Order change method and apparatus for corrugator machine
First Claim
1. Apparatus for changing the output material of a corrugator machine having a first and second single facers, each single facer including first and second splicers supplying single ply web material, a double backer producing composite web material and having a splicer supplying single ply web material, and a shear, the output material being changed from a first order material to a second order material, said apparatus comprising:
- a first signal generator producing a first feedlength signal proportional to the length of single ply web material supplied by the first splicer of the first single facer;
a second signal generator producing a second feedlength signal proportional to the length of single ply web material supplied by the first splicer of the second single facer;
a third signal generator producing a third feedlength signal proportional to the length of single ply web material supplied by the double backer splicer;
a memory device for storing a plurality of position values which are functions of the relative locations of the first and second splicers of the first and second single facers, and a plurality of inventory values which are functions of the relative locations of the first and second single facers, the double backer, and the shear, said inventory values also being functions of the differences between said first, second, and third feedlength signals; and
control means for generating said inventory values, for comparing said position values with said feedlength signals, for comparing said inventory values, and for generating control signals to sequentially operate the splicers and the shear when the differences between said feedlength signals and said position values and between said stored inventory values reach predetermined values,whereby splices in single ply web materials of the composite web material output of the double backer and a severance in the composite web material separating the first and second orders are formed in substantial coincidence.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing an order change in a corrugator machine. A pulse generator is provided on the medium splicer of each single facer in a corrugator machine and on the splicer of a double backer to produce feedlength signals proportional to web material supplied by each splicer. A computer calculates position values which are functions of the relative physical locations of the corrugator machine components, and inventory values which are functions of the relative physical locations and of differences in the feedlength values. The computer then compares feedlength signals and inventory values and as a result of these comparisons, generates sequential control signals to corrugator machine components to produce an order change including a synchronous splice of all web components with a minimum of waste and production downtime.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. Apparatus for changing the output material of a corrugator machine having a first and second single facers, each single facer including first and second splicers supplying single ply web material, a double backer producing composite web material and having a splicer supplying single ply web material, and a shear, the output material being changed from a first order material to a second order material, said apparatus comprising:
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a first signal generator producing a first feedlength signal proportional to the length of single ply web material supplied by the first splicer of the first single facer; a second signal generator producing a second feedlength signal proportional to the length of single ply web material supplied by the first splicer of the second single facer; a third signal generator producing a third feedlength signal proportional to the length of single ply web material supplied by the double backer splicer; a memory device for storing a plurality of position values which are functions of the relative locations of the first and second splicers of the first and second single facers, and a plurality of inventory values which are functions of the relative locations of the first and second single facers, the double backer, and the shear, said inventory values also being functions of the differences between said first, second, and third feedlength signals; and control means for generating said inventory values, for comparing said position values with said feedlength signals, for comparing said inventory values, and for generating control signals to sequentially operate the splicers and the shear when the differences between said feedlength signals and said position values and between said stored inventory values reach predetermined values, whereby splices in single ply web materials of the composite web material output of the double backer and a severance in the composite web material separating the first and second orders are formed in substantial coincidence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. Apparatus for the continuous production of composite web products, comprising:
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means for producing a plurality of individual webs at respective rates of output; means for producing a composite web by combining the outputs of said individual web producing means; means for generating a feedlength signal proportional to said composite web producing means; and control means for comparing said composite web producing means output with a desired total order quantity, for generating an order change signal upon detection of a predetermined difference value between the output of said composite web producing means and said desired total order quantity, and for sequentially generating control signals delivered to said individual web producing means and to said composite web producing means to vary the respective outputs of said individual and composite web producing means. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for changing the material produced by a corrugator machine from material specified by a first order to material specified by a second order, in which the corrugator machine comprises first and second single facers each having first and second splicers supplying an individual web, a double backer having a splicer supplying an individual web, and a shear for processing the output of the double backer, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating a first inventory value representative of the amount of web material between the first single facer and the shear; generating a double backer feedlength signal proportional to composite web material produced by the double backer; continuously comparing the first inventory value and the first feedlength signal; activating a first splicer of said first single facer to splice material specified for a second order to individual web material being supplied for said first order; generating a first feedlength signal proportional to individual web material supplied by said first splicer of said first single facer; continuously comparing said second feedlength signal with a first position value which is a function of the relative locations of said first and second splicers of said first single facer; activating a second splicer of the first single facer when the difference between the second feedlength signal and said first position value reaches a predetermined value; generating a third feedlength signal proportional to individual web material supplied by a first splicer of the second single facer; continuously comparing an intermediate inventory value which is a function of the relative physical location of the second single facer and the double backer and of the difference between the third feedlength signals and the double backer feedlength signal to an upstream inventory value which is a function of the relative locations of the first single facer and the double backer and of the difference between the first feedlength signal and the double backer feedlength signal; activating the first splicer of the second single facer when the difference between the upstream inventory value and the intermediate inventory value reaches a predetermined value; continuously comparing the second feedlength signal to intermediate position value, which is a function of the relative locations of the first and second splicers of the second single facer; activating the second splicer of the second single facer to splice material specified for the second order to material specified for the first order when the difference between the second feedlength signal and the intermediate position value reaches a predetermined value; continuously comparing the double backer feedlength signal to the intermediate inventory value; activating the splicer of the double backer to splice individual web material supplied by the double backer for the second order to individual web material supplied by the double backer for the first order when the difference between the double backer feedlength signal and the intermediate inventory value reaches a predetermined value; continuously comparing the double backer feedlength signal to a dry end inventory value which is a first function of the relative locations of the double backer and the shear; reducing the corrugator speed to an idle speed when the difference between the double backer feedlength signal and the dry end inventory value reaches a predetermined value; continuously comparing the double backer feedlength signal and a second dry end inventory value which is a second function of the relative locations of the double backer and the shear; operating the shear to sever composite web material of the first order from composite web material of the second order when the difference between the double backer feedlength signal and the second dry end inventory value reaches a predetermined value; and removing the severed first order composite web material. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An order change method for a corrugator machine having a plurality of single facers each having a pair of splicers supplying a single layer web, a double backer having a splicer supplying a single layer web, and a shear for processing the output material of the double backer, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) activating a first splicer of the single facer located farthest upstream from the double backer; (b) continuously comparing an upstream feedlength value proportional to the amount of web supplied by the activated splicer to an upstream position value which is a function of the relative locations of the two splicers of the upstream single facer; (c) activating the second splicer of the upstream single facer when the difference between the upstream feedlength value and the upstream position value reaches a predetermined value; (d) continuously comparing an intermediate inventory value proportional to the amount of web material supplied by the next downstream single facer between the next downstream single facer and the double backer to an upstream inventory value which is a function of the relative location of the single facer immediately upstream of the next downstream single facer and the double backer is also a function of the difference between a feedlength value proportional to the amount of web supplied by the immediate upstream single facer and a double backer feedlength value proportional to the amount of material output from the double backer; (e) activating a first splicer of the next downstream single facer when the difference between the upstream inventory value and the intermediate inventory value reaches a predetermined value; (f) continuously comparing an intermediate feedlength value proportional to the amount of web supplied by the activated splicer of the next downstream single facer to an intermediate position value which is a function of the relative locations of the first and second splicers of the next downstream single facer; (g) activating the second splicer of the next downstream single facer when the difference between the intermediate feedlength value and the intermediate position value reaches a predetermined value; (h) repeating steps (d) through (g) for each intermediate single facer; (i) continuously comparing the double backer feedlength value to the intermediate inventory value of the single facer immediately upstream of the double backer; and (j) activating the double backer splicer when the difference between the double backer feedlength value and the intermediate inventory value reaches a predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification