Apparatus and method for cleaning a roller

Abstract

A cleaning system for removing contaminants from the surface of a roller. A stationary cleaning pad is forced at a first urging force against a roller to be cleaned, and the roller is driven in rubbing contact with the pad. Preferably, the pad is supplied continuously with a cleaning liquid. An actuator disposed against a portion of the back of the pad urges that portion against the roller at a second, greater urging force to accelerate the rate of cleaning. A control loop between the roller motor drive and the actuator responds to a signal from the drive indicative of the magnitude of frictional resistance between the roller and the pad and increases or decreases the second force furnished by the actuator to provide a predetermined constant frictional resistance during cleaning. If flow of cleaning liquid to the pad is lost, friction can build up quickly and the roller surface can become damaged. The system safeguards the roller surface by reducing the actuator force to counter frictional increase and by terminating the cleaning cycle and alarming the condition when the limit of controller action is reached.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.