Automatic handling of green ceramic tapes
AssigneeAluminum Company of America
InventorJames A. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method for making blanks from a fragile, flexible material cast on a supporting strip and rolled to form a composite roll of the flexible material and strip. The method includes the process of separating the supporting strip from the flexible material, winding the supporting strip on a take-up roll and cleaning the flexible material before it reaches a station for blanking cards from the flexible material. The cards blanked from material are collected on a conveyor, while a remaining skeleton of the flexible material is collected for reuse in making the flexible material.
Claims6
An automated method for making blanks from a fragile, flexible material cast on a supporting strip and rolled to form a composite payoff roll of the fragile material and supporting strip comprising:
- unwinding the fragile material and supporting strip from the roll thereof at a rate relative to the rate at which the fragile material is fed to a blanking station such that slack in the fragile material is maintained between said roll and blanking station,
- separating the supporting strip from the fragile material before it reaches the blanking station,
- winding the supporting strip on a take-up roll,
- feeding the fragile material at a controlled rate to the blanking station,
- sensing the rate at which the take-up roll receives the supporting strip,
- monitoring the slack in said fragile material,
- blanking cards from the fragile material at said station, the blanking step leaving a remaining skeleton of fragile material,
- collecting said cards,
- directing the skeleton material to a location for collecting said material,
- collecting material at said location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.