Rolled material tensioning and loading system
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsAdam Montoya, Stephen Hancock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Maintaining a level of tension on material as it is processed in a manufacturing operation assists in the processing of the material. The tension of the material as it is fed through a process station is maintained by a material sag portion, such as an unsupported portion of the material extending between a roll of the material and the process station. The formation of the sag portion and the loading of the material forming the sag portion are automated and adjusted with a system having a material storage retrieval system, a shuttle, a tensioning device, and/or a processing station.
Claims19
A method of tensioning a material in a manufacturing process, the method comprising:
- positioning, with a tensioning device, a roll of material above a processing station in a first position;
- unrolling the material until the material engages with the processing station;
- positioning the roll longitudinally spaced from the processing station in a second position;
- unrolling the material to form a material sag portion of the material between the roll and the processing station;
- detecting an amount of material forming the sag portion;
- adjusting a rotational velocity of the roll to maintain the amount of material forming the sag portion within a range for the material as the material feeds through the processing station;
- and
- detecting a lateral movement of the material feeding through the processing station;
- and
- adjusting a lateral, vertical, and/or longitudinal position of the tensioning device.
A method of tensioning a material in a manufacturing process, the method comprising:
- positioning, with a tensioning device, a roll of material vertically spaced above a processing station in a first position;
- positioning, with the tensioning device, the roll of material horizontally spaced from the processing station in a second position;
- unrolling the material to form a material sag portion of the material between the roll and the processing station;
- and
- adjusting a rotational velocity of the roll to maintain an amount of material forming the sag portion within a range for the material as the material feeds through the processing station;
- and
- detecting a lateral movement of the material feeding through the processing station;
- and
- adjusting a lateral, vertical, and/or longitudinal position of the tensioning device.
A method of tensioning a material in a manufacturing process, the method comprising:
- providing a tensioning device;
- providing a roll of material;
- positioning a vertical movement mechanism adjacent the roll of material;
- positioning a horizontal movement mechanism adjacent the roll of material;
- providing a material sag sensor, the material sag senor configured to determine a nadir distance of the material between the roll and a processing station in a longitudinal direction;
- providing an apron nozzle, the apron nozzle configured to dispense pressurized air at the roll;
- and providing an apron sensor, the apron sensor configured to detect an apron of the material, wherein the apron sensor provides information useable to control the pressurized air dispensed by the apron nozzle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.