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US 5,944,278 AGranted
Flexible web converter waste removal apparatus and control
AssigneePhilip Morris Incorporated
InventorsWilliam H. Stevens, III, Kenneth E. Rudolph, Jr., Edmond J. Cadieux, Jr., Jonathan Warren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for reducing, capturing and disposing of the waste start up web of paper in high-speed manufacturing procedures which involve a converting step, e.g. laser perforation or the like. Specifically, the converting apparatus and the web speed are carefully and precisely controlled by a programmable logic controller to result in a rapid production of converted web with a minimum of waste. The apparatus and method are tuned by sampling the waste and web for conversion quality, and using that information to adjust the converting apparatus and bias that adjustment for maximum reduction in waste.
Claims15
An apparatus for collecting strip material produced from the conversion of a flexible web of the strip material supplied in a bobbin, the apparatus comprising:
- a first spindle for accepting at least one bobbin of an unconverted flexible web of strip paper material, said first spindle being mounted for of angular rotation,
- a second spindle for receiving a portion of the strip material of the at least one bobbin of strip material after it has been converted, said second spindle providing powered angular rotation and being displaceable in a path,
- a third spindle for receiving waste strip material produced during the conversion of the strip material, said third spindle providing powered angular rotation and being located proximate to said second spindle,
- a pathway for the strip material between said first spindle and said third spindle, said pathway for the strip material intersecting at least tangentially the path of displacement of said second spindle,
- a variable converter located along the pathway, said convertor being adapted to perform a conversion function at different rates to produce a converted flexible material,
- an adhesive tab applicator arm located immediately upstream of the second spindle and being configured to insert an adhesive tab between the second spindle and the converted flexible material,
- a cutting knife for cutting the waste portion of the web from the converted portion of the web,
- a control device for operating the apparatus, said control device being a computing device which controls the angular rotation of each spindle, the variable converter, the adhesive tab applicator arm, and the cutting knife, in response to sensor input and control output;
- whereby, during operation
- a first portion of the flexible material from the at least one bobbin is fed to the third spindle through the pathway at an accelerating speed,
- the converter is actuated to a preselected effective rate,
- the control device actuates the adhesive tab applicator arm to insert an adhesive tab between the paper and the second spindle after the point where the preselected conversion level is reached,
- after the adhesive tab is inserted, the control device actuates the knife to cut the flexible web at or immediately before the adhesive tab to sever waste flexible material from converted flexible material, and
- the second spindle and the converter are concurrently thereafter controlled to give a conversion rate at the preselected level for the duration of the conversion of the bobbin to yield a bobbin of converted flexible material on said second spindle and a length of waste material on said third spindle.
11 more elements
An apparatus for collecting strip paper material produced from the laser perforation of a flexible web of strip paper material supplied in bobbin form, the apparatus comprising:
- a first spindle for accepting at least one bobbin of an unconverted flexible web of strip paper material, said first spindle being mounted for angular rotation and being provided with a brake, said first spindle being at the beginning of a paper pathway,
- a second spindle for receiving the major portion of the strip material of the at least one bobbin of strip material after it has been converted, said second spindle providing powered angular rotation and said second spindle being mounted on a pivotable arm and being displaceable in an arcuate path which intersects the paper pathway,
- a third spindle for receiving waste strip material produced during the conversion of the strip material, said third spindle providing powered angular rotation and being located proximate to said second spindle at the end of the paper pathway, said third spindle further comprising a slot therein extending through the third spindle in the direction of the axis of rotation,
- a variable power laser perforator located along the pathway, said perforator generating a laser beam directed into said paper pathway, and further comprising a shutter for chopping the laser beam into discrete pulses,
- an adhesive tab applicator arm located immediately upstream of the second spindle and being configured to insert an adhesive tab between the second spindle and the converted flexible material,
- a cutting knife for cutting the waste portion of the web from the converted portion of the web, and
- a control device for operating the machine, said control device being a computing device which is provided with software programming which controls the angular rotation of each spindle, the speed of the paper web/ the power and pulse duration of the laser, the brake, the adhesive tab applicator arm, and the cutting knife;
- whereby the apparatus is configured to
- feed a first portion of the flexible material from the at least one bobbin to the third spindle through the pathway at an accelerating speed,
- provide power to the laser perforator in sufficient amount to perforate the web at a determined speed,
- actuate the adhesive tab applicator arm to insert an adhesive tab between the paper and the second spindle after the point where a preselected conversion level is reached,
- actuate the knife to cut the flexible web at or immediately before the adhesive tab to sever waste flexible material from converted flexible material,
- accelerate the second spindle at rates selected by the control device to give a conversion rate at the preselected level for the duration of the conversion of the bobbin to yield a bobbin of converted flexible material on said second spindle and a minor length of waste material on said third spindle.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.