Laminating machine with improved heating and cooling
First Claim
1. An apparatus for heating a material, said apparatus comprising:
- a) a plurality of sub-assemblies each including;
i) a roller for contacting such material;
ii) a heater;
iii) a heater control connected to the heater; and
,iv) heat transmission means for operatively connecting said heater with its roller to heat the roller and thereby heat such material during roller contact, said transmission means comprising a heat transfer bar having walls defining a roller recess, the roller being substantially within its recess, the bar also including a chamber for mounting the heater to conduct heat from said heater to said roller when the apparatus is in use; and
,b) the sub-assemblies being arranged in a curved array.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved laminating machine having a supply of laminating material guided into the machine so a pair of webs respectively are fed through heating stations and then extend parallel to one another along a workpiece path in a direction towards a drive station. A supply of sheet material is delivered between the webs of laminating material. A pair of pressing rolls supported for rotation engage and bond together opposite sides of the heated laminating material and the sheet material to form a composite workpiece. Each heating station directs laminating material to the pressing rolls. Each heating station is formed in an arcuate configuration and includes a plurality of rollers and a plurality of heaters. Each heater is operatively connected with a respective roller. A pair of rotatable cooling rollers are supported along the path between the pressing rolls and the drive station. Each cooling roller has at least one coolant passage extending longitudinally therethrough. A fluid coolant flow is supplied through the passage in each cooling roller. The cooling rollers are located to engage opposite sides of a heated composite workpiece to cool the composite workpiece.
73 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for heating a material, said apparatus comprising:
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a) a plurality of sub-assemblies each including; i) a roller for contacting such material; ii) a heater; iii) a heater control connected to the heater; and
,iv) heat transmission means for operatively connecting said heater with its roller to heat the roller and thereby heat such material during roller contact, said transmission means comprising a heat transfer bar having walls defining a roller recess, the roller being substantially within its recess, the bar also including a chamber for mounting the heater to conduct heat from said heater to said roller when the apparatus is in use; and
,b) the sub-assemblies being arranged in a curved array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. In a laminating machine for adhering plastic covers to either one or both faces of core sheets, a heat station assembly comprising:
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a) a plurality of individual heater sub-assemblies; b) each sub-assembly comprising; i) a heat transfer roller having a cylindrical surface for contact with and heating of a plastic material to a core adhesion condition; ii) an elongate heat transfer body having walls defining an elongate recess of an arcuate cross sectional configuration; iii) the roller being disposed substantially within and substantially surrounded by the recess, the walls and the surface being in closely spaced, concentric relationship; iv) a heater connected to the body in heat transfer relationship; v) a heater control connected to the heater; and
,vi) means to mount the sub-assembly to a support structure; and
,c) wherein the support structure supports each of the sub-assemblies to form a curved heating array with the rollers positioned to delineate a portion of a plastic material path of travel and sequentially transfer heat to such plastic material to bring it to such core adhesion condition. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A machine for laminating protective coverings sheet material, comprising:
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a) a supply station for supporting a supply of laminating material; b) a heating station for contact with a portion of a web of such laminating material, and directing such laminating material towards a laminating station comprising; i) a plurality of heater sub-assemblies; ii) each sub-assembly comprising; aa) a heat transfer roller having a cylindrical surface for contact with and heating said laminating material to a core adhesion condition; bb) an elongate heat transfer body having walls defining an elongate recess of an arcuate cross sectional configuration; cc) the roller being disposed substantially within and substantially surrounded by the recess, the walls and the surface being in closely spaced, concentric relationship; dd) a heater connected to the body in heat transfer relationship; and
,ee) a heater control connected to the heater; and
,c) structure supporting the sub-assemblies in a heating array with the rollers positioned to delineate a portion of a curved material path of travel and sequentially transfer heat to such laminating material to bring it to such core adhesion condition; d) a pair of coactable pressing rolls delineating the laminating station, the pressing rolls being supported for rotation and positioned to engage heated laminating material to bond the laminating material together with such sheet material and form a workpiece; e) a pair of cooling rollers supported for rotation along a path of workpiece travel from the laminating station to the drive station, the cooling rollers including through fluid passages; and
,f) said cooling rollers engaging opposite sides of such workpieces to cool such workpieces when the machine is in use and carry away heat which was removed by engagement with the workpiece. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification