Patent Grant
10603864
This application relates generally to an apparatus for producing a corrugated product, and more particularly to an apparatus for producing a corrugated product with trapezoidal corrugations.
Corrugated webs possess increased strength and dimensional stability compared to un-corrugated (i.e. flat) webs of the same material. For example, corrugated paperboard or cardboard is widely used in storage and shipping boxes and other packaging materials to impart strength. A typical corrugated cardboard structure known as ‘double-wall’ includes a corrugated paperboard web sandwiched between opposing un-corrugated paperboard webs referred to as ‘liners.’ The opposing liners are adhered to opposite surfaces of the corrugated web to produce a composite corrugated structure, typically by gluing each liner to the adjacent flute crests of the corrugated web. This structure is manufactured initially in planar composite boards, which can then be cut, folded, glued or otherwise formed into a desired configuration to produce a box or other form for packaging.
Corrugated webs such as paperboard are formed in a corrugating machine starting from flat webs. A conventional corrugating machine feeds the flat web through a nip between a pair of corrugating rollers rotating on axes that are perpendicular to the direction of travel of the web when viewed from above. Each of the corrugating rollers has a plurality of longitudinally-extending teeth defining alternating peaks and valleys distributed about the circumference and extending the length of the roller. The rollers are arranged so that their respective teeth interlock at the nip, with the teeth of one roller being received within the valleys of the adjacent roller. The interlocking teeth define a corrugating labyrinth through which the web travels as it traverses the nip. As the web is drawn through the corrugating labyrinth it is forced to conform to the configuration thereof, thus introducing into the web flutes or corrugations that approximate the dimensions of the pathway through the corrugating labyrinth. An example of this conventional methodology is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,057,621 (see
Corrugating a web in this manner can introduce a substantial amount of oscillatory frictional and tension forces to the web leading into and while traversing the corrugating nip. Briefly, as the web is drawn between the corrugating rollers and forced to negotiate the corrugating labyrinth, tensile stresses in the web, as well as compressive stresses normal to the plane of the entering web, oscillate in magnitude and direction as successive flutes are formed due to the reciprocating motion of the corrugating teeth relative to the web, and due to roll and draw variations in the web through the labyrinth as it is being corrugated. The resulting cyclic peaks in web stresses can produce structural damage in the web as it is corrugated. Structural damage is particularly likely if sharp edges are present along the teeth of the corrugating rollers.
Therefore, in order to limit stresses in the web during corrugation, the teeth in conventional corrugating rollers are shaped to have a sinusoidal profile such that no sharp edges, nor discrete edges whose radii of curvature approach or approximate a sharp edge, are present along the teeth. Consequently, the final corrugated web will also have a continuous, smooth sinusoidal shape. However, layered structures made with such sinusoidal-corrugated webs can be inferior in quality to layered structures made with webs having other corrugated shapes.
More specifically, a layered cardboard structure in which a web having trapezoidal-shaped corrugations is sandwiched between flat liners can be vastly superior in strength compared to a similar layered cardboard structure having a web with sinusoidal-shaped corrugations. For example, the straight legs of trapezoidal-shaped corrugations extending between the liners can be more resistant to compression than the curved legs of sinusoidal-shaped corrugations. Furthermore, the flat peaks and valleys of trapezoidal-shaped corrugations can provide a greater surface area for adhesion to the opposing liners than the rounded peaks of sinusoidal-shaped corrugations. This greater surface area can provide enhanced adhesion between the corrugated web and outer layers, thereby creating a more rigid structure that is more resistant to tearing, bending, and falling apart.
As desirable as trapezoidal-shaped corrugations for a web may be, such corrugations are difficult to achieve using conventional techniques for corrugating. For example, feeding a flat web to a pair of corrugating rollers having closely interlocking trapezoidal-shaped teeth would impart too much stress to the web due to the discrete edges of the teeth and the dramatic change in shape to the web, thereby damaging the web.
An apparatus for producing a corrugated product is disclosed. It includes a roller train having a first corrugating roller having a first set of corrugating teeth; a second corrugating roller having a second set of corrugating teeth; a third corrugating roller having a third set of corrugating teeth; and a fourth corrugating roller having a fourth set of corrugating teeth. A first nip is defined between the first and second corrugating rollers opposing one another. A second nip is defined between the second and third corrugating rollers opposing one another. A third nip is defined between the third and fourth corrugating rollers opposing one another. Each tooth in each of the first, second, third and fourth sets of teeth has a distal face, a leading flank and a trailing flank. The distal faces of each of the first and second sets of teeth are rounded. The distal faces of each of the third and fourth sets of teeth are flattened.
