Abstract:
This invention relates to an improvement in an apparatus for dispensing a ribbon between layers of web material and more particularly, to an automated and remote positioning system of ribbon dispensers which are precisely positioned with respect to the web material by a controlling and monitoring system and are physically easily accessible for maintenance by an operator. The automated and remote positioning system of ribbon dispensers includes locking means interacting with either the apparatus or with a traversing mechanism such as a lead screw to move the ribbon dispensers.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     This present application is a continuation-in-part of commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/945,524, filed on Sep. 4, 2001, now abandoned entitled “Automatic Guide Arms Apparatus” which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an improvement in an apparatus for dispensing a ribbon, i.e., tape, web or string, generally referred to herein as “ribbon”, between layers of paper-like web material at the laminating end of a web making machine or the web end of a corrugating machine. One aspect of the present invention is the positioning of novel ribbon dispensing guide arms to locate each guide arm with precision transversely with respect to the web laminating machine path, and doing so remotely and automatically. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     The commercially available guide arms are not remotely positioned by the use of independent drives for the arms to afford the proper location of one or more arms across the full width of the guide rail by having a feed-back on the exact location of each guide arm and adjust this position in relation to the lateral movement of the web in a continuous manner. Previously, the guide arms were mounted on a beam placed in the laminating machine and the beam had to be removed from the machine for any extensive adjustment of the arms. The guide arms then had means for individual adjustment but the amount of movement was limited. 
     More recently a machine was introduced which gave back the position of the guide arms as an electronic reading on a display screen from which the operator could adjust each guide arm remotely but manually. The operator still has to determine if each ribbon in the laminator is at its required position and manually adjusts it. Furthermore, to thread up each guide arm with the ribbon, either at start-up or if a ribbon broke during operation, the laminator machine has to be stopped and the complete guide arm system has to be removed to gain access to the guide arms to be threaded. The same problem happens when multiple orders are being planned on the laminator. If one more ribbon has to be added in the following production run on the laminator, the laminator has to be stopped and the complete guide arm system has to be removed from the laminator to thread-up the supplemental guide arm. 
     Finally the existing remotely adjustable guide arms U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,339 uses a belt system to position each guide arm. Using a belt is not precise enough, the belt being too flexible, preventing the operator from obtaining the adequate positioning of each ribbon. 
     Further, the space available in the laminating or corrugating machines for the placement of individual remotely adjustable guide arms for the ribbon, used to provide reinforcement or to provide a tear tape for the future package, is generally limited in cross-sectional area, e.g., the area available is generally limited to a right triangular area with the two legs adjacent the right angle being about 8 inches and 16.5 inches (20 cm and 42 cm) respectfully. The area is located between guide rolls for the individual webs being laminated and the double backer rolls where the webs are being placed in intimate contact transversely to the in-machine direction across the entire width of the webs. The webs typically include a liner and a single faced web having flutes on one side thereof extending transversely to the direction of movement of the web. The substrate could alternatively be formed of any number of continuous sheet-like webs, including fabrics (both woven and nonwoven), plastic film, felted materials, foil, etc., particularly Kraft paper, materials used in corrugated board and other waterlaid and airlaid paperlike and nonwoven materials. U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,837 issued Jun. 5, 1984 generally discloses a machine of the type associated with the present invention and discloses a system using ribbons pre-coated with a “hotmelt” type of adhesive for providing improved reinforcement of a sheet-like substrate where a plurality of ribbons are fed through a guide member onto a sheet-like web. In this patented device the guide is a reciprocating bar having eyelets for receiving a plurality of ribbons which bar places the ribbons onto the web in a serpentine pattern to provide continuous reinforcement of the substrate in both the machine direction and transversely. 
