Patent Publication Number: US-2016236404-A1

Title: Machine, system, and method for making a banner

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field The present invention relates generally to the field of manufacturing machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to banner making machines. Specifically, the present invention relates to a banner making machine that welds a strip of reinforcing material to a banner and rivets a grommet through the reinforcing strip and the banner. 
     1. Background Information 
     Banners with printed information thereon are a useful way of conveying ideas or announcements to the public. Other banners may have promotional or advertisement material printed thereon. Often these types of banners are displayed outside and are therefore exposed to natural elements such as heat, cold, rain, and wind. When banners hang in the wind from a cord, there is a tendency for the banners to rip or tear at the connection point, usually a grommet, due to wind forces exerted on the banner and grommet. To overcome the stress forces exerted on the banner, some banners are constructed with a reinforcing strip of material extending from end to end near a side edge of the banner, preferably on the back side of the banner so as to not interfere with the printed display information. 
     Currently, the state of the art includes banner welding machines that have the ability to weld a strip a reinforcing material to a web of banner material. Additionally, the state of the art also includes riveting machines that are able to fire a grommet through a banner having a reinforcement strip welded thereto. These two separate and distinct machines mentioned above are often large, and require production downtime when transferring the banner from one machine to the other. 
     SUMMARY 
     Issues continue to exist with banner welding machines and banner riveting machines as understood in the prior art. Namely, there exists a need to streamline the banner making process for producing a banner that includes a reinforcing strip welded thereto and grommets riveted through the banner and the reinforcement strip. The present invention addresses these and other issues. 
     In one aspect, the invention may provide a banner making machine comprising: a banner material flowstream pathway, including first and second sides of the pathway; a machine entrance positioned upstream from a machine exit; a first strip welder between the entrance and exit adapted to weld a strip of reinforcing material to a web of banner material; and a first grommet riveter between the entrance and exit positioned downstream from the first strip welder adapted to rivet a grommet through the reinforcing material welded to the banner material creating a completed banner. 
     In another aspect, the invention may provide a method for making a banner comprising the steps of: feeding a banner into an entrance of a self-contained banner making machine including an exit downstream from the entrance defining a banner flowstream pathway therebetween; welding a strip of reinforcement material to the banner between the entrance and exit with a strip welder, the strip welder defining a portion of the pathway; and riveting a grommet through the banner and strip welded together between the entrance and exit with a grommet riveter, the riveter defining a portion of the pathway. 
     In another aspect, the invention may provide a system for making a banner having reinforced edges and grommets comprising: a self-contained banner making machine including a welding device and a grommet riveting device within the machine; a sheet of banner webbing material for feeding through the banner making machine; a strip of reinforcement material that is welded to the banner by the welding device in the banner making machine; and a grommet that is riveted through the banner material with the strip of reinforcement material welded thereto by the riveting device. 
     In another aspect, the invention may provide a system for making a banner having reinforced edges and grommets includes a self-contained banner making machine including a welding device and a grommet riveting device within the machine. A sheet of banner webbing material is configured to be fed through the banner making machine. A strip of reinforcement material is welded to the banner by the welding device in the banner making machine. A grommet is riveted through the banner material with the strip of reinforcement material welded thereto by the riveting device. The banner making machine includes a banner material flowstream pathway, including first and second sides of the pathway. The welding device or a first strip welder is between the entrance and exit of the machine. The riveting device or a first grommet riveter is also between the entrance and exit positioned downstream from the first strip welder. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A sample embodiment of the invention is set forth in the following description, is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example methods, and other example embodiments of various aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that in some examples one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale. 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of a banner making machine of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of some internal components of the banner making machine; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the banner making machine; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the banner making machine depicting a carriage assembly moveable from an extended position to a narrow position; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3  depicting a banner positioned squarely on a table upstream from the entrance to the banner making machine; 
         FIG. 6  is an alternate embodiment of a banner having a fan fold viewed in cross-section taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an operational top view of the banner making machine; 
         FIG. 8  is an operational top view of the banner making machine; 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged side view of the operation of a clamp assembly on the banner making machine; 
         FIG. 10  is an operational top view of the banner making machine; 
         FIG. 11  is an operational top view of the banner making machine; 
         FIG. 12  is an operational enlarged side view of the banner making machine depicting a strip of reinforcing material and a banner material being heated and welded together through a set of pinch rollers; 
         FIG. 13  is an operational top view of the banner making machine;   
         FIG. 13A  is an operational top view of the banner making machine depicting a plurality of crosshair indicators pre-printed on the banner material; 
         FIG. 14  is an operational enlarged side view of the banner making machine depicting a grommet being riveted through the banner material and the reinforcement strip; 
         FIG. 15  is an operational top view of the banner making machine; 
         FIG. 16  is a front elevation view of a completed banner having grommets riveted near the corners of the completed banner; and 
         FIG. 17  is a front elevation view of a completed banner made by the banner making machine of the present invention with uniform grommets near the top and bottom edges of the completed banner. 
