Paper web alignment system

A paper web alignment system in an apparatus for making a corrugated paper product, said alignment system including at least an alignment apparatus for continuously monitoring and aligning a single face web and a separated liner as the single face web and liner are advanced along a corrugating line towards a location at which the single face web and liner are joined to form a composite laminated product, and that is particularly useful in applications in which the web must be maintained at a desired tension at particular positions along the line, said alignment apparatus comprising:

• a moveable web guide comprising vacuum tensioning means for applying a desired tension to a single face web, and said vacuum tensioning means being laterally adjustable with respect to the direction of travel of the single face web to which said means applies tension and the liner along the corrugating line so that lateral adjustment of said vacuum tensioning means laterally adjusts the path of travel of the tensioned single face web;
• a detector system adjacent said vacuum tensioning means for identifying the position of the tensioned single face web, the position of the liner and the relative position of the single face web and the liner with respect to each other, and for generating a signal representing the relative position, and wherein the position of said detector system adjacent said laterally adjustable vacuum tensioning means minimizes the amount of detected misaligned web material that progresses along the line between detection and alignment;
• and
• means responsive to said detector system for laterally moving said vacuum tensioning means in response to a signal from said detector system so that the lateral movement of said vacuum tensioning means laterally adjusts the position of the tensioned single face web with respect to the liner so that any misalignment between the tensioned single face web and the liner is minimized or eliminated when the tensioned single face web and the liner are brought together to form a composite laminated product.

An alignment apparatus for continuously monitoring and aligning paper webs superimposed upon one another such as a single face web and liner which are brought together to form one or more layers of corrugated cardboard type material, and that is particularly useful in applications in which the web must be maintained at a desired tension at particular positions along a manufacturing line, the apparatus comprising:

• a single facer for fastening a first paper liner to a fluted paper liner to form a single face web;
• a double backer for fastening a second paper liner to the single face web formed at said single facer;
• a bridging conveyor system between said single facer and said double backer and including a bridge guide, said bridge guide comprising vacuum tensioning means for applying a desired tension to the single face web formed at said single facer;
• a first light source and detector adjacent said vacuum tensioning means for generating a signal identifying the position of the tensioned single face web;
• a second light source and detector adjacent said vacuum tensioning means for generating a signal identifying the position of the second paper liner and its relative position with respect to the tensioned single face web;
• and
• means for laterally moving said vacuum tensioning means in response to the signals identifying the relative positions of the single face web and the second paper liner so that the lateral movement of said vacuum tensioning means laterally adjusts the position of the tensioned single faced web with respect to the second paper liner so that any misalignment between the tensioned single face web and the second paper liner is minimized or eliminated when the tensioned single faced web and the second paper liner are brought together to form a corrugated paper product, and wherein the position of said detector system adjacent said laterally adjustable vacuum tensioning means minimizes the amount of detected misaligned web material that progresses along the line between detection and alignment.

An apparatus for producing slit pieces of finished corrugated board from paper web material while minimizing or substantially eliminating waste along a corrugating lien that includes at least a single facer for superimposing a paper fluting and a first paper liner to form a single face web, a double backer downstream of the single facer for superimposing the single face web and a second paper liner to form a corrugated board, and a slitter downstream of the double backer for slitting the corrugated board into desired predetermined sections, the apparatus comprising:

• a first detector system adjacent said single facer for identifying the relative position of the fluting and the first liner with respect to each other prior to their entry into said single facer and for generating a signal representative of the relative position;
• means responsive to said first detector system for adjusting the relative position of the fluting and first liner in response to a signal from said first detector system so that any misalignment between the fluting and first liner is minimized or eliminated when the fluting and the first liner are brought together to form the single face web;
• a moveable web guide comprising vacuum tensioning means for applying a desired tension to a single face web, and said moveable web guide being laterally adjustable with respect to the direction of travel of the single face web along the corrugating line so that lateral adjustment of said web guide laterally adjusts the path of travel of the tensioned single face web;
• a second detector system adjacent said web guide for identifying the relative position of the single face web, and the second liner with respect to each other, and for generating a signal representing the relative position;
• means responsive to said second detector system for laterally adjusting the position of said vacuum tensioning means in response to a signal from said second detector system so that the tensioned single face web can be adjustably positioned with respect to the second liner so that any misalignment between the tensioned single face web and the liner is minimized or eliminated when the tensioned single face web and the liner are brought together to form a composite laminated corrugated board product, and wherein the position of said second detector system adjacent said laterally adjustable vacuum tensioning means minimizes the amount of detected misaligned web material that progresses along the line between detection and alignment;
• a third detector system adjacent said slitter for identifying the position of the corrugated board relative to the slitter and for generating a signal representing the relative position;
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• means responsive to said third detector system for adjusting the relative position of the corrugated board and the slitter in response to a signal from said third detector system so that the corrugated board and the slitter can be adjustably positioned with respect to one another so that any misalignment between the corrugated board and the slitter is minimized or eliminated when the corrugated board is slit.

A method of aligning a tensioned web with an objective as the tensioned web is being advanced along a processing or manufacturing corrugating line towards an objective such as a double backer on a corrugating line where a tensioned single face web and a liner are joined to form a corrugated paper product, the method comprising:

• applying a tensioning vacuum to a portion of the web as it is advanced along the line, which vacuum is sufficient to impart a desired tension to the web while allowing the web to continue to travel under tension towards the objective;
• generating a signal identifying the relative positions of the portion of the web to which the vacuum is being applied and the position of the objective with respect to one another at a position adjacent the position where the vacuum is applied to thereby determine any misalignment in the respective positions which would result in misalignment between the web and the objective;
• and
• laterally moving the position of the portion of the web to which the vacuum is applied and in response to the generated signal to thereby laterally adjust the position of the entire web with respect to the objective so that any misalignment of the web and the objective is minimized or eliminated, and wherein the step of generating a signal at a position adjacent the position where vacuum is applied minimizes the amount of detected misaligned web material that progresses along the line between detection and alignment.

A method of aligning a tensioned single face web and a liner as the tensioned single face web and liner are being separately advanced along a corrugating line towards a double backer where the tensioned single face web and liner are joined to form a corrugated paper product, the method comprising:

• applying a tensioning vacuum to a portion of the single face web as it is advanced along the corrugating line, which vacuum is sufficient to impart a desired tension to the single face web while allowing the web to continue to travel under tension towards the double backer;
• generating a signal identifying the relative positions of the portion of the tensioned single face web to which the vacuum is being applied and the position of the corresponding portion of the liner with respect to one another at a position adjacent the position where the vacuum is applied to thereby determine any misalignment in the respective positions which would result in misalignment and waste in the resulting corrugated paper product;
• and
• laterally moving the position of the portion of the tensioned single face web to which the vacuum is applied and in response to the generated signal to thereby adjust the position of the entire tensioned single face web with respect to the liner so that any misalignment of the tensioned single face web and the liner is minimized or eliminated and any waste edges in the resulting corrugated paper product are likewise minimized or eliminated, and wherein the step of generating a signal at a position adjacent the position where vacuum is applied minimizes the amount of detected misaligned web material that progresses along the line between detection and alignment.

A method of producing slit pieces of finished corrugated board from paper web material while minimizing or substantially eliminating waste, the method comprising:

• measuring the position of a first paper liner as the liner is being fed into the single facer of a corrugating line and generating a signal representative of the measured position;
• measuring the position of a paper web as the web is being fed into the same single facer as the first liner wherein the web is fluted and joined to the first liner to form a single face web, and generating a signal representative of the measured position of the paper web;
• aligning the measured positioned of the first liner and the web with respect to one another and with respect to the single facer in response to the generated signals to substantially and accurately superimpose the liner and the web upon one another and thereby reduce or eliminate wasted paper along the edges of the resulting single face web;
• measuring the position of the single face web as the single face web moves between the single facer and the double backer and generating a signal representative of the measured position;
• measuring the position of a second paper liner as the second liner is directed to the double backer and generating a signal representative of the measured position;
• laterally moving the position of the second liner at a position adjacent the position where the position of the second paper liner is measured by passing the second liner over a laterally moveable vacuum tensioning means and moving the vacuum tensioning means laterally in response to the generated signals in order to concurrently move and align the second liner with the single face web to substantially and accurately superimpose the second liner and the single face web upon one another and thereby reduce wasted paper along the edges of the resulting corrugated board, and wherein the step of laterally moving the second liner at a position adjacent the position where the position of the second paper liner is measured minimizes the amount of detected misaligned web material that progresses along the line between detection and alignment;
• measuring the position of the corrugated board prior to its entry into a slitter and generating a signal representative of the measured position;
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• adjusting the relative positions of the corrugated board and the slitter in response to the generated signal to minimize the error in alignment between the two and to thereby produce split cardboard with a minimum of waste throughout the entire process.