Method and apparatus for breaking film perforations

A method for breaking film perforations between a plurality of adjacent films using a perforation detector, a processor, an in-feed device, an out-feed device, and a festooner positioned between the in-feed device and the out-feed device, the in-feed device and the out-feed device moving the plurality of adjacent films downstream through the festooner, the festooner having a plurality of rollers extending from a rotatable hub shaft, the processor coupled to the perforation detector and the festooner, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) rotating the hub shaft to a home position;
• (b) feeding a leading edge of a first film through the festooner and into the out-feed device using the in-feed device;
• (c) detecting the leading edge of an upstream adjacent second film using the perforation detector;
• (d) in response to step (c), notifying the processor so that the processor keeps track of the location of the leading edge of the second film;
• and
• (e) in response to a signal from the processor indicating that the leading edge of the second film is located between the in-feed device and the festooner, rotating the hub shaft at such a speed as to controllably break the perforations between the first film and the second film.

A method for breaking film perforations between a plurality of adjacent films using a perforation detector, a processor, an in-feed device, an out-feed device, and a festooner positioned between the in-feed device and the out-feed device, the in-feed device and the out-feed device continuously moving the plurality of adjacent films downstream through the festooner, the festooner having a plurality of rollers extending from a rotatable hub shaft, the processor coupled to the perforation detector and the festooner, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) detecting the leading edge of a first film using the perforation detector;
• (b) in response to step (a), notifying the processor so that the processor keeps track of the location of the leading edge of the first film;
• (c) rotating the hub shaft to a home position;
• (d) feeding the first film through the festooner and into the out-feed device using the in-feed device, the out-feed device moving film downstream at a slower speed than the in-feed device;
• (e) detecting the leading edge of an upstream adjacent second film using the perforation detector;
• (f) in response to step (e), notifying the processor so that the processor keeps track of the location of the leading edge of the second film;
• (g) in response to a signal from the processor indicating that the leading edge of the first film has travelled a predetermined distance such that it is located at the out-feed device, rotating the hub shaft at a high boost speed so that the rollers take up slack in the first film generated by the slower speed of the out-feed device relative to the in-feed device;
• (h) in response to a signal from the processor indicating that the leading edge of the second film has travelled a second predetermined distance such that it is located between the in-feed device and the festooner, rotating the hub shaft at a relatively slow speed so as to controllably break the perforations between the first film and the second film;
• and
• (i) repeating steps (a) through (h) for each pair of adjacent films in the plurality of adjacent films.

An apparatus for breaking film perforations between a plurality of adjacent films, comprising:

• an in-feed device for moving the plurality of adjacent films downstream at a first speed as each of the plurality of adjacent films passes therethrough;
• an out-feed device for receiving each of the plurality of adjacent films at a downstream locations from said in-feed device and for moving each of the plurality of adjacent films further downstream at a second speed slower than said first speed;
• a festooner disposed between said in-feed device and said out-feed device and having a plurality of rollers extending from a rotatable hub shaft, each of said plurality of adjacent films passes between said rollers while moving downstream from said in-feed device to said out-feed device, said festooner receiving each of said plurality of adjacent films while said hub shaft is oriented in a home position;
• a perforation detector, disposed adjacent said in-feed device, for detecting said perforations between each of said plurality of adjacent films:
• a processor, coupled to said perforation detector and said festooner, for controlling the rotational speed of said hub shaft in response to said perforation detector determining the positions of each of said plurality of adjacent films:
• arid
• a drive rotatably driving said hub shaft in response to said processor, said drive first rotating said hub shaft at a high boost speed after each of said plurality of adjacent films is initially fed through said festooner and into said out-feed device so that said rollers take up film slack generated by the slower speed of said out-feed device relative to said in-feed device, said drive then rotating said hub shaft at a slow speed relative to the high boost speed so as to controllably break the perforations while the perforations between each of said plurality of adjacent films and a respective upstream adjacent film are located between said in-feed device and said festooner.

An apparatus for breaking film perforations between a plurality of adjacent films, comprising:

• an in-feed device for moving the plurality of adjacent films downstream at a first speed as each of the plurality of adjacent films passes therethrough;
• an out-feed device for receiving each of the plurality of adjacent films at a downstream locations from said in-feed device and moving each of the plurality of adjacent films further downstream at a second speed slower than said first speed;
• a festooner disposed between said in-feed device and said out-feed device and having a plurality of rollers extending from a rotatable hub shaft, each of said plurality of adjacent films passes between said rollers while moving downstream from said in-feed device to said out-feed device, said festooner receiving each of said plurality of adjacent films while said hub shaft is oriented in a home position;
• a drive rotatably driving said hub shaft;
• a perforation detector, disposed adjacent said in-feed device, for detecting the leading edge of each of said plurality of adjacent films;
• and
• a processor, coupled to said perforation detector and said festooner, for controlling the rotational speed of said hub shaft in response to said perforation detector by keeping track of the location of the leading edge of each of said plurality of adjacent films;
• said drive, in response to said processor determining that the leading edge of one of said plurality of adjacent films is located between said in-feed device and said festooner, rotating said hub shaft at such a speed as to controllably break the perforations between said one of said plurality of adjacent films and an upstream adjacent film.

An apparatus for breaking film perforations between a plurality of adjacent films, comprising:

• an in-feed device for moving the plurality of adjacent films downstream at a first speed as each of the plurality of adjacent films passes therethrough;
• an out-feed device for receiving each of the plurality of adjacent films at a downstream locations from said in-feed device and moving each of the plurality of adjacent films further downstream at a second speed slower than said first speed;
• a festooner disposed between said in-feed device and said out-feed device and having a plurality of rollers extending from a rotatable hub shaft, each of said plurality of adjacent films passes between said rollers while moving downstream from said in-feed device to said out-feed device, said festooner receiving each of said plurality of adjacent films while said hub shaft is oriented in a home position;
• a drive rotatably driving said hub shaft;
• a perforation detector, disposed adjacent said in-feed device, for detecting the leading edge of each of said plurality of adjacent films;
• and
• a processor, coupled to said perforation detector and said festooner, for controlling the rotational speed of said hub shaft in response to said perforation detector by keeping track of the location of the leading edge of each of said plurality of adjacent films;
• said drive, in response to said processor determining that the leading edge of one of said plurality of adjacent films has travelled a predetermined distance such that it is located at the out-feed device, rotating said hub shaft at a high boost speed so that said rollers take up film slack generated by the slower speed of said out-feed device relative to said in-feed device;
• said drive, in response to said processor determining that the leading edge of an upstream film adjacent to said one of said plurality of adjacent films has travelled a second predetermined distance such that it is located between said in-feed device and said festooner, rotating said hub shaft at a slow speed relative to the high boost speed so as to controllably break the perforations between said one of said plurality of adjacent films and said upstream adjacent film;
• said drive, after the perforations between said one of said plurality of adjacent films and said upstream adjacent film are broken, rotating said hub shaft to a second home position for receiving said upstream adjacent film.