In-line web separator
AssigneeClopay Plastic Products Company, Inc.
InventorThomas G. Mushaben
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for in-line separation of polymer film and non-woven to compensate for the increased width due to stretching in the cross-machine (CD) direction. Due to the stretching in the cross-machine direction, typically by interdigital rolling or tentering, the width of individual webs is increased. To compensate for the increase in width, the apparatus and method of the present invention is employed to provide for in-line separation of the narrow webs. The apparatus of the present invention may allow for simplicity in threading the device, due to the ability to automatically thread individual turning bars by moving the turning bars across the undeflected path of the web.
Claims9
An in-line web separator for laterally separating a plurality of incoming substantially parallel abutting, adjacent or overlapping webs, the web separator comprising:
- an input station for receiving a plurality of incoming substantially parallel webs;
- a first plurality of web deflectors for deflecting the plurality of substantially parallel webs discharged from the input station to a plurality of nonparallel separation directions such that the plurality of webs is no longer parallel, the first plurality of web deflectors being selectively movable between an inoperable position and an operable position;
- a second plurality of web deflectors for deflecting the plurality of nonparallel webs such that the plurality of webs become substantially parallel and adjacent webs are laterally separated;
- and
- an output station for receiving the plurality of substantially parallel and laterally separated webs, the output station and the input station each having an axis defining a plane passing therebetween;
- wherein in an inoperable position the first plurality of web deflectors is disposed on a first side of the plane such that the first plurality of web deflectors does not engage the plurality of substantially parallel webs in order that the plurality of substantially parallel webs may be threaded directly from the input station to the output station, in an operable position the first plurality of web deflectors is disposed on a second side on the plane such that the first plurality of web deflectors engage and thus deflect the plurality of substantially parallel webs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.