A method of introducing trapezoidal corrugations to a traveling web also is disclosed, including the steps of: feeding the web through a first nip defined between first and second corrugating rollers having respective first and second sets of teeth that oppose one another in the first nip, the web following a first path through the first nip tangent to respective edges of the opposing teeth therein; thereafter feeding the web through a second nip defined between the second corrugating roller and a third corrugating roller, the third corrugating roller having a third set of teeth that opposes the second set of teeth in the second nip, the web following a second path through the second nip tangent to respective edges of the second set of teeth and discretely folding over respective edges of the third set of teeth therein; and thereafter feeding the web through a third nip defined between the third corrugating roller and a fourth corrugating roller, the fourth corrugating roller having a fourth set of teeth that opposes the third set of teeth in the third nip, the web following a third path through the third nip discretely folding over respective edges of the opposing teeth therein.
The corrugating apparatus will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments of the disclosure are shown. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. However, this disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.
Turning to
The plurality of corrugating rollers 12 includes a series of four rollers organized in a roller train, such that successive pairs of adjacent rollers defines a respective nip therebetween along the web travel pathway. As shown in
The corrugating rollers 12 are arranged such that the teeth 26a of the first corrugating roller 12a interlace with the teeth 26b of the second corrugating roller 12b, the teeth 26b of the second corrugating roller 12b interlace with the teeth 26c of the third corrugating roller 12c, and the teeth 26c of the third corrugating roller 12c interlace with the teeth 26d of the fourth corrugating roller 12d. Accordingly, a first nip N1 is defined between first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b where they interlace, a second nip N2 is defined between second and third corrugating rollers 12b, 12c where they interlace, and a third nip N3 is defined between third and fourth corrugating rollers 12c, 12d where they interlace.
In the illustrated embodiment, the corrugating rollers 12 are aligned vertically such that their axes X1-4 extend substantially parallel to each other and reside on a common vertical plane. Moreover, the web travel pathway 16 preferably enters the first nip N1 between the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b along a horizontal path, substantially tangent to the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b and perpendicular to the aforesaid common vertical plane. The web travel pathway 16 then proceeds 1) through the first nip N1 between the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b, then 2) circumferentially around a portion (e.g., a 180° arc-segment) of the second corrugating roller 12b, then 3) through the second nip N2 between the second and third corrugating rollers 12b, 12c, then 4) circumferentially around a portion (e.g., a 180° arc-segment) of the third corrugating roller 12c, and then 5) through the third nip N3 between the third and fourth corrugating rollers 12c, 12d. The web travel pathway 16 then exits the third nip N3, again preferably along a horizontal path substantially tangent to the third and fourth corrugating rollers 12c, 12d and perpendicular to the aforesaid common vertical plane.
However, it is to be appreciated that the corrugating rollers 12 may be aligned in other non-vertical orientations in some embodiments. Moreover, the axes X1-4 of the corrugating rollers 12 may be offset from each other such that the one or more of the axes do(es) not reside on a common plane with other axes. Still further, the web travel pathway 16 may enter and/or exit the corrugating rollers 12 in alternative locations and orientations, and the web travel pathway 16 may extend about portions or arc-segments of the corrugating rollers 12 other than as illustrated. Indeed, the corrugating rollers 12 and web travel pathway 16 may be arranged in any configuration in which the corrugating rollers 12 are interlaced as described to define three successive nips therebetween, such that the web travel pathway 16 travels through those nips between the corrugating rollers 12 in the roller train 5.
The corrugating rollers 12 are designed such that the web 14 can be fed along the web travel pathway 16 as the corrugating rollers 12 rotate, through the nips N1-3 of the corrugating rollers 12. As the web 14 travels through each nip N1-3, the corrugating rollers 12 of the nip N1-3 will impart a corrugation pattern to the web 14. In particular, as discussed further below, the respective sets of teeth 26a-d of the four corrugating rollers 12a-d are designed to have progressive geometries such that the nips N1-3 progressively corrugate the web 14 to eventually impart trapezoidal-shaped corrugations in the web 14.
More specifically, turning to
As can be seen in
As shown in
Moreover, as seen in
Less preferably, the teeth of the third and fourth rollers may include sharp edges at the interfaces between their respective flanks 48, 50 and the associated distal face 46, the edges 52 having no discernible curvature but instead transitioning discretely, essentially at a line of intersection between one surface (e.g. flank 48 or 50) and the next (e.g. distal face 46). However, such a sharp, technically discrete edge 52 is less preferred, even for the third and fourth sets of teeth 26c, 26d on the third and fourth corrugating rollers 12c, 12d, because it may damage or cut the web 14 (e.g. a paper web) that encounters it in, e.g. the second and/or third corrugating nips N2, N3.
With reference now to
Also shown in
The first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b can be rotated in opposite directions (indicated by arrows in
Moreover, the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b can be configured such that as the web 14 travels through the first nip N1, the web 14 will be drawn to wrap around the opposing rounded distal faces 46 of their interlaced teeth 26a, 26b. Further, with the opposing teeth 26a, 26b configured and spaced as described above, the web 14 will extend between adjacent interlaced teeth of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b such that the web 14 extends tangentially from one distal face 46 (or its adjacent edge 52) to the next on an adjacent, opposing tooth 26a, 26b on the opposing roller 12a, 12b. For example, as seen in
As the web 14 exits the first nip N1, the web 14 will consequently have a sinusoidal corrugated configuration even though the teeth 26a, 26b defining the first nip N1 are not sinusoidal. The now sinus web 14 will have been length-contracted by incorporating sinus corrugations that take up web length in a direction transverse to the machine direction (web travel pathway 16), so that the overall specific length of the web along that direction will have been contracted according to a predetermined take-up ratio. The web 14 will then follow the web travel pathway 16 around the second corrugating roller 12b and eventually through the second nip N2, which will now be described in further detail.
With reference to
As will be appreciated in
One will appreciate that in transforming every other sinus corrugation to a trapezoidal corrugation through the second nip N2, the web 14 is not dragged over the low-radius (t3) edges 52 of the third set of teeth 26c. Rather, because the web had already been formed into a sinus conformation, whose sinus corrugations approximate the pitch and shape of the trapezoidal corrugations to be introduced by the third set of teeth 26c, engagement with the edges (e.g. edges 52i, 52j) of those teeth 26c does not consume web length because the take-up ratio (and specific length) of the web through the second nip N2 is substantially the same as through the first nip N1. The edges 52 of the third set of teeth 26c engage the web at respective shoulders of the entering sinus corrugations and impart creases thereto as they carry the web through the second nip N2. But because this creasing action does not take up additional web length, the web 14 is not dragged over the edges 52 of the third set of teeth 26c. That is, the web 14 will have been already gathered and conformed to the corrugated pitch and approximate shape of the final trapezoidal corrugations before it encounters the low-radius (t3) edges 52 of the third set of teeth 26c, which also conform to that pitch. Because those edges merely engage and crease the web and do not materially drag or abrade against it, conversion from sinus to trapezoidal corrugations does not introduce material additional sheer or other stresses into the web, which may tend to damage or tear it.
Also as shown, the flanks 48, 50 can extend substantially parallel to the tooth's diametral plane M, and thus perpendicular to the distal face 46. In a further alternative, the flanks 48, 50 of the third roller 12c may be planar and extend at a non-normal angle relative to the distal face 46, thus defining trapezoidal-shaped teeth 26. In such an embodiment, however, preferably the slope of the flanks 48, 50 is such that the opposing teeth 26b and 26c of the second and third rollers 12b and 12c still will not come into contact within the second nip N2, thus maintaining spacing in the machine direction between adjacent, opposing teeth 26b, 26c.
The third corrugating roller 12c can be rotated in an opposite direction to the second corrugating roller 12b (indicated by arrows in
Moreover, the second and third corrugating rollers 12b, 12c can be configured such that as the web 14 travels through the second nip N2, the web 14 will be drawn flat and extend over the flat distal faces 46 of the third corrugating roller's interlaced teeth 26c as noted above, and wrap around the rounded distal faces 46 of the second corrugating roller's interlaced teeth 26b within the second nip N2. Further, the web 14 will extend between its points of contact with the adjacent interlaced teeth 26b, 26c of the second and third corrugating rollers 12b, 12c along linear paths such that as the web 14 is drawn through the second nip N2 it extends tangentially from the rounded distal face 46 (or edge 52) of a tooth 26b of the second roller 12b, to the reduced-radius edge 52 defining a discrete interface between the leading flank and distal face 46 of a tooth 26c on the third corrugating roller 12c downstream in the second nip N2. Again, contact between the web 14 and the flanks 48, 50 of each tooth 26b, 26c within the second nip N2 is minimized, and in the illustrated embodiment largely avoided, thereby lowering tension within the web 14 due to friction between the web 14 and portions of the corrugating rollers 12b, 12c or their respective teeth 26b, 26c other than their distal faces 46 and associated edges 52.
As the web 14 exits the second nip N2, the web 14 will have upper flutes that are substantially trapezoidal whose crests are in the form of substantially flat lands, and lower flutes whose crests are rounded. The web 14 will then follow the web travel pathway 16 around the third corrugating roller 12c and eventually through the third nip N3, which will now be described in further detail.
With reference to
The fourth corrugating roller 12d can be rotated in an opposite direction to the third corrugating roller 12c (indicated by arrows in
Moreover, the third and fourth corrugating rollers 12c, 12d can be configured such that as the web 14 travels through the third nip N3, the web 14 will be drawn flat and extend over the flat distal faces 46 of the fourth roller's teeth 26d, similar to the third roller's teeth 26c over which it will have already been drawn flat through the second nip N2. Also similarly as above with respect of the third roller 12c, initially sinus corrugations of the web 14 will encounter and be creased by the reduced-radius (t4) edges 52 of the fourth set of teeth 26d while tension it the web flattens the segment thereof between the points of contact with opposing edges 52 of the respective fourth set of teeth 26d. Still further as above, because the entering sinus corrugations approximate the eventual trapezoidal corrugations to be imparted by the fourth set of teeth 26d, their edges 52 do not drag or abrade against the web 14 as they crease it because imparting such creases and the resulting trapezoidal corrugations does not require consumption of additional web length. Rather, the take-up ratio (as well as the specific length) through the third nip N3 is the same as that on exiting both the first and second nips N1 and N2.
On exiting the third nip N3 the web will have a substantially fully trapezoidal corrugated conformation for its flutes extending from both sides of the web. Further, in the third nip N3 the web 14 will extend between its points of contact with the adjacent, interlaced teeth 26c, 26d of the third and fourth corrugating rollers 12c, 12d along linear paths such that as the web 14 is drawn through the third nip N3 it extends linearly from the edge 52 of a tooth 26c of the third corrugating roller 12c to the edge 52 of a tooth 26d on the fourth corrugating roller 12d downstream in the third nip N3. Here again, contact between the web 14 and the flanks 48, 50 of each tooth 26c, 26d within the third nip N3 is minimized, and again largely avoided (except with respect of the distal faces 46 of the teeth) in the illustrated embodiment thereby lowering tension within the web 14 by reducing friction. Indeed, although the web is carried over and potentially against the distal faces 46 of the teeth 26c and 26d, there is little to no relative movement between the web and those faces 46 (or the adjacent edges 52) as the web 14 traverses the nip N3. Rather, those distal faces 46 carry the web 14 as it moves; they do not materially slide against it. And because the web travels between adjacent teeth 26c, 26d in the nip N3 through open space and not against the shanks 48, 50 of any of the teeth 26c, 26d, the abrasive friction between tooth shanks and the traveling web that is characteristic of conventional corrugating operations (where opposing tooth sets of the corrugating rollers directly contact and complementarily interlock against one another) is avoided. The same is true of the first and second nips N1 and N2 discussed above, where again the predominant proportion of the web 14 traveling therethrough travels in open space, and not against the shanks 48, 50 of successive teeth 26 through the respective nips. The corrugating rollers 12 as described above can thus produce a web 14 with trapezoidal-shaped corrugations, by progressively corrugating the web 14 via the first, second, and third nips N1-3. In particular, the first nip N1 will corrugate the web 14 to have sinusoidal corrugations, the second nip N2 will corrugate the web 14 to have upper flutes with flat-land crests and lower flutes with rounded crests, and the third nip N3 will corrugate the web 14 to have upper and lower flutes both having flat-land crests such that the overall corrugation conformation is trapezoidal in shape. By progressively corrugating the web 14 in this manner, less stress can be introduced to the web 14 compared to techniques wherein, for example, a flat web is fed directly to a pair of corrugating rollers having square- or trapezoidal-shaped teeth with sharp-edged transitions between their flanks and crests. The disclosed corrugating roller train 5 can impart a double-sided trapezoidal corrugated conformation to an initially flat web (on entering the train 5), without introducing material sheer or stresses into the web 14 beyond that conventionally found in traditional, conventional sinus corrugating.
Moreover, by dimensioning and shaping the teeth 26a-d as described above to ensure that opposing teeth within a nip are spaced from one another and do not come into contact, additional space is created for the web 14 to travel between its points of contact on adjacent teeth 26a-d without engaging any part of the rollers 12 within that expanse, thereby minimizing friction and the associated web tension that such friction would induce. As a result, even less friction and sheer stresses can be introduced. Moreover, when the web does have to contact a reduced-radius (t3 or t4) edge 52 in order to make the transition (i.e. to discretely fold or crease over the edge 52 of either a third or fourth tooth 26c, 26d) from rounded crest to flat land, the web can have additional tension capacity to accommodate the tension introduced via contact with the reduced-radius edge 52.
Preferably, the corrugating apparatus 10 is configured to produce a symmetrically-corrugated web 14 having upper and lower trapezoidal-shaped corrugations that are substantially similar to each other in shape.
To achieve this, the flat distal faces 46 on the third and fourth corrugating rollers 12c, 12d can be substantially similar in machine-direction length, with their respective sets of teeth 26c, 26d being equally circumferentially spaced about the respective cylindrical bodies 22c, 22d. Additionally, the rounded distal faces 46 of the teeth 26a, 26b on the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b can have substantially similar radii of curvature, and should extend between their respective edges 52 a distance that approximates the machine-direction length of the flat distal faces 46 on the third and fourth rollers 12c, 12d. Preferably, the outer portions 40 of the teeth 26c, 26d of third and fourth corrugating rollers 12c, 12d as a whole will be substantially similar in shape and circumferentially spacing. Moreover, the outer portions 40 the teeth 26a, 26b of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b as a whole can be substantially similar in shape and circumferential spacing. More preferably, the teeth 26c, 26d as a whole of the third and fourth corrugating rollers 12c, 12d will be substantially similar in shape and circumferential spacing (as shown in the illustrated embodiment). Also preferably, the teeth 26a, 26b as a whole of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b also will be substantially similar in shape and circumferential spacing (as further shown in the illustrated embodiment).
In this manner, at the points along the web 14 where it will first encounter a reduced-radius (t3, t4) edge 52 to introduce flat lands therein, it will have already been corrugated such that the point of engagement on the web 14 (with the reduced-radius edge 52) will be a shoulder of a pre-existing sinus corrugation in the web 14 that is pre-curved or pre-stressed and which already approximates the trapezoidal configuration that is to be introduced by the reduced-radius edges 52. Therefore, as each such edge 52 introduces a discrete bend or fold to the web 14 in order to form a land therein, it will introduce less stress into the web 14 as compared to if that edge 52 were to introduce such a discrete fold beginning from a generally flat, un-corrugated web.
In an alternative and less preferred embodiment the edges 52 of the third and fourth corrugating rollers 12c, 12d (see e.g.,
The edges 52 of the teeth 26a, 26b on the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b (see e.g.,
As noted above, the cylindrical bodies 22a-d of the corrugating rollers 12a-d have respective diameters D1-4 (see e.g.,
Accordingly, it can be desirable to provide each corrugating roller 12 with a relatively small diameter. However, rollers 12 with smaller diameters will have less mass and therefore may be more susceptible to vibration or harmonics in operation, which can impair the corrugating process and possibly damage the web 14 via introduction of additional vibratory stresses.
Thus, in some embodiments, one of the second and third corrugating rollers 12b, 12c can have a smaller diameter compared to the other rollers in the train. For instance, in the illustrated embodiment the diameters D1, D2, D4 of the first, second, and fourth corrugating rollers 12a,b,d are relatively large and substantially equal to each other, while the diameter D3 of the third corrugating roller 12c is smaller than for the other rollers. In this manner, the number of interlaced teeth in the second and third nips N2, N3 can be reduced, thereby reducing stress along the web 14 within the nips N2, N3. This can be particularly important because it is within these nips that flat lands are introduced to the web 14 by introducing discrete creases therein, which will tend to introduce additional tension. It is believed that by reducing the number of interlaced teeth 26 and therefore the number of contact points at these locations, the web 14 may be better able to withstand the tension introduced when introducing the flat lands. Moreover, vibration and harmonic disturbances in the third corrugating roller 12c can still be relatively low based on the fact that its rotation is synchronized with opposing rollers with larger diameters and thereby larger masses. More specifically, a transmission structure synchronizing the rotation of the third roller 12c with the larger, higher-massed rollers 12b and 12d around it, should dampen vibration or harmonics to which the smaller roller 12c otherwise might be susceptible when operating at speed.
In other embodiments, the second corrugating roller 12b may have the smaller diameter of the four corrugating rollers 12. Moreover, in some examples, the diameters of the larger rollers 12 may not be substantially equal to each other but rather may be different from each other. Indeed, the corrugating rollers 12 may be sized in a variety of different manners wherein a corrugating roller 12 with a smaller diameter is arranged between two corrugating rollers having larger diameters.
As discussed above, the rotation of the corrugating rollers 12 can be synchronized such that the teeth 26 of the corrugating rollers 12 will not engage each other when passing through the nips N1-3. In some examples, the corrugating apparatus 10 can include one or more mechanisms that are configured to enable such synchronized rotation of the corrugating rollers 12. For instance, in some examples, two or more (e.g., all) of the corrugating rollers 12 can be coupled together via a transmission such that rotation of one corrugating roller 12 causes synchronized rotation of the other corrugating rollers 12 coupled via the transmission.
In addition or alternatively, as shown in
For the purposes of this disclosure, “individual” rotation of two or more corrugating rollers 12 means that each corrugating roller 12 will be separately rotated via a separate drive mechanism (e.g., motor), without any mechanical transmission that operatively couples the two or more corrugating rollers 12 to each other such that rotation of one corrugating roller 12 causes rotation of another corrugating roller 12 via the mechanical transmission. It is to be appreciated that such individualized rotation of a corrugating roller 12 may nonetheless be implemented and controlled in a manner such that rotation of the corrugating roller 12 is dependent on and simultaneous with the rotation of other corrugating rollers 12, as discussed further below.
In the illustrated embodiment, the drive system 54 includes a first motor 58a that is coupled to the first corrugating roller 12a and operable to rotate the first corrugating roller 12a individually, a second motor 58b that is coupled to the second corrugating roller 12b and operable to rotate the second corrugating roller 12b individually, a third motor 58c that is coupled to the third corrugating roller 12c and operable to rotate the third corrugating roller 12c individually, and a fourth motor 58d that is coupled to the fourth corrugating roller 12d and operable to rotate the fourth corrugating roller 12d individually. Each motor 58a-d can be, for example, an electric motor with variable speed. Moreover, each motor 58a-d can be directly coupled to a shaft of its associated corrugating roller 12a-d or can be indirectly coupled via a transmission.
