Size independent modular web processing line and modules
First Claim
1. A web processing module comprising:
- web processing means for effecting a predetermined web process;
web driving means for transporting a web relative to said web processing means; and
electrically programmable web drive control means connected to the drive means to control the web motion by control of the drive means in accordance with a program that enables variation in web movement between successive process operations to alter the distances between successive process operations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Modular web processing units may be physically and electrically assembled into clusters to perform various web processes (e.g. the production of paper forms such as invoices, checks, labels, etc.). Each module has a main process driver which is not directly coupled to a web drive mechanism. Rather, the web drive is program controlled so as to effect the desired web process at controlled displacement intervals along the web. Accordingly, a plurality of successive but different form lengths or depths can be accommodated as the web surface is sequentially processed. A system of such modules can be physically wheeled into position as individual units and electrically connected together by suitable umbilical cords to rapidly configure a desired overall web finishing process. Nevertheless, the entire ensemble of modules performs as though it is a unitary special purpose web processing machine with its various process stations interconnected and synchronized by an electronic "drive shaft". One of the modular units automatically becomes the master source of process drive pulses for the others and the entire ensemble may be controlled from the control panel of any one of the modules.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A web processing module comprising:
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web processing means for effecting a predetermined web process; web driving means for transporting a web relative to said web processing means; and electrically programmable web drive control means connected to the drive means to control the web motion by control of the drive means in accordance with a program that enables variation in web movement between successive process operations to alter the distances between successive process operations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A plurality of web processing modules, each module comprising a web processing means for effecting a predetermined web process;
- web driving means for transporting a web relative to said web processing means; and
electrically programmable web drive control means connected to the drive means to control the web motion by control of the drive means in accordance with a programmable function of the process, means electrically interconnected and physically arrayed together to effect a coordinated web finishing process, each module effecting a different process but having substantially the same average web throughout, there being a slack loop of web disposed between adjacent modules in the array.
- web driving means for transporting a web relative to said web processing means; and
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5. A web processing module comprising:
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web processing means for repetitively effecting a predetermined web process; web driving means for transporting a web relative to said web processing means; electrically programmable web drive control means connected to control the web motion by control of the drive means in accordance with pre-stored velocity/position profile digital data representing a predetermined but programmable functional relationship between process motion and web motion to enable alteration of the distances between successive processing operations. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A web processing module comprising:
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an electrical intermodule umbilical bus adapted to electrically interconnect with other web processing modules; a web driving electrical motor; a web drive rotational encoder producing first output electrical signals representing increments of actual web drive motion; a process driving electrical motor driving a repetitive web process; a process drive rotational encoder producing second output electrical signals representing increments of actual process drive motion and also producing at least one marker reference signal at a predetermined phase of each repetition of said web process; a web drive servo control loop connected to use said first output electrical signals as a web drive motion feedback signal and said marker reference signal as a registration control motion index or reference signal for effecting registration control between said process driving and said web driving motors; said web drive servo control loop also using said second output electrical signals in conjunction with programmable velocity/position profile data to achieve overall programmable control of a predetermined functional relationship between said process driving and said web driving motors to control the relative motion between the web and process drives accordingly; and a main process drive servo control loop connected to use said second output electrical signals as a process motion feedback signal and to use reference process drive signals obtained from said intermodule bus for maintaining the motion of said process driving motor in synchronism with said reference process drive signals.
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9. A free-standing mobile web processing module comprising:
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an intermodule electrical bus adapted for electrical connection to other modules; a process drive servo control loop electrically connected with said bus and adapted to drive a web process in synchronism with electrical process drive control signals appearing on said bus; and a web drive servo control loop electrically connected with said process drive servo control loop and adapted to drive a web in synchronism and in a predetermined relationship with respect to said driven web process. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A web processing line comprising:
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a plurality of web processing modules which are interconnected by slack loop(s) of web material being processed; each said module including a driven process station and at least one web driving station and each module being physically movable as a unit with respect to other module(s); said driven process stations all being electrically coupled together to simultaneously maintain a coordinated synchronous drive to the process station of each module; the web driving station within each module being electrically coupled to the driven process station of that same module to effect driven web motion as an electronically programmable function of the driven process motion for that particular module, with substantially equal average web throughput being maintained for all modules. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A web processing method comprising:
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effecting a predetermined web process; transporting a web with respect to said process, and controlling the driven web motion in accordance with an electrically programmable function of the process in predetermined sequences including sequences between successive process operations to enable alteration of the distances between successive processing operations. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A web processing method comprising:
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repetitively effecting a predetermined web process; transporting a web with respect to said web processing means; controlling the driven web motion in accordance with prestored velocity/position profile digital data representing a predetermined but programmable functional relationship between process motion and web motion to enable alteration in the distances between successive processing operations. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A web processing method comprising:
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providing an electrical intermodule umbilical bus adapted to electrically interconnect web processing modules; driving a web with a web driving electrical motor and producing first output electrical signals representing increments of actual web motion; driving a repetitive web process with a process driving electrical motor, producing second output electrical signals representing increments of actual process motion and also producing at least one marker reference signal occurring at a predetermined phase of each repetition of said web process; using said first output electrical signals as a motion feedback signal in a web drive servo control loop and using said marker reference signal as a motion index reference signal for effecting registration control between said process driving and said web driving motors; using said second output electrical signals in conjunction with profile data in said web drive servo loop to achieve overall programmable control of a predetermined functional relationship between said process driving and said web driving motors; and using said second output electrical signals in a main process drive servo loop as a motion feedback signal and using reference process drive signals obtained from said intermodule bus for maintaining the motion of said process driving motor in synchronism with said reference process drive signals.
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34. A web processing method using plural free-standing modules, said method comprising:
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providing an intermodule electrical bus adapted for electrical connection between modules; using a process drive servo control loop electrically connected with said bus to drive a web process in synchronism with electrical process drive control signals appearing on said bus; and using a web drive servo control loop electrically connected with said process drive servo control loop to drive a web in synchronism and in a predetermined relationship with respect to said driven web process. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A web processing method comprising:
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interconnecting a plurality of web processing modules with slack loop(s) of web material being processed; each said module including a driven process station and at least one web driving station and each module being physically movable as a unit with respect to other module(s); electrically coupling all said driven process stations together and simultaneously maintaining a coordinated synchronous drive to the process station of each module; electrically coupling the web driving station within each module to the driven process station of that same module and effecting driven web motion as an electronically programmable function of the driven process motion for that particular module, with substantially equal average web throughput being maintained for all modules. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification