Method and apparatus for forming a butt splice

• US 4,923,546 A
• Filed: 01/26/1989
• Issued: 05/08/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Martin Automatic, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Martin Automatic, Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, John R., Wheeler, Roger R.
• Primary Examiner(s): WITYSHYN, MICHAEL G
• Application Number:
  US07/302,569
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 156/159, 156/258, 156/267, 156/304.3, 156/304.5, 156/504, 156/505, 156/510, 156/518, 156/523, 156/527, 242/56 R, 242/58.1, 242/58.3, 242/58.4, 242/58.5
• US Class Current: 156/159
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/1852 taking place at a distance from the replacement roll
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/1873 with two stationary roll supports carrying alternately the replacement and the expiring roll
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/46174 cutting both spliced webs separately
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4622 Abutting article or web portions, i.e. edge to edge
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4631 Adhesive tape
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4641 by pivoting element
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/46412 by element moving in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the web
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/46414 by nipping rollers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 Flash, trim or excess removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/12 Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with cutting, punching, piercing, severing or tearing

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed for forming a zero-speed, butt splice to join together a web from a new roll of material to a web which is from an expiring roll of material and which should be run, at a relatively high speed, through a web processing operation, such as a disposable diaper manufacturing line, under relatively constant, relatively low tension along a predetermined path of travel that includes a running web festoon means having floating dancer rollers and the running web processing operation. To form the butt splice, the leading end of the new web is trimmed by moving one knife wheel assembly along the cutting edge of an anvil. A piece of tape is applied to the leading end so that a portion of the tape projects downstream from that end. The expiring web is held against the anvil and trimmed along the same cutting edge of the anvil. The trailing end of the expiring roll is also simultaneously adhered to the downstream portion of the tape. Only the portion of the expiring roll adjacent to the anvil is momentarily stopped while the expiring web is trimmed and adhered to the leading end of the new roll. The stoppage is sufficiently short so that downstream portions of the expiring web can, in the interim, be withdrawn from the festoon means so that web continues to run, at its relatively high speed and under it relatively constant, relatively low tension, through the web processing operation.

Claims

1. An improved method for forming a butt splice to join together a web from a new roll of material to a web which is from an expiring roll of material, which has two, substantially parallel side edges, and which should be run, through a web processing operation downstream from the expiring roll, at a high speed and under a constant, low preselected tension, along a predetermined path of travel that includes running web festoon means having floating dancer rollers and the web processing operation, the improved method comprising the steps of:

driving the expiring roll at a speed so as to maintain the web, downstream of the running web festoon means, at a high speed and under a constant, low tension and so as to maintain the dancer rollers of the running web festoon means in their normal running position;

holding a portion of the web from the new roll against anvil means that includes a cutting edge;

trimming the portion of the web from the new roll along the cutting edge of the anvil means so that the trimmed edge of the downstream, leaving end of the web from the new roll is aligned with and conforms to the cutting edge of the anvil means;

applying a first piece of adhesive tape to the leading end of the web from the new roll so that the adhesive of the tape faces the path of travel and so that a portion of the adhesive tape extends downstream beyond the cutting edge of the anvil means and the trimmed edge of the web from the new roll;

sensing the amount of web remaining on the expiring roll;

momentarily stopping the running of the portion of the web from the expiring roll adjacent to the anvil means in response to the sensed expiration of web from the expiring roll, while permitting further downstream portions of the web from the expiring roll, remote from the anvil means, to continue to run at the high speed and under the constant, low tension;

holding the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll against the anvil means;

trimming the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll along the cutting edge of the anvil means by cutting the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll a part at a time, across the web and beginning at one side edge thereof, so that the point of cutting moves across the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll from the one side edge to the other side edge, so that the uncut part of the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll remains under tension ahead of the point of cutting, and so that the trimmed edge of the trailing end of the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll is aligned with and conforms to the cutting edge of the anvil means;

adhering the cut part of the trailing end of the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll, behind the point of cutting, to the downstream extending portion of the adhesive tape substantially simultaneously as the point of cutting moves across the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll, so that the trimmed edge of the trailing end of the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expired roll abuts and is disposed closely adjacent to the trimmed edge of the leading end of the web from the new roll, and so that the adhesive tape secures together the leading end of the web from the new roll and the trailing end of the web from the expiring roll and;

driving the new roll at a speed so as to bring the joined web from the expiring roll and from the new roll so that the dancer rollers of the running web festoon means are again restored to their normal running position, and so that the web continues at the high speed and under the constant, low tension.

