Flying web splice apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A method for splicing a first web of material to a second web of moving material, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first vacuum belt passed about a first rotation element and rotation element disposed distance from the first rotation element to define an elongated belt path therebetween, the vacuum belt having at least one aperture formed therethrough;
providing a first vacuum enclosure adjacent the first vacuum belt;
providing at least one pressure-bonding mechanism located adjacent the first vacuum belt;
generating a vacuum within the first vacuum enclosure to create suction through the at least one aperture in the first vacuum belt;
holding the first web of material against the first vacuum belt via the suction through the at least one aperture;
moving the first vacuum belt to a position near the second web of moving material;
accelerating the first vacuum belt and the first web of material to a speed of the second web of moving material; and
actuating the pressure-bonding mechanism to bond the first web of material to die second web of moving material.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flying web splice apparatus and method for splicing a moving web of material to another web of material without tape or adhesives being used at the splice. Two splicer assemblies are provided which each have a rotatable parent roll feeding web material into the splicer apparatus. Each splicer assembly has a series of substantially parallel vacuum belts and a series of vacuum boxes therein. The vacuum boxes for each splicer assembly are evacuated by a vacuum blower, which creates a vacuum causing a suction through holes within a portion of the vacuum belts in order to hold web material to the vacuum belts. The series of belts for each splicer assembly are preferably rotatable about a top pivot to bring a bottom portion of each series of belts together. Preferably, at the bottom portions of each series of belts is located a pressure bonding mechanism, such as a series of ply-bond wheels, which bond the webs of material together when the bottom portions of the series of belts are brought together (preferably via one or more actuators). A stationary web from a parent roll is first placed over holes in one of the vacuum belts, which is then driven by a motor to drag the vacuum belt and web along part of its belt path and toward the pressure bonding mechanism. By the time the initially-stationary web reaches the actuated pressure bonding mechanism, the initially-stationary web is at the speed of the initially-moving web and can be precisely spliced thereto.
38 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method for splicing a first web of material to a second web of moving material, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first vacuum belt passed about a first rotation element and rotation element disposed distance from the first rotation element to define an elongated belt path therebetween, the vacuum belt having at least one aperture formed therethrough; providing a first vacuum enclosure adjacent the first vacuum belt; providing at least one pressure-bonding mechanism located adjacent the first vacuum belt; generating a vacuum within the first vacuum enclosure to create suction through the at least one aperture in the first vacuum belt; holding the first web of material against the first vacuum belt via the suction through the at least one aperture; moving the first vacuum belt to a position near the second web of moving material; accelerating the first vacuum belt and the first web of material to a speed of the second web of moving material; and actuating the pressure-bonding mechanism to bond the first web of material to die second web of moving material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for splicing two webs of material together, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first vacuum belt having two ends at least partly defining a first belt path, the first vacuum belt having at least one suction aperture formed therethrough; providing a second vacuum belt adjacent the first vacuum belt and having a second belt path; providing a first vacuum box located adjacent the first vacuum belt along at least a portion of the first belt path, the first vacuum box having at least one wall defining a vacuum chamber within the first vacuum box, the vacuum chamber being in fluid communication with an exterior area of the first vacuum belt via the at least one suction aperture over at least a portion of the belt path of the first vacuum belt; providing a pressure-bonding mechanism; generating a vacuum within the vacuum chamber and a suction force through the at least one suction aperture; holding a first of the two webs of material against the first vacuum belt via the suction force; accelerating the first of the two webs of material to a speed of a second of the two webs of material; moving an end of the first vacuum belt with an actuator to change the first belt path and to bring the two webs of material together in an overlapping relationship to form overlapping webs of material; and passing the overlapping webs of material through the pressure-bonding mechanism to bond the overlapping webs of material together. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A flying web splice apparatus for splicing a first web to a second web, comprising:
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first vacuum belt having at least one suction aperture formed therethrough and holding the first web, the first vacuum belt having opposite ends; a second vacuum belt near the first vacuum belt; a first vacuum box located adjacent a portion of a path traveled by the first vacuum belt and exerting a suction through the at least one suction aperture within the first vacuum belt; an end of the first vacuum belt being movable between a first position where the first web and the second web do not intersect to a second position where the first web and the second web intersect; and a pressure-bonding mechanism movable between a first and a second position corresponding to the first and second positions of the first vacuum belt, the pressure-bonding mechanism exerting pressure in the second pressure-bonding mechanism position to compress and join the first and second webs together. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification