Absorbent article insert cutting and transfer apparatus with servo motor sub-system

A cutting and transfer apparatus comprising:

• a cutting system configured to cut an incoming web of material into a plurality of discrete articles;
• and
• a transfer mechanism operable with the cutting system to transfer and rotate the plurality of discrete articles from at least a web receiving location to an article placement location, the transfer mechanism comprising:
• a drive shaft rotatable about a transfer axis;
• a center plate mounted to the drive shaft to rotate therewith about the transfer axis;
• a plurality of carriage units positioned about the center plate to rotate therewith to travel along a transfer path about the transfer axis from at least the web receiving location to the article placement location, each of the plurality of carriage units including a puck that is selectively operable to carry a discrete article thereon and reorient the article as the puck travels between the web receiving location and the article placement location;
• wherein the cutting system comprises an anvil wheel including:
• an anvil hub coupled to and driven by an anvil shaft to rotate about an anvil wheel axis;
• and
• a plurality of anvil arms pivotably connected to and extending radially outward from the anvil hub, each of the plurality of anvil arms having thereon an anvil that cooperates with a knife roll of the cutting system to cut the incoming web of material;
• wherein the plurality of anvil arms is equal in number to the plurality of carriage units, with the plurality of anvil arms interspersed with the plurality of carriage units such that each anvil arm is positioned between a pair of adjacent carriage units;
• and
• wherein each anvil arm is mechanically coupled to the pair of adjacent carriage units between which it is positioned to control positioning of the anvil relative to the pair of adjacent carriage units.

A cutting and transfer apparatus comprising:

• a cutting system configured to cut an incoming web of material into a plurality of discrete articles;
• and
• a transfer mechanism operable with the cutting system to transfer and rotate the plurality of discrete articles from at least a web receiving location to an article placement location, the transfer mechanism comprising:
• a drive shaft rotatable about a transfer axis;
• a mounting structure rotatable about the transfer axis;
• a plurality of carriage units coupled to the mounting structure and configured to travel along a transfer path about the transfer axis from at least the web receiving location to the article placement location;
• and
• a plurality of pucks coupled to the plurality of carriage units to carry discrete articles thereon and reorient the articles as the plurality of pucks travel between the web receiving location and the article placement location;
• wherein the cutting system comprises an anvil wheel including:
• an anvil hub coupled to and driven by an anvil shaft to rotate about an anvil wheel axis;
• and
• a plurality of anvil arms pivotably connected to and extending radially outward from the anvil hub, each of the plurality of anvil arms having thereon an anvil that cooperates with a knife roll of the cutting system to cut the incoming web of material;
• wherein the plurality of anvil arms is equal in number to the plurality of carriage units, with the plurality of anvil arms interspersed with the plurality of carriage units such that each anvil arm is positioned between a pair of adjacent carriage units;
• and
• wherein each anvil arm is mechanically coupled to the pair of adjacent carriage units between which it is positioned to control positioning of the anvil relative to the pair of adjacent carriage units.

A method for initiating product changeover in a web transfer apparatus, the transfer apparatus including a puck wheel and an anvil wheel driven by at least one drive shaft, a plurality of carriage units operatively coupled along a circumference of the puck wheel, each carriage unit including an interchangeable puck, the anvil wheel having a plurality of anvil arms pivotably connected to an anvil hub and extending radially outward from the anvil hub, a pair of scissor links pivotally coupled between each adjacent pair of anvil arms, each pair of scissor links pivotally coupled to a respective carriage unit at a common center point, and a rotating blade in cooperation with the anvil arms, the method comprising:

• optionally removing each puck having a first size from its corresponding carriage unit;
• optionally fastening a puck having a second size to each corresponding carriage unit;
• providing a human-machine interface (HMI) to perform the actions of:
• modifying a rotational speed of the at least one drive shaft to modify the velocity of the puck wheel and anvil wheel, the rotational speed proportional to a throughput of discrete articles cut from a continuous web of material provided to the puck wheel;
• accelerating a selected carriage unit to linearly displace the selected carriage unit from a first position to a second position along a portion of the circumference of the puck wheel, wherein displacement of the selected carriage unit changes an angular position of corresponding anvil arms adjacent the selected carriage unit;
• adjusting a rotational speed and angular position of the rotating blade so that the rotating blade meets a distal end of a corresponding anvil arm, and cuts the continuous web of material disposed between the rotating blade and the distal end of the corresponding anvil arm;
• and
• deaccelerating a selected carriage unit to linearly displace the selected carriage unit from the second position to the first position.

A transfer apparatus configured to transfer and rotate a plurality of discrete articles cut from a continuous web of material, the transfer apparatus comprising:

• a puck wheel configured to rotate about a rotational axis;
• a plurality of carriage units operatively coupled along a circumference of the puck wheel, each carriage unit having a puck that is selectively operable to carry the discrete article thereon;
• an anvil wheel having an anvil hub and a plurality of anvil arms pivotably connected to the anvil hub and extending radially outward from the anvil hub;
• a linkage system including a pair of scissor links pivotally coupled between each adjacent pair of anvil arms, and each pair of scissor links pivotally coupled to a respective carriage unit at a common center point;
• and
• wherein displacement of a selected carriage unit along the circumference of the puck wheel changes an angular position of adjacent anvil arms relative to the circumference of the puck wheel.

A cutting and transfer system comprising:

• a cutting apparatus configured to cut an incoming continuous web of material into a plurality of discrete articles;
• and
• a transfer apparatus operably coupled to the cutting apparatus and configured to transfer and rotate the plurality of discrete articles from at least a web receiving location to an article placement location, the transfer apparatus comprising:
• a puck wheel configured to rotate about a rotational axis;
• a plurality of carriage units operatively coupled along a circumference of the puck wheel, each carriage unit having a puck that is selectively operable to carry the discrete article thereon, wherein each carriage unit is independently displaceable along a portion of the circumference of the puck wheel;
• an anvil wheel having an anvil hub and a plurality of anvil arms 70 pivotably connected to the anvil hub and extending radially outward from the anvil hub;
• a pair of scissor links pivotally coupled between each adjacent pair of anvil arms at opposite ends thereof, and pivotally coupled to a respective carriage unit at a common center point;
• and
• wherein displacement of a selected carriage unit along the circumference of the puck wheel changes an angular position of adjacent anvil arms relative to the circumference of the puck wheel via the scissor links.