Vacuum roll and method of use

A vacuum roll comprising:

• an inner cylinder defining an interior chamber, the interior chamber being fluidly connected to a vacuum source for applying a vacuum thereto, the inner cylinder comprising a plurality of slots, each of the slots having a narrow portion and a wide portion;
• an outer cylinder rotatable about the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder having a plurality of apertures therein;
• and
• an actuator configured to move the inner cylinder between a first position, a second position and a third position, the vacuum roll having a first vacuum profile with the inner cylinder in the first position, and a second vacuum profile with the inner cylinder in the second position, the apertures in the outer cylinder being aligned with the narrow portions of the slots in the first position and out of alignment with the narrow portions of the slots in the second position, the apertures in the outer cylinder being aligned with the wider portions of the slots in the inner cylinder in both the first and second positions, the apertures in the outer cylinder being out of alignment with the slots in the inner cylinder when the inner cylinder is in the third position.

A vacuum roll having a longitudinal axis, the vacuum roll comprising:

• an inner cylinder defining an interior chamber, the interior chamber being fluidly connected to a vacuum source for applying a vacuum thereto;
• and
• an outer cylinder rotatable about the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder having a plurality of apertures therein;
• the vacuum roll having a first vacuum profile and a second vacuum profile, the inner cylinder being moveable relative to the outer cylinder along the longitudinal axis of the vacuum roll to change the profile of the vacuum roll from the first vacuum profile to the second vacuum profile.

A vacuum roll comprising:

• an inner cylinder defining an interior chamber, the interior chamber being fluidly connected to a vacuum source for applying a vacuum thereto, the inner cylinder including a plurality of slots, each of the slots having a narrow portion and a wide portion;
• and
• an outer cylinder rotatable about the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder having a plurality of apertures therein;
• the vacuum roll having a first vacuum profile and a second vacuum profile, the inner cylinder being moveable relative to the outer cylinder to change the profile of the vacuum roll from the first vacuum profile to the second vacuum profile.
• an actuator configured to move the inner cylinder between a first position, a second position and a third position, the first position corresponding the first vacuum profile of the vacuum roll and the second position corresponding to the second vacuum profile of the vacuum roll, the apertures in the outer cylinder being aligned with the narrow portions of the slots in the first position and out of alignment with the narrow portions of the slots in the second position, the apertures in the outer cylinder being aligned with the wider portions of the slots in the inner cylinder in both the first and second positions, the third position corresponding to a third vacuum profile of the vacuum roll.

A method of handling a material, the method comprising:

• directing a material to a vacuum roll having a longitudinal axis, the vacuum roll comprising an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder rotating about the inner cylinder, the inner cylinder defining an interior chamber, the outer cylinder having a plurality of apertures therein;
• applying a vacuum to the interior chamber of the inner cylinder;
• fluidly connecting at least some of the plurality of apertures in the outer cylinder with the interior chamber of the inner cylinder to define a first vacuum profile;
• contacting at least a portion of the material with the outer cylinder while the at least some of the plurality of apertures in the outer cylinder are fluidly connected with the interior chamber so that the vacuum applied thereto grasps and holds the portion of the material to the outer cylinder;
• and
• moving the inner cylinder relative to the outer cylinder along the longitudinal axis of the vacuum roll to change the vacuum profile of the vacuum roll from the first vacuum profile to a second vacuum profile.

A method of handling a material, the method comprising:

• directing a material to a vacuum roll, the vacuum roll comprising an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder rotating about the inner cylinder, the inner cylinder defining an interior chamber and comprising a plurality of slots, each of the slots having a narrow portion and a wide portion, the outer cylinder having a plurality of apertures therein;
• applying a vacuum to the interior chamber of the inner cylinder;
• fluidly connecting at least some of the plurality of apertures in the outer cylinder with the interior chamber of the inner cylinder to define a first vacuum profile;
• contacting at least a portion of the material with the outer cylinder while the at least some of the plurality of apertures in the outer cylinder are fluidly connected with the interior chamber so that the vacuum applied thereto grasps and holds the portion of the material to the outer cylinder;
• and
• moving the inner cylinder relative to the outer cylinder to change the vacuum profile of the vacuum roll from the first vacuum profile to a second vacuum profile, wherein moving the inner cylinder relative to the outer cylinder to change the vacuum profile of the vacuum roll from the first vacuum profile to the second vacuum profile comprises moving the inner cylinder relative to the outer cylinder so that the narrow portions of the slots in the inner cylinder move out of alignment with the apertures in the outer cylinder.