Rotary die cutting and laminating process and machine

A machine for cutting blanks from a web of flexible material and applying them to a substrate comprising:

• coacting die and anvil cylinders journalled for rotation with their axes substantially parallel to each other, at least said die cylinder having radially projecting severing elements thereon constructed and arranged to cut in cooperation with said anvil cylinder a plurality of blanks from a web of flexible material passing between the die and anvil cylinders when they are co-rotating, at least one set of a plurality of ports on said anvil cylinder and arranged to underlie a blank received thereon, at least one rotary valve having a vacuum port and a pressure port and being operably associated with said anvil cylinder so that as said anvil cylinder rotates each set of its ports is coupled sequentially in at least two circumferentially spaced zones and alternately with said vacuum port and said pressure port at least once per complete revolution of said anvil cylinder to retain a blank thereon and release it therefrom, a transfer roller journalled for rotation on an axis generally parallel to the axis of rotation of said anvil cylinder, at least one set of a plurality of ports on said transfer roller arranged to underlie a blank received thereon, at least one rotary valve having a vacuum port and a pressure port and being operably associated with said transfer roller so that as it rotates each set of its ports is coupled sequentially in at least two circumferentially spaced zones and alternately with said vacuum port and said pressure port at least once per complete revolution of said roller to retain a blank thereon and release it while being applied by said roller to a substrate, a drive conveyor constructed and arranged to convey each of a plurality of substrates sequentially closely adjacent to and by said transfer roller in synchronization therewith so that as a blank is released from said roller it is transferred and applied to a substrate, and a stacker constructed and arranged to receive a plurality of substrates and having a dispenser which deposits one substrate at a time onto said drive conveyor upstream of said transfer roller while said drive conveyor is continuously moving, whereby when the die cylinder, anvil cylinder and transfer roller are co-rotating blanks are cut from the web, received on and handed off the anvil cylinder, and received on the transfer roller and released and applied to a substrate carried by said drive conveyor to laminate the blanks to the substrates.

A machine for cutting blanks from a web of flexible material and applying them to a substrate comprising:

• coacting die and anvil cylinders journalled for rotation with their axes substantially parallel to each other, at least said die cylinder having radially projecting severing elements thereon constructed and arranged to cut in cooperation with said anvil cylinder a plurality of blanks from a web of flexible material passing between the die and anvil cylinders when they are co-rotating, at least one set of a plurality of ports on said anvil cylinder and arranged to underlie a blank received thereon, at least one rotary valve having a vacuum port and a pressure port and being operably associated with said anvil cylinder so that as said anvil cylinder rotates each set of its ports is coupled sequentially in at least two circumferentially spaced zones and alternately with said vacuum port and said pressure port to at least once per complete revolution of said anvil cylinder to retain a blank thereon and release it therefrom, a transfer roller journalled for rotation on an axis generally parallel to the axis of rotation of said anvil cylinder, at least one set of a plurality of ports on said transfer roller arranged to underlie a blank received thereon, at least one rotary valve having a vacuum port and a pressure port and being operably associated with said transfer roller so that as it rotates each set of its ports is coupled sequentially in at least two circumferentially spaced zones and alternately with said vacuum port and said pressure port at least once per complete revolution of said roller to retain a blank thereon and release it while being applied by said roller to a substrate, a drive conveying a substrate closely adjacent to and by said transfer roller in synchronization therewith so that as a blank is released from said roller it is transferred and applied to a substrate, a support roller journalled for rotation on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said transfer roller and having a rib on and projecting radially outward from said support roller and having a cylindrical outer face which underlies, bears on, has rolling contact with and supports a substrate while a blank is applied thereto by said transfer roller and said rolling contact is along a path which substantially lies in a plane containing the axes of rotation of both said transfer roller and said support roller, whereby when the die cylinder, anvil cylinder and transfer roller are co-rotating blanks are cut from the web, received on and handed off the anvil cylinder, and received on the transfer roller and released and applied to a substrate to laminate the blanks and the substrate.

A machine for cutting blanks from a web of flexible material and applying them to a substrate comprising:

• coacting die and anvil cylinders journalled for rotation with their axes substantially parallel to each other, at least said die cylinder having radially projecting severing elements thereon constructed and arranged to cut in cooperation with said anvil cylinder a plurality of blanks from a web of flexible material passing between the die and anvil cylinders when they are co-rotating, at least one set of a plurality of ports on said anvil cylinder and arranged to underlie a blank received thereon, at least one rotary valve having a vacuum port and a pressure port and being operably associated with said anvil cylinder so that as said anvil cylinder rotates each set of its ports is coupled sequentially in at least two circumferentially spaced zones and alternately with said vacuum port and said pressure port at least once per complete revolution of said anvil cylinder to retain a blank thereon and release it therefrom, a transfer roller journalled for rotation on an axis generally parallel to the axis of rotation of said anvil cylinder, at least one set of a plurality of ports on said transfer roller arranged to underlie a blank received thereon, at least one rotary valve having a vacuum port and a pressure port and being operably associated with said transfer roller so that as it rotates each set of its ports is coupled sequentially in at least two circumferentially spaced zones and alternately with said vacuum port and said pressure port at least once per complete revolution of said roller to retain a blank thereon and release it while being applied by said roller to a substrate, a heater upstream of said transfer roller and constructed and arranged to heat a substrate to an elevated temperature before the substrate passes by the transfer roller, a drive conveying a heated substrate closely adjacent to and by said transfer roller in synchronization therewith so that as a blank is normally released from said roller it is transferred and applied to a substrate, whereby when the die cylinder, anvil cylinder and transfer roller are co-rotating blanks are cut from the web, received on and handed off the anvil cylinder, and received on the transfer roller and normally released and applied to a substrate to laminate the blanks and substrate, a chute disposed adjacent said transfer roller for receiving blanks released from said transfer roller prior to being applied to a substrate, a third valve having an inlet for gas under pressure and operably connected with said rotary valve associated with said transfer roller to interrupt the normal application by said rotary valve of vacuum to a set of ports of said transfer roller and to apply gas under pressure thereto to release from said transfer roller a blank overlying said ports prior to application of such blank to a substrate so that such blank can be passed off to said chute, and a temperature detector constructed and arranged to detect the temperature of the substrate before it passes by the transfer roller and if such temperature of such substrate is less than a predetermined minimum temperature to actuate said third valve to release the blank so that is passes off to the chute and is not applied by the transfer roller to such substrate, whereby blanks are not applied to the substrate when the temperature of the substrate is less than such predetermined minimum temperature.

A machine for cutting membranes from a web of flexible material and applying them to a substrate comprising, a first pair of co-acting die and anvil cylinders journalled for rotation with their axes substantially parallel to each other, at least said first die cylinder having radially projecting severing elements thereon constructed and arranged to cut in cooperation with said anvil cylinder at least two strips from a web of flexible material and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart tabs on at least one of said strips, a second pair of co-acting die and anvil cylinders journalled for rotation with their axes substantially parallel to each other and spaced downstream from said first pair of die and anvil cylinders, at least said second die cylinder having radially projecting severing elements thereon constructed and arranged to cut in cooperation with said second anvil cylinder a plurality of blanks from each strip of flexible material with the blanks cut from at least said one strip including the tab thereof when both strips of material simultaneously pass between said second die and anvil cylinders while they are co-rotating, at least one first set and one second set of a plurality of ports generally axially spaced apart on said second anvil cylinder with each set of ports arranged to underlie a blank received thereon, at least a first rotary valve and a second rotary valve each having a vacuum port and a pressure port and being operably associated with said second anvil cylinder so that as said second anvil cylinder rotates each of said first and second sets of its ports is coupled sequentially in at least two circumferentially spaced zones and alternately with said vacuum port and said pressure port at least once for each complete revolution of said second anvil cylinder to retain a membrane thereon and release it therefrom, a transfer roller journalled for rotation on an axis generally parallel to the axis of rotation of said second anvil cylinder, at least one first set and one second set of a plurality of ports generally axially spaced apart on said transfer roller and each arranged to underlie a blank received thereon, at least a third rotary valve and a fourth rotary valve each having a vacuum port and pressure port and being operably associated with said transfer roller so that as it rotates each of said first and second sets of its ports is coupled sequentially in at least two circumferentially spaced zones and alternately with said vacuum port and said pressure port, at least once for each complete revolution of said roller to retain a blank thereon and release it while being applied by said roller to a substrate, and a drive conveying substrates closely adjacent to and by said transfer roller in synchronization therewith so that as a blank is being released by said roller it is transferred and applied to a substrate, whereby when the die cylinders, anvil cylinders and transfer roller are co-rotating blanks are cut from strips of the web, received on and handed off from the second anvil cylinder, and received on the transfer roller and released and applied to substrates to laminate the blanks and the substrates.