Further in the illustrated embodiment, the control system 56 includes a controller 60 (e.g., a programmable logic controller) that is coupled to each motor 58 of the drive system 54 and configured to operate each motor 58 individually. The control system 56 further includes two or more sensors 62 coupled to the controller 60, each configured to provide feedback to the controller 60 for an associated corrugating roller 12. In particular, the control system 56 includes a first sensor 62a that is configured to provide feedback control for the first corrugating roller 12a, a second sensor 62b that is configured to provide feedback control for the second corrugating roller 12b, a third sensor 62c that is configured to provide feedback control for the third corrugating roller 12c, and a fourth sensor 62d that is configured to provide feedback control for the fourth corrugating roller 12d.
Each sensor 62a-d can be configured to detect a parameter of its associated corrugating roller 12a-d and send a corresponding signal to the controller 60 that is indicative of the detected parameter. The detected parameter may be, for example, a speed or rotary position of the respective corrugating roller 12a-d. For instance, in the illustrated embodiment, each sensor 62a-d corresponds to a rotary encoder that is configured to detect a rotary position of its associated corrugating roller 12a-d and send a signal to the controller 60 indicative of the detected position.
Based on the signal(s) received from the sensor(s) 62a-d, the controller 60 can be configured to operate the corrugating rollers 12a-d individually and simultaneously via their associated motors 58a-d to rotate at an appropriate speed such that opposing ones of the teeth 26a-d of the corrugating rollers 12a-d will not engage each other when passing through the nips N1-3. By individually operating the corrugating rollers 12a-d based on feedback control, the rotation of each corrugating roller 12a-d can be precisely controlled to ensure that the teeth 26a-d of the corrugating rollers 12a-d will not engage each other when passing through the respective nips N1-3.
The rotational speed and tooth configuration of the corrugating rollers 12a-d will dictate the linear speed of the web 14 through the nips N1-3. In particular, it is noted that the linear speed of the web 14 exiting the first nip N1 will be lower than the linear speed of the web 14 entering the first nip N1. This is because as corrugations are formed in a given portion of the web 14 by the first nip N1, the overall machine-direction length of a given portion of the web along the web travel pathway 16 will decrease, because web length will be taken up by newly introduced hills and valleys—meaning that the exiting web (from the first nip N1) will travel more slowly than on entering to move the same segment of web material. Accordingly, the ratio between incoming and exiting speeds of the web 14 will be equal to the ratio between the flat length and the associated corrugated length in the machine direction (i.e., its take-up ratio) for a given segment of the traveling web. The take-up ratio will be determined by the frequency and amplitude of the corrugations imparted in the web 14 by the teeth 26a, b of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b.
A similar effect on linear speed of the web 14 may occur at the second and third nips N2, N3, if those nips similarly alter the effective machine-direction length of the corrugated web 14. However, it is possible that either or both of the second and third nips N2, N3 may have little or no effect on the linear speed of the web 14 if they simply re-shape its corrugations without substantially altering the length of the web 14.
Ideally, the web 14 will be forcibly fed to the first nip N1 of the corrugating apparatus 10 at the exact speed demanded by the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b, so that the web 14 has a mean tension of zero on entrance into the first nip N1. However, some finite, non-zero tension is typically desirable in the web 14 on entrance into the first nip N1 to prevent slacking of the web 14 on entry.
Accordingly, in some examples, the corrugating apparatus 10 can include a pair of feed rollers 64 (see e.g.,
The corrugating apparatus 10 can further include a drive system 74 that is operable to rotate the feed rollers 64 to feed the web 14 toward the first nip N1 of the corrugating rollers 12a, 12b in a desired manner. Moreover, the drive system 74 can be operatively coupled to a control system (e.g., the control system 56 described above) that is configured to operate the drive system 74 rotate the feed rollers 64 in the desired manner.
In the illustrated embodiment, the drive system 74 includes a single motor 76 coupled to one of the feed rollers 64, and a transmission 78 operatively coupled to the two feed rollers 64 such that rotation of motorized feed roller 64 causes rotation of the other feed roller 64 at the same surface-linear speed but in an opposite direction. The motor 76 is an electric motor with variable speed such that the speed of its associated feed rollers 64 can be adjusted as desired. Moreover, the motor 76 is operatively coupled to the controller 60 of the control system 56 described above.
Preferably, the controller 60 is configured to operate the motor 76 of the drive system 74 so as to rotate the feed rollers 64 such that the ratio between the speed of the web 14 exiting the feed nip 70 and the speed of the web 14 exiting the first nip N1 is equal to the take-up ratio of the first nip N1. In this manner, the feed rollers 64 can feed the web 14 at the exact speed needed at the entrance of the first nip N1, so that the web 14 has a mean tension of zero on entrance into the first nip N1. However, in some examples, the ratio between the speed of the web 14 exiting the feed nip 70 and the speed of the web 14 exiting the first nip N1 may be slightly less than the take-up ratio of the first nip N1, in order to produce some finite, non-zero tension in the web 14 on entrance that prevents slacking of the web 14 on entry into the first nip N1.
