Patent Grant
7854046
This invention relates to the microcreping of traveling flexible sheet materials. It relates both to microcreping flexible sheet materials that have been difficult to microcrepe on a commercial basis due for example to heating or contamination problems, and to microcreping flexible sheet materials at higher speeds or with less wear on machine components than has been attainable previously.
“Microcreping”, sometimes called “Dry Microcreping,” refers to longitudinal treatment of traveling flexible sheet materials under substantially dry conditions in which a drive force is produced by pressing the sheet material against a drive roll. This positively propels the material through a confined retarding passage, with microcreping action on the sheet material occurring in the transition between driving and retarding regions. Because such microcreping does not depend upon adhesion of the sheet material to the drive surface or a wet condition of the material, a particularly wide range of properties is obtainable. (Note: The dry microcreping here described must not be confused with wet creping or creping based on adhesion, performed for instance on a Yankee Dryer. There have been instances in which such processes too have been referred to as “microcreping”, though they are completely different, incapable of the results achievable with “dry microcreping”.)
“One roll microcreping”, i.e. one roll dry microcreping, refers to microcreping that relies upon a single drive roll having a surface capable of mechanically gripping the inner face of the sheet material. A running length of the sheet material is pressed with considerable force face-wise against this moving surface by a stationary pressing member whose face is freely slippable (i.e. smoothly, continuously slippable) relative to the outward face of the material which it engages. Because of the variable geometry of the treatment region made possible with such an arrangement, a particularly wide range of treatments is possible.
A “bladed microcreper” or dry microcreper refers to a one roll microcreper in which retarding is dependent upon extrusion of the treated material between opposed retarder surfaces, the retarder on the roll side being of blade form.
A “bladeless microcreper” or dry microcreper refers to a one roll-microcreper that does not have such a blade.
Depending upon the nature of the flexible sheet material and the conditions of treatment, by microcreping with a one roll microcreper: individual fibers of a sheet material can be crimped while remaining an integral part of the sheet; minute crepes or coarser crepes can be formed in the sheet material as a whole; a desired degree of disruption of bonds between constituent fibers of a sheet material can occur; and softening, drapability and extensibility can be produced or enhanced. Heat-setting is typically employed when the treatment is of web materials having a thermoplastic component.
In such ways, the traveling flexible sheet materials can be softened or rendered permanently elastic; their appearance and feel can be made more like cloth; absorptive qualities of sheet materials can be improved; sheet materials can be given an improved ability to drape or conform about objects; and other useful qualities can be imparted.
Such microcreping is useful with a wide range of materials. For instance: nonwoven sheet materials comprised of natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or blends of the two kinds of fibers in single or multiple layers can be microcreped; plastic films or thicker plastic sheets, and nonwoven or fibrous sheets having a plastic film or metal coating or lamination can be microcreped; paper sheet materials and other sheet products produced from pulp can be microcreped, etc.
The practical development of the one roll microcreper (dry microcreper) traces back to Richard R. Walton and his associates. For instance U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,778, issued Jul. 12, 1966, describes a bladed one-roll microcreper. A material-confining retarder passage is defined between an angled blade-form retarder on one side and a flexible retarder member on the other side of the material. The treated material is forced to move outwardly from between these retarders in an extruding action while continuously, freely slipping past the retarder surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,280, issued May 14, 1974, describes a bladeless one-roll microcreper that defines its retarder passage between the drive roll surface and an over-lying stationary retarder member which, rather than allowing the material to freely slip, engages and aggressively retards the material by a mechanical surface retarding effect (as opposed to retarding by confining the material to extrude between freely slippable surfaces, obtained with the bladed microcreper). Over the years, many variations of the one roll microcreper have been developed. A comb roll microcreper is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,385, issued May 23, 1978 and a bladed microcreper employing tangential extrusion is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,196, issued Jan. 16, 1990. Efforts to improve the system have continued over many years. For instance U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,717,329, issued Jan. 5, 1988 and 5,060,349, issued Oct. 29, 1991, relate to a replaceable pre-assembled system of the stationary members of a microcreper and U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,703, issued Sep. 16, 1997 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,288, issued Oct. 21, 1997, relate to improvements for bladeless microcrepers. Each of these patents is referred to, and in jurisdictions where it is possible, each is hereby incorporated by reference, to illustrate the decades-long effort to improve microcrepers and the wide variety of one roll microcreper arrangements that are possible.
During their long development the one roll microcreper (dry microcreper) treatments were found to be very sensitive to geometric and other variables. In particular it was determined to be vitally important to employ machine elements that are stable and uniform over time in the width and length dimensions of the machine. Bending or buckling, warping or puckering, lengthwise displacement or other geometrical variation of the stationary surfaces engaging the material in the critical driving and retarding regions could not be tolerated.
In this respect, one of the basic findings for the one roll microcreper was the necessity to use a stationary hard metal member such as spring steel as the contact or “primary” member to press the web material against the driven roll to drive the sheet material forward. The surface of the primary member was formed by a low friction, heat-resistant coating applied to the metal member, typically DuPont's Teflon, with the strength and dimensional stability of the metal being relied upon to maintain the working surface within critical geometric tolerances. This primary member was securely held so that a narrow area of its face could be pressed with controlled pressure into freely slippable relation upon the outer face of the flexible sheet material. This pressed the inner face of the material against the gripping surface of the moving roll surface. The resulting strong engagement with the roll surface enabled the flexible sheet material to be positively, mechanically driven forward in its plane, the flexible sheet material slipping forward under the stationary primary member in a continual motion, i.e., freely, without alternate slipping and stopping. By the stationary primary member being principally of metal, it was found that the primary member could be mechanically stable, i.e. without bending or buckling that would introduce non-uniformities to the treatment.
