Rear discharge mat rolling machine with wrapper
AssigneeMat Processing, LLC
InventorKufre Akpan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mat rolling machine for rolling a mat having a leading edge and a trailing edge may include a frame, at least one first drive belt, a plurality of second drive belts, a plurality of third drive belts, and a plurality of fourth drive belts. The mat rolling machine may include a plurality of primary fingers and a plurality of secondary fingers having a smaller radius of curvature on a lower face than the plurality of primary fingers. The mat rolling machine may include at least one support member for guiding a mat along a path through the mat rolling machine, and at least one pusher for discharging a rolled mat from the rear of the mat rolling machine. The mat rolling machine may include a wrapper cartridge. The mat rolling machine may include a cutter mechanism.
Claims20
A mat rolling machine for use in rolling a mat having a leading edge and a trailing edge, comprising:
- a frame defining a front of the machine and a rear of the machine;
- a plurality of drive belts configured to convey the mat from the front of the machine, through the machine, to the rear of the machine;
- wherein the mat is discharged from the rear of the machine in a generally spiral configuration;
- and
- a wrapper cartridge coupled to the frame, the wrapper cartridge configured to dispense a stretch wrap about the mat in the generally spiral configuration.
A method of rolling a floor mat, comprising:
- providing a mat rolling machine including:
- a frame defining a front of the machine and a rear of the machine;
- a plurality of drive belts configured to convey the floor mat from the front of the machine, through the machine, to the rear of the machine;
- wherein the floor mat is discharged from the rear of the machine in a generally spiral configuration;
- and
- a wrapper cartridge coupled to the frame, the wrapper cartridge having an applicator arm configured to apply a stretch wrap about the floor mat in the generally spiral configuration;
- inserting a leading edge of the floor mat into the front of the machine;
- feeding the floor mat through the machine;
- sensing a leading edge or a trailing edge of the floor mat at a predetermined point within the machine;
- after sensing the leading edge or the trailing edge, actuating the applicator arm from a retracted position to an extended position, wherein in the extended position, the applicator arm presses the stretch wrap against the floor mat;
- and
- rolling the floor mat a plurality of times, thereby drawing stretch wrap from the wrapper cartridge and wrapping the stretch wrap about the floor mat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.