Method and device for cleaning sheets

• US 4,009,047 A
• Filed: 11/19/1974
• Issued: 02/22/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Lindsay, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US05/525,098
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 15/100, 15/102, 15/104 A, 15/256.51, 15/256.52, 15/256.53, 15/3, 101/425, 134/9, 355/15, 352/130
• US Class Current: 134/9
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 7/0028 by adhesive surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 15/00 Apparatus for treating processed material

Abstract

A device for cleaning foreign material from at least one surface of a sheet including at least one low durometer sheet cleaning roller having a tacky peripheral surface. The surface of the sheet to be cleaned is biased against and moved generally tangentially across the tacky peripheral surface of the cleaning roller with rolling contact therebetween so that foreign material on the surface of the sheet will be adhered to the tacky surface of the cleaning roller. The tacky surface of the cleaning roller is in turn cleaned by bringing into rolling contact therewith a surface on a roller cleaning member (which surface may be provided by the adhesive on a length of tape) having a higher surface tack than the cleaning roller. In one embodiment of the device the roller cleaning member is periodically passed over the cleaning roller by the operator of the device, whereas other embodiments automatically pass the roller cleaning member over the cleaning roller during each cycle of the device to clean a sheet.

Claims

1. A device for cleaning foreign particles from at least one surface of a sheet, comprising:

a frame;

a cleaning roller rotatably mounted on said frame and comprising a layer of elastic, resilient polymeric material defining for the cleaning roller a cylindrical peripheral surface with a high surface tack adapted to transfer foreign particles from a said sheet to the peripheral surface of the roller upon contact and subsequent separation therebetween while affording clean separation between the sheet and the peripheral surface;

means adapted for defining a path for a said sheet past said cleaning roller with said one surface moving generally tangentially across and in rolling contact with the peripheral surface of said cleaning roller in a direction generally normal to its axis, including means adapted for biasing the sheet to slightly compress the layer of tacky material on the roller when in contact therewith, whereby foreign material on the surface of the sheet will transfer to the tacky peripheral surface of the cleaning roller;

a roller cleaning member having a contact surface with a width about the same as the width of said peripheral surface defining said sheet path, a length at least as long as the circumference of said cleaning roller, and with a greater surface tack with respect to foreign particles than said peripheral surface adapted to transfer said foreign particles from the peripheral surface of said cleaning roller to said contact surface upon contact and subsequent separation therebetween while affording clean separation between said cleaning roller and said contact surface; and

means adapted for moving said contact surface longitudinally over said cleaning roller with rolling contact therebetween for a distance at least equal to the circumference of said cleaning roller to transfer foreign particles on the cleaning roller to the roller cleaning member.

2. A device according to claim 1 adapted for cleaning sheets including lantern slides, wherein said cleaning roller comprises a central rigid shaft rotatably mounted on said frame;

and elastic resilient polymeric material around the shaft defining said peripheral surface, said polymeric material having a radial thickness of at least 1/8 inch and having an overall Shore A durometer value of less than 20 measured on said peripheral surface.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said cleaning roller comprises a central rigid shaft rotatably mounted on said frame;

a cylindrical sleeve of an elastic resilient polymeric material having a Shore A durometer of less than about 20 adhered around said shaft; and

a thin coating on the outer periphery of said sleeve of an elastic resilient polymeric material which defines said peripheral surface and provides said surface tack.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said cylindrical sleeve is polyether urethane and said thin coating is polyurea urethane elastomer.