     
    
    
     Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The new banner making machine of the present invention depicted throughout  FIGS. 1-17  is shown generally  10 . Banner making machine  10  improves the ways a banner having a reinforcement strip welded thereto and grommet riveted therethrough is manufactured. 
     As depicted in diagrammatic  FIG. 1 , banner making machine  10  comprises a banner material flowstream pathway  12 , including first and second sides  14 ,  16  ( FIG. 3 ) of the pathway, a machine entrance  18  positioned upstream from a machine exit  20 , a first strip welder  22  between the entrance  18  and exit  20  adapted to weld a strip of reinforcing material  24  to a web of banner material  26 , and a first grommet riveter  28  between the entrance  18  and exit  20  positioned downstream from the first strip welder  22  adapted to rivet a grommet  30  through the reinforcing material  24  welded to the banner material  26  creating a finished banner  32 . 
     Prior to further discussion relating to banner making machine  10 , it should be noted that some components of banner making machine  10  are duplicated on respective sides  14 ,  16  of machine  10 . For clarity and purposes of this explanation, some components in some figures are not shown, however it is to be understood by the reader that the components can be duplicated on respective sides  14 ,  16  as will be explained in further detail below. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 2 , banner making machine  10  is shown in a side elevation view and may further comprise a clamp assembly  34 , a feeder assembly  36 , pinch rollers  38 , drive system  40 , and a carriage assembly  42 . 
     Clamp assembly  34  includes an upper clamp  44  and a lower clamp  46 . Upper clamp  44  is positioned above lower clamp  46  when viewed from the side, defining a passageway therebetween. Upper and lower clamps  44 ,  46  are operatively connected. Each upper and lower clamp may be selectively movable in the vertical direction to decrease the gap distance, clamping an object therein as desired by user. In one embodiment, clamp assembly  34  further includes an actuator or motor  48  to mechanically close upper and lower clamps  44 ,  46 . Clamp assembly  34  further includes a trolley assembly  47  to slide on tracks  49 . Upper clamp  44  and lower clamp  46  are operatively connected to trolley  47  such they are longitudinally moveable in the direction of pathway  12  along track  49 . In one embodiment, motor  48  that actuates the closing of upper clamp  44  and lower clamp  46  may also operate the longitudinal movement of trolley assembly  47  carrying clamps  44 ,  46 . Track  49  is generally parallel with the flow direction of pathway  12 . The upstream end of track  49  is generally forward of rear edge  50  of table  52  and the downstream end of track  49  is downstream from a forward end of the drive system  40 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the forward end of drive system  40  is rollers  90 ,  94 . As depicted in  FIG. 2 , track system  49  is positioned below table  52  as well as various support plates. However, other embodiments are entirely possible where the track system may be located in other positions within machine  10 . Clamp assembly  34  is positioned downstream from entrance  18  and upstream from drive system  40 . Further, while only a single upper and lower clamp  44 ,  46  is depicted in  FIG. 2 , it is understood that a plurality of clamps are positioned transversely relative to path  12  (See clamps  44 A,  448 , and  44 C in  FIG. 3 ). Upper and lower clamps  44 ,  46  are disposed within cutout notches extending forwardly from a rear edge  50  of a table  52 . 
     Table  52  defines an aperture  54 , extending generally transverse relative to pathway  12 . A first square sensor  56  is positioned underneath aperture  54 , configured to sense and view substrate (e.g. banner  26 ) existing above aperture  54 . Sensor  56  is positioned upstream relative to clamp assembly  34 . Table  52  further includes a vertically extending lip  58  disposed longitudinally aligned with pathway  12 . A rear edge of lip  58  terminates forwardly of rear edge  50  and defines a portion of a notch cutout area retaining a portion of clamp assembly  34  therein. The vertical portion of lip  48  is perpendicular to table  52 . Additionally, the longitudinal length of lip  58  is perpendicular to an edge of table  52  defining a square relationship therebetween. 
     Feeder assembly  36  includes a reel  60  about which reinforcing strip  24  is wound, a feeder motor  62 , a sensor  64 , a support plate  66 , and a cutter  68 . Reel  60  is a generally cylindrical member coupled with carriage  42  via support arm  61 . Reinforcing strip  24  wound about reel  26  is aligned with and extends through motor  62 . Motor  62  is configured to drive strip  24  in an unwinding manner from reel  60 , up and over support plate  66  and towards pinch rollers  38 . Sensor  64  senses when strip  24  needs to be cut, sending a signal to cutter  68  to cut the reinforcing strip  24  to a desired length. A sensor  63  may also be coupled with feeder assembly  36  configured to sense the amount of wound reinforcing strip material  24  contained on reel  60 . As reel  60  unwinds and the amount of reinforcing material  24  is unwound, sensor  63  may send a signal to a control system that alerts an operator that the reel is running low on material  24  and may need replaced. While the shown embodiment indicates sensor  63  and sensor  64  as separate and distinct, clearly it is understood that these two sensors  63 ,  64  may be combined in a single sensor as one having ordinary skill in the art would understand. 
     Pinch rollers  38  include an upper roller  70  positioned above a lower roller  72 . Upper pinch roller  70  is operatively coupled to a first drive motor  74 A ( FIG. 3 ) or  74 C and lower pinch roller  72  is coupled to a second motor  74 B ( FIG. 3 ) or  74 D. Pinch roller assembly  38  is positioned downstream from support plate  66  on feeder assembly  36 . Further, pinch rollers  38  are positioned downstream from first welder  22 . Pinch rollers  38  are disposed within a space defined between a longitudinally extending support plate  114 A and a longitudinally extending support plate  114 B. Between plates  114 ,  114 B, upper and lower pinch rollers  70 ,  72  are generally aligned directly downstream from a weld plate  112  on heater  22 . Further, while it is understood that a pair of pinch rollers  38  are respectively placed on each side  14 ,  16  along pathway  12  in machine  10 , the pinch rollers  38  are farther to the outside relative to a drive belt  88 , which will be described in further detail below. 
     Drive system  40  includes a drive motor  76 , a slip union  78 , an axle  80 , a drive wheel  82 , a plurality of tensioners  84 , a lower drive belt  86 , and an upper drive belt  88 . Lower drive belt  86  rotates around a front roller  90  and a rear roller  92 . Upper belt  88  rotates about front roller  94  and a rear roller  96 . Front roller  94  is positioned above lower front roller  90  and rear roller  96  is positioned above rear roller  92 . In one exemplary embodiment, upper belt  88  is an idle belt only driven by frictional contact movement of lower belt  86  as lower belt  86  is driven by motor  76 . Clearly, other embodiments are entirely possible which would include upper belt  88  driven by a motor in a conventionally understood manner. Similar to other components previously described, drive belts  86 ,  88  extend along each side  14 ,  16  of pathway  12 . In one particular embodiment, a single drive motor  76  drives both sets of belts  86 ,  88  on each respective side  14 ,  16  of pathway  12 . Axle  80  extends transversely across pathway  12  and drive rollers  82  are coupled to axle  80  adjacent each side  14 ,  16  of pathway  12 . 
     Slip union  78  enables the single motor  76  to drive belts  86 ,  88  on each respective side  14 ,  16  of pathway  12  simultaneously. Further, slip union  78  enables slight adjustments of speed of the belts  86 ,  88  should they become out of sync with the speed of the other belts operating on an opposite side pathway  12 . 
     Carriage assembly  42  is configured to carry components of banner making machine  10  that are positioned along left side  16  ( FIG. 3 ). Carriage assembly  42  includes support frames  100  that extend generally vertical and connect with a generally horizontal support frame member  102 . A pair of tracks  104  extends transversely generally perpendicular to pathway  12 , allowing carriage assembly  42  to travel thereon. Carriage assembly  42  further includes a linear actuator  106  that moves carriage assembly  42  on tracks  104 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 2 , welder  22  includes a heater  108 , a heat transfer member  110 , and a heatable wedge  112 . Heat wedge  112  is in communication with heater  108  through heat transfer member  110  such that heater  108  heats  112  to a desired temperature. Wedge  112  is positioned closely adjacent to plate  66  on feeder assembly  36 . Wedge  112  is further closely adjacent and just downstream of support plate  114  atop which banner material  26  travels, which will be described in greater detail below. Wedge  112  is positioned just upstream from pinch rollers  38  and is configured to heat reinforcing strip  24  and banner material  26  simultaneously just upstream from pinch rollers  38 . Wedge  112  is disposed in the space defined between support plates  114 A and  114 B. Welder  22  is contemplated as being an electric fabricating welder as one having ordinary skill in the art would understand. However, clearly other fabric welding devices are entirely possible. The temperature of the wedge is controlled by temperature logic associated with control  136 . 
