Apparatus for increasing tail adhesion of wet rolls

• US 7,238,236 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Zacharias, Duane K., Doyle, Andrew Peter, Wang, Kenneth Y., Wilks, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TADESSE, YEWEBDAR T
• Application Number:
  US10/295,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20040096483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 118/325, 118/117, 118/420, 118/300, 118313-316, 156/502, 156/504, 156/505, 156/578, 156446-450, 162109-111, 162118-121, 424/443
• US Class Current: 118/325
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/29 Securing the trailing end of the wound web to the web roll cores, formers, supports or holders, e.g. reels, with arrangements for securing ends of material B65H75/28
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/5162 Coating, applying liquid or layer of any material to material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2408/235 Cradles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1728 Liquid soaked material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1846 Parts concerned
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1798 with liquid adhesive or adhesive activator applying means

Abstract

An apparatus for making a wet roll including a body of a roll of wet wound sheet material, where the body of the roll is connected to a tail of the roll, means for applying an adhesion promoter between the body and the tail and means for contacting the body and the tail. The body and tail of the roll contain a wetting solution.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making wet rolls, comprising:

means for dispensing a first wetting solution onto a web of sheet material to form a wet web of sheet material;

means for winding the wet web of sheet material into a wet roll of wound sheet material, the wet roll comprising a body and a tail pendant to the body, wherein the means for winding the wet web of sheet material is downstream of the means for dispensing the first wetting solution;

means for applying a second wetting solution comprising an adhesion promoter to the wet roll, wherein the means for applying the second wetting solution is downstream of the means for winding the wet web of sheet material; and

means for contacting the tail to the body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for dispensing the first wetting solution comprises means for adding on greater than about 25% weight percent liquid based on the dry weight of the roll of wet wound sheet material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for applying an adhesion promoter comprises means for forming an aqueous foam.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for applying an adhesion promoter further comprises means for depositing the roll onto the foam, wherein the foam is on a surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for contacting the tail to the body comprises means for rotating the body onto the tail.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for contacting the tail to the body comprises means for pressing the tail to the body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a means for breaking the wet web of sheet material, wherein the means for breaking the wet web of sheet material is upstream from the means for applying the second wetting solution.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for dispensing the first wetting solution comprises means for adding on from about 200 to about 400 weight percent liquid based on the dry weight of the roll of wet wound sheet material.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for dispensing the first wetting solution onto the web of sheet material comprises means for uniformly applying the first wetting solution throughout the entire web of sheet material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for dispensing the first wetting solution onto the web of sheet material comprises a means for applying pressure when applying the first wetting composition to the web of sheet material.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for applying the second wetting solution comprises means for dispensing an aqueous foam onto the wet roll.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for contacting the tail to the body comprises providing a foam on a surface, and allowing the roll to pass through the foam on the surface.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises means for producing uniformly wet rolls, wherein less than 10% of the uniformly wet rolls produced have loose tails.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises means for producing uniformly wet rolls, wherein less than 3% of the uniformly wet rolls produced have loose tails.

15. An apparatus for making wet rolls, comprising:

a wetting apparatus that dispenses a first wetting solution throughout a web of sheet material to form a wet web;

a wet winding apparatus downstream from the wetting apparatus to wind the wet web of sheet material into a wet roll of wound sheet material comprising a body and a tail pendant to the body;

a surface positioned to accept the wet roll; and

a solution applicator downstream from the wet winding apparatus that dispenses a second wetting solution comprising an adhesion promoter onto the wet roll once the wet roll is on the surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the surface comprises an inclined plane such that the body can rotate onto the tail along the plane.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the solution applicator comprises a spray nozzle, and the second wetting solution is in the form of a foam.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the foam is dispensed from the solution applicator onto a portion of the surface, and the surface is positioned such that the roll contacts the foam on said portion of the surface.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the solution applicator is configured to apply the foam to the entire wet wound roll after completion of the winding process.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the solution applicator is configured to apply the foam to the body and the tail.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the solution applicator is configured to apply the foam onto the tail.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the solution applicator is configured to apply the foam an exterior of the roll.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the contacting comprises providing the foam on a surface, and allowing the roll to pass through the foam on the surface.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the contacting comprises allowing the body to rotate onto the tail.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the contacting comprises pressing the tail to the body.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the pressing comprises rotating the roll between an upper conveyor belt and a lower conveyor belt.

27. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the solution applicator comprises a drool bar.

28. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the solution applicator comprises a spray boom.

29. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wetting apparatus is configured to dispense the first wetting solution throughout the roll of wet wound sheet material with an add-on of greater than about 25 weight percent liquid based on the dry weight of the roll of wet wound sheet material.

30. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wetting apparatus is configured to dispense the first wetting solution throughout the roll of wet wound sheet material with an add-on of from about 200 about 400 weight percent liquid based on the dry weight of the roll of wet wound sheet material.

31. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wetting apparatus is configured to uniformly dispense the first wetting solution throughout the entire roll of sheet material.

32. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wetting apparatus for dispensing the first wetting solution comprises a fluid distribution header.

33. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wetting apparatus for dispensing the first wetting solution comprises a drool bar.

34. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wetting apparatus for dispensing the first wetting solution comprises a spray boom.

35. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising press rolls applying pressure to force the first wetting solution into the roll of sheet material.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the pressure is controllable and wherein the press rolls can be adjusted to modify the rate at which the first wetting solution is absorbed.

37. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second wetting solution is the same as the first wetting solution.

38. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second wetting solution comprises an adhesive.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the adhesive comprises an emulsion.

40. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second wetting solution comprises a viscous aqueous composition.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the viscous aqueous composition has a viscosity of at least about 100 centipoise.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the viscous aqueous composition comprises a surfactant or an adhesive.

43. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is capable of producing uniformly wet rolls, wherein less than 10% of the uniformly wet rolls produced have loose tails.

44. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus comprises means for producing uniformly wet rolls, wherein less than 3% of the uniformly wet rolls produced have loose tails.

45. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wet winding apparatus comprises means for breaking the wet web of sheet material.