Adjustable bed mat roller

• US 8,702,027 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mat Processing, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ukeme Umana
• Inventors: Akpan, Kufre Effiong
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, SANG K
• Application Number:
  US13/893,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20130240659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 242/535.1, 242/535.4, 2425412-5413
• US Class Current: 242/535.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 18/08 Web-winding mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 18/22 by friction band
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 19/2276 The web roll being driven by a winding mechanism of the coreless type
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1922 for covering surfaces such as carpets, roads, roofs or walls

Abstract

An bed roller machine for use in rolling a rug having a leading edge, comprising a main body having a main bed, a plurality of belts configured to move the leading edge of the rug into the cavity and up, a first set of fingers, each finger of the first set having a surface having a first concave cylindrical curvature, wherein the surfaces of the first set are aligned, and wherein the first set of fingers are movable as a set, and a second set of fingers, each finger of the second set having a surface having a second concave cylindrical curvature looser that that of the first surface, wherein the surfaces of the second set are aligned, and wherein the second set of fingers are movable as a set.

Claims

1. A bed roller machine for use in rolling a rug having a leading edge, comprising:

a main body having

a hood having a mouth defining a cavity;

a main bed supporting a single main belt configured to move the leading edge of the rug from a front end of the main body into the cavity;

a plurality of belts configured to move the leading edge of the rug further into the cavity and up;

a first set of fingers, each finger of the first set having a surface having a first concave cylindrical curvature, wherein the surfaces of the first set are aligned, and wherein the first set of fingers is movable as a set; and

a second set of fingers, each finger of the second set having a surface having a second concave cylindrical curvature wider than that of the first surface, wherein the surfaces of the second set are aligned, and wherein the second set of fingers is movable as a set,

wherein the fingers of the first and second set of fingers are interleaved and positioned in the cavity proximate the end of the plurality of belts;

wherein the main belt extends across the width of the first set of fingers;

wherein during operation, each belt rotates in a direction of rotation.

2. The bed roller machine of claim 1, wherein the main belt has an upper surface that has an angle in the direction of rotation and wherein the upper surface of the main belt defines a plane.

3. The bed roller machine of claim 2, wherein the plurality of belts comprises:

a set of secondary belts, wherein each of the belts of the set of secondary belts has an upper surface and wherein the upper surfaces of each of the secondary belts are substantially in the same plane; and

a set of tertiary belts, wherein each of the belts of the set of tertiary belts has an upper surface and wherein the upper surfaces of each of the tertiary belts are substantially in the same plane;

wherein the belts of the set of secondary belts and the set of tertiary belts are interleaved;

wherein the set of secondary belts are positioned between the main belt and the set of tertiary belts;

wherein the upper surfaces of the set of secondary belts has an angle in the direction of rotation that is more vertical than the angle of the upper surface of the main belt;

wherein the upper surfaces of the set of tertiary belts has an angle in the direction of rotation that is more vertical than the angle of the upper surfaces of the set of secondary belts.

4. The bed roller machine of claim 3, wherein the fingers of the first and second sets of fingers are interleaved with the belts of the tertiary set of belts.

5. The bed roller machine of claim 3, wherein the main belt has a first end and a second end;

wherein the direction of rotation is between the first end and the second end such that upper surface of the main belt moves towards the second end;

wherein the second end is disposed within the cavity of the hood; and

further comprising a sensor to detect when the leading edge of a rug leaves the second end of the main belt.

6. The bed roller machine of claim 5, further comprising:

an elbow positioned at the middle of the second end of the main belt between belts of the set of second belts;

wherein the elbow has a curved concave surface facing toward the mouth for directing the leading edge of the rug upwards to the set of tertiary belts.

7. The bed roller machine of claim 6, wherein the actuation member is a hydraulic cylinder.

8. A method of using the bed roller machine of claim 5, comprising the steps of:

providing a rectangular rug having a leading edge;

providing the bed roller machine of claim 5;

placing the leading edge of the rug on the main belt parallel to the first end of the belt;

activating the bed roller machine, where the bed roller machine, when activated, performs the following steps in order;

a) activates the belts, the main belt moving such that the upper surface moves from the first end to the second end to provide rotation in the direction of rotation, the sets of secondary and tertiary belts also rotating in the direction of rotation,

b) draws the leading edge of the rug into the cavity;

c) activates the sensor when the leading edge of the rug extends over the second end of the main belt;

d) when the sensor is activated, rotate the first set of fingers into a position where the surfaces of the first set of fingers will come into contact with the rug;

e) begin to roll the rug;

f) after a pre-determined period of time after step c, rotate the second set of fingers into a position where the surfaces of the second set of fingers will come into contact with the rug and rotate the first set of fingers out of the way; and

g) finish rolling the rug;

9. The method of claim 8, comprising the further steps of:

wherein the bed roller machine further comprises a pusher that is retracted while the rug is being rolled and is extendable to push a rolled rug from the set of secondary belts to the main belt; and

subsequent to step g, deactivating the bed roller machine where deactivation triggers the pusher to push the rolled rug onto the main belt.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising the further steps of:

wherein the main body of the bed roller machine further comprises a safety plate having an upper edge positioned proximate the first end of the main belt, the safety plate moveable between a first portion when the upper edge is below the plane and a second position where the safety plate is positioned above the plane, the safety plate being configured such that in the first position a rolled rug may roll off the first end of the main belt and that in the second position a rolled rug is prevented from rolling off the first end of the main belt; and

subsequent to step g, moving the safety plate from the first position to the second position.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of moving the safety plate from the first position to the second position is triggered by the deactivation of the bed roller machine.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising the further steps of:

automatically moving the safety plate from the second position back to the first position a predetermined period of time after the deactivation of the bed roller machine.

13. The bed roller machine of claim 3, further comprising:

a pusher that is retracted while the rug is being rolled and is extendable to push a rolled rug from the set of secondary belts to the main belt.

14. The bed roller machine of claim 13, further comprising:

a set of pushers that are retracted while the rug is being rolled and are extendable to push a rolled rug from the set of secondary belts to the main belt.

15. The bed roller machine of claim 3, wherein the main body further comprises a safety plate having an upper edge positioned proximate the first end of the main belt, the safety plate moveable between a first portion when the upper edge is below the plane and a second position where the safety plate is positioned above the plane, the safety plate being configured such that in the first position a rolled rug may roll off the first end of the main belt and that in the second position a rolled rug is prevented from rolling off the first end of the main belt.

16. The bed roller machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a frame wherein the main body is connected to the frame by a pivot joint; and

an actuation member such that the front end of the main body is movable up and down relative to the frame by operation of the actuation member.