Similarly, in the case of bladed microcreper arrangements, it was also found that the stationary retarder members should likewise be formed of steel or other metal with similar properties.
By observing these conditions, for numerous sheet materials it was found that an acceptable balance was attainable between practical driving and retarding components, speed of operation, heating, wear-rate of the components and the need for a constant geometry of the treatment region across the width and throughout the length of the traveling material. But it also was found that there were significant limitations on use of the process. At desired production high rates, it was found that friction-generated heat at the stationary, freely slippable surfaces could harm many kinds of flexible sheet materials or cause heat distortion of the parts forming the drive and retarding region to disrupt the uniformity of the treatment. When treating many kinds of materials, the stationary slippable surfaces suffered undue wear. Because of such problems as overheating and undue wear, significant limitation on commercial use was thought to be inherent with respect to the kinds of materials that could be treated, the kinds of treatments that could be obtained, and the maximum speed of processing. In many cases, such production problems have made microcreping costly, in other cases microcreping seemed totally impractical.
As an example, many web materials of polymer fibers could not be microcreped commercially for desired end effects because, at commercially acceptable speed, frictional heating of the polymer to high local temperatures produced an excessively deformed or melted polymer state in those regions. For instance, this produced sharp-edges on undulations of the material at the surfaces of the material, providing a harsh sensation to the touch. This has especially been the case for nonwoven material of polyolefin fibers such as polypropylene or polyethylene, which are low cost and widely preferred for the manufacture of disposable diapers, personal care products, etc. Likewise, microcreping plain films and laminates that include films of polypropylene or polyethylene produce sharp and abrasive crepe edges at the surface due to polymer melting that are not acceptable in many cases.
As another example, microcreping of sheet material formed of wood pulp has been limited because of destruction of the stationary primary surface when the process is operated at desired high speeds. This has been the case for products produced of wood pulp such as Kraft papers and for nonwoven wipe products that have a high wood pulp content. In attempting microcreping of products formed of recycled wood pulp that contain abrasive fines, the primary member, i.e. its low friction coating, and soon, the underlying steel surface itself, has been ruined over a brief period of operation.
Other difficulties have arisen with microcreping due to the tendency of migratory substances such as inks to transfer from the materials being treated, producing accumulation of adherent deposits on the treatment surface that disrupt the treatment and involve costly down-time to remove. Another problem has been in respect of barrier coatings in which the process seemed to inherently produce pin holes in the barrier layer.
We have found, despite common, long-established thinking that steel or similar metal components are required to define stationary members that freely slip on the material, that it is possible instead to form the surfaces by discretely formed members of plastic selected, in respect of the particular material to be treated, as to have physical integrity capable of performing their respective functions without undue friction, wear or distortion. Of particular importance in this regard is forming the stationary primary pressing surface of a one roll microcreper of such plastic. In preferred cases the plastic member is of discrete sheet-form plastic.
In respect of the primary pressing member it has been found that thickness of the pressing member of about 0.040 inch or greater is suitable to provide mass over which concentrated pressing and drag forces are distributed, so that stable geometry in the drive and retarding regions can be maintained.
Other features concern preferred wear and friction property limits for the plastics, the discovery of suitability of certain specific thermoplastics, and the use of special plastics to combat transfer of migratory substances such as inks. Plastics free of fiber reinforcement have been found to combat the problem of pin-holing of barrier film and the like. Preferred forms of the primary member and a unitary extension include openings such as slots or holes in the plastic extension. For operation at temperature below about 220 F, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene has been found to be a preferred thermoplastic material for the primary pressing member and the stationary retarding members.
It has also been discovered that, by having a plastic primary member define an extended load-spreading surface disposed in the cross-machine direction and facing in the direction of advance, the primary member can be restrained without load concentration that distorts the working surface of the member. By forming this surface as a linear slideably-engaged surface the plastic primary member can be slideably inserted into its mounting during assembly. By making the slideable surfaces parallel to the axis of the roll, the primary member comprised of the plastic is made free for cross-machine thermal expansion. Preferred mounting systems are simple to construct and can be used in existing microcreper machines. For instance the primary member can be of sheet form, held between two mounting members at least one having a restraint formation engaged on a wall of the primary member. The wall may be a rear wall of a groove in the plastic member, and the restraint formation a bar carried on a mounting member and inserted in the groove. Importantly, sheet materials of polypropylene, polyethylene and wood pulp can thus be desirably microcreped.
Accordingly, two specific aspects of invention are provided, an apparatus for longitudinally, compressively treating, substantially in the plane of the material, a selected traveling flexible material of substantial width, and a method of treating the material employing the apparatus, the apparatus comprising a drive roll having a gripping surface constructed to mechanically engage a first face of the material when the material is in a substantially dry, unadhering state, a stationary pressing member constructed and mounted so that in a drive region a face of the stationary member can slippably engage and press face-wise against a second, opposite face of the material to force the first face of the material against the gripping surface of the roll to positively advance the material, and at least one stationary retarding member constructed and mounted to cause the retarding member to engage a face of the advancing material in a retarding region to retard the advancing material and cause compressive treatment of the material in a transition zone between the drive and retarding regions, wherein:
at least one of the stationary members is a discrete wear member of plastic held in position to cause one of its surfaces to continually, slippably engage and apply pressure to the face of the traveling material for advancing or retarding the material, the plastic member having dimensions and being of such substance selected in respect of the selected material to be treated as to have physical integrity capable of performing its function without undue friction, wear or distortion.
Preferred implementations of these aspects have one or more of the following features:
The at least one stationary member of the plastic is the pressing member in the drive region, in preferred forms the pressing member comprising a primary member of sheet-form of thickness greater than about 0.040 inch, the sheet-form primary member being supported as a cantilever in a support region that precedes the drive region, the primary member being associated with a pressure device constructed to apply, in the drive region, adjustable pressure substantially in a concentrated width-wise-extending line to an outwardly exposed side of the sheet-form primary member, to force the opposite surface of the primary member to press the traveling material against the gripping surface of the drive roll to cause positive advance of the material, the thickness of the plastic primary member preventing detrimental deformation under the concentrated pressure of the pressure device.
The retarding region comprises a retarding passage defined by two cooperating stationary retarding members arranged to continually, slippably engage opposite sides of the advancing sheet material in manner to apply retarding force as the treated material extrudes from between the members. Preferably, at least one of the retarding members is a sheet- or plate-form wear member of the plastic held in position to cause one of its surfaces to continually, slippably engage and apply pressure to the face of the advancing material to promote retarding of the material.
One of the retarding members is a retarder plate-form member located on the same side of the material as is the drive roll and having a material-engaging diverting surface positioned at a substantial angle to divert the direction of travel of the advancing material, and the cooperating retarder member is a cantilever confining member extending forward from the pressing member in the direction of material travel, the cooperating retarder member being bent or capable of being bent to converge relatively to and then to extend substantially parallel to the diverting surface of the plate-form retarder member, to form therewith an extruding passage through which the treated material is forced to extrude. In preferred forms: the cooperating retarder member is a sheet-form wear member of the plastic held in position to cause one of its surfaces to continually, slippably engage and apply pressure to the face of the advancing material to promote retarding of the material, in certain preferred forms the cooperating retarder member of the plastic being of thickness between about 0.005 inch and 0.015 inch and a support member is arranged to provide support to the outer side of the cooperating member.
When in the form of a bladed microcreper, the cooperating retarder member of plastic is a sheet-form member formed independently of the stationary pressing member, the cooperating retarding member having a rearward margin held against an outwardly directed surface of the pressing member for support. Preferably a sheet form support member engages an outwardly directed surface of the cooperating retarder member.
In the apparatus having one or both retarder members of the plastic, preferably the cooperating pressing member is a sheet-form wear member of plastic, it is held in position to cause one of its surfaces to continually, slippably engage and apply pressure to the face of the traveling material to promote advance of the material, the plastic pressing member having dimensions and being of such substance selected in respect of the selected material to be treated as to have physical integrity capable of performing its function without undue friction, wear or distortion, in some instances the cooperating member being an integral extension of the pressing member, forming therewith a unitary part comprised of plastic, the cooperating member being the same thickness as the primary member, or being of reduced thickness, depending upon the treatment desired. In some instances, in either form, the cooperating member has a series of openings, e.g. holes or slots, in the material-engaging surface the series of openings extending across the width of the traveling material.
In blade-type microcrepers, the plate-form retarder (relative to which the cooperating retarder member converges and then extends substantially parallel to the diverting surface of the plate-form retarder member, to form therewith an extruding passage through which the treated material is forced to extrude), is a wear member of the plastic held in position to cause one of its surfaces to continually, slippably engage the face of the advancing material to promote retarding of the material.
Preferred aspects of invention also concern the particular plastics selected. These aspects include:
One or more of the stationary material-engaging surfaces is defined substantially by a plastic comprised substantially of a plastic resin selected from the group consisting of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, nylon, polyetheretherketone and copolymers and compatible blends in which one or more of the foregoing is a constituent.
One or more of the stationary surfaces is defined by a plastic having a wear coefficient less than about 100 under the test ASTM G-65.
One or more of the stationary surfaces of plastic has a coefficient of friction of about 0.15 or less under the test ASTM D-1894.
For adapting the apparatus to longitudinally compressively treat a predetermined flexible sheet material having a predetermined treatment temperature, the plastic of the one or more stationary members of plastic is selected to be stable at that temperature, to have a wear coefficient less than about 100 under the test ASTM G-65 and to have a coefficient of friction of about 0.15 or less under the test ASTM D-1894.
For adapting the apparatus to longitudinally compressively treat a flexible sheet material comprised of a polyolefin resin, at least one of the stationary members is comprised substantially of a selected polyolefin or a copolymer or compatible blend in which it is a constituent; preferably the selected plastic resin is substantially comprised of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene or a copolymer or compatible blend in which it is a constituent.
For adapting the apparatus to longitudinally compressively treat material at a temperature of treatment under about 220 F, the at least one stationary member is comprised substantially of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, nylon or polyetheretherketone or a copolymer or compatible blend in which one of the foregoing is a constituent.
For adapting the apparatus to longitudinally compressively treat material at a temperature of treatment above about 220 F, the stationary member is comprised substantially of nylon 6,6 or polyetheretherketone or a copolymer or compatible blend in which one of the foregoing is a constituent.
For adapting the apparatus to longitudinally compressively treat substantially dry flexible sheet material comprised of wood pulp at an operating speed of about 800 feet per minute or greater, the plastic of the stationary member is selected to have a wear coefficient less than about 100 under the test ASTM G-65; in preferred forms the plastic has a coefficient of friction of about 0.15 or less under the test ASTM D-1894.
For adapting the apparatus to longitudinally compressively treat substantially dry flexible sheet material comprised of wood pulp at an operating speed of about 800 feet per minute or greater, the stationary member is comprised substantially of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, nylon or polyetheretherketone or a copolymer or compatible blend in which one of the foregoing is a constituent.
For adapting the apparatus to longitudinally compressively treat selected material which carries a substance that is subject to migration to a plastic stationary member, the member is comprised of a plastic selected to resist or interfere with adhesion of the migratory substance. Preferred implementations have one or more of the following features: the plastic is a plastic resin that includes a substance that resists or interferes with adhesion of the migratory substance; the plastic is an oil-filled plastic; the selected material to be treated is comprised of polyethylene or a copolymer or blend in which polyethylene is a substantial constituent, the migratory substance is ink and the plastic of the stationary member is comprised substantially of an oil-filled nylon.
For adapting the process to the treatment of flexible materials carrying a barrier layer or impermeable film or layer, plastic that is not fiber reinforced is employed.
Other aspects of invention concern the mounting of a sheet form plastic primary pressing member. These have one or more of the following features:
The apparatus has a material-engaging device which includes a primary pressing member of the plastic in the drive region and at least one support member having a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially lower than that of the primary member of plastic, the material-engaging device including a mounting of the primary member constructed to permit its free cross-machine thermal expansion relative to the support member having the lower coefficient of thermal expansion. Preferred forms have one or more of the following features: the primary member of plastic defines at least one extended load-spreading surface disposed in the cross-machine direction and facing in the direction of advance of the traveling material and a mounting includes a corresponding restraint surface engaged upon the load-spreading surface to resist drag force applied by the traveling material to the primary member, preferably the load-spreading surface of the plastic primary member and the corresponding restraint surfaces being linear surfaces constructed and arranged to be slideably engaged during assembly; preferably, the extended load-spreading surface is a linear surface that is disposed parallel to the axis of the drive roll, and the restraint surface is correspondingly linear and is slideably engaged upon the load-spreading surface to permit free cross-machine thermal expansion of the primary member of plastic; preferably the load-spreading surface is provided by a wall formation of the primary member, for instance the wall bounds a groove formed in the plastic body of the primary member.
In the apparatus, preferably, the primary member is held between upper and lower mounting members that form part of an assembly, at least one of the mounting members providing a restraint surface engaged upon the load-spreading surface to resist drag force applied by the traveling material to the primary member. In this case, the implementation preferably has one or more of the following features: the mounting member extends forward over an upper face of the primary member to an end lying forward, beyond the line of action of the pressing device and the lower mounting member extends forward to an end located to the rear of the pressing device; a linear load-spreading surface of the primary member is the forwardly directed rear wall of a groove formed in an upper or lower surface of the primary member and the linear restraint surface is defined by a rearwardly directed surface of a formation provided by the corresponding mounting member.
In preferred forms, portions of the assembly to the rear of the primary member are joined by a cross-machine series of fasteners held in a corresponding groove of a holder.
Another important aspect of invention concerns methods of providing an apparatus having one or more of the features mentioned, and processing with it the various sheet materials mentioned above with respect to the features of the invention and the other materials mentioned elsewhere in this specification.
Another aspect of invention concerns, per se, a primary pressing member constructed for use in an apparatus for longitudinally compressively treating a selected traveling flexible sheet material substantially in the plane of the material, the apparatus having a drive roll for advancing the material, at least one retarder engageable with the material driven forward by the roll, and a primary pressing member for pressing the material against the surface of the drive roll in a drive region before the material engages the retarder, the primary member defining a material-engaging surface for continually slippably engaging the material, the surface extending cross-machine across the width of the material on the drive roll, and a pressing device to apply adjustable pressure to the primary member to cause the primary member to press the traveling material against the drive roll surface over a pressing region across the width of the material,
wherein at least the portion of the primary member constructed to engage the traveling flexible sheet material over the pressing region is a wear-member comprising plastic capable of continually, slippably engaging the traveling material, the plastic wear member having dimensions and being of such substance selected in respect of the selected material to be treated as to have physical integrity capable of performing its function without undue friction, wear or distortion.
Preferred implementations of this aspect have one or more of the features described above generally with respect to stationary members of the apparatus, or described specifically with respect to the pressing member or primary pressing member employed in the drive region of the apparatus.
The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
Referring to the present
The examples of FIGS. 2 and 2A-2C employ sheet-form pressing members held by a clamping arrangement, similar to the technique employed in the original microcreper of U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,778. The examples of the remaining figures employ the holder of
Referring to
In the example of
In the example of
In respect of differential thermal expansion of the plastic primary member 22 and metal parts with which it is associated, special steps are found that accommodate the effect and assure operability without geometric distortion.
The significant difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion of the plastic primary member and the backing member 24 to which it is clamped might appear to those of ordinary skill to prevent suitable operation due to danger of warping and unevenness of the treatment surfaces, but it is found to be accommodated by taking special steps described later herein.
In respect of selection of the plastic, in the special case of the traveling sheet material M to be microcreped being substantially comprised of a polyolefin, it is found advantageous in certain instances, for the primary wear member 22 also to be comprised substantially of a polyolefin. Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene is preferred.
Indeed for most flexible sheet materials, when the predetermined conditions of treatment include operating at temperature under about 220 F, the primary member, in the form of a wear member, is presently preferred to be of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene resin. For temperature of treatment above about 220 F a thermoplastic capable of retaining its form at higher temperature is appropriate. For example, to treat materials formed of high temperature nylon the thermoplastic of the primary member may be polyetheretherketone (PEEK). For microcreping lower temperature nylons, the primary member may be nylon 6,6.
In cases where the outer face of material M carries ink printing or other substance that does not adhere well to material M, so that the substance is subject to migration (transfer), the plastic of primary member 22 is selected to have transfer-resistant properties in respect of the migratory substance. Preferably, for treating a material M carrying such a migratory substance, the wear member is a plastic filled with an adhesion-resistant filler selected to resist adhesion of the migratable substance. In important examples, the plastic is selected from the category of filled plastic bearing materials. For instance the material M is a polyethylene sheet material carrying ink printing that does not adhere well, and the plastic is an oil-filled nylon. In one example of treating building wrap material carrying migratory ink printing, it found useful to employ the oil-filled nylon in the comb roll version of the microcreper substantially in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,385.
Importantly, it is also found that flexible sheet material comprised of wood pulp can be treated at desirable speeds without undue wear of the engaging surfaces. In those cases, the thermoplastic resin of the wear member is preferably ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. This is especially the case if the wood pulp contains abrasive fines, as is the case for recycled wood pulp. Speeds up to about 800 feet per minute and higher can be obtainable in some important instances. Nylon, and especially nylon 6,6, or polyetheretherketone may also be useful where temperature of operation exceeds about 220 F.
It is found that the primary member of plastic in many instances may have a cross-machine extent greater than the width of the material being treated. Contact of a member of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene with the roll surface has been found to produce little wear on either member, a result quite different from prior primary members formed of steel with or without a Teflon coating. As a result, it becomes unnecessary to precisely match the cross-machine length of the primary member with the width of the material being treated. This makes set-up of the machine simple and capable of being performed by workers having less skill than previously required.
In one case, during initial set up, the machine and primary assembly with the plastic primary member are warmed to running temperature before final clamping of the primary assembly. For example, when commencing a production run, it is common to run the machine slowly before advancing to a higher, and often, to a still higher speed. The amount of frictional heat generated at the primary member is dependent upon the speed with which the material passes through the machine. After a speed increase the temperature of the primary member rises. Under this condition, it has been found useful to stop the machine, release clamping pressure to permit the heated primary member to expand, and reclamp and resume operation as soon as possible. This procedure may be repeated with step-wise increase in speed until the machine reaches operating temperature.
It is also found advantageous, prior to installation, to preheat the primary member and its backing member in an oven or by placing it near a heated object such as the heated drive roll to produce their differential thermal expansion. While still hot, the assembly is mounted and clamped into running position on the machine. The machine is then operated at this temperature to perform its microcreping.
Another technique that enables automatic accommodation of thermal expansion will be described later herein in respect of an expansion-tolerant slideable mounting of the plastic primary member.
The example of
Specifically, extension 24′ converges with the blade 30, and then parallels it to form a longitudinal retarder passage through which the treated material is forced to extrude. It is found that the plastic resin selected for the primary member can perform as the retarder extension 24′. While shown at the full thickness of the primary member in
The implementation of
The blade member 30 which forms the opposite side of the retarding extrusion passage may also be advantageously formed as a plate member of plastic selected to be friction- and wear-compatible with the surface of the predetermined web M and physically stable under the predetermined operating conditions selected to perform the function of the member. Preferably the plastic has a wear coefficient less than about 100 under the test ASTM G-65 (avoiding undue wear such as that observed with Teflon coatings). Preferably it has a coefficient of friction of about 0.15 or less under the test ASTM D-1894. Preferably the plastic is a thermoplastic having all of these properties. In presently preferred forms the plastic of primary member 22 consists substantially of nylon, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene and copolymers and compatible blends in which one or more of the foregoing is a constituent. Discrete members formed of other resins are also operable depending on the conditions of use. An example of a candidate material in relatively low-abrasion application is self-supporting grades of copolymers of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene e.g. in self-supporting sheet or plate form. In cases in which the material being treated has a thin coating or film the integrity of which is important (for instance as a liquid barrier) it has been found that fiber reinforcement within the resin can cause pinhole damage, and that it is advantageous to employ resin free of fiber-reinforcement, for instance, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, although the plastic may contain powdery fillers, e.g. fine graphite powder filler.
In a recent demonstration, microcreping was begun with all 3 stationary surfaces defining a bladed microcreper cavity formed as separate parts of plastic selected in the manner described above. Over time the plastic primary member and the plastic retarder blade were removed and replaced with metal parts leaving only the containing, flexible retarder member 24″ of plastic, see
This improved operation is believed to be explainable as follows. Though the pressure on the confining member 24″ is much lower than on the primary member 22, the area of its surface engagement is much larger and the time for heating the web material is much longer than is the case for the primary member. Thus the confining member provides an area of heat generation by friction.
