Roller press systems and methods

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to roller press systems and methods and, more specifically, to such systems and methods that are adapted for use in the arts and crafts industry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the context of the present application, the term “craft items” will be used to refer to decorative and/or artistic items that are typically one of a kind or made in small quantities. Although a craft item may serve a utilitarian function, the value of a craft is typically found in the ornamental appearance of the item and not in the function of the item.

In some cases, the individuals who make craft items are professionals who sell the items that they make. In many cases, the individuals who make craft items are hobbyists who make the craft items for themselves or as gifts. Whether professional or non-professional, the individuals who make craft items will be referred to herein as crafters.

The present invention relates to the creation of craft items using one or more prepared materials. Craft items commonly use raw materials that are combined in a unique and creative fashion. The raw materials may be found objects such as stones, pine cones, dried plants, or the like. The raw materials may also be materials especially prepared for use in crafts such as ribbon, fabric, paper, clay, and the like. A craft item is also typically decorated using inks, paints, and the like. The craft item thus often comprises one or more found objects and/or one or more prepared materials that the crafter combines and stamps, paints, and/or otherwise decorates to obtain the resulting craft item.

Crafters often use tools to create craft items. Craft tools may be specially designed for a particular use, such as a paintbrush or carving knife. Crafters may also adapt tools designed for one purpose for another purpose, such as using the handle of a paint brush or carving knife to form impressions in clay. Crafters also use as tools a wide variety of found objects such as rocks, leaves, pine cones, and the like. For example, a leaf may be pressed against clay in softened form to leave an imprint in the clay in the shape of the leaf that remains when the clay hardens. The selection and use (or misuse) of a craft tool is often an important part of the creative process.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that one primary value of a craft item is the creativity and imagination the crafter uses when creating the craft item. The need thus exists for systems and methods that open up new creative avenues for crafters, and especially for systems and methods that can be used with one, two, or more different raw materials.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A roller press system for processing working material. The roller press system includes a housing, first and second rollers, and a carriage. The carriage is mounted for movement on the housing between first and second positions. The first roller is supported by the housing for rotation about a first roller axis. The second roller is supported by the carriage for rotation about a second roller axis. The housing supports the first roller and the carriage such that the first and second roller axes are substantially parallel. Movement of the carriage relative to the housing alters a distance between the first and second roller axes. The first and second rollers define a press path along which the working material passes during processing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roller press system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the roller press system depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the roller press system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the roller press system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the roller press system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation sectional view of the roller press system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation sectional view of the roller press system of FIG. 1 processing a pliable material;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation sectional view of the roller press system of FIG. 1 processing a sheet of paper;

FIG. 9 is a front elevation sectional view taken along lines 9-9 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a crank bushing of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a crank member of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a front partial section view illustrating a position lock system of the roller press system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a side partial section view illustrating the position lock system depicted in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation view illustrating a gear portion of the position lock system depicted in FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a side elevation view depicting a carriage portion of the position lock system depicted in FIG. 12;

FIG. 16 is a side elevation view depicting the interaction of the gear portion and the carriage portion of the position lock system depicted in FIG. 12;

FIGS. 17 and 18 are side elevation views depicting the interaction of the carriage portion of the position lock system and an ink cartridge assembly detachably attached thereto;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge housing that may be used by the ink cartridge assembly depicted in FIGS. 17 and 18;

FIG. 20 is a front section view of an ink cartridge assembly as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18;

FIGS. 21 and 22 are side elevation cutaway views depicting the use of the ink cartridge assembly of the roller press system;

FIG. 23 is a cutaway view taken along lines 23-23 in FIG. 6 depicting a housing attachment assembly in an attached configuration;

FIG. 24 is a section view taken along lines 24-24 in FIG. 23 depicting details of the housing attachment assembly depicted therein;

FIG. 25 is a section view taken along lines 25-25 in FIG. 23 depicting details of the housing attachment assembly depicted therein;

FIG. 26 is a cutaway view taken along lines 23-23 in FIG. 6 depicting a housing attachment assembly in a detached configuration;

FIG. 27 is a section view taken along lines 27-27 in FIG. 26 depicting details of the housing attachment assembly depicted therein;

FIG. 28 is a section view taken along lines 28-28 in FIG. 23 depicting details of the housing attachment assembly depicted therein;

FIG. 29 is an elevation view depicting an optional mounting system that may be used in connection with the example roller press of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 30-31 are cutaway views taken along lies 30-30 in FIG. 6 depicting a first output tray system that may be used by the roller press of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 32-33 are cutaway views taken along lines 30-30 in FIG. 6 depicting an alternative output tray system that may be used by the roller press of FIG. 1;

FIG. 34 is a front elevation sectional view taken along lines 9-9 in FIG. 6 depicting the use of an alternative upper roller;

FIG. 35 is an elevation view depicting an alternative spacing member that may be used to enlarge the housing assembly of the example roller press depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 36 is a perspective view of yet another example roller press system of the present invention;

FIGS. 37 and 38 are top plan views of an infeed system of the roller press system of FIG. 36;

FIG. 39 is a side elevation view of the infeed system depicted in FIGS. 37 and 38;

FIG. 40 is a side elevation, exploded view of the infeed system depicted in FIGS. 37-39;

FIG. 41 is a side elevation, cutaway view of the infeed system depicted in FIGS. 37-40;

FIGS. 42 and 43 are close up, cutaway views depicting a locking portion of the infeed system depicted in FIGS. 37-41;

FIGS. 44 and 45 are side elevation views depicting the construction and operation of an example carriage system of the roller press system depicted in FIG. 36;

FIG. 46 is a side elevation view depicting a carriage support of the roller press system of FIG. 36;

FIG. 47 is a side elevation, section view depicting a portion of a carriage forming part of the carriage system of FIGS. 44 and 45;

FIGS. 48 and 49 are side elevation views illustrating the interaction of the carriage support and carriage depicted in FIGS. 46 and 47;

FIG. 50 is a perspective view depicting an example material tray that may be used by any of the roller press systems of the present invention;

FIG. 51 is a partial, side elevation, section view depicting the material tray of FIG. 50 being used by the example roller press system depicted in FIG. 36;

FIG. 52 is a partial side elevation, sectional view depicting the example roller system being used to emboss a material;

FIGS. 53 and 54 are side elevation, section views depicting the construction and operation of a scraper system by the example roller press system depicted in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawing, depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an example of a roller press system 10 constructed in accordance with, and embodying, the principles of the present invention. The example roller press system 10 may be embodied in forms other than that depicted in the drawings. In addition, the example roller press system 10 is shown in one example configuration, but other possible configurations will be described below.

The roller press system 10 comprises a housing 12, a first roller 14, and a second roller 16. The first roller 14 is supported by the housing 12 for axial rotation about a first axis A. The second roller 16 is supported for axial rotation about a second axis B relative to a carriage 18. The carriage 18 is in turn supported by the housing 12 for pivotal rotation about a third axis C. The first, second, and third axes, A, B, and C are all parallel as perhaps best shown in FIGS. 6 through 9.

FIGS. 6 and 8 show that the carriage 18 rotates about the carriage axis C such that the second roller 16 moves within a continuum of positions between a first position shown in FIG. 6 and a second position shown in FIG. 8. In the first position, the second roller 16 is spaced a first predetermined distance from the first roller 14. In the second position, the second roller 16 can be brought into contact with the first roller 14. In addition, the second roller 16 may be placed in any one of a number of intermediate positions between the first and second position. FIG. 7 specifically shows the second roller 16 in a first intermediate position.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show that the first roller 14 defines a first processing surface 20. FIGS. 1 and 2 also show that the second roller 16 defines a second processing surface 22. The first and second processing surfaces 20 and 22 are substantially similar in diameter and length along the axes A and B, but rollers of different diameters and lengths may also be used.

In the example roller press system 10, processing projections 24 extend from the second processing surface 22. The processing projections 24 can take any one of a number of forms depending on the specific use of the roller press system 16. For illustration purposes, the example processing projections 24 are arrows defined by radially extending sidewalls 24a and outer surfaces 24b that follow the general outline of the cylindrical second processing surface 22.

One example of a roller that may be used as the second roller 16 is a conventional cylindrical rubber stamp as is commonly used to form continuous ink images on a sheet of material. However, the processing projections can be made of different materials and in different forms depending on the particular use of the roller press system 10.

In addition, in some configurations processing projections are formed on neither the first processing surface 20 nor the second processing surface 22. In other alternative configurations, processing projections are placed only on the first processing surface 20 or on both the first processing surface 20 and the second processing surface 22. In any case where processing projections are used, the processing projections may be used to apply ink to a flat sheet, to form indentations in a malleable sheet, and to apply both ink and indentations to a malleable sheet. If neither of the rollers 14 and 16 comprises processing projections, the process implemented by the roller press system 10 can be used to convert the material 26a of random thickness into a processed material having a constant thickness.

The roller press systems 10 may be used to process material of difference sizes, thicknesses, and compositions. For example, in FIG. 7 the roller press system 10 is shown processing a material 26 formed of a malleable substance such as polymer modeling clay. In FIG. 8, the roller press system 10 is shown processing a material 28 in the form of a thin material such as fabric, paper, or the like.

In addition to the different types of materials that may be processed, the process itself may be different. For example, when processing the malleable material 26 shown in FIG. 7, the process creates from the unprocessed form 26a and elongate strip of the processed material 26b having a relatively constant thickness and also imprinted portions 26c corresponding to the processing projections 24 on the second roller 16. If the malleable material 26 is a hardenable clay substance, the material 26b in its processed form can be shaped and hardened in the form of a pendant, bracelet, or other craft item.

Turning back to the sheet material 28 processed as shown in FIG. 8, the processing projections 24 typically do not form permanent indentations in the processed material 28b. Instead, the process shown in FIG. 8 is an inking process in which ink is applied to the processing projections 24 and subsequently deposited on the unprocessed material 28a to form the processed material 28b, in which ink 28c is deposited thereon. The ink 28c dries and forms a visible and/or tactile design on the material 28b corresponding to the shape of the processing projections 24.

As suggested above, the first and second rollers 14 and 16 may be made of other compositions and shapes. For example, instead of using processing projections as described above, the side surfaces 24a may be extended and the projections 24 hollowed such that the processing projections extend completely through a malleable material in a manner similar to that of a cookie cutter. In this case, the resulting processed malleable material may have openings formed therein formed in the shape of the processing projections. In addition, discreet portions of the malleable material will remain within the processing projections and may be removed to yield many small craft items of uniform shape and thickness.

The concept of cutting out a portion of the material being processed may also be applied to sheet material such as the material 28 described above. In this case, the processing projections would have blade edges defining a closed loop that pierce the sheet material to remove a portion therefrom, resulting in a strip having regularly shaped holes of a predetermined design. In addition, the processing projections 24 may take the shape of annular ribs or blades extending radially from one or both of the rollers 14 and 16. These blades can cut the material being processed into one or more strips of uniform width.

Given the foregoing, it should be apparent that the present invention provides the crafter with significant flexibility in processing materials in may different sizes, shapes, and compositions and allowing the use of many different processes.

With the foregoing understanding of the basic operation of the roller press system 10, the details of construction and operation of the roller press system 10 will now be described in further detail.

Initially, FIGS. 1 and 9 illustrate that the example housing 12 comprises first and second housing members 30a and 30b. These housing members 30a and 30b are connected together using housing attachment assemblies 32a and 32b such as will be described below with reference to FIGS. 23-28. In addition, axle openings 34a and 34b are formed in the housing members 30a and 30b, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9.

The housing 12 defines side walls 40a and 40b, in which the axle openings 34a and 34b are formed, and a bottom wall 42. Carriage supports 44a and 44b extend from the side walls 40a and 40b, respectively. The housing further defines an infeed surface 46 for supporting the unprocessed material 26a,28a and an outfeed surface 48 for supporting the processed material 26b,28b. Arrows 41a and 41b are formed or imprinted on the side walls 40a and 40b, respectively, to indicate a direction of rotation of the first processing surface 20 during normal use of the system 10. Feet 49 are secured to the bottom wall 42. The example feet 49 are formed of a rubber-like material that stabilized the system 10 during normal use by increasing friction and reduces movement.

The carriage 18 is attached to the housing 12 using a carriage mounting system 50. The example mounting system 50 comprises ratchet surfaces 52a and 52b formed on the carriage supports 44a and 44b and pawl portions 54a and 54b formed on the carriage 18. In addition, carriage support portions 56a and 56b are formed on the carriage supports 44a and 44b, while carriage pivot portions 58a and 58b are formed on the carriage 18.

As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the carriage support portions 56a and 56b are circular walls extending from opposing surfaces of the carriage supports 44a and 44b. FIGS. 15 and 16 shows that the carriage pivot portions 58a and 58b are walls that extend from outwardly facing surfaces of the carriage 18. The walls forming the pivot portions 58a and 58b are arcuate but, for reasons that will be explained below, extend through an angle of approximately 270 degrees, leaving a gap of approximately 90 degrees. As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, the carriage support portions 56a and 56b and the carriage pivot portions 58a and 58b are centered about the axis C defined above and engage each other to allow the carriage 18 to pivot relative to the housing 12 as generally described above.

Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 15, it can be seen that the ratchet surfaces 52 define ratchet teeth 53 and the pawl portions 54 define pawl teeth 55a. The ratchet surfaces 52 are semi-circular and centered about the axis C such that the pawl teeth 55a remain adjacent to the ratchet teeth 53 as the carriage 18 rotates between the first and second positions relative to the housing 12.

In use, the ratchet teeth 53 engage the pawl teeth 55a to inhibit rotation of the carriage 18 from a desired position relative to the housing 12. If the crafter wishes to rotate the carriage 18 to a new desired position, the crafter pinches the pawl grips 55b together to disengage the pawl teeth 55a from the ratchet teeth 53 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Pawl slits 55c formed in the carriage 18 adjacent to the pawl teeth 55a facilitate disengagement of the pawl teeth 55a from the ratchet teeth 53. Pawl stops 55d are formed behind the pawl grips 55b to prevent the pawl portions 54 from being overextended during normal use. When the carriage 18 is in the new desired position, the pawl grips 55b are released to allow the pawl teeth 55a to reengage the ratchet teeth 53.

Referring now to FIG. 9, the example first and second rollers 14 and 16 will be described in further detail. The example rollers 14 and 16 are in many respects the same. While the rollers 14 and 16 need not be the same in any respect, the use of similar rollers 14 and 16 results in a modular system in which the rollers 14 and 16 may be interchanged and/or used in other continuous inking devices. Because of the similarity between the example rollers 14 and 16, the following discussion applies to both rollers unless otherwise noted.

The rollers 14 and 16 comprise a hub 60 having an axle 62. The axle 62 is generally cylindrical and defines a shaft 63 having a reduced diameter portion 63a at each end. The shaft 63 further comprises a shaft surface 63b. Extending from the axle 62 are radial plates 64 that define a cylindrical base portion 66. In the example rollers 14 and 16, a processing layer 68 is formed on base portion 66 to define the processing surfaces 20 and 22, respectively. The hubs 60 of the rollers 14 and 16 are supported at the reduced diameter end portions 63a for rotation about the axes A and B, respectively.

More specifically, referring initially to the second roller 16, the carriage 18 defines a standoff portion 70 and an axle notch 72. The axle notch 72 in turn defines a restricted portion 74 and an axle portion 76. The axle notch 72 allows the reduced diameter portions 63a of the axle 62 of the second roller 16 to enter the axle portion 76. The restricted portion 74 maintains reduced diameter portions 63a within the axle portion 76 under normal use, but allow the reduced diameter portions 63a to be removed from the axle portion 76 by deliberate application of manual force. As perhaps best shown in FIG. 9, the axle notches 72 support each end of the axle 62 of the second roller 16 such that the roller 16 axially rotates about the axis B. The gap in the carriage pivot portion 58 described above accommodates the axle notch 72.

The first roller 14 is supported from the housing 12 using axle bushings 80. As shown in FIG. 10, the axle bushings 80 comprise an inner portion 82 and an outer portion 84. Slots 86 are formed at the end of the outer portion 84. The axle bushings 80 further define a bushing passageway 88. An internal gear portion 90 extends around the passageway 88 at the outer portion 84.

To mount the first roller 14 onto the housing 12, the axles bushings 80 are pressed onto each end of the axle 62 of the first roller 14, with the bushing passageway 88 receiving the ends of the axle 62. The slots 86 in the bushings 80 are radially spaced to receive the radial plates 64 of the hub 60. Axial rotation of the bushings 80 is thus positively transferred to the axle, and vice versa.

The outer portions 84 of the bushings 80 are received within the axle openings 34 as shown in FIG. 9. The hub 60 is thus securely supported by the housing 12, while the axle 62, and thus the hub 60, may axially rotate about axis A.

To facilitate rotation of the first roller 14, a crank 92 is provided. The crank 92 defines an insert portion 94 and a gear portion 96. The insert portion 94 extends through the bushing passageway 88 and into an axle passageway 62a defined by the axle. The gear portion 96 of the crank 92 engages the gear portion 90 of the axle bushing 80. A handle arm 98 extends at a right angle to the insert portion 94 and gear portion 90 such that pivoting the arm 98 around the axle A causes the first roller 14 to axially rotate about the axle A. The gear portions 90 and 96 positively engage each other and the slots 86 positively engage the radial plates 64 to allow efficient transmission of energy from the arm 98 to the roller 14.

The crank 92 may be inserted into the axle bushing 80 on either end of the axle 62 of the roller 14, allowing the crafter to use either hand to rotate the roller 14 using the crank 92.

The example roller press system 10 is provided with an auxiliary housing 110 to facilitate the connection of auxiliary components to the carriage 18. As shown in FIG. 8 and generally described above, the roller press system 10 may be used to apply ink to the material being processed. In addition, the craft may wish to apply other fluids, such as adhesives, acids, hardeners, and the like, to the material being processed. The auxiliary housing 110 may be adapted to apply fluids to the second roller 16 for transfer to the working material.

The auxiliary housing 110 may have other uses as well, but the transfer of fluids to the roller 16 will be described herein as an example. In particular, the auxiliary housing 110 will be described in the context of applying ink to the second roller 16 for transfer to the working material.

As perhaps best shown in FIG. 1, auxiliary rails 112a and 112b are formed on the carriage 18. Auxiliary housing prongs 114a and 114b extend from an auxiliary housing member 116 of the auxiliary housing 110. The rails 112a and 112b receive the prongs 114a and 114b to detachably attach the auxiliary housing 110 to the carriage 18. Other attachment systems may be used in place of the rails 112 and prongs 114.

The example auxiliary housing 110 is adapted to contain a cartridge assembly 120 comprising a cartridge housing 122, a cartridge cover 124, and an auxiliary roller 126. A cartridge tab 128 extends from the cartridge housing 122. The auxiliary housing 110 may be adapted to support the roller 126 directly, but the use of a separate cartridge assembly 120 allows commercially available ink roller cartridges to be used with the roller press system 10.

The auxiliary roller 126 comprises a roller axle 130 and a flexible, ink-absorbent roller member 132 supported thereby. Roller washers 134 are supported by the roller axle 130 on each end of the roller member 132 to stabilize the ends of the roller member 132 when the roller member 132 is under compression. The roller member 132 is impregnated with ink such that ink is transferred to an item contacting the roller surface.

The cartridge housing 122 defines opposing axle grooves 136 in which are formed lock projections 138. The auxiliary roller 126 is inserted into the cartridge housing 122 such that the ends of the roller axle 130 are received by the axle grooves 136. Pressing the auxiliary roller 126 forces the ends of the axle 130 over the lock projection 138. The lock projection 138 inhibits movement of the ends of the axle 130 back out of the axle grooves 136; the grooves 136 thus attach the auxiliary roller 126 to the cartridge housing 122, allowing axial rotation of the roller member 132 relative to the cartridge housing 122 during normal use. To remove the auxiliary roller from the cartridge housing 122, deliberate force may be applied to the roller axle 130 to force the roller ends past the lock projections 138.

As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, formed on the outside of the cartridge housing 122 are cartridge mounting rails 140. FIGS. 20-22 show that the mounting rails 140 are adapted to be received within cartridge mounting channels 142 formed on the inside of the auxiliary housing 110. The mounting channels 142 are formed by first and second channel walls 144 and 146. The first channel wall 144 is substantially straight, but the second channel wall 146 contains a jog portion 148. The channel walls 144 and 146 define lip portions 144a and 146a.

In use, the cartridge housing 122 is inserted into the auxiliary housing 110 in an aligned configuration as shown in FIG. 21 until the mounting rails 140 clear the jog portion 148 of the second channel wall 146. The lip portions 144a and 146a prevent the cartridge housing 122 from being inserted into the auxiliary housing 110 with the rails 140 above or below the channel walls 144 and 146.

The cartridge housing 122 is then angled as shown in FIG. 22 such that the rails 140 rest against the jog portion 148. The cartridge tab 128 facilitates movement of the cartridge housing 120 from the aligned configuration and the angled configuration in which the mounting rails 140 engage the jog portion. The cartridge housing 122 is in a retracted position when the rails 140 rest against the jog portion 148 as shown in FIG. 22.

As shown in FIG. 8, the auxiliary roller 126 comes into contact with the second roller 16 to apply ink thereto. To enhance the transfer of ink from the auxiliary roller 126 to the second roller 16, a biasing assembly 150 is provided. The biasing assembly 150 comprises a biasing post 152 supported within the auxiliary housing 110 for movement between rearward (FIG. 17) and forward (FIG. 18) positions. The biasing assembly 150 further comprises a biasing spring 154 arranged to force the biasing post 152 from the rearward into the forward position.

A rearward end of the biasing post 152 and the biasing spring 154 are arranged within a spring chamber 110a defined by the auxiliary housing 110. A biasing cap 158 engages a support portion 110b of the auxiliary housing 110. The biasing cap 158 defines a cap opening 158a through which the biasing post 152 extends. A forward end of the biasing post 152 is received by a biasing socket 156 formed by the cartridge housing 120.

The biasing cap 158 is detachably attached to the support portion 110b of the auxiliary housing 110 to facilitate assembly of the biasing assembly 150. In particular, the biasing post 152 and biasing spring 154 are inserted into the spring chamber 110a. The biasing cap 158 is then secured to the support portion 110b with the biasing post 152 extending through the cap opening 158a. The biasing cap 158 may be secured to the support portion 110b using friction, a snap fit, threads, adhesives, or the like.

Therefore, as the cartridge housing 120 is inserted into the auxiliary housing 110 as described above, the biasing post 152 is moved into its rearward position against the force of the biasing spring 154. The biasing cap 158 supports the biasing post 152 for movement between the rearward and forward positions.

Angling the cartridge housing 120 relative to the auxiliary housing 110 as shown in FIG. 22 causes the biasing spring 154 to force the cartridge mounting rails 140 against the jog portion 148 of the second channel rail 146, thereby holding the cartridge housing 120 in the retracted position. This process may be reversed to remove the cartridge housing 120 from the auxiliary housing 110. The cartridge lid 124 may be removed and replaced with the cartridge housing 120 in the retracted position.

In use, with the cartridge lid 124 removed, the cartridge housing 120 is placed in the aligned position such that the biasing assembly 150 forces the roller member 132 against the second roller 116. As the second roller 116 rotates to deposit ink on the working material 26 or 28, new ink is continuously applied to the roller 116.

As generally described above, the housing 12 is formed of first and second housing members 30a and 30b connected together by first and second attachment assemblies 32a and 32b. The use of separate housing members 30a and 30b allows the housing 12 to be disassembled. When the housing 12 is disassembled, the first and second rollers 14 and 16 can be removed, replaced, or switched, and alternate rollers of different types may be placed in the positions of the first and second rollers 14 and 16 as shown and described herein.

Alternative systems for allowing removal and replacement of the rollers 114 and 116 may be used, however. For example, the rollers may be inserted into and removed from the housing 12 through a bottom opening.

In the example housing 10, the housing members 30a and 30b are attached using the attachment assemblies 32a and 32b as follows. The example attachment assemblies 32a and 32b are identical and will not be described separately.

Referring now to FIGS. 23 and 26, it can be seen that the example attachment assemblies 32 comprise an attachment post 160, an attachment projection 162, and an attachment key 164. The attachment post 160 extends inwardly from the side wall 40a of the housing member 30a. The attachment projection 162 extends from the opposite side wall 40b of the other housing member 30b towards the attachment post 160. A post opening 170 is formed by the end of the attachment post 160, while a key opening 172 is formed by the attachment projection 162.

The attachment key 164 comprises an intermediate portion 174a, a reduced diameter portion 174b, an end portion 174c, one or more clamp projections 174d, a limit portion 174e, and a knob portion 174f.

When the housing parts 30a and 30b are properly mated, the post opening 170 and the key opening 172 are aligned such that clamp projections 174d of the key 164 can be passed through both openings 170 and 172 in a first configuration as shown in FIG. 26-28. In this first configuration, the limit portion 174e engages the attachment projection 162 to prevent further movement of the key 164 through the openings 170 and 172 (FIGS. 23 and 26).

The key 164 is then axially rotated approximately 90 degrees into a second configuration as shown in FIGS. 23-25. In this second configuration, the limit portion 174e of the key 164 engages the attachment projection 162 at the key opening 172 as shown in FIG. 24 to prevent further rotation of the key 164.

In addition, the clamp projections 174d engage the post 160 adjacent to the post opening 170 to prevent retraction of the key 164 from the openings 170 and 172 as shown in FIG. 25. The clamp projections 174d and/or the surface of the post 160 adjacent to the post opening 170 may be angled to impart a cam action at a juncture 176 between the projections 174d and the post 160 surface. This cam action serves to pull the housing parts 30a and 30b together.

Other attachment systems may be used to secure the housing parts 30a and 30b together. For example, the posts 160 can define an internal thread, while the key may be replaced with an externally threaded bolt adapted to mate with the internal thread on the post 160. The bolts are threaded onto the post to attach the housing parts 30a and 30b together.

Referring for a moment now to FIGS. 1 and 29, depicted therein is an optional base opening 180 that may be used to secure the housing 12 at a predetermined location on a structural member.

The example shown in FIG. 29 illustrates a clamp assembly 182 comprising a base member 184 having a threaded portion 184a, a brace member 186 defining a brace opening 186a, and an internally threaded nut member 188. The example base member 184 further defines a tension portion 184b and a clamp portion 184c; a clamp surface 184d is formed on the clamp portion 184c. As shown in FIG. 29, the example clamp portion 184c extends at an angle of slightly less than 90° from the tension portion 184b. The example brace member 186 comprises a web portion 186b that reinforces the brace member 186 between the brace opening 186a and a contact surface 186c.

To form the clamp assembly 182, the tension portion 184b of the base member 184 is passed through the brace opening 186a. The nut member 188 is threaded onto the threaded portion 184a of the base portion 184. In use, the base portion 184 is inserted into the base opening 180, and the brace member 186 is arranged underneath a structural member 189 such as a table or the like. Rotating the nut member 188 causes the nut member 188 to force the brace member 186 towards an engaging portion 184a of the base portion 184, thereby clamping the structural member 189.

The clamping force applied by the nut member 188 causes the base member 184 to deform slightly such that the clamp portion 184c thereof extends at a substantially right angle relative to the tension portion 184b. The base member 184 is made of a resilient material such as plastic such that deformation thereof creates a slight spring effect that enhances the clamping force applied by the base member 184 and the brace member 186.

Alternatively, magnetic, suction, adhesive, or other base assemblies that can engage the base opening 180 to limit movement of the housing 12 relative to the table 189 or other structural surface may be used.

Turning now to FIG. 34, the roller press system 10 is depicted therein in an alternate configuration. The roller press system 10 in this alternate configuration differs from the configuration depicted in FIGS. 1-18 in that the second roller 16 is replaced with a second roller 16a of smaller size. The roller 16a is in most respects the same as the roller 16 described above, and the same reference characters augmented with the suffice “a” will be used. The roller 16a will be described in detail herein only to the extent that it differs from the roller 16.

The roller 16a has the same diameter as the roller 16 but is shorter along the axis B. Accordingly, spacing bushings 190 are used to allow the shorter roller 16a to be supported by the example housing 12. In particular, the spacing bushings 190 have an inner portion 192, an intermediate portion 194, and an outer portion 196. The outer portion 196 is adapted to be received by the axle notches 72 in the standoff portions 70 of the carriage 18. The inner portions 192 defines adapter cavities 198 each comprising a first portion 198a that is adapted to receive the reduced diameter portions 63a of the axle 62a of the roller 16a. A second portion 198b of the adapter cavities 198 extends over the shaft surface 63b to strengthen the connection between the axle 62a and the spacing bushings 190. The intermediate portion 194 is sized and dimensioned to locate the roller 16a in a proper orientation with respect to the first roller 14. In the example of FIG. 34, the bushings 190 are identical, and the second roller 16a is centrally located above the first roller 14.

FIGS. 30-33 depict two different configurations of the infeed surface 46 of the housing 12. In the first configuration depicted in FIGS. 30 and 31, guide projections 210 are integrally formed with the housing members 30a and 30b. The guide projections 210 define opposing first guide surfaces 212 that guide the material to be processed between the first and second rollers 14 and 16. The guide projections 210 are located such that a distance between the opposing first guide surfaces 212 substantially matches a length of the first and second rollers 14 and 16.

In a situation where a smaller roller such as the roller 16a described above is used, the guide surfaces 212 may be spaced too far apart. In this case, guide adapters 214 as depicted in FIG. 31 may be employed. The guide adapters 214 comprise securing portions 216 that are adapted to be press fit onto the guide projections 210. The guide adapters further define opposing second guide surfaces 218 that, when the guide adapters 214 are properly attached to the guide projections 210, are spaced closer together than the first guide surfaces 212.

An alternative guide system is depicted in FIGS. 32 and 33. In this case, the guide projections are not integrally formed with the housing or components thereof. Instead, a separate first guide member 220 is provided, and a housing 12a that may in all other respects be the same as the housing 12 is provided with a guide channel 222. The guide channel 222 is sized and dimensioned to receive a portion of the first guide member 220 such that the guide member 220 is attached to the housing 12a and defines at least a portion of the infeed surface 46. First guide projections 224 extend from the first guide member 220 to guide the material being process between the rollers 14 and 16.

FIG. 33 illustrates that the first guide member 220 may be replaced with a second guide member 226. The second guide member 226 is also secured to the housing 12a by the guide channel 222. The guide member 226 defines a pair of second guide projections 228 that are spaced from each other a distance closer than the first guide projections 224.

Referring now to FIG. 35, depicted therein is the roller press system 10 employing yet another housing 12b. The housing 12b is in most respects similar to the housing 12 described above but employs an adapter member 230. The adapter member 230 is arranged between the first and second housing members 30a and 30b to allow the housing 12 to accommodate first and second rollers 14b and 16b that are longer than the rollers 14 and 16 described above.

Referring now to FIGS. 36-49 of the drawing, depicted at 310 therein is yet another example roller press system of the present invention. The roller press system 310 creates processed material from unprocessed material and is constructed and operates in a manner that is generally similar to that of the roller press system 10 described above. The roller press system 310 will be described below primarily to the extent that it differs from the roller press system 10 described above.

The roller press system 310 comprises a housing 312, a first roller 314, and a second roller 316. As shown in FIG. 44-49, the first roller 314 is supported by the housing 312 for axial rotation about a first axis D, while the second roller 316 is supported for axial rotation about a second axis E relative to a carriage 318. The carriage 318 is in turn supported by the housing 312 for pivotal rotation about a third, or carriage, axis F. As with the roller press system 10 described above, the first, second, and third axes, D, E, and F are parallel to each other.

The example housing 312 comprises a pair of matched housing members 320 and 322 and defines side walls 330 and 332. Carriage supports 334a and 334b extend from the side walls 330a and 330b, respectively. An infeed surface 336 supports the unprocessed material, and an outfeed surface 338 supports the processed material.

The carriage 318 is attached to the housing 312 using a carriage mounting system 340. The example mounting system 340 comprises ratchet surfaces 342a and 342b formed on the carriage supports 334a and 334b, respectively, and pawl portions 344a and 344b formed on the carriage 318. In addition, FIGS. 46 and 47 show that the carriage support mounting system 340 further comprises carriage support portions 346 are formed on the carriage supports 334, while carriage pivot portions 348 are formed on the carriage 318.

The carriage support portions 346 are circular walls extending from opposing surfaces of the carriage supports 334a and 334b. The carriage pivot portions 348 are walls that extend from outwardly facing surfaces of the carriage 318. As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 48 and 49, the carriage support portions 346 and the carriage pivot portions 348 are centered about the axis F defined above and engage each other to allow the carriage 18 to pivot relative to the housing 12. As shown in FIGS. 46-49, a first key wall 349a and second key wall 349b formed on the housing 312 and carriage 318.

FIGS. 44 and 45 show that the carriage 318 rotates about the carriage axis F such that the second roller 316 moves within a continuum of positions between a first position shown in FIG. 48 and a second position shown in FIG. 49. The key walls 349a and 349b interact to ensure proper mounting of the carriage 318 on the housing 312 and to limit the movement of the carriage 318 between the first and second positions as described above.

In the first position, the second roller 316 is spaced a first predetermined distance from the first roller 314. When the carriage 318 is in the second position, the second roller 316 is in contact with the first roller. In addition, the second roller 316 may be placed in any one of a number of spaced locations relative to the first roller 314 by arranging the carriage 318 in one of a plurality of intermediate positions between the first and second positions.

