original assignee: Cason Cos Engineering Srl
Current assignee: Cason Cos Engineering Srl
Priority date: 2024-05-20
Filing date: 2025-05-20
Publication date: 2025-11-26

Abstract

A device for automatic cutting and drawing-in (L) onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in double-turret slitter rewinders provided with a movable carriage carrying a pressing roller (P) of the reels being wound, comprising: an upper cutting unit (1) rotating on the movable carriage and equipped at its free end with rods (8) which engage a flexible material (L) arranged between said pressing roller (P) and a daughter-reel in unloading position, and lead up to the initial drawing-in; an automatic cutting device which cuts the flexible material (L); and a lower drawing-in unit (2) on which an insertion sheet (13) of the flexible material (L) is provided, which interferes with the free edge of the flexible material (L) hanging from said rods (8) and raises it up to achieve a complete drawing-in thereof.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention refers to a device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto tubular cores flexible materials wound on reels, in double-turret slitter rewinders of said flexible materials.
In particular, the present invention relates to a device for automatic cutting and drawing-in which can carry out the drawing-in onto a tubular core of a free edge of flexible material coming from a mother-reel, at the beginning of the winding of a daughter-reel, by means of mechanical operations which do not make use of fixing or bonding means, such as, for example, a double-sided adhesive tape, of said free edge of the flexible material onto said tubular core.
Hereinafter, the general definition of "flexible material" means any type of thin film material which can be wound into reels onto said tubular cores, such as for example a plastic, metallic or multilayer material.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART

The technical field of the present invention is that of reel winding, and more precisely the rewinding of reels of flexible materials onto support tubular cores. For a long time in fact, machines called "slitter rewinders" have been known which, starting from large-sized reels of flexible materials coming from manufacturing - herein briefly referred to as "mother-reels" - cut and wind said flexible materials onto support tubular cores to form reels - herein briefly referred to as "daughter-reels" - having sizes and lengths suitable for the subsequent processing or uses of said flexible materials. The cutting and drawing-in device of the invention finds its specific application in double-turret slitter rewinders, wherein for each winding line of flexible material two separate shafts are provided, for as many tubular cores, which can be alternately arranged in a rearward position, where the winding of the flexible material film actually occurs, and in a forward position, i.e., more accessible to the operator, where the operations of unloading the full reels and loading the empty tubular cores are carried out.
According to the known art, the operation of drawing-in a free edge of the flexible material onto a tubular core, onto which said flexible material is then to be wound, is usually performed manually, by preliminarily fixing said free edge onto the tubular core through a double-sided adhesive tape or adhesive substances. Such a solution obviously requires the presence of an operator, and it also makes unusable the last stretch of flexible material, which is in contact with the double-sided adhesive tape and must thus be discarded, and also deteriorates the surface of the tubular core, which is normally made of pressed cardboard or plastic, thus reducing its useful life.
Therefore, alternative solutions have been proposed over time, which exploit the properties of some flexible materials to cause the initial adhesion of the mother-reel free edge onto a tubular core. For example, in the case of paper films, water sprayers are used which cause a temporary adhesion of the paper film to the tubular core by moistening the paper, which is sufficient to obtain a correct drawing-in; similarly, for films of certain plastic materials, ionizing systems have been used to generate a polarity in the film which causes an electrostatic adhesion of the terminal edge of the same to the tubular core, which is sufficient to obtain a correct drawing-in. However, for most of flexible metallic or metallized materials and for many types of plastic materials, fixing with adhesives, and particularly with a double-sided adhesive tape, remains the only currently viable option.
All current drawing-in methods, as described above, still require the constant presence of an operator to supervise the winding of a flexible material on the daughter-reels.
There are two methods for positioning the double-sided adhesive tape, i.e., a manual method or an automatic one. The manual method provides for an operator manually positioning the double-sided adhesive tape on each individual tubular core before the rewinding turrets rotate to place the shafts carrying the new tubular cores towards the inside of the slitter, in the winding position. Furthermore, the fixing of the double-sided adhesive tape on the tubular core must be performed with a certain skill and precision, therefore requiring a considerable amount of operator time, to verify that the double-sided adhesive tape is correctly centred on the tubular core, so that when the winding operation has started no distortions or creases are caused in the wound film of flexible material.
On the other hand, an automatic method for applying the double-sided adhesive tapes involves a dedicated device placed inside the slitter rewinder, which, following a first automatic halt of the rewinding operation, places the double-sided adhesive tape directly onto the flexible material in an area of the flexible material path inside the slitter rewinder - between the unwinder and the drive unit, and therefore at a predetermined distance of several metres from the rewinding area. Once the double-sided adhesive tape has been placed on the flexible material, the slitter rewinder automatically restarts the advancement of the flexible material for several meters, until the portion of flexible material onto which the double-sided adhesive tape has been applied reaches the rewinding area. This advancement of the flexible material must be carried out at an extremely limited speed to avoid any displacement or detachment of the double-sided adhesive tape from the flexible material as it crosses the various rollers and units of the slitter rewinder. Once the double-sided adhesive tape applied to the flexible material arrives in the rewinding area, a second automatic halt of the slitter rewinder is necessary, to allow the rotation of the turrets, so that the shafts carrying the new empty tubular cores can be positioned towards the inside of the slitter rewinder, in the winding position, and the position of the double-sided adhesive tape on the flexible material perfectly matches the new tubular cores placed on the shafts, so that an automatic restart can be performed, after the flexible material has been transversally cut.
Such automatic solution has the advantage of relieving the operator from the burden of positioning the double-sided adhesive on the tubular cores wasting operator time, but, due to the halts and restarts at limited speeds, negatively affects the productivity of the slitter rewinder.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem addressed by the present invention is therefore that of providing an automatic drawing-in device for double-turret slitter rewinders by means of which the cutting of the flexible material and the drawing-in of the free edge of the same onto a tubular core can be carried out in a completely automatic and mechanical manner, which means on the one hand without the intervention of any operator and, on the other hand, without the use of a double-sided adhesive tape or other adhesive materials, specifically in the step of reel change wherein a first, full daughter-reel is detached from a mother-reel thereby creating a mother-reel free edge of flexible material which must be fixed to an empty, new, tubular core onto which the flexible material must then be wound to form a second daughter-reel.
Within the framework of this technical problem, a first object of the invention is to provide a cutting and drawing-in device wherein said operation of detaching a first daughter-reel from the mother-reel is carried out automatically and in a manner which facilitates the subsequent drawing-in of the mother-reel free edge onto an empty, new, tubular core.
A second object of the invention is then to provide a drawing-in device wherein said free edge of the mother-reel is wound onto the empty, new, tubular core through mechanical means which do not make use of double-sided adhesive tapes or other types of adhesive materials to fix the mother-reel free edge onto the empty tubular core, so that the flexible material can be successively used in its entirety.
Furthermore, a third object of the invention is to provide a cutting and drawing-in device wherein said mechanical means do not interfere with the surface of the tubular core, so that the tubular cores are not deteriorated and can therefore be reused several times.
Finally, a fourth object of the invention is to provide a cutting and drawing-in device which does not require any manual operator intervention during the drawing-in step, thus significantly reducing the time required to change the daughter-reels, and also solving any safety problems for the operators working on the slitter rewinder who no longer have to access areas of the machine where there are moving members.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This problem is solved, and these objects achieved, by a device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto tubular cores flexible materials, having the features defined in claim 1. Other preferred features of such device for automatic cutting and drawing-in are defined in the secondary claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto tubular cores flexible materials according to the present invention will anyhow become more evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the same, given by mere way of non-limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

fig. 1 is a partially sectional, overall side view of a slitter rewinder including two separate cutting and drawing-in devices according to the invention;
fig. 2 is an enlarged portion of fig. 1, illustrating a single cutting and drawing-in device according to the invention;
fig. 3 is a top, axonometric view of the upper cutting unit alone of the cutting and drawing-in device of fig. 2, which upper cutting unit carries out the initial drawing-in and cutting operations of the flexible material;
fig. 4 is a top, axonometric view of the lower drawing-in unit alone of the cutting and drawing-in device of fig. 2, which lower drawing-in unit carries out the final drawing-in operation of the flexible material;
fig. 5 is a schematic side view of the cutting and drawing-in device of the invention, illustrating the final winding stage of a reel of flexible material onto a tubular core;
fig. 6 is a schematic side view of the cutting and drawing-in device of the invention, illustrating the position of the wound reel and of the empty, new, tubular core after the inversion of the tubular core support shafts of the double-turret system, the upper cutting unit being rotated downwards;
fig. 7 is a schematic side view of the cutting and drawing-in device of the invention, illustrating the cutting and drawing-in device of the invention after the cutting step of the flexible material by the upper cutting unit;
Fig. 8 and 9 are schematic side views of the cutting and drawing-in device of the invention illustrating the automatic drawing-in step onto an empty tubular core of the flexible material by the lower drawing-in unit; and
Fig. 10 is a schematic side view of the cutting and drawing-in device of the invention, illustrating the cutting and drawing-in device of the invention in the initial winding step of a new daughter-reel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

According to the present invention, the above-mentioned problem is effectively solved by means of a cutting and drawing-in device including two opposing operating units - mounted on the same movable carriage which carries the last rollers of the flexible material feeding line - and precisely an upper cutting unit which provides for a transversal cut of the daughter-reel flexible material, and a lower drawing-in unit which provides for the drawing-in of the thus formed free edge of flexible material.
The cutting and drawing-in device of the present invention finds application in a slitter rewinder which may also include multiple winding lines, and therefore as many of the cutting and drawing-in devices according to the invention. By way of example, fig. 1 illustrates a slitter rewinder R including two cutting and drawing-in devices A according to the invention, each of which operates on a film of flexible material L obtained by longitudinal cut, with a cutting group C, of a starting film of flexible material M coming from a large mother-reel (not illustrated). The path of each film of flexible material L runs on several rollers, as well known, the last of which is a pressing roller P in lateral contact with a tubular core T; such tubular core T is mounted in turn on a respective support shaft which sets it in rotary motion, thereby causing the film of flexible material L to be wound onto the same.
As stated above, the cutting and drawing-in device of the present invention finds specific application in double-turret slitter rewinders, wherein two separate support shafts of a corresponding number of tubular cores T are provided for each winding line of flexible material L, said support shafts being mounted in opposing positions on vertical slewing rings G, or similar devices, so as to be able to alternately put in front of the pressing roller P a support shaft carrying an empty tubular core T to wind on the same the film of flexible material L, while at the opposite side of the vertical slewing rings G a full reel is unloaded from the other support shaft - i.e. a tubular core T on which the winding of the film of flexible material L has already been completed - and then an empty tubular core T is loaded again on said support shaft. In the following description the terms "upper" and "lower" refer to the ordinary position of use of a slitter rewinder, as illustrated in the drawings, while the terms "front" and "rear" or "advance" and "retract" and their derivatives refer to the direction of flow of the film of flexible material L from the mother-reel (on the right in the drawings, but not illustrated) to the daughter-reels (on the left in the drawings).
From figs. 2 to 4 it can be appreciated more clearly how the cutting and drawing-in device A of the invention includes an upper cutting unit 1 and a lower drawing-in unit 2, both fixed to two sturdy lateral shoulders 3 sliding on rails 4. The last idle rollers of the flexible material feeding line coming from the mother-reel are hinged to the shoulders 3 too and, in particular, the last roller of said feeding line, which, during the operation of winding the flexible material L, is kept in contact under a controlled pressure with a reel being wound; said roller is hereinafter referred to simply as the "pressing roller" P. Therefore, the various components cited above form altogether a movable carriage controlled by first cylinder-piston groups 5 to move along the rails 4 towards/away from the reel being wound on a tubular core T.
The upper cutting unit 1 consists of a sturdy rectangular frame with lateral wings projecting from the long sides, i.e., those parallel to the pressing roller P, thereby having a generally U shape in the sectional views of the drawings. The upper cutting unit 1 is hinged to the shoulders 3, at the end of the rear wing, by means of hinges 6 around which it can then rotate, controlled by second cylinder-piston groups 7. The front wing of the upper cutting unit 1 is delimited by two rods 8 in contact with the film of flexible material L, which are parallel to each other and to the pressing roller P and respectively located at the end and at the base of said front wing. Finally, a cutting blade is fixed in a blade holder 9 sliding on a respective rail fixed to the upper cutting unit 1 and parallel to the rods 8.
The drawing-in unit 2 as well consists of a sturdy, substantially flat rectangular frame, linearly movable with respect to said movable carriage in the same moving direction thereof and controlled in such a movement by third cylinder-piston groups 10. Said rectangular frame of the lower drawing-in unit 2 is further provided with a tilting movement with respect to the shoulders 3 thanks to appropriate levers controlled by fourth cylinder-piston groups 11. The shape and arrangement of said levers and cylinder-piston groups 11 schematically illustrated in the drawings carry out the movements of the lower drawing-in unit 2 which are essential for the present invention and will be described in detail below. Finally, a front transversal bar 12 of the above rectangular frame of the lower drawing-in unit 2 is a support whereon a thin insertion sheet 13 of the film of flexible material L is mounted, said insertion sheet 13 projecting from said front transversal bar 12 in the direction of the upper cutting unit 1.
It should be noted that the operating parts of the above-described drawing-in units, i.e., the rods 8 and the insertion sheet 13, must have a length at least equal to, and preferably greater than, the width of the film of flexible material L being processed.
The operation of the cutting and drawing-in device of the present invention is illustrated in figs. 5 to 10, showing the various successive steps of the cutting and drawing-in operations carried out on the film of flexible material L in conjunction with the change of the daughter-reels of the double-turret system.
In fig. 5 the cutting and drawing-in device of the invention is illustrated while the winding of a daughter-reel on a tubular core T1 is ending. Once the winding is completed, the slewing ring G is put into rotation to exchange the position of the support shafts carrying the tubular cores T1 and T2, simultaneously actuating the first cylinder-piston groups 5 to move the pressing roller P back as far as possible from the surface of the daughter-reel of wound flexible material. Once the slewing ring G rotation is completed, the first cylinder-piston groups 5 are automatically actuated to bring the pressing roller P close to the empty tubular core T2, without however contacting the same. According to a first feature of the invention, during this operation of position exchange between the tubular cores T1 and T2, the film of flexible material L is not cut and remains attached to the mother-reel, thus extending from the pressing roller P to the surface of the full reel wound on the tubular core T1.