It is to be appreciated that the drive system 74 may have alternative configurations in other examples. For instance, in some examples, the transmission 78 may be absent and the other feed roller 64 will simply rotate with motorized feed roller 64 due to frictional engagement with the web 14 being fed through the feed rollers 64. Still in other examples, each feed roller 64 may be individually driven by a separate motor.
Indeed, the corrugating apparatus 10 can include a variety of different structures for feeding the web 14 to the first nip N1 defined between the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b at a desired speed. For instance, the '621 patent noted above discloses a corrugating pretensioning mechanism that can be incorporated into the present application to feed the web 14 to the first nip N1 of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b at a desired speed and with a slight tension in the web 14. Moreover, in some examples the web 14 may simply be drawn from a source by the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b, without any intermediary feeding mechanism.
As the web 14 traverses through the first nip N1 of the corrugating apparatus 10, the tension of the web 14, as well as transverse compressive stresses (normal to the machine direction), will oscillate in magnitude as successive flutes are formed in the web 14 due to the relative up-and-down motion of the corrugating teeth 26a, 26b of the first and second corrugating rolls 12a, 12b, and due to roll and draw variations in the web 14 through the first nip N1 as it is being corrugated. The oscillatory nature of web tension between corrugating rollers is well documented (see e.g., Clyde H. Sprague, Development of a Cold Corrugating Process Final Report, The Institute of Paper Chemistry, Appleton, Wash., Section 2, p. 45, 1985), and can often destroy a web.
Accordingly, as discussed further below, the corrugating apparatus 10 can include a capacitive feed apparatus upstream of the first nip N1 that can adjust the web travel pathway 16 in phase with tension oscillations that result from the web 14 traversing the first nip N1, in order to compensate for such oscillatory tension variance.
For example, as shown in
As shown in
The capacitive feed apparatus 80 further includes a pressurized air source 90 (e.g., air compressor) that is fluidly coupled to the chamber 86 within the fixed body 82 and is operable to deliver air into the chamber 86 and emit the air through the apertures 88 of the fixed body 82 so as to provide a cushion of air 92 that supports the web 14 at a variable distance d (shown in
The air source 90 and fixed body 82 can be designed such that air is emitted through the apertures 88 at a substantially constant volumetric flow rate that is sufficient to support the web 14 at maximum tension. For example, the total area of the apertures 88 can be designed such that the apertures 88 are the major restriction to flow through the apertures 88, regardless of the presence of the web 14 and the force it exerts on the cushion of air 92. In this manner, the pressure within the chamber 86 and the volumetric flow rate through the apertures 88 will be substantially constant.
As tension demand in the web 14 increases at the first nip N1, the capacitive feed apparatus 80 is designed to instantaneously accelerate the feed of the web 14 into the first nip N1 to accommodate and effectively null the increased tension demand. More specifically, as tension demand in the web 14 increases at the first nip N1, the web 14 will be drawn against the air cushion 92 at a greater force and the distance d between the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 and arcuate surface 84 will decrease until the pressure of the air cushion 92 increases to a point such that the constant volumetric flow of air through the apertures 88 is sufficient to support the web 14. As a result, the overall length of the web travel pathway 16 between the feed nip 70 of the feed rollers 64 and the first nip N1 of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b will decrease, causing the web 14 to accelerate into first nip N1. The web 14 will briefly travel at an accelerated speed into the first nip N1 until the tension demand is nulled, thereby causing the distance d between the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 and arcuate surface 84 to increase back to its original state.
Conversely, as tension demand in the web 14 decreases at the first nip N1, the capacitive feed apparatus 80 is designed to instantaneously decelerate the feed of the web 14 into the first nip N1 to accommodate and effectively null the decreased tension demand. More specifically, as tension demand in the web 14 decreases at the first nip N1, the web 14 will be drawn against the air cushion 92 with lesser force and the distance d between the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 and arcuate surface 84 will increase until the pressure of the air cushion 92 decreases to a point such that the constant volumetric flow of air through the apertures 88 yields a pressure in equilibrium with the tension demand (i.e. the force with which the web presses toward the surface 84) of the web 14. As a result, the overall length of the web travel pathway 16 between the feed nip 70 of the feed rollers 64 and the first nip N1 of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b will increase, causing entry of the web 14 into the first nip N1 to decelerate. The web 14 will briefly travel at a decelerated speed until regular tension demand in the web 14 is restored, thereby causing the distance d between the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 and arcuate surface 84 to decrease back to its original state.