     The present invention provides an apparatus and method for precisely placing one or more continuous ribbons on the web, the ribbons extending parallel in the machine direction. A plurality of ribbons would be placed in transversely spaced relationship. Changes in the position of any one or more of the ribbon dispensing guide arms is accomplished remotely of the location of the guide arms on a guide beam. The apparatus also uses an electronic system to automatically determine the edge of the web and feed-back the information to the control unit which in turn adjust each guide arm automatically and adequately, even when the web is moving laterally over time. The control unit is also used to preprogram the different tape positions in memory by order numbers, so the operator can position each guide arm automatically without stopping the laminator when running multiple orders on the laminator. Changes in position of the ribbons are dictated by the use of the substrate in the later manufacture of the bag or carton. The ribbons can be coated with a hot melt type adhesive and bonded to the web during the laminating. Depending on the strength of the ribbon, the same will be a suitable transverse reinforcement of the substrate or serve as a tear strip affording ease in opening the container to be formed from the substrate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an apparatus for applying a ribbon to a web during the processing of the web, i.e., for the manufacture of a substrate for container construction. The apparatus of the present invention is used to dispense a ribbon onto a web in a predetermined position and to be able to adjust the position of the ribbon with relationship to the edges of the web remotely and automatically. The apparatus includes a frame defining a web path, the web path having a path width, and supporting a lead screw used to move each guide arm along the frame, locking means to position the guide arm in a desired fixed position along the guide rail, means for determining the position of the guide arm transversely of the web direction of movement or the machine direction of the web and means for adjusting the position of each guide arm following the lateral movement of the web. The frame includes a guide rail. The guide arm is supported on the guide rail for movement there along. The guide arm includes guide pulleys for receiving a ribbon from a remote supply which is fed to the guide arm transversely of the web and for locating the ribbon on the web for attachment and lamination thereto. 
     In one embodiment the frame supports a transducer to afford a reading as to the position of the guide arm with respect to the centreline or an edge of the web. The transducer is connected to a control and display box providing a numeric digital readout giving the location along the guide beam of the guide arm or arms. The guide arms are provided with means cooperating with the transducer to afford a signal in response to a current pulse sent from the display box along the transducer. The signal from each arm is discerned by the electronics in the display box to calculate the distance any particular guide arm is from the predetermined “0” and the numeric value is displayed on the screen of the display box. Furthermore, an electronic system is used to monitor the edge of the web, which position is feed-back to the control unit which in turn sends the signal to automatically adjust the guide arms according to the lateral movement of the web, maintaining the required position of each ribbon in or on the web. The communications between the control unit and the web edge detection and guide arm position detectors are preferably done via electronic signals though infrared (IR) and radio-frequency (RF) signals could also be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     In another embodiment of this invention, the width of the frame is greater than the maximum width of the web or webs that can be processed by the laminator. This maximum width of web or webs that can be processed is hereinafter defined as the “maximum web width”. With this frame having a larger width than the maximum web width, it is possible to position each guide arm in a thread-up position outside the web laminating machine path and close to the operator, so he can thread-up each guide arms without having to remove the entire guide arm system from the laminator and this, even in instance where the web being processed has the maximum web width. The guide arms can also be positioned in any position all across the maximum web width. 
     There is therefore provided an apparatus for the positioning of a dispenser for laminating an endless ribbon in relationship to a web moving along a web path, said web having generally parallel edges defining a web width, said web path having a width limited by a maximum web width, said apparatus comprising:
         a frame extending transversally of the web path;   a lead screw, supported by said frame, extending transversally of the web path and coupled to a drive means, said lead screw defining a traversing path of a first predetermined length;   a guide rail, supported by said frame and extending transversally of the web path and positioned in a parallel direction to said direction of said traversing path and said lead screw;   a plurality of guide arms, each said guide arm having:
           a supporting means to movably attach said guide arm to said guide rail;   a dispensing means for dispensing said ribbon;   a guide arm locking means comprising:
               lead nut operatively connected to said lead screw;   means to lock said guide arm to said lead nut;   means to lock said guide arm to said frame;   
               each said guide arm being selectively connectable to said lead nut or to said frame.   
               

     There is furthermore provided an apparatus for the positioning of a dispenser for laminating an endless ribbon in relationship to a web moving along a web path, said web having generally parallel edges defining a web width, said web path having a width limited by a maximum web width, said apparatus comprising:
         a frame extending transversally of the web path;   a lead screw, supported by said frame, extending transversally of said web path and coupled to a drive means, said lead screw defining a traversing path of a first predetermined length;   a guide rail, supported by said frame and extending transversally of said web and positioned in a parallel direction to said direction of said traversing path and said lead screw;   a plurality of guide arms, each said guide arm having:
           a supporting means to movably attach said guide arm to said guide rail;   a dispensing means for dispensing said ribbon;   a guide arm locking means comprising:
               lead nut operatively connected to said lead screw;   means to lock said guide arm to said lead nut;   means to lock said guide arm to said frame;   
               
           each said guide arm being selectively connectable to said lead nut or to said frame;
 
wherein said first predetermined length transversely extends beyond said maximum web width.
       

     These apparatuses can further comprise:
         communication means;   web edge position detecting means to measure the transversal position of said web;   guide arm position measuring means to measure the transversal position of each said guide arm;   remote controlling means for actuating said locking means of each said guide arm and said driving means;
 
wherein said remote controlling means are linked to said guide arm position measuring means and web edge position detecting means via said communication means.
       

     These and other novel features of the invention will be more fully described hereinbelow. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view diagrammatically showing the apparatus frame for mounting on the frame of a corrugating machine, a pair of ribbon guide arms, and the remote display panel and control boxes, with connecting parts broken away; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the apparatus at the position of a guide arm in a corrugating machine and showing the frame, guide beam and guide arm assembly; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of a corrugating machine similar to  FIG. 2  having two ribbon dispensing apparatus according to the present invention, the second being placed to dispense one or more ribbons from a guide arm on the surface of the single faced web opposite the flutes; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the apparatus; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged sectional view of the apparatus showing the frame, its support, and the ribbon guide arm assembly, including the locking and positioning members in greater detail; and 
         FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of the apparatus illustrating the guide beam and dispensing guide arm. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention provides an improved apparatus for the dispensing of a ribbon onto a moving web at a desired path on the web, with the apparatus including at least one ribbon dispensing guide arm independently adjustable transversely of the direction of movement of the web, and also includes a means to thread the ribbon on the guide arm on the outside of the moving web and outside the web path of the apparatus. 
     As illustrated in the drawing the apparatus, generally designated  70 , is adapted to be positioned in a web laminating machine, e.g., a corrugation machine, within an area generally triangular in cross section defined by a guide roll  46  for a liner or lower web  45 , a guide roll  43  for a single face web  44 , and the opposed double backer rolls  47  and  48  that are mounted for rotation about horizontal axes which extend transversely with respect to the in-machine direction across the entire width of liner  45  and web  44 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the double-backer machine  37  has a limited width. Therefore, the web or webs that can be processed cannot be wider than a certain maximum width, defined above as the “maximum web width”. As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 &amp; 4 , an apparatus  71 , corresponding to apparatus  70 , can additionally be mounted above the web  44  to apply a ribbon  20  to the side of the web  44  opposite the flutes  64 , and directly aligned with a ribbon  20  positioned between the flutes  64  and the liner  45 . The laminate can be die cut to form a pull tab so the superimposed ribbons form a tear tape to sever the laminate along the path of the ribbons when pulled through the liner  45 . Preferably, a glue machine  38  holds the guide rolls  43 ,  46  and a double backer machine  37  holds the double backer rolls  47 ,  48 . 
     Since the apparatus  70  and  71  are similar, except for the position of the ribbon pulleys, only the construction of ribbon dispensing apparatus  70  will be further described. A frame member  65  on the corrugating machine supports a track  22  on which an apparatus frame  17  of the ribbon dispensing apparatus  70  is mounted by a plurality of support rollers, including transverse rollers  23 , supported in brackets  21 . The support rollers, four in all in each bracket  21 , engage the top, bottom and opposite faces of the track  22 , one above and one below the centreline of track  22  on each side. All of the support rollers are not shown but allow for the insertion and removal of the apparatus  70  in relationship to the right-triangular area defined above in a corrugating machine. A suitable positioning means on the machine frame  65  and on the apparatus frame  17  locate the apparatus frame  17  on the corrugating machine. 