Once the exchange of position between the tubular cores T1 and T2 is completed, the upper cutting unit 1 is rotated downwards around the hinges 6 by the second cylinder-piston groups 7, i.e., towards the empty tubular core T2. During such a rotation, the rods 8 located on the front wing end of the upper cutting unit 1 abut against the surface of the film of flexible material L positioned between the pressing roller P and the surface of the full reel wound on the tubular core T1, and drag it downwards until it leans against the empty, new, tubular core T2 - as illustrated in fig. 6 - for at least 1/2, and preferably at least 2/3, of the circumference of said tubular core, an operation which is made possible just by the U-shaped cross-section of the upper cutting unit 1. Preferably, one or more rubber pads 14 are also provided on the upper cutting unit 1, which ensure a stable end position of the upper cutting unit 1 rotation by abutting against the surface of the film of flexible material L covering the tubular core T2, in which end position the outermost rod 8 of the upper cutting unit 1 is positioned in the proximity of the lateral surface of the tubular core T2.
During the first cutting step described above, the lower drawing-in unit 2 is moved forward by the third cylinder-piston groups 10 until the insertion sheet 13 is in an advanced position with respect to the empty tubular core T2. While the upper cutting unit 1 is in the fully rotated position illustrated in fig. 6, a cylinder dragging the blade holder 9 is finally activated to control its movement along the respective guide rail, so that the blade fixed thereto cuts the film of flexible material L leaning on the two rods 8.
Just after this cutting operation, the two cut edges of the film of flexible material L arrange themselves in a vertical position by gravity. It is thus possible to start a retracting and raising movement of the lower drawing-in unit 2, by operating the fourth cylinder-piston groups 11, so as to bring the insertion sheet 13 to interfere with the free edge of the film of flexible material L hanging from the end rod 8 (fig. 7) and therefore to progressively lift such edge (fig. 8) until it completely adheres to the surface of the tubular core T2 (fig. 9), while the upper cutting unit 1 is rotated by the second cylinder-piston groups 7 to its initial lifted position. The length of the free edge of the film of flexible material L attached to the mother-reel which hangs from the end rod 8 is evidently determined by the geometry of the upper cutting unit 1 and by the position of the blade holder 9 on the same; at the design stage, such length is calculated in such a way that the free edge, appropriately guided by the insertion sheet 13, covers the entire circumference of the tubular core, and is finally inserted between the surface of the tubular core T2 and the film of flexible material L coming from the pressing roller P, thus achieving a complete drawing-in of the flexible material L over the entire circumference of the tubular core T2.
Before starting to wind the new reel onto the tubular core T2, the insertion sheet 13 is lowered to the rest position while the pressing roller P is brought into contact with the tubular core T2 (fig.10). The winding is started at low speed, for the first few turns, so as not to excessively stress the drawing-in just carried out, and then continued at regular speed, while the first daughter-reel wound onto the tubular core T1 is removed from the relative support shaft, on which an empty tubular core T is then mounted, so that a new winding cycle can be started as soon as the winding of the second daughter-reel onto the tubular core T2 is completed.
From the preceding description it is evident how the present invention has fully achieved all the intended objects. The detachment operation of a first daughter-reel T1 from the mother-reel, i.e., the cutting of the film of flexible material L, is in fact carried out only after the exchange of position between the two shafts of the double-turret cutter rewinder and the initial drawing-in onto the empty tubular core T2 by the upper cutting unit 1 are completed. Therefore, in this first step, the film of flexible material L is stretched between the first daughter-reel T1 and the pressing roller P, and can therefore be easily and correctly engaged and moved by the rods 8 of the upper cutting unit 1 to perform said initial drawing-in and, subsequently, the cutting of the film of flexible material L.
Successively, the drawing-in is exclusively performed by mechanical means consisting in the rods 8 of the upper cutting unit 1 and in the insertion sheet 13 of the lower drawing-in unit 2, without the use of any type of double-sided adhesive tape or other adhesive materials. Also, said mechanical means exclusively act on the film of flexible material L and never come into direct contact with the surface of the tubular cores T, which is therefore not worn in any way, thus allowing for a prolonged useful life of the tubular cores. Finally, the entire drawing-in operation is carried out in a completely automatic manner, thanks to the coordinated action of the various cylinder-piston groups 5, 7, 10 and 11 controlling the movements of the movable carriage, the upper cutting unit 1 and the lower drawing-in unit 2, thus eliminating the need for operators to be present near moving or rotating members of the slitter rewinder, and therefore also significantly increasing the degree of safety of this machine towards the operators.
However, it is understood that the invention should not be considered as limited to the specific arrangements illustrated above, which are only exemplary embodiments thereof, but that different variants are possible, all within the reach of a person skilled in the art, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the invention itself, which is only defined by the following claims.

