Patent GB-1387456-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of collapsible cellular partitions
IPC: B31B11/00
Filed: 1972-05-12
Abstract: 1387456 Apparatus for producing expandable modules UNION CAMP CORP 12 May 1972 [14 May 1971] 22503/72 Heading B5N An apparatus for fabricating a collapsed cellular partition module which can be erected into a plurality of substantially rectangular cells in a longitudinal row comprises: first roller feeding means for feeding a top continuous sheet from a roll supply of flexible material, e.g. paper; second roller feeding means for feeding a bottom continuous sheet from a roll supply of flexible material, e.g. paper in the same direction and at the same speed as the top sheet; adhesive applicator means for applying parallel, spaced stripes of adhesive to the top and bottom sheets on the inner sides thereof; third roller means for feeding a third sheet, e.g. of paper and means for longitudinally slitting the third sheet into a plurality of spaced strips; means to feed the top and bottom sheets and the strips through an edge guiding device which aligns the strips and the top and bottom sheets with respect to each other and the spaced stripes of adhesive; means for feeding the strips between, parallel to and at the same speed as the top and bottom sheets to combine the strips between the top and bottom sheets and secure a longitudinal edge of each strip to the top sheet and the opposite longitudinal edge of each strip to the bottom sheet, such strips constituting flexible wall sheets between the top and bottom sheets. In the embodiment described, a top sheet 2, a bottom sheet 3 and the third sheet are fed from supply rolls 21, 22 and 23 respectively, the top sheet 2 and the bottom sheet 3 each being scored along lines parallel to their outer edges by a pair of scoring rollers 26 and lines of adhesive applied thereto by applicators 27 prior to running the sheets to a pair of rollers where they are combined with strips from the third sheet. The strips are formed by running the sheet from the supply roll 23 under guide roller 30 and between scoring roller 29 and polyurethane covered roller 29a, the scored sheet passing under guide roller 30a and being fed to a pair of slitting rollers 31 and 31a to form strips, the resultant strips being tensioned by dancer roller 32, fed over laterally adjustable turning bars 34 set at an angle of 45 degrees and passed through an edge guiding device 35 to position each strip with respect to fhe other strips, the top and bottom sheets and the glue lines. The top and bottom sheets and the strips are then combined between the spaced rollers 28 and passed on to the hot plate section 38 which comprises a flat heated table 38a and a series of laterally adjustable heated bars 38b running lengthwise above the table, the sheets and the strips being fed under pressure between the table and the bars. The drive rollers 39 and 40 operate continuously and pull the sheets and the strips through the apparatus, the composite product being conveyed by intermittently operated drive rollers 43 and 44 to the intermittently operated cutting section 48 where it is severed into discrete lengths, adhesive being applied by applicator 47 in lines to the top of each severed length and the sections are stacked on the lower belt of twin belt conveyer 50, pressure being applied to the stacks by the upper belt of the twin conveyer to form modules for expansion. A typical expanded module is shown in Fig. 12, the strip walls being shown at 4.