     Grommet riveter  28  includes an upper grommet bin  116 , an upper sensor  117 , a lower sensor  119 , and a lower grommet unit  118  configured to fire (i.e., rivet) two halves of a grommet together, riveting them through a piece of reinforcing strip  24  welded to banner  26 . Grommet riveter  28  is positioned downstream from a support plate table segment  114 B and upstream from a support plate table segment  114 G. Grommet riveter  28  is positioned downstream from welder  22  and upstream from exit  20 . 
     As depicted in  FIG. 3 , certain components of banner making machine  10  are provided by complementary or mirrored units, on respective left and right sides  14 ,  16  of device. While  FIG. 2  generally refers to the components of the device,  FIG. 3  makes reference as to their respective first and second side relationships  14 ,  16  relative to pathway  12 . Adjacent second side  16  of pathway  12 , device  10  further includes a second welder  22 A and a second grommet riveter  28 A. Carriage assembly  42  carries welder  22 A and riveter  22 A thereon. 
     Clamp assembly  34  further includes a first upper clamp  44 A, a second upper clamp  44 B, and a third upper clamp  44 C. Upper clamp  44 A is closely adjacent first side  14  and is configured to clamp banner material  26  adjacent first side of banner  132 . Third upper clamp  44 C is closely adjacent second side  16  of pathway  12  as configured to clamp adjacent second edge  134  of banner material  26 . In one embodiment, second clamp  44 B clamps adjacent the center of banner material  26 . However, as depicted in  FIG. 4 , clamp  44 B may clamp adjacent second edge  134  when banner  26  has a width less than the maximum throat width at entrance  18  of device  10 . Throat width from first side  14  to second side  16  is approximately  30  inches at entrance  18 . The throat width at entrance  18  is measured transversely perpendicular to pathway  12  from first side  14  to second side  16 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 3 , pluralities of sensors are positioned along the sides  14 , or  16 , of banner material pathway  12 . A first banner sensor  120  is positioned along a side of the pathway downstream from roller  94  and upstream from welder  22 . Further, while references made to sensor  120  being located along first side  14 , it is clearly possible that sensor  120  may exist on the other side  16  of pathway  12 . A second banner sensor  122  is positioned downstream from first banner sensor  120  and upstream from pinch roller  38 . A third banner sensor  124  is positioned downstream from welder  22  closely adjacent to riveting assembly  28  along first side  14 . The operation of sensors  120 ,  122 , and  124  will be described in further detail below. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 4 , carriage assembly  42  is movable in a transverse direction relative to pathway  12  such that the operating width between welding devices  22  and  22 A may vary depending on the width of material  26  to be processed through machine  10 . The position of the welding and riveting elements  22 A,  28 A respectively, along second side  16  in  FIG. 3  is considered to be an extended first position, whereas the position of carriage assembly  42  in  FIG. 4  is considered to be a narrow second position. Carriage assembly  42  moves via linear actuator  106  between first and second positions. Carriage assembly  42  moves to a selectively desired width prior to feeding banner  26  along pathway  12  such that second side  16  remains at a fixed width relative to first side as material  26  moves along pathway  12 . 
     As depicted in  FIG. 5 , banner material  26  is positioned atop table  52  and aligned with lip  58  such that first edge  132  of banner  26  is square. The perpendicularly extending vertical nature of lip  58  permits square alignment of banner  26  atop table  52 . Second edge  134  terminates above aperture  54 . Transverse movement of sensor  56  in the direction of movement arrow  57  positions sensor  56  beneath second edge  134 . 
     As depicted in  FIG. 6 , a banner  26 B may have a fan fold  138  disposed between first edge  132  and second edge  134 . The advantage of fan fold  138  is it permits a banner having a width greater than the throat width at entrance  18  to be welded through machine  10 . In one particular embodiment, the width of banner  26 B (measured from first edge  132  to second edge  134 ) may be as great as  10  feet and fan fold  138  folded over multiple times such that the overall width from edge  132  to  134  is less than or equal to about 30 inches. Folded banner  26 B fits through the throat width of 30 inches at entrance  18  to move along pathway  12 . Further, while fan fold  138  shows banner  26 B as doubled over one time, clearly it is understood as one having ordinary skill in the art with folding banner material that multiple fan folds could occur between first edge  132  and second edge  134  to achieve an overall width measured from  132  to  134  of less than about  30  inches. 
