Method and apparatus for forming score lines on pre-cut envelope blanks

An apparatus for forming a score line on a sheet goods blank, comprising:

• a machine frame;
• a scoring blade roller rotatably supported on said machine frame;
• a counter roller rotatably supported adjacent to said scoring blade roller;
• a rotation drive;
• and
• a drive shaft connected to said rotation drive, with said scoring blade roller being mounted on said drive shaft to rotate said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said scoring blade roller includes at least one scoring blade adapted to cooperate with said counter roller to form a score line on a sheet goods blank, and a suction shell that is mounted on said drive shaft and that extends along a first angular portion of a circumference of said scoring blade roller corresponding to about 120° of said circumference;
• and
• wherein said suction shell has a plurality of suction holes in an outer arcuate surface thereof that are adapted to be connected to a suction vacuum so as to suction hold said sheet goods blank onto said suction shell to engage and transport said sheet goods blank on said scoring blade roller.

An apparatus for forming a score line on a sheet goods blank, comprising:

• a machine frame;
• a scoring blade roller rotatably supported on said machine frame;
• a counter roller rotatably supported adjacent to said scoring blade roller;
• a rotation drive;
• and
• a drive shaft connected to said rotation drive, with said scoring blade roller being mounted on said drive shaft to rotate said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said scoring blade roller includes a first pair of support rings fixed onto said drive shaft, a second pair of support rings rotationally adjustably clamped onto said drive shaft, a third pair of support rings rotationally adjustably clamped onto said drive shaft, a fixedly mounted first scoring blade and an adjustably mounted second scoring blade that are respectively adapted to cooperate with said counter roller to form respective score lines on a sheet goods blank, and a suction shell that is mounted on said drive shaft and that extends on a first angular portion of a circumference of said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said fixedly mounted first scoring blade is secured to said first pair of support rings, said adjustably mounted second scoring blade is secured to said second pair of support rings, and said suction shell is secured to said third pair of support rings;
• wherein said first scoring blade is fixedly mounted at a non-adjustable circumferential position relative to said drive shaft, and said second scoring blade is adjustably mounted at an adjustable circumferential position relative to said drive shaft, relative to said non-adjustable circumferential position of said first scoring blade, and relative to said suction shell;
• wherein said suction shell has an adjustable circumferential position relative to said drive shaft, relative to said fixedly mounted first scoring blade and relative to said adjustably mounted second scoring blade;
• and
• wherein said suction shell has a plurality of suction holes in an outer arcuate surface thereof that are adapted to be connected to a suction vacuum so as to suction hold said sheet goods blank onto said suction shell to engage and transport said sheet goods blank on said scoring blade roller.

An apparatus for forming a score line on a sheet goods blank, comprising:

• a machine frame;
• a scoring blade roller rotatably supported on said machine frame;
• a counter roller rotatably supported adjacent to said scoring blade roller;
• a rotation drive;
• and
• a drive shaft connected to said rotation drive, with said scoring blade roller being mounted on said drive shaft to rotate aid scoring blade roller;
• wherein said scoring blade roller includes at least one scoring blade adapted to cooperate with said counter roller to form a score line on a sheet goods blank, and a suction shell that is mounted on said drive shaft and that extends on a first angular portion of a circumference of said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said suction shell has a plurality of suction holes in an outer arcuate surface thereof that are adapted to be connected to a suction vacuum so as to suction hold said sheet goods blank onto said suction shell to engage and transport said sheet goods blank on said scoring blade roller;
• and
• wherein said first angular portion is in a range from 20° to 180°, said suction shell has an arcuate length extending entirely along said first angular portion, and at least some of said suction holes are angularly displaced from one another by an angle within said range of said first angular portion.

An apparatus for forming a score line on a sheet goods blank, comprising:

• a machine frame;
• a scoring blade roller rotatably supported on said machine frame;
• a counter roller rotatably supported adjacent to said scoring blade roller;
• a rotation drive;
• and
• a drive shaft connected to said rotation drive, with said scoring blade roller being mounted on said drive shaft to rotate said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said scoring blade roller includes at least one scoring blade adapted to cooperate with said counter roller to form a score line on a sheet goods blank, and a suction shell that is mounted on said drive shaft and that extends on a first angular portion of a circumference of said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said suction shell has a plurality of suction holes in an outer arcuate surface thereof that are adapted to be connected to a suction vacuum so as to suction hold said sheet goods blank onto said suction shell to engage and transport said sheet goods blank on said scoring blade roller;
• and
• wherein none of said suction holes are located within a clearance angle of at least ±20° from any one of said at least one scoring blade.

