Manufacture of towel and tissue products for consumer products is usually conducted in two stages: papermaking and converting. In papermaking, wood pulp dispersed in water is applied to a moving foraminous support, free water drained and/or pressed therefrom and the residual water removed by drying. As papermachines operate at very high speed, often exceeding sixty miles per hour, the dried web is wound onto a core to form a parent roll from which it is later removed for converting which is usually a far slower operation. In many cases, the converting operation is unable to usefully employ all of the web found on the parent roll, particularly when two ply products are being formed. As it is desirable to be able to recycle the cores as many times as possible, the residual tissue on the roll is usually removed from the core prior to recycling.
At present, residual towel or tissue is typically removed either mechanically using a mechanical cutter or with an air wand which penetrates the paper. Mechanical removal usually results in scoring of the surface of the core while the maximum pressure that an air wand can apply is subject to stringent regulation for the safety of employees. Thus, both processes are relatively slow and/or inefficient. Further, as these cores are typically a very heavy paperboard cylindrical shell, scoring eventually renders the core unsuitable for re-use. Papermaking being most economically carried out on a huge scale, enterprises manufacturing towel and tissue products typically spend heavily on the cores used for parent rolls; so any improvement in the number of times that a core can be re-used can be quite significant economically. This invention relates to a method and apparatus for safely removing residual paper from the core at enhanced speed while reducing damage to the core thereby enhancing the number of times that a core may be re-used.
These goals can be effectively addressed using the multi-nozzle air-knife described herein which provides a roll stripping air knife comprising: a manifold block having an internal longitudinal air passageway defined therein; a working face having a longitudinally extending exterior channel formed therein; a plurality of discharge passages extending between the longitudinal air passageway and the longitudinally extending exterior channel and opening into the longitudinally extending exterior channel. Air supplied to the internal longitudinal air passageway exits through a plurality of primary discharge orifices defined in the manifold block extending in a longitudinal linear array extending along the length thereof, each primary discharge orifice connects with an associated discharge passage connecting with said longitudinal air passageway, each said orifice has means for mounting a removable air discharge nozzle thereupon, and each said primary discharge orifice is generally oriented and directed in a primary discharge direction. A plurality of interconnected auxiliary orifices are defined in the manifold block, each auxiliary orifice being generally directed laterally away from the primary discharge direction and connecting with the longitudinally extending exterior channel. A plurality of removable air nozzles are provided, one mounted on each primary discharge orifice; along with means for controllably supplying pressurized air to the manifold block. The auxiliary orifices are configured such that air flows inwardly therethrough when pressurized air is supplied to the manifold block and the nozzles are unobstructed but outwardly when the nozzles are obstructed. Preferred embodiments of the roll stripping air knife further comprise: a shield retractably mounted on and laterally encompassing the manifold over an angle which is at least about 150° as measured from the nozzles when the shield is retracted and at least about 210°, when the shield is extended, the shield having a generally U-shaped cross-section opening generally in the primary discharge direction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is schematic isometric perspective illustrating the operator side of an air knife.
FIG. 2 is cross-sectional view of an air knife.
FIG. 3 is an end view of an air-knife.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic isometric perspectives illustrating the manifold block of an air knife.
FIG. 4C is a detail of the region around a nozzle on the manifold block.
FIG. 5 is schematic sectional view illustrating the internals of the manifold block.
FIG. 6 is side view of the manifold block.
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the working face of the manifold block.
FIG. 8 is a schematic isometric perspective of the handle of an air knife.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of the handle.
FIG. 10 is sectional view through the handle.
FIG. 11 is a sectional schematic through the nozzle illustrating air flow through the nozzle in normal operation.
FIG. 12 is a sectional schematic through the nozzle illustrating air flow through the nozzle in the case where a blockage is present.
FIG. 13 is a schematic illustrating an air knife as it is first brought into engagement with a stub roll of tissue.
FIG. 14 is a schematic illustrating an air knife as it is extended into the layers of tissue remaining upon a stub roll.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIGS. 1-4A, air flows through supply line 30, control valve 32 and offset fitting 34 into manifold block 36 of air knife 38. Manifold block 36 is joined to handle 48 by support rods 40 slidably passing through journals 42 on pillow block 44. Springs (not shown) surrounding support rods 40 yieldably urge handle 48 away from pillow block 44 bearing shield 50 retractably encompassing manifold block 36.
In FIG. 2, it can be appreciated that air from supply line 30 flows though control valve 32, offset fitting 34 into internal longitudinal passageway 52 in manifold block 36 and thence to primary discharge passages 54 extending in a linear array along the length of internal longitudinal passageway 52.
In FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C, 5, 6, and 7, particularly FIGS. 4A and 4B, nozzles 56, sited in enlarged recesses 57 and mounted in primary discharge passages 54, issue into longitudinally extending channel 60 connecting enlarged recesses 57 to each other. Discharge from nozzles 56 defines primary discharge direction 62 of air knife 38. Auxiliary orifices 64 extending to receding lateral faces 66 and 68 of manifold block 36 from longitudinally extending channel 60 are directed away from primary discharge direction 62 of air knife 38 preferably making at least an angle of at least about 90°, preferably 100° and still more preferably 120° with respect thereto. As nozzles 56 are recessed into enlarged recesses 57 and, preferably spaced at least about ¼ inch below face 59 of manifold block 36, if a portion or all of face 59 of manifold block 36 is occluded, air is free to flow around enlarged recesses 57 (having a diameter of about ⅝ inch) along longitudinally extending channel 60 having length of approximately 7 inches, depth and width of about ¼ inch, which thus provides very little resistance to flow of air therealong. In the extreme event that the entirety of face 59 of manifold block 36 is occluded, air is free to flow outwardly through auxiliary orifices 64 having a diameter of about 3/16 inch (0.1875 feet) and a length of slightly over ¼ inch. As 16 auxiliary orifices are present, considerable effort (and most likely ingenuity as well) will normally be required to create excessive pressure at face 59 of manifold block 36, particularly as shield 50 (FIG. 1) restricts access to auxiliary orifices 64 on receding lateral faces 66 and 68 of manifold block 36.
FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate the spring loaded mounting of handle 48 in which handle 48 has internal threads formed in receiving apertures 70 in into which upper ends of support rods 40 (FIGS. 1 and 2) may be secured. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, support rods 40 pass through journals 42 in pillow block 44 to which U shaped shield 50 is secured with lower ends of support rods 40 being secured into internally threaded receiving apertures 76 (FIGS. 4 and 5) manifold block 36. Springs (not shown) urge handle 48 away from pillow block 44.
Continuing with FIGS. 2 and 3, in normal operation, when control valve 32 is activated, air flows through manifold block 36 into nozzles 56 (FIG. 4B) and exits in primary discharge direction 62. The Venturi effect also draws a secondary flow of air inwardly through auxiliary orifices 64 as illustrated in FIG. 11. In the case where an obstruction is placed against manifold block 36 as illustrated in FIG. 12, the flow of air through nozzles 56 is redirected outwardly through longitudinally extending channel 60 preventing the pressure presented at the face of manifold block 36 from exceeding limits set by OSHA and/or other regulatory agencies. In the case of the present device constructed substantially to scale as illustrated in the Figures, air supply through a ¾ inch line at 90 psig, results in a blocked pressure of only about 14 psig which is considerably below the OSHA allowable figure of 30 psig, yet the effective pressure delivered in use in the unblocked configuration is quite effective in quickly stripping away residual tissue perhaps a few inches in thickness, thus resulting both labor savings and materials savings as cores 82 stripped with air knife 38 (as illustrated in FIG. 14) may be recycled with effective lives far exceeding that of cores stripped with a blade such as a utility knife, box cutter or pocket knife. Preferably, at least four, more preferably at least six and most preferably at least eight collinear nozzles are used to enhance the speed of removal of paper from the core.
In FIG. 13, as air knife 38 is brought into engagement with stub roll 78 having only a small amount of residual tissue 80 remaining thereupon, perhaps 2 to 3 inches remaining from a roll originally several feet in diameter, perhaps 5 to 7 feet, shield 50 extends beyond face 59 of manifold block 36 until shield 50 comes into contact with residual tissue 80 remaining thereupon. As the operator urges air knife 38 against stub roll 78, shield 50 retracts as illustrated in FIG. 14, while layers of residual tissue 80 upon stub roll 78 are severed by the flow of air exiting through nozzles 56 (FIGS. 4B, 4C, 5 and 11) and are retained within shield 50 as air knife 38 presses further into residual tissue 80 remaining upon stub roll 78, finally leaving stub roll 78 stripped bare to core 82 of residual tissue 80. Retention of severed layers of residual tissue 80 within shield 50 reduces mess. As discussed previously, core 82 is not scratched, scored or weakened by the action of air knife 38 allowing it to be re-used repeatedly. Significantly, air knife 38 is configured such that two-handed operation is required as control valve 32 (FIG. 1) is spring loaded, requiring the user to hold it in the open position while grasping handle 48 to urge face 59 of manifold block 36 into engagement with residual tissue 80 on stub roll 78. This further guards against accidental contact between the user and excessive air pressure.
Patent Application
20090078387