     Prior to description of the operation of the present invention  10 , non-limiting aspects and advantages of the present invention  10  are described. The self-contained banner making machine  10  welds a reinforcing strip  24  to a banner material  26  and then rivets grommets to manufacture a completed banner  32  in a single machine  10 . The banner making machine  10  allows transverse movement of one side ( 16 ) of the device relative to the banner pathway  12  so as to make machine  10  adjustable to finish banners of varying widths. The banner making machine  10  further includes a plurality of sensors for indexing the banner material  26  as it moves along the pathway through the belt drive system  40 . Further, the belt drive system  40  is controlled by a single motor  76  utilizing a slip union  78  coupled to an axle  80 , thereby allowing the drive belts on each respective side  14 ,  16  of machine  10  to travel at different rates if needed. One non-limiting example would be a scenario in which the banner  26  traveling downstream was not square and one drive belt needed to be sped up to square off the movement of the banner material moving downstream. 
     In operation with reference to  FIG. 3 , the banner  26  is first placed on table  52  in a manner such that it is square with lip  58 . An operator moves the leading edge  130  over aperture  54  towards clamps  44 . The clamps  44 ,  46  in  FIG. 3  are shown in the open position which permits banner  22  to be pushed through the gap defined between upper clamp  44  and lower clamp  46 . With banner  26  resting in the gap between upper clamp  44  and lower clamp  46 , a computer control system  136  will then determine if the banner making machine  10  is ready for operation. 
     Computer control system  136  includes sensor indexing logic configured to move at least one sensor  56  within the aperture  54  to determine, amongst other things, the width of the banner, as well as whether or not the banner is square with the pathway  12 . The sensor indexing logic may further control the other sensors  120 ,  122 , and  124  or they may be independently controlled under their own sensor indexing logic. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 4 , the present invention has the ability to weld and rivet grommets to two sides of a banner as the banner flows downstream along pathway  12 , wherein the banner may have a variety of widths. Banner  26  depicted in  FIG. 4  has a width narrower than that of the banner  26  depicted in  FIG. 3 . When a banner having a narrower width is approaching the entrance  18  of the machine  10 , sensor  56  determines the width and operatively communicates via electrical communication with linear actuator  106  to move carriage assembly  42  to a width complementary to the banner.  FIG. 4  shows a position of the carriage assembly moving the second side  16  of the components carried by carriage  42  closer to first side  14  to the narrow second position. 
     In operation, and with reference to  FIG. 7 , banner  26  is placed upon table  52  and has a width of about  30  inches. Banner  26  is placed over aperture  54  and inserted a short distance between gap on clamp assembly  34  such that leading edge  130  is downstream from upper and lower clamps  44 ,  46 . Sensor  56  moves transversely and generally orthogonal relative to flowstream pathway  12  until sensor  56  aligns with second edge  134  of banner  26 . Sensor  56  communicates with control system  136  determining whether banner  26  is square relative pathway  12 . In the event banner  26  is not square, control system  136  will indicate to an operator that the banner is not square and needs to be squared prior to feeding the banner downstream. Further, while banner  26  is described herein as a single pre-printed banner, clearly a source assembly upstream from the self-contained banner making machine  10  may be configured to supply an amount of banner material selectively from one of a roll of material. 
     In operation, and with reference of  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , lower clamp  46  raises in the direction of movement arrow  140  to clamp banner  26  between upper clamp  44  and lower clamp  46 . With banner  26  clamped between clamps  44 ,  46 , trolley  47  is actuated along tracks  49  by motor  48  in the direction of arrow  142 . The leading edge  130  of banner  26  is grasped by upper belt  88  and lower belt  86  between rollers  94  and  90  respectively. Lower belt  86  contacts the downwardly facing surface of banner  26  to move it in the direction of arrow  142 . Belt  88  contacts the upwardly facing surface of banner  26  to draw it in the direction of movement arrow  142 . Clamp assembly  34  releases its grasp of banner  26  by moving lower clamp  46  in the direction opposite that of movement arrow  140 . Leading edge  130  is then driven by belts  86 ,  88  towards support plate  114 A. Belts  86 ,  88 , located on each side  14 ,  16  of machine  10 , grasp banner  26  inside of first and second edges  132 ,  134  of banner material. The drive belts  86 ,  88  operating on each side  14 ,  16  move or cause banner to flow in the direction of arrow F which is collinear with pathway  12 . 
