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US 9,038,879 B2Granted
Corrugated edge nip
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsKevin B. Newhouse, Bruce E. Tait, Terence A. Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A web tensioner, a web slitter, a method of tensioning a web, and a method of slitting a web are provided. A corrugated edge nip is used in the tensioner, the slitter, and the methods of tensioning and slitting. The corrugated edge nip can provide a crossweb tension to a suspended web or film in a web line. The corrugated edge nip can be used in conjunction with, for example, a rotary shear slitter to improve slit edge quality.
Claims6
A web slitter, comprising:
- a tensioning plane having a center portion, a first edge portion, a second edge portion opposite the first edge portion, and a tensioning direction perpendicular to both the first edge portion and the second edge portion;
- a first nip wheel having a first axis around which the first wheel can rotate and having a first corrugated surface adjacent the first edge portion on a first surface of the tensioning plane, the first corrugated surface having a first period P1 along the first axis;
- a second nip wheel having a second axis around which the second nip wheel can rotate, the second axis being parallel to the first axis and having a second corrugated surface adjacent the first edge portion on a second surface of the tensioning plane opposite the first surface, the second corrugated surface having a second period P2 along the second axis,
- wherein P1 and P2 are offset by period offset;
- and
- at least one cutting device disposed to cut the center portion,
- wherein the first corrugated surface and the second corrugated surface partially intermesh, and the period offset can be used to adjust the tension in the tensioning direction.
4 more elements
A method of slitting a web, comprising:
- suspending a web moving in a downweb direction, the web having a center portion, a first edge portion, and a second edge portion opposite the first edge portion;
- positioning a first corrugated surface of a first nip wheel adjacent the first edge portion on a first surface of the web, the first nip wheel having a first axis and the first corrugated surface having a first period P1 along the first axis;
- positioning a second corrugated surface of a second nip wheel adjacent the first edge portion on a second surface of the web, the second nip wheel having a second axis parallel to the first axis and the second corrugated surface having a second period P2 along the second axis, wherein P1 and P2 are offset by period offset;
- positioning a third corrugated surface of a third nip wheel adjacent the second edge portion on the first surface of the web, the third nip wheel having a third axis;
- positioning a fourth corrugated surface of a fourth nip wheel adjacent the second edge portion on the second surface of the web, the fourth nip wheel having a fourth axis parallel to the third axis;
- driving at least one of the first nip wheel to rotate about the first axis and the second nip wheel to rotate about the second axis;
- driving at least one of the third nip wheel to rotate about the third axis and the fourth nip wheel to rotate about the fourth axis;
- partially intermeshing the first corrugated surface with the second corrugated surface and the third corrugated surface with the fourth corrugated surface, thereby applying a lateral tension to the center portion of the web;
- adjusting the period offset to adjust the lateral tension;
- and
- positioning at least one cutting device to cut the web in the center portion.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.