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US 2016/0257016 A1Published application
Side shift force control
OwnerPatrick Steven Rucker, Darcy Winter +5inventors
InventorsPatrick Steven Rucker, Darcy Winter, Md M. Haque, Wolfram Ploetz, Brady Johnson, Daniel E. Tooke, Michael Jost
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Abstract
The device pertains to providing side shift force control using load cell force feedback in the web slitting industry. Further included is a removable means of providing the load cell force feedback without integrating the load cell with the side shift mechanism. This provides for easy maintenance of the blade cartridge and specifically the cutting blade.
Claims16
1:
- An apparatus comprising:
- a:
- body;
- b:
- a paddle pivotally attached to said body;
- c:
- a plunger linearly guided by said body for applying a force to said paddle;
- d:
- a load cell mounted onto said paddle for indicating the amount of said force is applied to said paddle;
- and
- e:
- a side shift mechanism including a blade, attached to said body and in contact with said paddle for converting said force into a side shift force for positioning said blade.
9 more elements
2:
- The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said body comprises a side shift actuator for positioning said plunger, said side shift actuator including:
- a:
- a motor attached to said body;
- b:
- a screw coupled to said motor;
- c:
- a follower, threadedly engaged to said screw, said follower having a distal end in contact with said plunger for pushing on said plunger.
4 more elements
3:
- The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a spring is located between said plunger and said follower for providing compliance between said follower and said plunger.
4:
- The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said spring held partially compressed relative to the pusher for providing a preload force between said pusher and said follower.
5:
- The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said side shift mechanism includes:
- a:
- blade cartridge housing acting as a structural support of some elements of said side shift mechanism;
- b:
- a pusher, vertically guided in said blade cartridge housing in contact with said plunger for receiving said force;
- and
- c:
- a cam pivotally attached to said blade cartridge housing and in contact with said pusher for translating said blade.
5 more elements
6:
- The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said side shift mechanism includes:
- a:
- parallelogram four bar linkage in contact with said cam for translating said blade as said cam pivots;
- and
- b:
- a spring for biasing said parallelogram four bar linkage against said cam.
3 more elements
7:
- The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said body comprises a side shift actuator for positioning said plunger, said side shift actuator including:
- a:
- a motor attached to said body;
- b:
- a screw coupled to said motor;
- c:
- a follower, threadedly engaged to said screw, said follower having a distal end in contact with said plunger for pushing on said plunger.
4 more elements
8:
- The apparatus of claim 7 wherein a spring is located between said plunger and said follower for providing compliance between said follower and said plunger.
9:
- The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said spring is partially compressed relative to the pusher for providing a preload force between said pusher and said follower.
10:
- An apparatus comprising:
- a:
- body;
- b:
- a paddle pivotally attached to said body;
- c:
- a plunger linearly guided by said body for applying a force to said paddle;
- d:
- a load cell mounted onto said paddle for indicating the amount of said force is applied to said paddle;
- e:
- a side shift mechanism including a blade, attached to said body and in contact with said paddle for converting said force into a side shift force for positioning said blade;
- and
- f:
- a gripping mechanism for attaching said side shift mechanism to said body.
11 more elements
11:
- The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said load cell comprises:
- a:
- a full bridge device including two strain gauges positioned on the top and bottom of said paddle such that both compression and tension on the paddle is included in a load cell signal.
12:
- The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said gripping mechanism comprises:
- a:
- a lever located on said body;
- b:
- a wedge pivotally attached to said lever and guided linearly by said body;
- c:
- a spring in communication with said wedge such that said lever is biased against said body.
- d:
- a gripper in communication with said wedge such that said wedge presses said gripper against said body causing friction to hold a side shift mechanism in position.
6 more elements
13:
- The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said side shift mechanism includes:
- a:
- blade cartridge housing acting as a structural support of some elements of said side shift mechanism;
- b:
- a pusher, vertically guided in said blade cartridge housing in contact with said plunger for receiving said force;
- and
- c:
- a cam pivotally attached to said blade cartridge housing and in contact with said pusher for translating said blade.
5 more elements
14:
- The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said side shift mechanism includes:
- a:
- parallelogram four bar linkage in contact with said cam for translating said blade as said cam pivots;
- and
- b:
- a spring for biasing said parallelogram four bar linkage against said cam.
3 more elements
15:
- A method of controlling a side shift force for slitting a web of material comprising:
- a:
- moving a slitting blade against an anvil and said web of material;
- b:
- receiving voltage signal indicative of a force between a blade and an anvil;
- c:
- converting said voltage signal to a value representative of said force;
- d:
- subtracting a target force from said value representative of said force for establishing a force error;
- e:
- moving said blade toward said anvil if said force error is negative and if said force error is positive moving said blade away from said anvil;
- and
- f:
- repeating steps b through e.
11 more elements
16:
- The method of claim 15 wherein said voltage signal is generated by a load cell comprising;
- a:
- full bridge device including a paddle, a first strain gauge attached to the top of said paddle, a second strain gauge attached to the bottom of said paddle and said paddle subjected to bending such that said first strain gauge and said second strain gauge are loaded in opposite directions.