List of alphanumeric references in the drawings

A = cutting and drawing-in device of the invention
B = blade
C = cutting unit
G = slewing ring
L = film of flexible material
M = mother film of flexible material
P = pressing roller
R = slitter rewinder
T = tubular core
1 = upper cutting unit
2 = lower drawing-in unit
3 = lateral shoulders
4 = rails
5 = first cylinder-piston groups
6 = hinges of the upper drawing-in unit
7 = second cylinder-piston groups
8 = rods for contact with the film
9 = blade holder
10 = third cylinder-piston groups
11 = fourth cylinder-piston groups
12 = support bar
13 = film insertion sheet
14 = rubber pads

Claims

Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder comprising two support shafts of tubular cores (T) for each feeding line of flexible material (L) coming from a mother-reel, said support shafts being alternately movable between a first daughter-reel winding position, where they are in contact with a pressing roller (P) fed with said flexible material (L), and a second full daughter-reel unloading position, said pressing roller (P) being mounted on a movable carriage (3, 4) controlled in motion by first cylinder-piston groups (5) towards/away from said first daughter-reel winding position of said support shafts, characterised in that it also includes:
a. an upper cutting unit (1) - hinged by means of hinges (6) to the shoulders (3) of said movable carriage, driven into rotation by second cylinder-piston groups (7) and provided with mechanical means (8) on the side opposite to the hinged one - which is rotated to bring said mechanical means (8) into contact with a film of flexible material (L) arranged between said pressing roller (P) and a daughter-reel positioned in said second full daughter-reel unloading position, and then to drag said film of flexible material (L) until obtaining the initial drawing-in of the flexible material (L) making it to rest on said tubular core (T) for at least 1/2, and preferably at least 2/3, of its circumference;

b. a cutting device - including a blade and a blade holder (9) and controlled by a drive cylinder to slide along a blade holder (9) rail fixed to said upper cutting unit (1) - which cuts the flexible material (L) in contact with said mechanical means (8) after completion of said initial drawing-in;

c. a lower drawing-in unit (2) - including a front transversal bar (12) on which an insertion sheet (13) of the flexible material (L) is mounted - which is controlled by third cylinder-piston groups (10) in a linear movement with respect to said movable carriage (3, 4), in a direction parallel to that of movement of the movable carriage (3, 4) itself, and which is also controlled by fourth cylinder-piston groups (11) in a tilting movement with respect to said movable carriage (3, 4) to advance the insertion sheet (13) beyond the position of the tubular core (T), before cutting the flexible material (L) and, subsequently, after cutting the flexible material (L), to progressively raise and retract the insertion sheet (13) thus interfering with the free edge of the flexible material (L) hanging from said mechanical means (8) and progressively raising such free edge up to achieve the complete drawing-in of the flexible material (L) on the surface of the tubular core (T).
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in claim 1, wherein said upper cutting unit consists in a rectangular frame provided with lateral wings projecting from the sides parallel to the pressing roller (P), having a generally U-shaped cross-section.
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in claim 2, wherein said hinges (6) are positioned at the end of a rear wing of said upper cutting unit (1).
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in claim 2, wherein said mechanical means include a pair of rods (8) parallel to each other and to said pressing roller (P).
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in claim 4, wherein said rods (8) are respectively positioned at the end and at the base of a front wing of said upper cutting unit (1)
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in claim 4, wherein said blade holder (9) rail is parallel to said rods (8).
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in claim 1, wherein said lower drawing-in unit consists in a flat rectangular frame wherein the front transversal bar (12) supporting said insertion sheet (13) is incorporated.
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in claim 7, wherein said insertion sheet (13) projects from said front transversal bar (12) towards the upper cutting unit (1).
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said rods (8) and said insertion sheet (13) have a length at least equal to, and preferably greater than, the width of the film of flexible material (L).
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein during the operations of drawing-in the film of flexible material (L) onto said tubular core (T), the pressing roller (P) is kept by the first cylinder-piston groups (5) near to, but not in contact with, said empty tubular core (T).
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said upper cutting unit (1) further includes one or more rubber pads (14) which form an end position of the upper cutting unit (1) rotation, by abutting against the tubular core (T).
Device for automatic cutting and drawing-in onto a tubular core (T) a flexible material in a slitter rewinder as in claim 11, wherein, in said end position, the outermost rod (8) of the upper cutting unit (1) is positioned near to the lateral surface of the tubular core (T).