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AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsEugene A. Swain, Marvin Menzin, Edward A. Agranat, Henry R. Cofek, Daniel J. Fisher
Estimating the term…
Processes and apparatus for fabricating belts are disclosed comprising conveying a first mandrel to a wrapping station, supplying the leading edge of a web from a web supply roll to the first mandrel at the wrapping station, retaining the leading edge of the web on the first mandrel by means of a partial vacuum, wrapping the web around the first mandrel by rotating the first mandrel for about one revolution, severing the web at the wrapping station to form a trailing edge which overlaps the leading edge of the web to form a first belt having a seam, substantially simultaneously conveying the first mandrel to a welding station and conveying a second mandrel to the wrapping station, and substantially simultaneously wrapping the second mandrel with fresh web material from the web supply roll and welding the seam on the first belt on the first mandrel to form a unitary belt. These welded belts may be automatically removed from the mandrels at a belt discharge station.
Apparatus for fabricating electrostatographic imaging belts comprising a wrapping station, a welding station, at least a first rotatable mandrel and a second rotatable mandrel, said first rotatable mandrel and said second rotatable mandrel each comprising a cylinder having at least one first opening or one first series of openings extending axially along said outer surface of said cylinder and at least one second opening or second series of openings extending axially along said outer surface of said cylinder, said second opening or second series of openings being adjacent to and circumferentially spaced on said cylinder from said first opening or first series of openings, means to support said first rotatable mandrel, means to support said second rotatable mandrel, transporting means for conveying rotatable mandrels to and from said wrapping station and said welding station along an arc of a circular path lying in an imaginary plane extending through and parallel to the axis of said first rotatable mandrel and said second rotatable mandrel, said axis of said first rotatable mandrel and said second rotatable mandrel each being substantially perpendicular to imaginary lines radially emanating from the center of said circular path, said welding station comprising a welding means, means for supplying the leading edge of a web from a web supply roll to said wrapping station, said transporting means being adapted to position the axis of said first rotatable mandrel parallel to said leading edge of said web at said wrapping station, pick up means adapted to grip only said leading edge and position said leading edge of said web on and parallel to said first opening or first series of openings on said first rotatable mandrel conveyed to said wrapping station by said transporting means, means to form a partial vacuum within said first opening or first series of openings to secure said leading edge of said web on said first rotatable mandrel, means to rotate said first rotatable mandrel at said wrapping station about one revolution whereby said web is wrapped around said first rotatable mandrel, means to sever said web to form a trailing edge whereby said trailing edge of said web on said first rotatable mandrel at said wrapping station overlaps said leading edge of said web to form a first belt having a seam, means to form a partial vacuum within said second opening or second series of openings to secure the area of said web adjacent said trailing edge to said first rotatable mandrel, means to activate said transporting means to simultaneously convey said first rotatable mandrel wrapped with said first belt having said seam to said welding station and convey said second rotatable mandrel to said wrapping station for wrapping with a second belt, and means to weld said seam on said first belt at said welding station at substantially the same time as said second rotatable mandrel is wrapped at said wrapping station with said second belt.
A process for fabricating electrostatographic imaging belts comprising conveying a first mandrel to a wrapping station, supplying the leading edge of a web from a web supply roll to said first mandrel at said wrapping station gripping only said leading edge by means of a partial vacuum applied through at least one opening or series of openings of a pickup means, retaining said leading edge of said web on said first mandrel, said leading edge being parallel to the axis of said first rotatable mandrel, wrapping said web around said first mandrel by rotating said first mandrel for about one revolution, severing said web at said wrapping station to form a trailing edge which overlaps said leading edge of said web to form a first belt having a seam, substantially simultaneously conveying said first mandrel to a welding station comprising a belt welding means and conveying a second mandrel to said wrapping station, substantially simultaneously wrapping said second mandrel with fresh web material from said web supply roll and welding said seam on said first belt on said first mandrel to form a unitary belt, conveying said first mandrel along an arc of a substantially circular path to said wrapping station and to said welding station and while conveying said second mandrel along an arc of a substantially circular path to said wrapping station and maintaining during conveying the axis of said first mandrel and said second mandrel in an imaginary plane extending through and parallel to the axis of said first rotatable mandrel and in an attitude substantially perpendicular to an imaginary line radially emanating from the center of said circular path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.