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US 7,022,060 B2Granted
Method, apparatus and system for making cushioning product, and roll tensioner therefor
AssigneeZsolt Design Engineering, Inc.
InventorZsolt Toth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method, apparatus and system for making cushioning product, and a roll tensioner therefor apply frictional resistance to the periphery of a roll of material to be converted into cushioning product with at least one roll support member which supports the roll in addition to applying frictional resistance to rotation. Efficient operation is attained automatically in that the frictional resistance applied and also the pulling profile exerted on the material during unwinding of the roll are changed as a function of weight and/or other characteristics of the roll of material to be converted into cushioning product.
Claims27
A system for converting material into a cushioning product, comprising:
- a roll tensioner including a roll support arrangement for positioning a roll of material to permit the roll to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the roll by pulling the material from the roll to unwind material from the roll and said roll support arrangement applying rolling frictional resistance to rotation of the roll to tension to the material as the material unwinds from the roll;
- a conversion assembly for shaping material unwound from a roll of material positioned by and tensioned by said roll support arrangement for converting the material into a cushioning product;
- wherein the roll support arrangement includes a plurality of roll support members longitudinally spaced along said axis presenting opposed roll support surfaces forming respective sides of a cradle configuration having a lower narrow end and a wider, open upper end through which a roll of material can be introduced so that the opposed roll support surfaces contact the periphery of the roll of material to support the roll and to apply rolling frictional resistance to the rotation of the roll of material in proportion to the weight of the roll to tension the material as the material unwinds from the roll.
A system for converting material into a cushioning product, comprising,
- a roll tensioner including a roll support arrangement for positioning a roll of material to permit the roll to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the roll by pulling the material from the roll to unwind material from the roll and said roll support arrangement applying tension to the material as the material unwinds from the roll;
- a conversion assembly for shaping material unwound from a roll of material positioned by and tensioned by said roll support arrangement for converting the material into a cushioning product;
- wherein the roll support arrangement includes a plurality of roll support members in the form of a cradle configuration having a lower narrow end and a wider upper end which contact the periphery of a roll of material positioned by said roll support arrangement to support the roll and to apply rolling frictional resistance to the rotation of the roll of material in proportion to the weight of the roll to tension the material as the material unwinds from the roll;
- a motor and a material feeding arrangement driven by the motor for pulling material from a roll of material positioned by said roll support arrangement of the roll tensioner;
- wherein said material feeding arrangement includes cooperating feed rollers for pulling material from a roll of material positioned by the roll support arrangement and feeding it through said system, and wherein at least one of said feed rollers is a rotary cutting die having a plurality of cutting blades on its surface at an acute angle to a longitudinal axis of the at least one roller for cutting slits in the material at spaced locations along the length of the material as the material is fed through said system to allow an operator to rip from said system a desired length of cushioning product being dispensed by said system.
2 more elements
A system for converting material into a cushioning product, comprising:
- a roll tensioner including a roll support arrangement for positioning a roll of material to permit the roll to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the roll by pulling the material from the roll to unwind material from the roll and said roll support arrangement applying tension to the material as the material unwinds from the roll;
- a conversion assembly for shaping material unwound from a roll of material positioned by and tensioned by said roll support arrangement for converting the material into a cushioning product;
- wherein the roll support arrangement includes a plurality of roll support members in the form of a cradle configuration having a lower narrow end and a wider upper end which contact the periphery of a roll of material positioned by said roll support arrangement to support the roll and to apply rolling frictional resistance to the rotation of the roll of material in proportion to the weight of the roll to tension the material as the material unwinds from the roll;
- a motor and a material feeding arrangement driven by the motor for pulling material from a roll of material positioned by said roll support arrangement of the roll tensioner;
- a controller for adjusting an acceleration/deceleration profile of said pulling by said motor and said material feeding arrangement in response to an identified characteristic of a roll of material positioned by said roll support arrangement.
2 more elements
A system for converting material into a cushioning product, comprising:
- a roll tensioner including a roll support arrangement for positioning a roll of material to permit the roll to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the roll by pulling the material from the roll to unwind material from the roll and said roll support arrangement applying tension to the material as the material unwinds from the roll;
- a conversion assembly for shaping material unwound from a roll of material positioned by and tensioned by said roll support arrangement for converting the material into a cushioning product;
- a motor and a material feeding arrangement driven by the motor for pulling material from a roll of material positioned by said roll support arrangement of the roll tensioner;
- wherein the roll support arrangement includes at least one roll support member which contacts the periphery of a roll of material positioned by said roll support arrangement to support the roll and to apply sliding frictional resistance to the rotation of the roll of material in proportion to the weight of the roll to tension the material as the material unwinds from the roll;
- wherein said roll support member is a length of a flexible material supported at spaced locations along its length with a portion of the flexible material intermediate the spaced, supported locations upon which a roll of material can be positioned and, during unwinding, rotated relative to said flexible material, the flexible material applying said sliding frictional resistance to the roll;
- and
- wherein said material feeding arrangement includes cooperating feed rollers for pulling material from a roll of material positioned by the roll support arrangement and feeding it through said system, and wherein at least one of said feed rollers is a rotary cutting die having a plurality of cutting blades on its surface at an acute angle to a longitudinal axis of the at least one roller for cutting slits in the material at spaced locations along the length of the material as the material is fed through said system to allow an operator to rip from said system a desired length of cushioning product being dispensed by said system.
4 more elements
A roll tensioner for tensioning a material being pulled from a roll of material comprising:
- a roll support arrangement for positioning a roll of material to permit the roll to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the roll by pulling the material from the roll to unwind material from the roll,
- wherein the roll support arrangement includes a plurality of roll support members longitudinally spaced along said axis in the form of a cradle configuration having a lower narrow end and a wider, open upper end through which a roll of material can be introduced so that opposed surfaces of the members contact the periphery of the roll of material to support the roll and to apply rolling frictional resistance to the rotation of the roll of material in proportion to the weight of the roll to tension the material as the material unwinds from the roll.
A system for converting material into a cushioning product, comprising:
- a roll tensioner including a roll support arrangement for positioning a roll of material to permit the roll to be rotated about a longitudinal axis of the roll by pulling the material from the roll to unwind material from the roll and said roll support arrangement applying tension to the material as the material unwinds from the roll;
- a conversion assembly for shaping material unwound from a roll of material positioned by and tensioned by said roll support arrangement for converting the material into a cushioning product;
- a motor and a material feeding arrangement driven by the motor for pulling material from a roll of material positioned by said roll support arrangement of the roll tensioner;
- a controller for adjusting an acceleration/deceleration profile of said pulling by said motor and said material feeding arrangement in response to an identified characteristic of a roll of material positioned by said roll support arrangement;
- wherein the roll support arrangement includes at least one roll support member which contacts the periphery of a roll of material positioned by said roll support arrangement to support the roll and to apply sliding frictional resistance to the rotation of the roll of material in proportion to the weight of the roll to tension the material as the material unwinds from the roll;
- wherein said roll support member is a length of a flexible material supported at spaced locations along its length with a portion of the flexible material intermediate the spaced, supported locations upon which a roll of material can be positioned and, during unwinding, rotated relative to said flexible material, the flexible material applying said sliding frictional resistance to the roll.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.