Directing apparatus for guiding, deflecting and/or diverting a web of material

• US 5,353,979 A
• Filed: 06/17/1993
• Issued: 10/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Gartmann, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LILLIS, EILEEN DUNN
• Application Number:
  US08/077,504
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 226/7, 226/97, 226/196, 226/197, 226/199, 226/15, 226/22, 34/156, 34/160
• US Class Current: 242/615.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 23/035 by guide bars
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 23/24 by fluid action, e.g. to retard the running web
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 23/32 Arrangements for turning or reversing webs
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/111 for handling material along a curved path, e.g. fluidised turning bar
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/14 with selectively operated air supply openings

Abstract

A directing apparatus for guiding, deflecting and/or diverting a web of material including a block which has a curved surface. The block is segmented, i.e. divided into sections, and in each section there is a certain number of bores, to which streams of medium are admitted at various velocities or with various quantities of medium. In each of the sections, a predetermined number of bores are connected to one another and are connected via a common line to a common medium supply device. The medium may be either compressed air or a liquid.

Claims

1. A directing apparatus for guiding, transversely deflecting, and diverting a web of material which is guided over a number of rollers, said directing apparatus comprising:

a block which is connected to a medium supply device for supplying a medium, said block having a curved surface over which said web can be led, said curved surface having a plurality of bores provided in each of separate sections and which extend transversely to said web, a plurality of said separate sections being provided for said web of material and forming fluid bearings for said web;

lines which extend through said block and connect said separate sections to said medium supply device whereby through said lines said medium can flow out of said bores and against said web from said medium supply device; and

control valves, located in said lines outside of said block, for controlling the flow of said medium into the respective lines at variable velocities and variable volumes to supply a different fluid pressure to each separate section to create a pressure gradient across the web'"'"'s width to deflect and divert said web from a first guided direction of travel to a second guided direction of travel depending on said pressure gradient which urges said web from the surface of the block.

2. The directing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said block is cylindrical in shape and the bores in each of said separate sections are connected to one another.

3. The directing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein

said block has said separate sections formed in a portion of said curved surface which faces said web, each of said separate sections having rear sides which are spaced a designated distance from said portion of said curved surface, and

said bores include restriction bores which are formed in said separate sections.

4. The directing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said block comprises a diverting block having an elliptical cross-section.

5. The directing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein

said block as said separate sections formed in a portion of said curved surface which faces said web,

said bores include restriction bores which are formed in said separate sections,

a central bore is formed in a central portion of said block, and

radial channels are formed in said block and connect said restriction bores to said central bore.

6. The directing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein gaps are formed ahead, behind, and beside said restriction bores to produce restriction points.

7. The directing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said block comprises a diverting block for the diversion of said web through an angle of less than 180°

, and wherein said block has a parabolic cross-section, and restriction bores are located on the surface of said block.

8. A method of guiding, transversely deflecting, and diverting a web of material which is guided over a number of rollers, said method comprising:

providing a block having a curved surface over which said web is led, said curved surface having a plurality of bores provided in each of separate sections and which extend transversely to said web, a plurality of said separate sections being provided for said web of material and forming fluid bearings for said web;

leading said web over the curved surface of the block;

drawing a medium out of a medium supply device; and

feeding said medium through each of said plurality of said separate sections and against a surface of said web at variable velocities and at variable volumes to impinge on said web with a pressure gradient across the web'"'"'s width such that said pressure gradient deflects and diverts said web from a first direction of travel, which is maintained when the medium is fed at constant velocities and constant volumes to each of said separate sections, to a second direction of travel.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of feeding said medium through said separate sections comprises the step of feeding said medium through restriction bores which are formed in each of said separate sections that are formed in a portion of said curved surface of said block which faces said web.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of feeding said medium includes the step of feeding said medium through lines which extend through said block and which connect said separate sections to said medium supply device, and wherein the method further comprises the step of

controlling a flow of medium into respective lines by selectively operating control valves which are located in said respective lines outside of said block.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of feeding said medium through said separate sections comprises the step of feeding said medium through restriction bores, and further comprising the step of feeding said medium through restriction points formed by gaps formed ahead, behind, and beside said restriction bores, thereby building up pressure between said block and said web.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of feeding said medium comprises the step of feeding said medium through radial channels formed in said block, said method further comprising the steps of forming a supporting film of said medium between said block and said web and varying pressures of said medium in said radial channels to vary a thickness of said film.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said steps of drawing and feeding said medium comprises the steps of drawing and feeding compressed air.

14. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step of leading said web comprises the step of leading said web through a liquid bath, and wherein said steps of drawing and feeding said medium comprise the steps of drawing and feeding a liquid of said liquid bath.

15. A system comprising:

a plurality of rollers; and

a directing system for guiding, transversely deflecting, and diverting a web of material over said rollers, said directing system including

a directing apparatus; and

a medium supply device for supplying a medium to said directing apparatus;

wherein said directing apparatus comprises a block which is connected to said medium supply device, said block having a curved surface over which said web is led, said curved surface having a plurality of bores provided in each of separate sections and which extend transversely to said web and through which medium flows out of and against said web from said medium supply device in designated directions at variable velocities and variable volumes, a plurality of said separate sections being provided for said web of material and forming fluid bearings for said web wherein each section is provided with a different pressure thereby forming a pressure gradient to deflect and divert said web from a first guided direction of travel to a second guided direction of travel, depending on the different pressures of the medium in said separate sections.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said directing system further comprises

lines which extend through said block and which connect said bores to said medium supply device, and

control valves, located in said lines outside of said block, for controlling a flow of medium into respective lines.

17. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said medium comprises compressed air.

18. The system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a liquid bath in which said block is disposed, and wherein said medium comprises a liquid of said liquid bath.

19. A directing apparatus for guiding, transversely deflecting, and diverting a web of material which is guided over a number of rollers, said directing apparatus comprising:

a block connected to a medium supply device, said block having a curved surface over which said web is led, said curved surface having a plurality of bores provided in each of separate sections and which extend transversely to said web, a plurality of said separate sections being provided for said web of material and forming fluid bearings for said web wherein each separate section is provided with a different fluid pressure to create a pressure gradient across a width of said web to deflect and divert said web from a first guided direction of travel to a second guided direction of travel, depending on said pressure gradient which urges said web from the surface of the block;

lines which extend through said block and which connect said separate sections to said medium supply device, whereby through said lines said medium flows against said web from said medium supply device; and

control valves, located in said lines outside of said block, for controlling a flow of medium into respective lines;

wherein said block is cylindrical in shape and the bores in each separate section are connected to one another and wherein said block has the .separate sections formed in a portion of the curved surface which faces the web, the separate sections having rear sides which are spaced a designated distance from said portion of said curved surface, and wherein said bores include restriction bores which are formed in said sections.