5. A device for cleaning foreign particles from at least one surface of a sheet comprising:

a frame;

a cleaning roller rotatably mounted on said frame and comprising a layer of elastic, resilient polymeric material defining a cylindrical peripheral surface for the cleaning roller and having a high surface tack adapted to transfer foreign particles from a said sheet to the peripheral surface of the roller upon contact and subsequent separation therebetween while affording clean separation between the sheet and cleaning roller;

means adapted for defining a path for a said sheet past said cleaning roller with said one surface moving generally tangentially and in rolling contact across the periphery of said cleaning roller in a direction generally normal to its axis, and including means adapted for biasing the sheet to slightly compress the layer of tacky material on the roller when in contact therewith, whereby foreign particles on the surface of the sheet will transfer to the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller;

a roller cleaning member, comprising;

a contact length of tape having a width about the same as the peripheral surface of said cleaning roller contacted by a said sheet and a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive on one surface having a greater surface tack with respect to foreign particles than said cleaning roller adapted to transfer said foreign particles from said cleaning roller to said contact length of tape upon contact and subsequent separation therebetween, while affording clean separation between said cleaning roller and the adhesive on said contact length of tape;

means for moving said contact length of tape through a cycle sequentially;

7. A device according to claim 5 wherein said device includes a supply length of pressure sensitive adhesive coated tape a portion whereof provides said contact length of tape;

means for supporting the end portions of said supply length of tape extending from said contact length of tape; and

means activated by the operation of said means for moving said contact length of tape through said cycle for incrementally changing the portion of said supply of tape comprising said contact length during each such cycle.

8. A device according to claim 5 adapted for cleaning sheets including lantern slides, wherein said cleaning roller comprises a central rigid shaft rotatably mounted on said frame;

and elastic resilient polymeric material around the shaft defining said peripheral surface, said polymeric material having a radial thickness of at least 1/8 inch, and having an overall Shore A durometer value of less than 20 measured on said peripheral surface.

9. A device according to claim 5 wherein said cleaning roller comprises a central rigid shaft rotatably mounted on said frame;

a cylindrical sleeve of an elastic resilient polymeric material having a Shore A durometer of less than about 20 adhered around said shaft; and

a thin coating on the outer periphery of said sleeve of an elastic resilient polymeric material which defines said peripheral surface and provides said surface tack.

10. A device according to claim 8 wherein said cylindrical sleeve is polyether urethane and said thin coating is polyurea urethane elastomer.

11. A device according to claim 5 wherein said means for moving said contact length of tape comprises a drum-like member mounted on said frame for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of said cleaning roller, said drum-like member comprising a peripheral surface portion which is cylindrically convex about said axis, and means for supporting said contact length of tape adhesive side out along said peripheral surface portion;

and the axis of said drum-like member is spaced from the axis of said cleaning roller so that rotation of said drum-like member affords movement of said contact length of tape through said cycle from said disengaged position with said peripheral surface portion spaced from said cleaning roller, to said first engaged position when one end of said peripheral surface portion is rotated adjacent said cleaning roller and longitudinally over said cleaning roller when said surface portion is rotated adjacent said cleaning roller.

12. A device according to claim 10 wherein said means for simultaneously rotating said cleaning roller and operating said means for moving said contact length of tape rotates said cleaning roller in a single direction of rotation.

13. A device according to claim 10 wherein said means for simultaneously rotating said cleaning roller and operating said means for moving sad contact length of tape rotates said cleaning roller through a predetermined angle in one direction of rotation, and then through said predetermined angle in the opposite direction of rotation.

14. A device according to claim 5 adapted to clean both surfaces of a said sheet, wherein said means adapted for biasing the sheet to slightly compress the layer of tacky material when in contact therewith comprises a second cleaning roller on said frame having a structure and tacky peripheral surface similar to that of said first mentioned cleaning roller, and said second cleaning roller has associated therewith a second contact length of tape, means for moving said second contact length of tape through a cycle relative to said second cleaning roller equivalent to the cycle recited in claim 5, and said means for simultaneously rotating said cleaning roller and operating said means for moving said contact length of tape through said cycle rotates both of said cleaning rollers and operates both of said means for moving said contact lengths of tape through said cycles to propel a said sheet along said sheet path and transfer foreign particles removed from both surfaces of the sheet by the cleaning rollers to the contact lengths of tape.

