High volume adjustable vacuum assembly for a roll in an interfolding machine

• US 20050082332A1
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fabio Perini S.P.A. (Korber AG)
• Original Assignee: Fabio Perini S.P.A. (Korber AG)
• Inventors: White, Barton J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,530,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 226/95
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/3614 involving a shoe in sliding contact with an inner section of the periphery of a rotating element
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/162 with folding jaw cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/24 Interfolding sheets, e.g. cigarette or toilet papers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/226 by suction rollers

Abstract

An interfolding machine includes a rotating roll with a series of ports configured to apply a vacuum pressure for holding and releasing sheet or web material. The interfolding machine further includes a valve assembly to regulate the vacuum pressure communicated to a surface of the rotating roll for holding the sheet or web material. The valve assembly generally includes an outer slug and an inner slug coupled by a pilot ring. A spool is mounted to the inner slug. The spool includes an opening to receive a draw of fluid through the outer and inner slugs. A cover defines a cavity with the spool in communication with the opening to the spool and a port in the cover. The outer slug and the inner slug define an intake region through which suction is supplied to the roll ports during a portion of the rotation of the roll. The outer slug and the inner slug are rotatably adjustable relative to the spool and to one another to regulate the length and position of the intake region.

Claims

1. A vacuum assembly for a rotating roll for handling sheet or web material, the rotating roll including a plurality of holes in an outer surface and passages that open onto a face of the roll that are in communication with the plurality of holes, wherein the holes are adapted to communicate a vacuum for holding and releasing the sheet or web material, comprising:

a vacuum manifold located in line with and outwardly of the roll face, wherein the vacuum manifold defines an internal cavity that is supplied with vacuum from a vacuum source; and

a valve assembly positioned between the roll face and the vacuum manifold, wherein the valve assembly includes a passage arrangement configured to communicate vacuum throughout a portion of the rotation of the roll from the internal cavity of the vacuum manifold to the passages that open onto the roll face.

2. The vacuum assembly of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly includes an intake region that communicates vacuum from the internal cavity of the vacuum manifold to the passages that open onto the roll face, and further includes an adjustment arrangement for adjusting the location of the intake region and the position of a pair of ends defined by the intake region that define the range of movement of the roll through which the passages that open onto the roll face are exposed to vacuum during rotation of the roll.

3. The vacuum assembly of claim 2, wherein the valve assembly includes:

an outer slug plate;

an inner slug plate;

a spool mounted to the inner slug plate, the spool having an opening; and

a cover coupled to the spool, wherein the cover and the spool cooperate to define the internal cavity, wherein the internal cavity is in communication with the spool opening;

wherein the outer slug plate and the inner slug plate are rotatably adjustable relative to the spool and to one another; and

wherein the outer slug plate and the inner slug plate are configured to regulate the supply of vacuum from the internal cavity to the holes of the rotating roll.

4. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the outer slug plate is in the form of a ring that includes an extension that extends radially inward from an inner surface defined by the ring.

5. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein the inner slug plate includes an opening in axial alignment with the extension of the outer slug plate, wherein a face defined by the extension of the outer slug plate relative to an end defined by the opening of the inner slug plate defines a vacuum intake region therebetween to communicate the vacuum pressure therethrough.

6. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 5, further including a wear plate disposed between the outer slug plate and the rotating roll, the wear plate including a plurality of openings to communicate the flow of fluid from the plurality of holes in the rotating roll to the internal cavity defined between the spool and the cover.

7. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the cover includes a cover portion and a manifold portion coupled by a fastener, the manifold portion including a first port and a second port in communication with the internal cavity defined by the cover and the spool.

8. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 3, further including an actuator arrangement configured to control the positions of the outer slug plate and the inner slug plate while the rotating roll is moving, to adjust the position of the pair of ends defined by the intake region.

9. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein the inner slug plate further includes a generally U-shaped opening to communicate certain of the holes of the rotating roll with atmosphere.

10. An interfolding machine for handling sheet or web material, comprising:

a rotating roll for holding and releasing the sheet or web material, the rotating roll including a plurality of holes along an outer surface for communicating a vacuum to the outer surface of the roll; and

a vacuum assembly for interconnected with the rotating roll, comprising;

a vacuum manifold located in line with and outwardly of the roll face, wherein the vacuum manifold defines an internal cavity that is supplied with vacuum from a vacuum source; and

a valve assembly positioned between the roll face and the vacuum manifold, wherein the valve assembly includes a passage arrangement configured to communicate vacuum throughout a portion of the rotation of the roll from the internal cavity of the vacuum manifold to the passages that open onto the roll face.

11. The interfolding machine of claim 10, wherein the valve assembly includes an intake region that communicates vacuum from the internal cavity of the vacuum manifold to the passages that open onto the roll face, and further includes an adjustment arrangement for adjusting the location of the intake region and the position of a pair of ends defined by the intake region that define the range of movement of the roll through which the passages that open onto the roll face are exposed to vacuum during rotation of the roll.

12. The interfolding machine of claim 11, wherein the valve assembly comprises:

an outer slug plate;

an inner slug plate;

means for rotatably coupling the outer slug plate and the inner slug plate;

a spool mounted to the inner slug plate, the spool having an opening; and

a cover coupled to the spool, the cover defining a cavity with the spool, wherein the internal cavity is in communication with the spool opening,

wherein the outer slug plate and the inner slug plate are rotatably adjustable relative to the spool and to one another; and

wherein the outer slug plate and the inner slug plate are configured to regulate airflow from the internal cavity to the passages that open onto the roll face.

13. The interfolding machine as recited in claim 12, wherein the outer slug plate includes a ring structure having a gap, the ring structure having an extension extending radially inward from an inner surface of the ring structure.

14. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein the inner slug plate includes an opening in axial alignment with the extension of the outer slug plate, wherein a face defined by the extension of the outer slug plate relative to an end defined by the opening of the inner slug plate defines the intake region therebetween to communicate the vacuum therethrough.

15. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 12, further including a wear plate disposed between the outer slug plate and the rotating roll, the wear plate including a plurality of openings to communicate air flow from the plurality of holes in the surface of the rotating roll to the internal cavity defined between the spool and the cover.

16. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein the cover includes a cover portion and a manifold portion coupled by a fastener, the manifold portion including at least one port in communication with the cavity defined by the cover and the spool.

17. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 12, further including an actuator arrangement configured to control the positions of the outer slug plate and the inner slug plate while the rotating roll is moving, to adjust the position of the pair of ends defined by the intake region.

18. The vacuum assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein the inner slug plate further includes a generally U-shaped opening to communicate certain of the holes at the circumference of the rotating roll with atmosphere.

19. A method of regulating the supply of suction from a suction source to holes at a surface of a rotating roll and through roll ports in a side face of the rotating roll, the method comprising the acts of:

supplying vacuum from a vacuum source to a vacuum manifold located in line with and outwardly of the roll face, wherein the vacuum manifold defines an internal cavity that is supplied with vacuum; and

communicating vacuum throughout a portion of the rotation of the roll from the internal cavity of the vacuum manifold to the roll ports via a valve assembly positioned between the roll face and the vacuum manifold, wherein the valve assembly includes a passage arrangement through which vacuum is supplied from the internal cavity to the roll ports.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the act of communicating vacuum throughout a portion of the rotation of the roll from the internal cavity of the vacuum manifold to the roll ports is carried out by supplying the vacuum through an intake region of the valve assembly that communicates vacuum from the internal cavity of the vacuum manifold to the roll ports, and further comprising the act of adjusting the location of the intake region and the position of a pair of ends defined by the intake region that define the range of movement of the roll through which the passages that open onto the roll face are exposed to vacuum during rotation of the roll.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the act of communicating vacuum throughout a portion of the rotation of the roll from the internal cavity of the vacuum manifold to the roll ports is carried out by positioning a first and second rotatable slug members between the vacuum pump and the roll port;

rotatably adjusting the first slug member relative to an opening of the second slug member to control air flow between the suction source and the roll ports;

routing the air flow into a cavity defined by a spool and a cover; and

communicating the air flow from the cavity and through the cover to the vacuum pump.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the rotatably adjusting step includes positioning a face of an extension at an inner radial surface of the first slug member in relation to an edge defined by the opening in the second slug member, wherein a face of the extension relative to an edge defined by the opening variably defines the intake region

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the rotatably adjusting step is performed while the rotating roll is moving.