     In operation with reference to  FIG. 10 , banner material  26  continues to flow as driven by the drive system  42  downstream along pathway  12 . Leading edge  130  of banner  26  passes by sensor  120 . Sensor  120  senses the location of the leading edge and may determine whether the banner is still square moving along pathway  12 . Sensor  120  may also sense the speed at which banner  26  is flowing downstream along pathway  12  in the direction of arrow F and is in operative communication with control system  136  and feeder assembly  36 . 
     Control system  136  may include a banner positioning logic to determine the speed as well as relative square position of the banner  26  as it moves along the pathway  12 . Banner positioning logic may also include an instruction sequence sent to feeder assembly  36  to begin unwinding reinforcing strip  24  from reel  60  at a rate similar to that of banner flow such that reinforcing strip  24  and banner material  26  meet at pinch rollers  38  for joining. 
     In operation, and with reference to  FIG. 11 , leading edge  130  approaches second sensor  122 . As leading edge  130  passes over sensor  122 , a signal is sent to the control system  136  in order to begin feeding the strip of reinforcing material  24  up from reel  60  via the feeder assembly. As depicted in  FIG. 12 , as banner material  26  is moving downstream along the pathway in the direction of arrow  142 , the strip of reinforcing material is being unwound from reel  60  in the direction of rotational arrow  146 . Strip  24  then proceeds linearly in the direction of arrow  148  which is both upwardly and downstream when viewed from the side. Reinforcing strip  24  proceeds through feeder assembly  36  atop plate  66  towards heat wedge  112  of the welder  22 . 
     Weld plate  112  is heated by heater  108  via heat transfer member  110  to a temperature hot enough to impart heat into the banner and strip to fuse the banner  26  and the strip of reinforcing material  24  together. The heat of wedge  112  is transferred to strip  24  as the strip  24  passes beneath wedge  112  atop plate  66 . The heat from wedge  112  transfers to banner material  26  as banner material flows over the gap defined between support plate  114 A and support plate  114 B. The strip of reinforcing material  24  and banner material  26  meet and are joined together at the pinch rollers  38 . More specifically, banner  26  and reinforcing strip  24  are pinched together between upper roller  70  and lower roller  72 . Upper roller  70  rotates in the direction of rotational arrow  150  and lower roller  72  rotates in the direction of rotational arrow  152  opposite that of arrow  150 . When joined as a union and welded together, the leading edge  130  of banner  26  is directly above leading edge  154  of strip of reinforcing material  24 . The two leading edges  130 ,  154 , continue moving downstream along the pathway  12  in the direction of arrow  142  and a strip of reinforcing material  24  is continuously welded to banner  26  as reinforcing strip  24  continues to flow upwardly in the direction of arrow  148  and heated by wedge  112  just before moving through pinch rollers  38  and being joined with banner  26 . It should be noted that while the welding of reinforcing strip  24  to banner  26  occurs outside the belt drives  86 ,  88 , clearly other physical locations relative to sides  14 ,  16  are entirely possible. In the shown embodiment, both belts  86 ,  88  are inside relative to the linear center line along pathway  12  relative to welder  22 , 
     In operation and with reference to  FIG. 13 , banner  26  continues moving downstream along pathway  12  until leading edge  130  passes sensor  124 . Sensor  124  sends a signal through control system  136  to riveter  28  wherein the signal includes a rivet sequence as determined by control system  136  for applying grommets  30 . In the shown embodiment of  FIG. 13 , the grommets may be applied at regular intervals. In an alternative embodiment, such as that depicted in  FIG. 13A , banner  26  may be pre-printed with crosshairs  156 . An electronic eye within riveter  28  sees crosshairs  156  and fires a grommet  30  through banner material  26  and reinforcing strip  24  at the location of crosshair  156 . Crosshairs  156  may be printed at irregular intervals, if desired. 
     In operation and with reference to  FIG. 14 , upper portion  116  of riveter  28  fires top half of a grommet  30 A downwardly in the direction of arrow  158 . Lower portion  118  of grommet riveter  28  fires a bottom half grommet  30 B upwardly in the direction of arrow  160 . Each half of the grommet  30 A,  30 B meet and are joined in a riveted union securing to each other to form grommet  30  through banner material  26  and reinforcing strip  24 . Upper portion  116  includes a hopper retaining upper half grommets  30 A and sensor  117  senses when upper half grommets  30 A are running low. In the event that upper half grommets  30 A are running low, sensor  117  sends a signal to control system  136  to alert an operator that a refill of upper half grommets is needed. Similarly, sensor  119  senses when lower half grommets  30 B are low in their respective hopper and may send a signal similar to that of sensor  117  to control system  136 . Rivet logic instructs a riveting sequence for the first and second riveters  28  (on each side  14 ,  16 ) to rivet grommets into the material and reinforcing strip, wherein the rivet logic selectively permits uniform grommet placement and nonuniform rivet placement. 
     In operation and with continued reference to  FIG. 14 , drive motor  76  is operatively connected to slip union  78  via axle  80 . Axle  80  extends transversely across pathway  12  between drive roller  82 , adjacent first side  14 , and drive roller  82 , adjacent second side  16 . Each drive roller  82 , along each respective side  14 ,  16  of machine  10  is operatively coupled to drive belt  86  which moves banner  26  downstream from entrance  18  towards exit  20 . Drive belt  86  is preferably in continuous contact with the bottom surface of banner material  26 . In a preferred embodiment, each drive belt  86  along sides  14 ,  16  is driven by drive wheel  82  via motor at the same rate. This feature is important such that banner  26  remains square as it moves downstream from entrance  18  towards exit  20 . However, there may be some instances in which the banner becomes misaligned or out of square. If this occurs, slip union  78  allows one of the drive wheels  82  to momentarily slow down until the banner is pulled square and may continue moving downstream in a square manner. 
     In operation and with reference to  FIG. 15 , banner  26  continues moving downstream along pathway  12  in the direction of flow arrow F. Leading edge  130  is driven downstream by drive belt  86  such that leading edge  130  of banner  26  passes and is downstream from rollers  92 ,  96 . Leading edge  130  of banner  26  then passes through exit  20  and begins to come to rest on table  53  downstream from machine  10 . As leading edge  130  is exiting machine  10 , trailing edge  170  is approaching grommet riveter  28  where trialing edge  170  will receive grommets  30  similar to that of leading edge  130 . While banner  32  is collected on table  53 , there may exist a collection assembly downstream from self-contained banner making machine to collect an assembled banner  32  having reinforcement strips welded thereto and grommets riveted therethrough. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 16  and  FIG. 17 , the completed banner  32  that comes to rest upon table  53  downstream from machine  10  may include a plurality of rivets  30  extending through the banner material  26  and the reinforcing strip  24 . A user may selectively desire the location of grommets  30 . In one particular embodiment, grommets  30  are positioned in the corners of completed banner  32 . In another particular embodiment, the completed grommets are positioned uniformly along each respective longitudinal edge  132 ,  134  of completed banner  32 . Further, in the shown embodiment, the printed logo  172  was printed on banner material  26  prior to entering machine  10 . However, it is contemplated that there may be some versions of machine  10  that incorporate a printing aspect to print a desired logo  172  onto banner material  26  within machine  10 . 
     Machine  10  is contemplated as operating in three different modes. However, clearly other modes are entirely possible. A first mode utilizes predetermined banner sizes, a second mode is a manual mode, and a third mode is a feed mode. With reference to the first mode, the banner  26  is placed onto the table  52  and may be scanned for a barcode printed on the banner material  26 . The barcode is encoded with digital information indicating a plurality of descriptive features of the banner such as size, grommet locations, and length of reinforcing material to be applied. When the banner  26  is on the table, a plurality of lights on the computer may relay information to the operator regarding the status of machine  10 . A green light may indicate that the machine is ready for use; a yellow light may indicate that the machine is not ready. After scanning the barcode, the machine determines whether the banner  26  is in a correct orientation, such as the printed side up, or that the correct size and settings are to be applied. In one exemplary embodiment, the operator may select, via the computer, desired settings for the banner such as indoor/outdoor settings. Additionally, another exemplary embodiment allows for the operator to select a pre-determined banner size in the event no barcode is present where the banner sizes may range from small, to medium, to large, and to extra-large. With the banner  26  on the table  52 , the operator aligns the banner  26  to the lip edge  58  and the sensor  56  determines if the banner is square while simultaneously determining the width of the banner in order to move the carriage  42  to a complimentary width such that a reinforcing strip is applied on each longitudinal side of the banners bottom surface as it moves down the pathway. When the sensor determines that the banner is square, the clamp will close to secure the banner in the clamping device. The operator may then push the start button to begin the process of banner making machine  10 . The transport drive system  40  then grasps the leading edge of the banner via belts  86 ,  88  and moves it downstream along the pathway. The banner  26  continues to move downstream towards the pair of pinch rollers  38  and, as the banner moves through the pinch rollers, the strip of reinforcing material  24  is moved towards the pinch rollers  38  simultaneously. The banner  26  and the reinforcing strip  24  are heated by the welder  22  just upstream from the pinch rollers  38  such that when the banner  26  and the reinforcing strip  24  meet and travel through the pinch rollers  38 , they are sufficiently heated creating a weld as pressure is applied as the two pieces are joined moving through the pinch rollers. The leading edge  130  of the banner  26 , now having a strip of reinforcing material  24  welded thereto, now travels towards the grommet riveter  28  which fires a grommet  30  adjacent the leading edge  130  of the banner. Sensors along the pathway sense the trailing edge of the banner which communicates with the cutter  68  to trim the strip of reinforcing material to a length equal to that of the banner. The remaining portion of the banner is welded with a reinforcing strip until the trailing edge of the banner exits the pinch rollers and moves towards the grommet riveter where the grommet riveter fires a grommet through the banner and the reinforcing strip adjacent the trailing edge  170 . The banner, having a reinforcing strip welded thereto and a grommet attached there through, now travels via the drive assembly towards the exit of the machine. While this description was made with reference to the general flow of the banner, it is to be understood that this process occurs on each side of the pathway such that a strip of reinforcing material is on each side of the completed banner. 
     With reference to the second mode of operating machine  10 , the operator may set machine  10  to operate in a manual mode. When operating in a manual mode, each side  12 ,  14  of machine  10  are independently operable from each other. Components of machine  10  operating along first side  14  may form a weld and rivet grommets  30  to the banner  26  at separate intervals and even slightly different speeds if so desired by the operator. In this second mode, an operator places a sheet of banner material  26  onto the table  52  and aligns the banner  26  in a square position with the lip  58 . The operator then selectively determines desired output features of the banner through input with the computer. The operator may select whether corner grommets are desired, the temperature of the heater, and whether the left and right sides of machine  10  will operate independently or in unison. When these options are selected, a green indicator light will indicate that the machine is ready for use. After the operator actuates a start button, the clamps secure the banner and travel towards the belt drive system with the banner secured therein. The clamp then opens and the banner is driven downstream along the pathway by belt drive system  40  on each side of the banner. The leading edge sensor senses the leading edge in order to fire a grommet adjacent to the leading edge corners, if that setting is manually input by the user. The leading edge  130  then travels through the welding pinch rollers  38  where it meets and is welded with a strip of reinforcing material  24  that has been heated by the welder  22 . As the heated strip of reinforcing material  24  and the heated banner  26  pass through the pinch rollers  38 , they are welded, or fused, together and are subjected to pressure by the upper and lower rollers  70 ,  72 . The leading edge  130 , now having a strip of reinforcing material  24  welded thereto, proceeds forwards to the grommet riveter  28  where the sensors sense the leading edge in order to rivet a grommet near the corner of the banner. Looking now to the trailing edge of the banner, a sensor senses the trailing edge  170  and determines the length of reinforcing material  24  that needs to be cut via cutter  68  such that it is of a complimentary length of the banner material. The strip of reinforcing material and the banner material continue downstream until a continuous weld is formed from the leading edge down to the trailing edge between the banner material and the strip of reinforcing material. 
     With reference to the third mode of operation of machine  10 , the operator may set machine  10  to a feed mode. The feed mode should run at maximum speed for machine  10 . When banner  26  is placed upon table  52 , a green light on computer control system  136  will indicate whether or not machine  10  is square. The feed mode includes a timer that determines and sets a length of time that banner  26  will be clamped in the clamp assembly. It should be noted that when machine  10  is in the feed mode, the carriage assembly should be at its maximum width. An operator then actuates a physical start button which turns off a green light that indicated the machine was ready for operation. The actuation of the start button initiates movement of the drive assembly and the welding rollers. The clamp assembly then carries banner  26  into contact with the drive assembly and drive belts  86 ,  88  which then pull banner  26  downstream in a manner similar to that described above. 
     “Logic”, as used herein, includes but is not limited to hardware, firmware, software and/or combinations of each to perform a function(s) or an action(s), and/or to cause a function or action from another logic, method, and/or system. For example, based on a desired application or needs, logic may include a software controlled microprocessor, discrete logic like a processor (e.g., microprocessor), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmed logic device, a memory device containing instructions, an electric device having a memory, or the like. Logic may include one or more gates, combinations of gates, or other circuit components. Logic may also be fully embodied as software. Where multiple logics are described, it may be possible to incorporate the multiple logics into one physical logic. Similarly, where a single logic is described, it may be possible to distribute that single logic between multiple physical logics. 
     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. 
     Moreover, the description and illustration of the preferred embodiment of the invention are an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.