6. from a disengaged position spaced from said cleaning roller;

2. to a first engaged position with the adhesive coating at one end of said contact length of tape contacting the cleaning roller in an area spaced from said sheet path and with the axis of the cleaning roller oriented across the width of the tape;

3. longitudinally over said cleaning roller with rolling contact between the cleaning roller and the adhesive coating on the tape for a distance at least equal to the circumference of said cleaning roller; and

4. again to said disengaged position; and

means for simultaneously rotating said cleaning roller and operating said means for moving said contact length of tape through said cycle to propel a said sheet along said sheet path and transfer foreign particles removed from the surface of the sheet by the cleaning roller to the contact length of tape.

15. A device according to claim 6 wherein said means for moving said contact length of tape through said cycle comprises:

first and second guide rollers;

a first carriage rotatably supporting said first and second guide rollers spaced by a distance at least equal to one half the length of said contact length of tape in axially parallel opposed relationship with said rollers supporting a portion of said supply length of tape extending therebetween and around opposite peripheral surface portions thereof for about a 180°

wrap with its adhesive coated surface opposite said rollers, said first carriage being mounted on said frame for movement between a first position with the tape around said first guide roller spaced from said cleaning roller to provide said disengaged position for said contact length of tape, and a second position with the tape extending around said first roller contacting said cleaning roller to provide said first engaged position and said rolling contact between said contact length of tape and said cleaning roller;

third and fourth guide rollers; and

a second carriage rotatably supporting said third and fourth guide rollers in axially parallel closely spaced relationship with a plane tangent on the peripheries of said third and fourth guide rollers on one side being tangent to the peripheries of said first and second guide rollers on their sides opposite the portion of said supply length of tape extending therebetween, the end portions of said supply length of tape extending from said first and second guide rollers along a path in said plane and about 180°

around the adjacent one of said third and fourth guide rollers in adhesive contact therewith and away from said third and fourth guide rollers along a path approximately tangent to the peripheries of said third and fourth guide rollers opposite said first carriage, the ends of said supply length of tape being fixed on said frame and said second carriage being mounted on said frame for movement with the peripheries of said third and fourth guide rollers generally in said planes for movement between a first position adjacent said second guide roller and a second position adjacent said first guide roller to afford movement of said contact length of tape longitudinally over said cleaning roller.

17. A method according to claim 15 wherein said step of moving the contact surface is performed during the step of moving the sheet.

18. A method according to claim 15 wherein said step of moving the contact surface comprises the sequential steps of:

moving said roller cleaning member from a disengaged position spaced from said cleaning roller to a first engaged position with one end of said contact surface contacting the cleaning roller and the axis of the cleaning roller oriented across the width of the contact surface;

propelling the contact surface longitudinally over the cleaning roller with rolling contact therebetween for a distance at least equal to the circumference of the cleaning roller; and

returning the roll cleaning member to the disengaged position.

16. A method for cleaning foreign particles from at least one surface of a sheet comprising the steps of:

providing a rotatably mounted cleaning roller comprising a layer of elastic, resilient polymeric material defining for the cleaning roller a cylindrical peripheral surface with a high surface tack adapted to transfer foreign particles from a said sheet to the peripheral surface of the roller upon contact and subsequent separation therebetween, while affording clean separation between the sheet and the peripheral surface;

moving the sheet past the cleaning roller with said one surface moving generally tangentially across and in rolling contact with the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller in a direction generally normal to its axis;

pressing the sheet against the cleaning roller to compress the layer of tacky material on the roller during said moving step, whereby foreign material on the surface of the sheet will transfer to the tacky peripheral surface of the cleaning roller upon separation thereof;

providing a roller cleaning member having a contact surface with a width about the same as the width of the peripheral surface defining the sheet path, a length at least as long as the circumference of the cleaning roller, and with a greater surface tack with respect to foreign particles than the peripheral surface adapted to transfer foreign particles from the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller to the contact surface upon contact and subsequent separation therebetween while affording clean separation between the cleaning roller and the contact surface; and

moving the contact surface longitudinally over the peripheral surface of the cleaning roller with rolling contact therebetween for a distance at least equal to the circumference of the cleaning roller to transfer foreign particles on the cleaning roller to the roller cleaning member.