2. The improved method of claim 1 wherein the anvil means is disposed adjacent to the path of travel;

wherein the portion of the web from the new roll is held against one side of the anvil means;

wherein the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring web is held against another side of the anvil means; and

wherein the adhesive tape faces the anvil means, when applied to the leading end of the web from the new roll; and

including the further steps of;

applying the adhesive tape from one side edge to the other side edge of the leading end of the web from the new roll; and

supporting the portion of the adhesive tape that extends downstream beyond the cutting edge of the anvil means and the leading end of the web of the new roll while the trailing end of the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll is being trimmed and while the cut part of the trailing end of the stopped, anvil means adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll is being adhered to the portion of the adhesive tape.

3. An improved apparatus for forming a butt splice to join together a web from a new roll of material to a web which is from an expiring roll of material, which has two substantially parallel side edges, and which should be run, through a web processing operation downstream from the expiring roll, at a relatively high preselected speed and under a constant, low tension, along a pre-determined path of travel that includes running web festoon means having floating dancer rollers and the web processing operation, the improved apparatus comprising:

means for driving the expiring roll at a speed so as to maintain the web, downstream of the running web festoon means at the high speed and under the constant, low tension and so as to maintain the dancer rollers of the running web festoon means in their normal running position;

an anvil disposed adjacent to the path of travel and having first and second sides and a cutting edge at the downstream ends of the sides;

means for supporting and driving the expiring roll and the new roll so that each web on each roll may run off of the roll and past the anvil and so that each roll may be selectively driven at various speeds;

means for selectively holding a portion of the web from the new roll against the first side of the anvil;

means for selectively trimming off the web from the new roll along the cutting edge of the anvil so that the trimmed edge of the leading end of the web from the new roll is aligned with and conforms to the cutting edge of the anvil and so that a first piece of adhesive tape can be applied to one side of the leading end, with the adhesive on the adhesive tape facing the path of travel and with an exposed portion of the adhesive tape projecting downstream beyond the cutting edge of the anvil and the trimmed edge of the web from the new roll;

means for sensing the amount of web remaining on the expiring roll;

means responsive to the means for sensing the amount of web remaining on the expired roll, for momentarily stopping the running of the portion of the web from the expiring roll adjacent to the anvil while permitting the further downstream portions of the web from the expiring roll, remote from the anvil, to continue to run at the high speed and under the constant, low tension;

means for selectively holding the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll against the second side of the anvil;

means for trimming the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll along the cutting edge of the anvil by cutting the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll a part at a time, across the web and beginning at one side edge thereof, so that the point of cutting moves across the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll from the one side edge to the other side edge, so that the uncut part of the web from the expiring roll remains under tension ahead of the point of cutting, and so that the trimmed edge of the trailing end of the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll is aligned with and conforms to the cutting edge of the anvil;

means for applying the cut part of the trailing end of the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll, behind the point of cutting, to the downstream extending, exposed portion of the adhesive tape substantially simultaneously as the point of cutting moves across the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll so that the trimmed edge of the trailing end of the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll abuts and is disposed closely adjacent to the trimmed edge of the leading end of the web from the new roll, and so that the adhesive tape secures together the leading end of the web from the new roll and the trailing end of the web from the expiring roll; and

means for driving the new roll at a speed so as to bring the joined leaving end of the web from the new roll and the trailing end of the web of the exiting roll, so that as the joined web runs along the path of travel, the dancer rollers of the running web festoon means are again restored to their normal running position, and so that the web continues at the high speed and under the constant, low tension.

4. The improved apparatus of claim 3 which includes means for supporting the portion of the adhesive tape and the leaving end of the web from the new roll while the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web is trimmed and while the trailing end of the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll is adhered to the portion of the adhesive tape;

and wherein the cutting edge of the anvil is disposed at an acute angle with respect to the path of travel.

5. The improved apparatus of claim 4 wherein the means for adhering the cut part of the trailing end of the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll includes a contact roller whose axis of rotation is substantially parallel to the path of travel adjacent to the anvil, with the roller being disposed immediately downstream from the cutting edge of the anvil, adjacent to the second side of the anvil, and having a peripheral surface that, when in contact with the trailing end of the stopped, anvil adjacent portion of the web from the expiring roll, projects beyond the plane of the second side of the anvil toward the plane of the first side of the anvil, the contact roller also being movable across the anvil, adjacent to the cutting edge, from one side edge of the web from the expiring roll to the other.