In the example roller press system 310, the first and second rollers 314 and 316 have the same diameter. In addition, the second roller axis E is spaced a spacing distance S from the carriage axis F. The first and second roller axes D and E are spaced from each other a distance less than the sum of the diameter of the first rollers 314, the diameter of the second roller 316, and the rotation distance R. The arrangement of the various axes D, E, and F and diameters of the rollers 314 and 316 of the example roller press system 310 thus allow the second roller 316 to move towards and away from the first roller 314.

The distance between the second roller 316 and the first roller 314 can be important during use of the roller press system of the present invention. For example, one use of the roller press system of the present invention is to apply ink to paper. Paper comes in different grades and thicknesses. To allow a clean, complete transfer of ink from the second roller 316 to the paper, the second roller 316 must be spaced properly relative to the first roller 314 given the grade and thickness of the paper. As other examples, die cutting and/or other material processing uses of the roller press system 310 may require precise control of the distance between the first and second rollers 314 and 316.

One option for controlling the distance between the rollers 314 and 316 is to allow the carriage 318 to be fixed anywhere along the continuum between the first and second positions described above. When transferring ink to paper, the carriage 318 is rotated to and fixed at the point on this continuum as necessary to obtain clean, complete transfer of ink from the second roller to paper. A separate clamping system would be required to fix the location of the carriage 318 relative to the housing 312.

The example roller press system 310, however, uses the carriage mounting system 340 comprising the ratchet surfaces 342 and pawl portions 344 described above. As generally described above, the ratchet surfaces 342 define ratchet teeth 350, and the pawl portions 344 define pawl teeth 352 sized and dimensioned to engage the ratchet teeth 350.

The mounting system 340 allows the carriage 318 to be secured relative to the housing 312 at any one of a plurality of discrete locations along the ratchet surfaces 342 between the first and second positions. The location of the carriage 318 relative to the housing 312 determines a roller spacing between the rollers 314 and 316. A ratchet distance between each of a plurality of ratchet teeth 350 along the ratchet surfaces 342 thus determines how a roller distance corresponding to the incremental distance that the second roller 316 travels towards the first roller 314.

In the example system 310, the relationship between the ratchet distance and the roller distance is non-linear. In particular, the ratchet distance is the same along the entire ratchet surface 342. However, the axes D, E, and F are arranged such that the roller distance is relatively large when the carriage 318 is in the first position and becomes smaller as the carriage 318 approaches the second position.

By appropriately choosing the relationships among the axes D, E, and F and the ratchet distance, the carriage mounting system 340 can be designed to provide very fine control of the roller spacing between the rollers 314 and 316, especially when these rollers 314 and 316 are closest to each other. In the example carriage mounting system 340, the ratchet distance is noticeably smaller (more ratchet teeth 350 per linear inch) than the similar parameter of the carriage mounting system 50 described above. The carriage mounting system 340 thus allows finer control of the roller spacing between the rollers 314 and 316 than the carriage mounting system 50 described above.

Referring now to FIGS. 37-43 of the drawing, depicted at 360 is an adjustable infeed system that may be used by the roller press system 310. The infeed system 360 comprises a mounting recess 362 formed in the infeed surface 336 of the housing 312, a mounting plate 364, and first and second guide members 366 and 368. The mounting plate 364 is arranged in the mounting recess 362 to define first and second rail grooves 370 and 372 in the infeed surface 336. The mounting plate 364 further defines an upper surface 374 on which is formed first and second groups 376 and 378 of notches.

The mounting plate 364 may be glued, pinned, or otherwise secured to the housing 312 to prevent relative movement between the plate 364 and housing 312. The example mounting plate 364 is secured by an integrally formed pin 364a that, as shown in FIG. 41, engages a cavity in mounting recess 362 of the housing 312. The mounting plate 364 facilitates assembly of the example system 310, but other structures may be used to movably mount the guide members 366 and 368 onto the housing 312.

The guide members 366 and 368 each define a pair of guide legs 380 and 382. The guide legs 380 and 382 extend into the rail grooves 370 and 372. The guide legs 380 and 382 fit into the grooves such that the guide rail members 366 and 368 can only be moved laterally relative to to the housing 312. So mounted to the housing 312, the guide rail members 366 and 368 may be moved towards and away from each other between inner and outer positions as generally shown in FIG. 38. In FIG. 38, the first guide member 366 is shown in the outer position, while the second guide member 368 is shown in the inner position.

The guide rail members 366 and 368 define guide rail surfaces 384 and 386 are aligned with the direction in which the unprocessed material is fed between the rollers 314 and 316. The guide rail members 366 and 368 thus can be located as necessary for a particular size and shape of unprocessed material such that the rail surfaces 384 and 386 guide the unprocessed material between the rollers 314 and 316 during operation of the system 310.

An example system for fixing the guide rail members 366 and 368 at desired positions relative to the housing 312 is shown in FIGS. 38, 42, and 43. In particular, first and second locking surface portions 390 and 392, which are fixed relative to the housing 312, are provided. In the example system 310, these surface portions 390 and 392 are formed on the mounting plate 364. First and second locking tabs 394 and 396 are formed on the guide members 366 and 368.

In particular, the example locking tabs 394 and 396 are connected to the guide members 366 and 368 by tab extensions 366a and 368a. The tab extensions 366a and 368a are formed of material that, in proper shape and thickness, may be deformed slightly to allow the locking tabs 394 and 396 to be moved between a locked position (FIG. 42) and an unlocked position (FIG. 43).

The interaction of the example locking tab 394 and the corresponding locking surface portion 390 is perhaps best shown in FIGS. 37, 38, 42, and 43. The locking surface portion 390 is formed by a plurality of narrow grooves 390a formed in the mounting plate 364. The locking tab 394 defines a locking projection 394a.