In general, frictional heating of the web material is an additive phenomenon. By reducing the heat added in the region of the flexible retarder member 24″, the material is heated less in total, than would be the case if the member 24″ were of metal.
Furthermore a flexible retarder member 24″, if of metal, with rear margin sandwiched over the pressure region of a metal primary member 22, i.e. in intimate face-to-face thermal contact with the metal primary member, can act as a heat conductor from the primary member to the extended area of the flexible retarder, and in the region of engagement with the material, the member 24″ can cause heating of the web by conduction from the remote heat source. But, as observed in the demonstration just described, although using a primary member 22 of metal that generates frictional heat, by making the confining member 24″ of plastic of much lower thermal conductibility than metal, the heat from the primary member heat source is defeated from being transferred to heat the material over the much more extended length. In other words, the plastic flexible retarder member 24A shortens the duration any increment of the traveling web material is exposed to elevated temperature, so that less total heat is transferred to that web increment. For these reasons, it is found possible to run faster with only the confining member 24″ being the plastic, than with an all metal treatment cavity. The concept of employing plastic in the pressing assembly, in its broader aspects, is therefore not limited to the primary member being required to be of the plastic, but, when viewed broadly, includes situations in which the primary member is plastic or the one or both of the retarder members is of plastic. In all of these situations, the heating chain is broken, in comparison to an all metal cavity, reducing the total amount of heat transferred to the web material at a given speed, and hence, while obtaining acceptable product, allowing the material to be run at faster, hence more economical, speeds. To emphasize: (1) Increasing speed for any given set up of the machine increases friction heating during microcreping. With the primary member formed of plastic, using a metal confining member or plastic confining member, heat production is reduced at the primary line of pressure concentration, where friction heating per unit area is highest. That decreases the total heat transferred to the web material per unit of speed, and hence, while obtaining acceptable product permits higher speed operation, in comparison to an all metal microcreping cavity. (2) On the other hand, with one or both of retarder members of the plastic, with primary member of metal or a suitable plastic, (a) heat generated by friction heating at the extrusion retarding passage is lower (much lower pressure of the faces of the material than at the primary member, but much longer duration of exposure to the traveling web material for imparting friction heat to the material), and (b) in the cases of a flexible retarder member of plastic, no heat or less heat is transferred by the retarding member from the primary region, either because not much heat has been generated at the primary member in the case of its also being of plastic, or, if the primary member is of metal, then because of low heat conductivity of the flexible retarding member from a hot metal primary member. Again, then, with the flexible confining retarding member or both of the retarding members of the plastic, the heat transferred to the web material per unit of speed is reduced, so that speed of treatment can be increased while obtaining acceptable product, in comparison to an all metal microcreper cavity. It is usually the case, among the conditions mentioned, that highest speeds are obtainable with the flexible retarder member 24″ and the primary member 22 both of the plastic, as illustrated in
For selecting the optimum resin for the plastic member to be friction- and wear-compatible relative to a given flexible sheet material to be treated, a series of simple trials on a microcreper machine can be conducted on that material. The treatment effect, the maximum speed attainable while obtaining the desired treatment effect, the temperature rise due to frictional heating and the amount of substance of the primary member that is worn away over time should be observed and compared. However, even with mere reference to published wear, friction and temperature data for plastic resins, a good choice can typically be made for the plastic resin in light of the present disclosure, or a small number of potential candidates can be compiled from published data, from which a serviceable material can be chosen by brief comparative trial.
A test for whether a problem exists can simply be by a trial run.
Building material such as Tyvek™, of DuPont, of polyethylene (PE), for instance, has printing on it. Polyethylene is difficult for ink to adhere to. For instance, scratching a sample with a knife shows that the ink does not adhere well. A region of adherent ink build-up on cavity surfaces in registry with the place where the printing occurs can be observed as can the interference with the microcreping process that the accumulation causes.
A plastic can be chosen for parts of the microcreper cavity to combat accumulation on the cavity parts of a migratory ingredient of the web being compressively treated, or to render the surface easy to clean. In general, the plastic should reduce adhesion of the migratory ingredient, chosen with respect to the particular migratory ingredient carried by the web being treated to decrease a tendency for the ingredient to adhere to a surface of the microcreper cavity. In particular, plastic materials normally sold for bearings, such as filled nylons, are found to be useful. One mode of implementation has been to use oil-filled plastic, the filler being effective to combat adhesion and build up of printed ink. Filled Nylon 6,6 is suitable, for instance, in respect of some inks on polyethylene. A trial conducted with selected candidate materials can be conducted to select the most appropriate candidate.
For instance, this will lead to a suitable filled plastic for microcreper cavity plastic parts (primary, flex or retarder blade) to decrease ink build-up when microcreping polyethylene material bearing ink markings such as the building wrap material Tyvek™, or other polyethylene web materials, an example being high quality shopping bag material.
For expanding the range of materials of polyolefin to be susceptible to being commercially microcreped, it is conceived to employ a primary member also of polyolefin. Such like-materials have low dynamic coefficient of friction relative to each other, and hence will not over-heat the material being treated. In particular, it is conceived that resins of high molecular weight are preferable as having useful wear resistance. Resins of ultra high molecular weight polyolefin are presently preferred.
The ultra high molecular weight polyethylene resin presently considered best is that available under the trademark Tivar H.O.T. (trademark of Poly Hi Solidur, Inc., Fort Wayne Ind., USA.). As published by Crown Plastics (www.crownplastics.com/tivar-hot-specs.htm.), this material has a dry sand wheel wear value of 90 under test ASTM G-65 (in which steel has value of 100), dynamic friction under test ASTM D-1894 of 0.12 and maximum operating temperature of 275 F (135 C). Its coefficient of thermal expansion under ASTM D-696 is 0.00011 per degree F. (0.0002 per degree C.).
In testing a number of traveling flexible sheet materials of polypropylene and polyethylene, a primary member comprised of this ultra high molecular weight polyethylene was employed. It was found to provide excellent results because of its exceptionally elevated degree of toughness combined with its low friction quality relative to the polypropylene and polyethylene sheet materials. Downward pressure of the primary member on the traveling sheet material at pressure and production speed suitable for many microcrepe treatments was found not to frictionally heat the traveling sheet material beyond treatment temperature range. Though the material of the primary member has a relatively low softening temperature, the small amount of frictional heat generated did not harm it. Thus ultra high molecular weight polyethylene is confirmed to be operable for low temperature fiber- and film-forming resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene.
In one example, a small-scale laboratory microcreper was used in comparison trials between steel coated with fluorocarbon and Tyvar H.O.T. thermoplastic primary members. In the trials, a polypropylene spun bond nonwoven fabric was microcreped. Whereas, for the given treatment, using the steel primary member, the fabric could not be properly processed at speed above 100 feet per minute, with the thermoplastic primary member, speeds between 140 and 150 feet per minute were successfully employed, and higher speeds, though not employed, appeared readily possible. There was no noticeable wear of the thermoplastic primary member. Such increase in productivity, of 40% or more, is extremely important.
Other comparisons were made in which the microcreping produced high levels of longitudinal compaction (for example, 60%) in webs of polypropylene. It was observed that the maximum speed achievable, before unacceptable melting or stiffening of the treated product occurred was often 100%, 200% or considerably more, when employing a primary member of Tivar H.O.T. ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, than when employing a primary member of steel coated with fluorocarbon (Dupont's Teflon).
A production demonstration was also performed using the Tyvar H.O.T. primary member and the full-size production microcreper of
For paper, i.e. Kraft paper made of wood pulp which inherently has mineral fines, and even more so, recycled Kraft paper having additional abrasive contaminants, the web is typically much more abrasive than is the case with woven or nonwoven web or film materials formed completely of synthetic resin. To some extent, abrasive properties similar to paper are also found with other flexible sheet-form materials that have a substantial wood pulp content. An example is nonwoven wipe material that contains wood pulp to provide absorbency, in a composite that includes synthetic fibers to contribute structural strength. In many instances, neither hardened steel such as invar, blue spring steel, nor stainless steel, with or without fluorocarbon coatings, has been found to withstand abrasion sufficiently to enable acceptable commercial microcreping of such materials.
In many cases for treating sheet material comprised of wood pulp, it is found that the primary member may be usefully formed of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. It is found operable at relatively high speeds, despite its low melting temperature, because of low frictional heating, and it demonstrates a long wear life. Because of its low temperature of operation, it is also useful to microcrepe paper coated with thermoplastic that can be damaged if the temperature rises too high and to microcrepe nonwoven composites that contain polyolefin fibers as well as wood pulp fibers.
In an example, Kraft paper having a polyethylene coating was microcreped to render the material stretchable and conformable about objects to be wrapped. A primary member of Tivar H.O.T. ultra high molecular weight polyethylene was used. The composite material was run with the paper side up, engaged by the primary member employing speeds up to 200 feet per minute. As before, a primary member extending the full width of the machine was employed, a width exceeding the width of some of the materials being treated, so that end portions of the primary member at times rode on the gripping surface of the roll. Several days of running verified the long life of the primary member.
In other cases, it is contemplated that a primary member of ultra high molecular weight thermoplastic can be employed at the much higher speeds, 800 feet per minute and higher, speeds which are demanded to be economically viable for many products formed of wood pulp, such as flexible material intended to be formed into disposable wipes.
While ultra high molecular weight polyethylene is the presently most preferred material for the primary member, other thermoplastics meet minimum requirements of combining improved wear resistance with sufficiently low friction properties. These are appropriate to use when the temperature of operation exceeds the operating limit of Tyvar H.O.T. Two materials in this category are nylon 6,6 and PEEK (polyetheretherketone).
According to MatWeb Material Property Data (www.matweb.com), nylon 6,6 has a wear factor (K) of 180, a coefficient of friction of 0.09 and a melting point in the range of 412-509 F (211-265 C). It is thus a high temperature, low friction material. It has wear properties, though not as good as some, still considerably superior to fluorocarbon coatings, and can be provided in durable sheet form of the required thickness of at least 0.040 inch for use as a microcreper primary member, as here described.
Regarding PEEK, (polyetheretherketone), according to the vendor Victrex plc (www.vitrex.com), it has a wear factor of about 200, a coefficient of friction of 0.25 and a melting point of 644 F, with a long term service temperature of 480 F. Where a microcreping process must be conducted at very high temperature, it may be employed as the thermoplastic material for the primary member.
As previously mentioned, in the case of high temperature treatments, thermoplastic capable of retaining its form at high temperature is necessary. For microcreping high temperature nylons, for example, the present best choice for a thermoplastic primary member appears to be PEEK (polyetheretherketone) while for microcreping lower temperature grade nylons the best choice appears to be nylon 6,6, again taking advantage of the low friction coefficient between members of the same nylon category. As a point of information, it should be noted, for microcreping sheet materials comprised of high temperature resins where it is desired to heat the material during microcreping, e.g., to heat-set the effect, the specific problems are different than for other treatments. It is found that the low friction characteristic does not have to be exceedingly low because some heating of the sheet material is needed to bring it into its heat-set range; in part that heat can be contributed by frictional heating. A steel primary member can often be used in such instances to good effect, for instance with respect to sheets of polyester. If it is desired, instead, to use a primary member of thermoplastic, the resin of the primary member, to withstand treatment temperature, may be PEEK (polyetheretherketone) or nylon 6,6.
The broad concept presented is to use plastic parts with low friction and high resistance to wear, the parts chosen to have sufficient rigidity to stand up to the conditions of use. Mylar has high friction and Delryn and carbon-filled epoxy have high wear against typical materials being microcreped, and are typically not suitable, for instance.
According to the broadest concept, it is not necessary for the parts to be “thermoplastic” (i.e. in some cases thermoset resins may be employed) or that the minimum thickness be 0.040 inch. There are some conditions in which the plastic primary part may be as thin as 0.0125 inch, the broadest concept being, with suitable friction and wear characteristics, as described, that the plastic material be selected to be stable under conditions of use (i.e. not extrude).
At the various operating temperatures, it is found that there are thermoplastic resins that demonstrate resistance to wear better than Teflon coatings and still have sufficiently favorable friction qualities as to be useful in microcreping as when formed into the primary member of at least 0.040 inch thickness, and the other stationary members as described. In specifying preferred thermoplastics herein, we intend to cover these resins in blends, copolymers and members that contain reinforcement.
In respect of special steps that avoid detrimental effects of thermal expansion of the plastic primary member it is also realized that a mounting of the member can be constructed that permits free cross-machine thermal expansion relative to its support while enabling effective load spreading on the plastic primary member and slideable assembly of it into a mounting. The technique to be described is useful with primary members made of thermoplastic, which will be used in the description of the following implementations.
In particular, construction of the machine to enable free thermal expansion of the thermoplastic primary member has great advantage. It enables quick and simple set-up of the machine without requiring great skill, and enables gradual increase of the speed of the machine to the highest practical operating speed in a sure way without increasing frictional-heat associated with speed change causing warping or buckling of the primary member.
Referring to the following embodiments, the primary member of plastic is of thickness greater than about 0.040 inch. Preferably it is a continuous sheet of uniform thickness between about 1/16 and ⅛ inch (0.0625 inch and 0.125 inch). The thermoplastic is selected to be friction- and wear-compatible with the surface of the predetermined traveling flexible sheet material, as described previously.
For permitting easy assembly and enabling thermal expansion of the thermoplastic primary member without disturbance of its geometry, the primary member defines a linear load-spreading surface which extends in the cross-machine direction and is directed in the direction of travel of flexible sheet material M. This surface is constructed to engage a corresponding portion of a restraint member to receive and spread resistance force that resists forward drag force applied by the traveling material under the primary member. Its form, as shown, provides a slideable guide for sliding assembly of the primary member with other parts while enabling its cross-wise thermal expansion.
In the example of
The mounting for this primary member provides a load-spreading restraint surface that extends in the cross-machine direction and engages load-spreading surface 28a of the groove in thermoplastic member 22a. This enables distortion-free action of the primary member despite forward drag on its lower surface and concentrated orthogonal pressure P,
In the example of
Rearward portions of the mounting members, region A,
In this example, to define linear restraint surface 29a, a steel bar member 29 extends across the width of the machine. It has a rectangular cross-section in the machine direction and is joined to the under surface of upper member 26 as by spot welding. It is of depth slightly less than depth D of groove 28 and of width slightly less than the width of the groove.
As shown in
Here again, the thickness greater than about 0.040 inch of the relatively soft thermoplastic primary member 22A in the pressure region is found to resist distorting tendencies of tension applied by drag of the traveling material and the orthogonal face-wise compression applied by the pressing device. Thus the critical geometry of the drive and treatment regions can be maintained constant throughout the width of the machine, and over the operating period.
In the example of
The example of
The example of
The examples of
In
In
The primary member 22f of
In the example of
A number of implementations of plastic parts and their mounting have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, the thickness of at least 0.040 inch of the primary member can be positioned in the drive region in forms other than as part of a continuous sheet that has been shown. For instance, a cross-machine-extending bar of thermoplastic resin may be used to press the material against the drive roll. It may be shaped to define a forwardly-directed, linear load spreading surface for receiving restraint force by the restraint surface of a cooperating mounting member. This mounting may enable sliding in the axial direction for insertion and to accommodate thermal expansion. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
Under 35 U.S.C. 119(e)(1), this application claims the benefit of prior U.S. provisional application 60/756,793, filed Jan. 6, 2006. The entire disclosure of this prior application is incorporated herein by reference.
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