An apparatus for forming a score line on a sheet goods blank, comprising:

• a machine frame;
• a scoring blade roller rotatably supported on said machine frame;
• a counter roller rotatably supported adjacent to said scoring blade roller;
• a rotation drive;
• and
• a drive shaft connected to said rotation drive, with said scoring blade roller being mounted on said drive shaft to rotate said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said scoring blade roller includes at least one scoring blade adapted to cooperate with said counter roller to form a score line on a sheet goods blank, and a suction shell that is mounted on said drive shaft and that extends on a first angular portion of a circumference of said scoring blade roller;
• and
• wherein said suction shell has a plurality of suction holes in an outer arcuate surface thereof that are adapted to be connected to a suction vacuum so as to suction hold said sheet goods blank onto said suction shell to engage and transport said sheet goods blank on said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said suction holes comprise plural separate groups of said suction holes;
• and
• further comprising means for selectively communicating said suction vacuum to only a single selected one of said groups of said suction holes continuously as said single selected one of said groups rotates with said scoring blade roller through a suction-holding rotational angle of at least 120°.

A combination of a sheet goods blank comprising an individual pre-cut piece of a flexible non-stretchable material, and an apparatus for forming a score line on said sheet goods blank, comprising:

• a machine frame;
• a scoring blade roller rotatably supported on said machine frame;
• a counter roller rotatably supported adjacent to said scoring blade roller;
• a rotation drive;
• and
• a drive shaft connected to said rotation drive, with said scoring blade roller being mounted on said drive shaft to rotate said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said scoring blade roller includes at least one scoring blade adapted to cooperate with said counter roller to form a score line on said sheet goods blank, and a suction shell that is mounted on said drive shaft and that extends on a first angular portion of a circumference of said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said suction shell has a plurality of suction holes in an outer arcuate surface thereof that are adapted to be connected to a suction vacuum so as to suction hold said sheet goods blank onto said suction shell to engage and transport said sheet goods blank on said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said blank is curved and lies against a circumferential surface of said scoring blade roller along a circumferential arc of at least 120°;
• and
• wherein only a leading edge margin of said blank is held to said suction shell and a body portion of said blank is not held to said scoring blade roller.

An apparatus for forming a score line on a sheet goods blank having a leading edge margin portion and a body tail portion, said apparatus comprising:

• a machine frame;
• a scoring blade roller rotatably supported on said machine frame;
• a counter roller rotatably supported adjacent to said scoring blade roller;
• a rotation drive;
• and
• a drive shaft connected to said rotation drive, with said scoring blade roller being mounted on said drive shaft to rotate said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said scoring blade roller includes at least one scoring blade adapted to cooperate with said counter roller to form a score line on the sheet goods blank, and a suction shell that is mounted on said drive shaft and that extends on a first angular portion of a circumference of said scoring blade roller;
• wherein said suction shell has plural rows of suction holes in an outer arcuate surface thereof;
• and
• further comprising means for controlledly applying a suction vacuum to at least a selected one of said rows of suction holes for suction holding only said leading edge margin portion of said sheet goods blank onto said suction shell and simultaneously leaving said body tail portion of said sheet goods blank freely movable and not held to said scoring blade roller to engage and transport said sheet goods blank on said scoring blade roller only by holding and pulling said leading edge margin portion.

An apparatus for forming a score line on a sheet goods blank, comprising:

• a scoring roller having at least one suction opening and at least one scoring blade;
• a counter roller cooperating with said scoring roller;
• means for rotating said scoring roller and said counter roller and forming a nip therebetween;
• means for taking up and holding a forward edge margin of a sheet goods blank onto said scoring roller at a first rotational position by applying suction to said forward edge margin through said at least one suction opening of said scoring roller, without holding a body portion and a trailing edge portion of said sheet goods blank downstream of said forward edge margin;
• means for transporting said sheet goods blank by continuing said rotating and said holding and thereby pulling said sheet goods blank along with said rotating of said scoring roller while curving said body portion and said trailing edge portion of said sheet goods blank to lie against a portion of a circumference of said scoring roller;
• means including said at least one scoring blade for forming a score line on at least one of said body portion and said trailing edge portion by pressing said sheet goods blank between said scoring blade and said counter roller while carrying out said transporting to pull said sheet goods blank through said nip between said scoring roller and said counter roller;
• and
• means for discontinuing said applying of said suction and thereby releasing said holding of said forward edge margin at a second rotational position of said scoring roller that is rotationally displaced from said first rotational position by at least 120°.

An apparatus for forming a score line on a sheet goods blank having a forward portion and a tail portion, said apparatus comprising:

• a scoring roller including a scoring blade;
• a counter roller arranged adjacent to said scoring roller to cooperate with said scoring blade;
• means for rotating said scoring roller;
• means for holding said forward portion of said sheet goods blank on said scoring roller to transport said blank by pulling said blank by said forward portion in a transport direction between said scoring roller and said counter roller so that said scoring blade forms a score line on said blank;
• and
• means for loosely guiding said tail portion of said blank following downstream of said score line relative to said transport direction without holding said tail portion fixedly to said scoring roller so that said tail portion remains freely movable on said scoring roller to allow compensating movement of said tail portion while said score line is being formed.