Accordingly, the capacitive feed apparatus 80 can passively react to and null oscillatory tension variance in the web 14 at the first nip N1 by dynamically adjusting the length of the web travel pathway 16 between the feed nip 70 of the feed rollers 64 and the first nip N1 via real-time, instantaneous and minute path-length adjustments made on-demand based on downstream oscillations in web tension within the first nip N1. Put another way, the capacitive feed apparatus 80 will act a web capacitor that can store and discharge minute segments of effective web length along the pathway 16 as needed to null oscillatory tension variance in the web 14 at the first nip N1.
The capacitive feed apparatus 80 in the illustrated embodiment is merely exemplary and may have alternative configurations in other embodiments that similarly adjust the web travel pathway 16 in phase with tension oscillations to compensate for oscillatory tension variance. For instance, the aforementioned '621 patent discloses a zero-contact roll having a stationary roller that is similarly configured to compensate for oscillatory tension variance and may be incorporated into the present application. Another alternative capacitive feed apparatus 102 is illustrated in
As shown in
The cam roller's outer surface 108 is designed such that a radial distance between the cam axis 106 and the outer surface 108 periodically increases and decreases about the cam axis 106 between a first radial distance w1 and a second radial distance w2 larger than the first radial distance w1. Accordingly, as the cam roller 104 is rotated about the cam axis 106 with the web 14 drawn against the cam roller 104, the distance between the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 and the cam axis 106 will periodically increase and decrease, thereby causing the overall length of the web travel pathway 16 between the feed nip 70 of the feed rollers 64 and the first nip N1 of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b to periodically increase and decrease.
In this manner, using a cam roller 104 whose alternating radii w1 and w2 have been tuned to correspond to the alternating tension demand (i.e. varying take-up ratio) through the first nip N1 as the web 14 is drawn by successive corrugating teeth 26a, 26b therein, the cam roller 104 can be rotated at a fixed ratio relative to the rotational speed of the first corrugating roller 12a such that the periodic deflection of the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 from the cam axis 106 is in phase with the oscillatory tension variance of the first nip N1.
More specifically, the cam roller 104 can be rotated such that at peak tension demands, the web 14 will engage a segment of the cam roller's outer surface 108 having its smallest radial distance w1. As a result, the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 will be closest to the cam axis 106 and the overall length of the web travel pathway 16 between the feed nip 70 and the first nip N1 will be shortened. The web 14 will briefly travel at an accelerated speed into the first nip N1, until further rotation of the cam roller 104 causes the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 to deflect away from the cam axis 106 and lengthen the web travel pathway 16 between the feed nip 70 and the first nip N1. Preferably, the magnitude of the smallest radial distance w1 is set so that the corresponding acceleration of the web 14 caused by engagement with the cam roller's outer surface 108 at its smallest radial distance w1 will effectively null the peak tension demand.
Meanwhile, at peak tension drops, the web 14 will engage a segment of the cam roller's outer surface 108 having its largest radial distance w2. As a result, the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 will be farthest from the cam axis 106 and the overall length of the web travel pathway 16 between the feed nip 70 and the first nip N1 will be lengthened. The web 14 will briefly travel at a decelerated speed into the first nip N1, until further rotation of the cam roller 104 causes the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 to be drawn back towards the cam axis 106 and shorten the web travel pathway 16 between the feed nip 70 and the first nip N1. Preferably, the magnitude of the largest radial distance w2 is set so that the corresponding deceleration of the web 14 caused by engagement with the cam roller's outer surface 108 at its largest radial distance w2 will effectively null the peak tension drop.
The fixed ratio in which the cam roller 104 is rotated relative to the first corrugating roller 12a will depend on, for example, the number of periodic changes in radial distance w about the circumference of the cam roller 104 versus the number of corrugating teeth 26a about the circumference of the first corrugating roller 12a. Moreover, it is to be appreciated that the cam roller 104 may be similarly rotated at a fixed ratio relative to the second corrugating roller 12b such that the periodic deflection of the web/web travel pathway 14, 16 from the cam axis 106 is in phase with the oscillatory tension variance of the first nip N1. Indeed, because the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b are rotated in synchronization as described above, rotating the cam roller 104 at a fixed ratio relative to one of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b will consequently rotate the cam roller 104 at a fixed ratio relative to the other of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b.
To rotate the cam roller 104 in the manner described above, the cam roller 104 can be coupled to one or both of the first and second corrugating rollers 12a, 12b via a transmission such that rotation of the first corrugating roller 12a and/or second corrugating roller 12b causes the cam roller 104 to correspondingly rotate according to the proper fixed ratio. In other examples, the corrugating apparatus 10 can include a drive system 110 (see e.g.,
Accordingly, the capacitive feed apparatus 102 can null oscillatory tension variance in the web 14 at the first nip N1 by adjusting the length of the web travel pathway 16 between the feed nip 70 of the feed rollers 64 and the first nip N1, as described above.
The invention has been described with reference to the example embodiments described above. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. Example embodiments incorporating one or more aspects of the invention are intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/658,642 filed Apr. 17, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 62658642 | Apr 2018 | US |
