Strip material dispensing device

An apparatus for dispensing strip materials onto a moving substrate, comprising:

• a frame extending transversally of a path of the moving substrate;
• a plurality of guide arms movable transversally along the frame and having a respective dispensing mechanism for dispensing strip materials;
• a plurality of crank shafts coupled to a first end of the frame such that the plurality of crank shafts can rotate independently;
• a plurality friction drive systems, each of the plurality of friction drive systems being coupled to a corresponding one of the crank shafts and a corresponding one of the guide arms, each of the plurality of friction drive systems depending on frictional contact to transfer rotational movement of the corresponding crank shaft to linear motion of the corresponding guide arm along the frame, wherein each guide aim is independently movable along the frame via the corresponding friction drive system;
• and
• a guide arm control system comprising a controller, guide arm position sensor, and actuators for each of the crank shafts, wherein the controller is configured to determine current transversal positions of each guide arm relative to the frame based on position signals generated by the guide arm position sensor, and based on the determined current transversal positions of the guide arms and desired transversal positions of the guide arms relative to the frame, the controller is configured to cause the actuators to drive the crank shafts to move the guide arms from the current transversal positions to the desired transversal positions.

A method for adjusting a strip material dispensing apparatus, the method comprising:

• receiving, with an electronic controller, position signals generated by a guide arm position sensor of the apparatus;
• determining, by the electronic controller, current transversal positions of each a plurality of guide arms of the apparatus relative to a frame of the apparatus based on the position signals received from the guide arm position sensor;
• and
• based on the determined current transversal positions of the guide arms and desired transversal positions of the guide arms relative to the frame, sending movement signals from the controller to actuators of the apparatus to move the guide arms from the current transversal positions to the desired transversal positions, wherein each of the actuators is configured to cause independent linear motion of a corresponding guide arm along the frame via a friction drive system that depends on frictional contact to transfer rotational motion of the actuator into linear motion of the corresponding guide arm.