Claims
- 1. An apparatus for directing a fluid in a selected pattern onto a moving substrate, said apparatus comprising:
- a nozzle connected to a movable support and configured to direct said fluid on said moving substrate;
- supplying means for providing said fluid to said nozzle at a pressure which provides for a selected fluid flow rate from said nozzle;
- designating means for identifying a plurality of selected article lengths along said substrate;
- transporting means for moving said substrate at a predetermined speed along a machine direction past said nozzle during said directing of fluid onto said substrate;
- an actuating servo connected to move said nozzle along a selected delivery path; and
- regulating means connected to control said actuating servo by employing a selected, electronically stored data set which has a sequence of numbers with each number representing a desired motor angle provided for by said actuating servo, said data set configured to move said actuating servo in a selected sequence, and said sequence having a predetermined correspondence with movement positions of said substrate to thereby direct said nozzle along said selected delivery path and provide said selected pattern onto each selected article length of said substrate.
- 2. An apparatus for cutting a moving substrate, said apparatus comprising:
- a cutter nozzle connected to a movable support and configured to direct said fluid on said moving substrate;
- supplying means for providing a cutting fluid to said cutter nozzle at a pressure which provides for a fluid flow rate from said cutter nozzle, said fluid flow rate sufficient to cut said substrate in a selected cut pattern;
- designating means for identifying a plurality of selected article lengths along said substrate, said article lengths defining a plurality of article segments which are interconnected along a machine direction of said apparatus;
- transporting means for moving said substrate at a predetermined speed past said cutter nozzle along said machine direction during said cutting of said substrate;
- an actuating servo configured to move said cutter nozzle along a selected cutting path; and
- regulating means for controlling said actuating servo by employing a selected, electronically stored data set which has a sequence of numbers with each number representing a desired motor angle provided for by said actuating servo, said data set configured to move said actuating servo in a selected sequence, and said sequence having a predetermined correspondence with movement positions of said substrate to thereby direct said cutter nozzle along said selected cutting path and provide said selected cut pattern on each selected article length of said substrate.
- 3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said transporting means is constructed to move said substrate at a speed of at least about 100 ft/min.
- 4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said actuating servo is constructed to provide an angular acceleration of said movable support of at least about 1,000 radian/sec.sup.2.
- 5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said actuating servo includes an electro-magnetic motor which rotates an actuator arm connected to said movable support.
- 6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising an energy storage system connected to said movable support to absorb mechanical energy produced by a twisting motion of said nozzle along said directing path.
- 7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said energy storage system comprises a torque tube, and said torque tube is constructed to conduct said fluid to said nozzle.
- 8. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said energy storage system comprises a tubing coil, and said tubing coil is constructed to conduct said fluid to said nozzle.
- 9. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said actuating servo includes an operational axis of rotation, and said torque tube is substantially aligned with said operational axis of said actuating servo.
- 10. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said actuating servo includes a passageway which allows a transport of said fluid through an interior of said actuating servo.
- 11. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein
- said designating means includes a line encoder which provides article position data regarding a location of each of said selected lengths along said substrate; and
- said regulating means includes an actuator encoder which provides actuator data regarding a location of said nozzle, a comparator for comparing said actuator data to a set of path position data which is tabulated in correspondence with distance along said machine direction of each article length, and an output generator for producing a signal which directs a movement of said actuating servo to locate said nozzle in substantial accordance with said path position data.
- 12. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising a gearing encoder connected to monitor a position of said substrate to provide for a machine-directional shift in said selected pattern relative to said selected lengths along said substrate.
- 13. A method for directing a fluid in a selected pattern onto a moving substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a nozzle;
- (b) supplying a selected fluid to said nozzle at a pressure which provides for a selected fluid flow rate from said nozzle;
- (c) identifying a plurality of selected article lengths along said substrate;
- (d) transporting said substrate to move said substrate past said nozzle along a machine direction at a predetermined speed during said directing of fluid onto said substrate;
- (e) servo actuating a movement of said nozzle along a selected delivery path; and
- (f) regulating said servo actuating step (e) in accordance with an electronically stored data set which has a sequence of numbers with each number representing a desired motor angle provided for by said servo actuating step (e), said data set configured to control said servo actuating step (e) in a selected sequence, said sequence having a predetermined correspondence with transporting positions of said substrate to thereby direct said nozzle along said selected delivery path and provide said selected pattern on each selected article length of said substrate.
- 14. A method for cutting a moving substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a cutter nozzle;
- (b) supplying a cutting fluid to said cutter nozzle at a pressure which provides for a fluid flow rate from said cutter nozzle, said fluid flow rate sufficient to cut said substrate in a selected cut pattern;
- (c) identifying a plurality of selected article lengths along said substrate, said article lengths defining a plurality of article segments which are interconnected along a machine direction of said substrate;
- (d) transporting said substrate to move said article segments past said cutter nozzle along said machine direction at a predetermined speed during said cutting of said substrate;
- (e) servo actuating a movement of said cutter nozzle along a selected cutting path; and
- (f) regulating said servo actuating step (e) in accordance with an electronically stored data set which has a sequence of numbers with each number representing a desired motor angle provided for by said servo actuating step (e), said data set configured to control said servo actuating step (e) in a selected sequence, said sequence having a predetermined correspondence with transporting positions of said substrate to thereby direct said cutter nozzle along said selected cutting path and provide said selected cut pattern on each selected article length of said substrate.
- 15. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the step of providing an energy storage system for absorbing mechanical energy produced by moving said nozzle along said delivery path.
- 16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said energy storage system comprises a torque tube, and said torque tube is constructed to conduct said fluid to said nozzle.
- 17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said energy storage system comprises a tubing coil, and said tubing coil is constructed to conduct said fluid to said nozzle.
- 18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said servo actuating step (e) includes an operational axis of rotation, and said torque tube is substantially aligned with said operational axis of said servo actuating step.
- 19. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein
- said identifying step (c) employs a line encoder which provides position data regarding a location of each selected length of said substrate along said machine direction of said substrate; and
- said regulating step (f) employs an actuator encoder which provides actuator data regarding a location of said nozzle, a comparator for comparing said actuator data to a set of path position data which is tabulated in correspondence with distance along said machine direction of each selected length along said substrate, and an output generator for producing a signal which directs a movement of said actuating servo to locate said nozzle in substantial accordance with said path position data.
- 20. A method as recited in claim 19, further comprising a gearing encoder configured to provide a machine-directional shift in said selected pattern relative to said selected lengths along said substrate.
- 21. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said identifying step (c) provides marker data which correspond to the position and presence of an individual article segment of said substrate.
- 22. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said servo actuating step (e) moves said movable support with a rotating actuator arm.
- 23. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said servo actuating step (e) provides said nozzle with an angular acceleration of at least about 1,000 radian/sec.sup.2.
- 24. A method as recited in claim 13, further including an assembling of additional components to said substrate to form an interconnected plurality of article segments, and a separating of said substrate at said article segments to form individual articles.
- 25. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said each number is expressed in terms of a corresponding number of encoder counts provided by a motor encoder.
- 26. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further including a mechanism for assembling additional components to said substrate to form an interconnected plurality of article segments, and for separating said substrate at said article segments to form individual articles.
- 27. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said each number is expressed in terms of a corresponding number of encoder counts provided by a motor encoder connected to said actuating servo.
- 28. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said designating means also provides marker data which correspond to the position and presence of individual article segments of said substrate.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 08/423,424, filed on Apr. 18, 1995 now abandoned.
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Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
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2 707 545 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
423424 |
Apr 1995 |
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