     The apparatus frame  17  includes an internal support angle  58 , which in turn support a bearing or guide rail  30 , which is approximately 2500 mm in length, and is supported by the rollers  23  and the brackets  21 . Frame members  19  &amp;  34  support a lead screw, generally designated  28 . Frame members  19  &amp;  34  are supplied with bearing mounts to support the lead screw  28  and step motor  16  which provide the means for rotating lead screw  28 . The bottom plate guide arm  33  supports the lead nut support  32  and the lead nut  31 . The apparatus frame  17  further includes an angle frame member  58  which supports transducer  59 . The transducer is held on internal support angle  58  by thermal insulative bushings. Further, the frame  33  has a guide rail  29  supported below the frame member  33 . Frame  17  supports the internal support angle  58  which also acts as a brake bar. A cover, including a cover sheet  18  and a bottom cover  36 , covers the frame  33  from the frame member  17  to the edge of member  33 . 
     A ribbon dispensing guide arm  40  is an assembly mounted on the frame  33  for movement in relationship thereto. While only one guide arm  40  is illustrated in most views of the drawing for purposes of simplicity, a plurality of guide arm assemblies  40  are illustrated in  FIG. 6 . A complete system would incorporate  6  to  8  guide arms  40  of identical configuration spaced along the guide rail  29  and spaced transversely along the frame  33  and of the machine direction of the moving webs  45  and  44 . 
     The width of lead screw  28  preferably exceeds the maximum web width of the web  45  &amp;  44 , so guide arms  40  can be positioned outside the path of the webs for easy thread up of the ribbons  20 , as seen in  FIG. 4 . The lead screw  28  can move and position any guide arm  40  in any given position along the guide rail  29  as long as the guide arms  40  maintain their physical order. Drive means in the form of a variable speed reversible electric step motor  16 , having an adapter to connect directly to lead screw  28  for direct drive. 
     The transducer  59  has an electromagnet  60  positioned under frame member  33 . The transducer  59  is connected to a control box  13 , having a display panel  11  and circuitry associated therewith, to identify the position of each of the dispensing guide arms  40  as further described herein. 
     The guide arms  40 , one of which is described, comprise a support frame, generally designated  33 , having a linear bearing  30  riding on the guide rail  29  and supporting two pneumatic cylinders  55  and  62 , and an upper bracket  24  supporting a plurality of guide pulleys  25 , 26  and  27  for the ribbon  20 . Also, the frame  33  supports a permanent magnet  60  which is attached to each guide arm  40 . The permanent magnet  60  substantially surrounds the transducer  59  and is supported from a bracket  61  connected to the frame. The drive cylinder  55  is actuated by pneumatic pressure to force a rubber bumper  56  toward the lead screw  28 , forcing the lead screw nut  31  to block in the lead nut support  32 , thus forcing the movement of guide arm  40  when the lead screw  28  is rotating. The cylinder  55  is pneumatically operated and is returned to the normal position by a return spring. The cylinder  62  is connected to the support frame  33  by a cylinder bracket  57  and acts as a locking cylinder which is normally activated by a source of pneumatic pressure through a pneumatic pressure supply line to drive a rubber bumper  63  against the internal support angle  58  on the frame  33  locking the guide arm  40  in position to the frame  17 . This lock for the guide arm  40  is normally applied and upon removal of the pneumatic pressure in the cylinder  62 , the bumper  63  is separated from the internal support angle  58  by a return spring in and for the pneumatically operated cylinder  62  operating the bumper  63 . 
     The figures of the drawing illustrate a plurality of pneumatic hoses  54  supported under frame  33 . Each of the hoses  54  include a pair of pneumatic lines affording one line for each cylinder  55  and  62  of a guide arm assembly  40 . Pneumatic pressure from a source supplies pressure to the hoses  54  via a valve control unit  14  and all lines are supported by energy chains  49 . 
     The guide pulley  25  on each guide arm is the entrance pulley for the ribbon  20  entering the guide arm  40 . The ribbon  20  is rotated 90 degrees from pulley  25  to engage pulley  26  on a horizontal shaft to direct the ribbon  20  to a dispensing pulley or exit pulley  27 . From the pulley  27  the ribbon  20  is applied to the liner  45 . On each guide arm assembly  40  the pulley  25  is adjusted along the upper bracket  24  to stagger the incoming ribbons. 
     In operation, the locking cylinder  62 , on all guide arms  40 , will be extended with the bumper  56  gripping the internal support angle  58 . When one or more of the arms  40  need to be moved to a new position, the drive cylinder  55  is activated to drive the bumper  56  against the lead nut  31  locking the lead nut  31  and the lead nut support  32  so the frame  33  of the guide arm  40  will be moved by the lead screw  28 . The bumper  63  of the locking brake cylinder  62  for that arm is retracted after some slight time delay. The lead screw  28  is operated by the motor  16  controlled by the motor control  15  having an operator interface  10 . The motor  16  can be activated in clockwise or counter-clockwise direction to move the guide arm  40  accordingly. When the particular arm  40  reaches the correct position, the locking cylinder is extended, and the drive cylinder is retracted from the lead nut  28 . 
     The positioning procedure is fully automated. The numeric digital readouts of each guide arm  40  are continuously trigged and displayed in the display panel  11 . The operator enters on the keypad  12  the new position for each guide arm  40  with reference to preset “0”. Once the new positions are entered in the display panel  11 , the positioning procedure can be started. The automated procedure is as follows. First, the controller  13  checks if the new positions for the guide arms  40  are possible. Second, the controller  13  find the guide arm or guide arms  40  that can be move in first. Third, the controller  13  sends signals to the pneumatic valve  14  and to electric motor drive  15  to move the guide arm or guide arms  40  to the new positions. Four, the controller  13  checks if positions have been reached within the preset limits, and if not the guide arm or guide arms  40  are moved again. To find the position of a guide arm  40 , the control circuitry triggers the transducer to send a current pulse down a wire held inside the linear transducer rod  59 . The current in the wire creates an electric field about the wire. When the current flowing down the wire reaches the arm  40  in question, the electric field of the wire interacts with the magnetic field of the permanent horse-shoe magnet  60  on the guide arm  40 . This interaction creates a torque in the wire producing a signal by the arm. The electronics of the transducer head calculates how long in time it was from when the current pulse was sent down the wire to when the reaction signal in the wire is sensed. From this information, position of the arm is discerned and the distance is calculated from the preset “0”. and the numeric value is displayed. The electronics are designed to discern which magnet to read the electric field-magnetic field location signal from. The operator then has a precise position/location reading and can adjust the arm as necessary, in the manner described above. The transducer  59  and electromagnet  60  are a magnetostrictive transducer. The magnetostrictive element is an extremely small diameter (I.D. less than 0.0125 inch, i.e., 0.31 mm) Ni—Fe alloy tube held in place inside a protective outer tube forming a waveguide. This waveguide runs the length of the transducer  59 . To initiate a measurement for position update, a circuit in the control box  13  has the transducer  59  pulse a current on a conductor wire which has been threaded coaxially through the waveguide. During the short time that this pulse is on, a rotating electromagnetic field surrounds the waveguide. At the same time, lines of field from electromagnet  60  in the guide arms  40  focus on the waveguide. The effect of these two fields is to generate a magnetostrictive strain wave just below the magnets producing a signal which ripples back down the waveguide to a receiver in the transducer  59 . This mechanical pulse is converted into an electrical signal. The high-speed clock or an integrator measures the time between launching the current pulse and arrival of the torsional wave. Since the velocity of the torsion pulse is known as a material integrator, the distance will be known. The accuracy of the device to know the position of the guide arm  40  has a resolution of 2.5 um (0.0001 inch). 
     Furthermore an automatic positioning system can be used to monitor the movement of the edge of the web  44 . A camera  66  is used to determine the edge of the web  44  and as result, a signal is sent to the control box  13  to automatically move all the guide arm  40  to maintain their relative position to the edge of the moving web  44 . A motion sensor or an infrared system could also be used instead of the camera  66  without departing from the scope of the invention. The memory of the control box  13  is also used to store the positions of the guide arms for numerous set-ups, so multiple orders can be run continuously on the laminator. 
     Having described the invention with reference to accompanying illustrations of the apparatus of the present invention, it is contemplated that engineering changes can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.