Control system for an elastomer extrusion and applicator apparatus

In a control system for an elastomer extrusion and application apparatus including:

• extrusion rate measuring means adapted to be associated with the output of an extruder for receiving a ribbon of extruded elastomer and for providing a signal representing the rate of extrusion;
• means for moving an article to have the ribbon of extruded elastomer applied thereto in a predetermined path;
• and
• applicator means along said path for receiving a ribbon of extruded elastomer and applying the same to an article moving in said path;
• the improvement comprising:
• means connected to and driven by said applicator means for providing a signal representative of the rate of application of the ribbon to the article;
• control means for controlling the speed of said moving means including means for receiving said signals and adjusting the speed of said moving means to match a desired proportion between said rate of extrusion and said rate of application;
• whereby the ribbon may be stretched a desired controlled amount prior to application and subsequent to extrusion.

In a control system for an elastomer extrusion and application apparatus including:

• extrusion rate measuring means adapted to be associated with the output of an extruder for receiving a ribbon of extruded elastomer and for providing a signal representing the rate of extrusion;
• article moving means for moving an article to have the ribbon of extruded elastomer applied thereto to a predetermined path;
• applicator means along said path for receiving a ribbon of extruded elastomer and applying the same to an article moving in said path;
• ribbon moving means between said extrusion rate measuring means and said applicator means for moving the ribbon from said extrusion rate measuring means to said applicator means;
• means for driving said ribbon moving means;
• and
• a first speed control for said driving means including means providing a signal representing the rate of movement of said ribbon by said ribbon moving means, and means for receiving said movement rate and extrusion rate signals and for adjusting the speed of said driving means to match a desired proportion between said rate of extrusion and said rate of movement;
• the improvement comprising:
• means connected to said applicator means for providing a signal representative of the rate of application of the ribbon to the article;
• second speed control means for controlling the speed of said article moving means including means for receiving at least one of said extrusion rate and said movement rate signals and said application rate signal and for adjusting the speed of said article moving means to match a desired proportion between said rate of extrusion and said rate of application;
• and
• means for selectively changing the value of either of said desired proportions.

In a control system for an extrusion and application apparatus including:

• extrusion rate measuring means adapted to be associated with the output of an extruder for receiving a ribbon of extruded material and for providing a signal representing the rate of extrusion;
• means for moving an article to have the ribbon of extruded material applied thereto in a predetermined path;
• and
• applicator means along said path for receiving a ribbon of extruded material and applying the same to an article moving in said path;
• the improvement comprising:
• means connected to and driven by said applicator means for providing a signal representative of the rate of application of the ribbon to the article;
• and
• control means for controlling the speed of said moving means including means for receiving said signals and adjusting the speed of said moving means to match a desired proportion between said rate of extrusion and said rate of application.

In an elastomeric ribbon application system, the combination of:

• means for moving an article to have an elastomeric ribbon applied thereto in a predetermined path;
• an applicator adjacent said path for applying a ribbon to an article in said path and including an applicator roller rotatable about an axis;
• means mounting said applicator for movement (a) along a first axis generally across said path, (b) along a second axis towards and away from said path, and (c) about a third axis such that said applicator roller axis will be generally parallel to the surface of the article to which the ribbon is applied;
• means for moving said applicator about said first, second and third axes;
• ribbon forming means for providing an elastomeric ribbon to said applicator;
• means for providing a signal representing the provision of ribbon by said forming means to said applicator;
• means connected to and driven by said applicator roller for providing a signal representing application of the ribbon to the article;
• and
• a servo system receiving said signals and controlling the speed of said article moving means to thereby control the rate at which the ribbon is applied to the article by being drawn over the applicator roller irrespective of variation in the provision of the ribbon to the applicator and varying geometry of the article.

In an elastomeric ribbon application system, the combination of:

• means for moving an article to have an elastomeric ribbon applied thereto in a predetermined path;
• an applicator adjacent said path for applying a ribbon to an article in said path and including an applicator roller rotatable about an axis;
• means mounting said applicator for movement (a) along a first axis generally across said path, (b) along a second axis towards and away from said path, and (c) about a third axis such that said applicator roller axis will be generally parallel to the surface of the article to which the ribbon is applied;
• means for moving said applicator about said first, second and third axes;
• ribbon providing means for providing an elastomeric ribbon to be applied to the article;
• first means providing a first signal representing ribbon provision from said ribbon providing means;
• means for moving the ribbon from the ribbon providing means to the applicator;
• second means providing a second signal representing ribbon movement by the ribbon moving means;
• a first servo system receiving said first and second signals and controlling said ribbon moving means to move ribbon at a first, faster proportioned rate than it is provided by the ribbon providing means;
• third means providing a third signal representing the application of ribbon to the article;
• and
• a second servo system receiving said third signal and one of said first and second signals to control said article moving means to cause application of ribbon the article at a second proportioned rate faster than said first proportioned rate.

In an elastomeric ribbon application system, the combination of:

• means for moving an article to have an elastomeric ribbon applied thereto in a predetermined path;
• an applicator adjacent said path for applying a ribbon to an article in said path and including an applicator roller rotatable about an axis;
• means mounting said applicator for movement (a) along a first axis generally across said path, (b) along a second axis towards and away from said path, and (c) about a third axis such that said applicator roller axis will be generally parallel to the surface of the article to which the ribbon is applied;
• means for moving said applicator about said first second and third axes;
• ribbon providing means for providing ribbon to be applied to an article;
• a conveyor for conveying ribbon to said applicator;
• means mounting said conveyor for conjoint movement with said applicator;
• a movable take-up carriage receiving ribbon from said ribbon providing means and directing it to the conveyor;
• and means interconnecting said take-up carriage and said conveyor for synchronized movement such that for varying paths of ribbon movement from the ribbon providing means to the applicator, the length of said paths will remain at a fixed value.