In the locked position, the locking projection 394a engages a selected one of the locking grooves 390a when the guide surface 384 is arranged at a desired location. The engagement of the locking projection 394a with one of the locking grooves 390a inhibits relative movement between the guide member 366 relative to the mounting plate 364 and thus the housing 312. In the unlocked position, the locking projection 394a is disengaged from any of the grooves 390a, allowing the guide member 366 to be moved to any desired position between the inner and outer positions.

Indicia 364b (FIGS. 37 and 38) are formed on the portion of the mounting plate 364 defining the infeed surface 336. The indicia 364b may take the form of a scale or the like that facilitates placement of the guide members 366 and 368 at desired locations. Similar indicia may be formed instead or in addition on the portion of the infeed surface 336 defined by the housing 312.

FIGS. 37, 38, 42, and 43 further illustrate stop projections 366b and 368b extending from the guide members 366 and 368. FIG. 43 illustrates that the stop projections 366b and 368b prevent excessive movement of the locking tabs 394 and 396 that might otherwise damage the tab extensions 366a and 368a.

Turning now to FIGS. 50 and 51, illustrated therein is a material tray 420 that may be used with a roller press system of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 50, the example material tray 420 comprises a bottom wall 422 and first and second side walls 424 and 426. Material 428 in an unprocessed form 428a is placed on the bottom wall 422. Modeling clay or the like would commonly be used as the material 428, but any material that can be formed as shown in FIGS. 50 and 51 may be used.

As shown in FIG. 51, the combination of the tray 420 and unprocessed material 428a is passed through the roller press system 310 to obtain processed material 428b. The tray 420 is made of or coated with a material that adheres lightly to the material 428 so that the processed material 428b stays with the tray 420 after processing. The tray 420 thus prevents the processed material 428b from adhering to and following the second roller 316 up into the housing 312.

Once material 428 has been completely processed, the combination of the tray 420 and the processed material 428b is passed out of the housing 312. The processed material 428b may then be removed from the tray 420 for use.

The bond between the tray 420 and the material 428 must thus be strong enough to prevent the processed material 428b from following the second roller 316 after processing. This bond must, however, be sufficiently weak to allow the processed material 428b to be removed from the tray 420 without disrupting the form or structure of the processed material 428b as formed by the roller press system 310.

Alternatively, the processed material 428b may be further processed. For example, some clay materials harden when subjected to heat. If the processed material 428b is oven hardenable clay, the tray 420 may be made of a heat resistant material that can support the processed material 428b when the process material is further heat processed by, for example, being placed in an oven. In this case, the tray 420 may be made of any material that can withstand the heat required to harden the unprocessed material 428b, but a class of materials often referred to as “ovenable” paper may be used. Such materials are often used to store, cook, and serve pre-prepared foods such as frozen pizzas and the like.

The example tray 420 may thus be made of coated cardboard, ovenable papers, or other materials that provide an appropriate mix of adhesion/release and post processing (e.g., heat resistance) characteristics.

Referring now to FIG. 52, depicted therein is the texturing system 310 modified to emboss a material 430. The material 430 is shown in an unprocessed form at 430a and in a processed, or embossed, form at 430b. The first wheel 314 is covered by a receiving material 432, while the second wheel 316 is covered by an embossing material 434. The embossing material 434 defines projections 436 in the form of one or more shapes to be embossed into the material 430.

The hardness of the receiving material 432 should be selected relative to the hardness of the embossing material 434 based on the nature of the material being processed. For some materials 430 being embossed, the receiving material 432 should be relatively soft, allowing the embossing material 434 to push the material 430 into the receiving material 432. For still other materials 430, providing a receiving material 432 having complimentary recesses aligned with the projections 436 on the embossing material may be appropriate.

For materials such as metal foil, the hardness of the receiving material 432 and embossing material 434 should similar if not the same. In this case, the embossing material 434 slightly creases the material 430 without substantially stretching or deforming the material 430. In the example shown in FIG. 52, the receiving material 432 and embossing material 434 are made of rubber suitable for ink stamping and have approximately the same durometer.

As the unprocessed material 430a passes between the rollers 314 and 316, the projections 436 of the embossing material 434 press the unprocessed material 430a against the receiving material 432. The projections 436 leave slight indentations 438 in the processed material 430b in the shape of the projections 436. The material 430 may take many forms, but foil and paper are commonly used materials that can take and hold the shape of the indentations 438.

Referring now to FIGS. 53 and 54, depicted therein is the roller press system 10 described above modified to employ a scraper system 440. The roller press system 10 converts a material 442 from an unprocessed form 442a into a processed form 442b. The example scraper system 440 comprises a scraper member 444 that is attached to the auxiliary housing 110.

In particular, the scraper member 444 comprises a first end 446 adapted to be supported by the auxiliary housing and a second end 448. The second end 448 is configured to engage the processed material 442b to remove the processed material 442b from the second roller 16. The scraper member 444 is arranged to extend along the second roller 16 approximately 90° from the point where the rollers 14 and 16 are closest together.

As the processed material 442b leaves the point where the rollers 14 and 16 are closest together, the processed material 442b engages the second end 448 of the scraper member 444 as shown in FIG. 53. The scraper member 444 is made of a flexible, resilient material that deflects with continued movement of the processed material 442b to separate the processed material 442b from the second roller 16 as shown in FIG. 54.

As the system 10 continues to process the material 442, the weight of the processed material 442b causes the portion of the processed material 442b in contact with the scraper member 444 to fall away from the second wheel 16 and onto the outfeed surface 48. The second end 448 of the scraper member 444 thus only lightly and momentarily engages the second end of the processed material 442b and does not substantially deform the processed material 442b.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the present invention may be embodied in many different combinations and sub-combinations of the elements and steps described above. The scope of the present invention should thus be determined by the following claims and not the foregoing detailed description.

	Number	Date	Country
	60651775	Feb 2005	US
	60604184	Aug 2004	US

Roller press systems and methods

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CPC

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Provisional Applications (2)