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US 5,794,500 AGranted
Apparatus and method for slitting thin webs
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsMichael Long, James Arthur White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Knives (28, 30, 122) are held in tangential, resilient (106, 108) or fixed (132, 136) contact with a surface of an air bar (12-20) or air table (142); so that a web (26) moving on a cushion of air (46) over the air bar or table is cleanly slit into webs (32, 34, 36) of smaller width.
Claims23
A method for slitting a thin web, comprising the steps of:
- providing a non-rotating air support member having a porous surface with an average pore size of about 2 .mu.m;
- moving a thin web past the air support member;
- directing pressurized air to the air support member to float the web above the micro-porous surface;
- providing at least one non-rotating cutting element having a cutting edge;
- and
- supporting the cutting edge against the micro-porous surface such that the cutting edge tangentially engages the micro-porous surface, whereby the thin web is slit by the at least one cutting element as the web floats above the micro-porous surface and moves past the air support member.
3 more elements
A slitting apparatus in combination with a thin traveling web, comprising:
- an air support member having an arcuate micro-porous surface;
- a rotatable vacuum drum adjacent the air support member;
- the thin traveling web wrapped about a first portion of the rotatable vacuum drum, the thin traveling web exiting the rotatable vacuum drum to wrap about the arcuate micro-porous surface, the thin traveling web exiting the arcuate micro-porous surface to wrap a second portion of the rotatable vacuum drum;
- means for directing pressurized air to the air support member to float the thin traveling web above the micro-porous surface;
- at least one stationary cutting element adjustably supported proximate to the air support member;
- and
- a cutting edge integral with the at least one stationary cutting element, the cutting edge tangentially engaging and supported against the arcuate micro-porous surface, the thin traveling web being slit by the at least one stationary cutting element as the thin traveling web floats above the arcuate porous surface, engages the cutting element and moves past the air support member.
4 more elements
A method for slitting a traveling web, comprising the steps of:
- providing a non-rotating air support member having a micro-porous surface;
- engaging the traveling web with a rotatable vacuum drum;
- metering movement of the traveling web with the vacuum drum;
- disengaging the traveling web from the rotatable vacuum drum;
- moving the traveling web across the micro-porous surface;
- directing pressurized air to the air support member to float the web above the micro-porous surface;
- providing at least one non-rotating cutting element having a cutting edge;
- supporting the cutting edge against the micro-porous surface such that the cutting edge tangentially engages the micro-porous surface, whereby the traveling web is slit by the at least one cutting element as the web floats above the micro-porous surface and moves past the air support member;
- re-engaging the traveling web with the rotatable vacuum drum.
6 more elements
A method for slitting a traveling web, comprising the steps of:
- providing a non-rotating air support member having a micro-porous surface;
- wrapping the traveling web about a first portion of a rotatable vacuum drum upstream of the non-rotating air support member;
- metering movement of the traveling web with the vacuum drum;
- disengaging the traveling web from the rotatable vacuum drum;
- moving the traveling web across the micro-porous surface;
- directing pressurized air to the air support member to float the web above the micro-porous surface;
- providing at least one non-rotating cutting element having a cutting edge;
- supporting the cutting edge against the micro-porous surface such that the cutting edge tangentially engages the micro-porous surface, whereby the traveling web is slit by the at least one cutting element as the web floats above the micro-porous surface and moves past the air support member thereby generating a traveling slit web;
- wrapping the traveling slit web about a second portion of the rotatable vacuum drum downstream of the non-rotating air support member.
6 more elements
An apparatus for slitting a thin web, comprising:
- an air support member having an arcuate micro-porous surface;
- means for moving the thin web past the air support member;
- means for directing pressurized air to the air support member to float the thin web above the porous surface;
- at least one stationary cutting element adjustably supported proximate to the air support member;
- and
- a cutting edge integral with the at least one stationary cutting element, the cutting edge tangentially engaging and supported against the arcuate micro-porous surface, the thin web being slit by the at least one stationary cutting element as the web floats above the arcuate porous surface, engages the cutting element and moves past the air support member.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.