Patent Publication Number: US-6902394-B2

Title: Apparatus for aiding the removal of an adhesively coated web from a rotating roll

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/047,355, filed Jan. 14, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,273. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to processes and equipment for controlling and/or adjusting the temperature of equipment used in the manufacture of a film, web or other articles that are typically manufactured in a high speed, continuous manner. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     During manufacturing processes, and more typically during high speed manufacturing processes, rolls and/or belts are often used to guide articles or materials and/or to perform certain operations that can affect the properties of the materials or articles being manufactured. For example, rolls and/or belts may be used to calender, emboss, heat, cool, tension, direct, apply glue, ink or other substances, etc. to materials or articles during manufacturing or converting processes. Typically, when rolls or belts are used in conjunction with the manufacture or converting of materials or articles in a continuous process, the material or article is in contact with the roll throughout only a portion of the roll&#39;s rotation or the belt through only a portion of its path. For certain operations, it may be desirable for the material or articles being processed to reach or maintain a certain temperature range while in contact the roll through one portion of its rotation (or in the use of a belt, a portion of its path) and a different temperature when in contact with the roll through a different portion of its rotation. Alternatively, it may be desirable for one or more of the rolls and/or belts to be heated or cooled to a certain temperature range through a certain portion of its rotation or path and heated or cooled to another temperature range along a different portion of its rotation or path. However, controlling the temperature of the material being processed or the rolls and/or belts themselves can be very complicated and costly and is very difficult to achieve with current technology, especially at high speeds. 
     Current techniques for cooling rolls used during manufacture include passing fluid through the roll to control the temperature of the roll, applying air, steam or water to the circumference of the roll and contacting an idler roll to the manufacturing roll to add or remove heat from the surface of the manufacturing roll. Examples of such methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,554 issued to McIntyre; U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,496 issued to Wittkopf; U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,975 issued to Ginzburg; U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,411 Scheil and U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,903 issued to Rudd. However, techniques focusing on convective cooling have significant shortcomings in that convective cooling cannot transfer heat as efficiently as conduction, thereby limiting production rates. Further, the use of fugitive fluid for heating or cooling is often undesirable due to the inherent recovery and hygiene difficulties. With respect to the use of a roll contacting another roll to provide heat exchange, such methods are relatively inefficient because duration of the beating or cooling of the circumference of the roll being heated or cooled is limited by the nip between the rolls. The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing the capability to conductively chill a greater portion of a roll&#39;s surface. Furthermore, this invention provides the capability to provide supplemental vacuum forces to assist in the removal of the web/adhesive structure from the roil&#39;s surface coincident with the temperature reduction. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a cost effective method and/or apparatus for controlling the surface temperature of a belt as it moves along its path. It would also be desirable to provide a cost effective method and/or apparatus for controlling the surface temperature of a roll as it rotates about its axis. Further, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and/or method of controlling the temperature of a material and/or article being manufactured or converted using a roll or belt, wherein the temperature of the material and/or article is controlled while passing through a given portion of the roll&#39;s rotation about its axis or the belt&#39;s movement along its path. Further, it would be desirable to have an apparatus and/or method of providing zone temperature control of a roll or belt or a material being processed in an operation employing rolls or belts that can be used with or in place of current roll or belt technology. It would also be desirable to provide an improved process and apparatus for providing zone temperature control of a roll, belt or a material being processed in an operation employing rolls or belts that can be employed at high speeds and/or in continuous operations. 
     All documents cited herein are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference. The citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The method and apparatus of the present invention provide a unique solution to the problems of the prior art by using a belt to modify the temperature of a manufacturing roll. For example, the method and apparatus of the present invention may be used to zone control the temperature of a rotating roll. In one embodiment, the apparatus may include a roll having a surface at a first temperature, the roll capable of rotating about an axis; and a belt disposed adjacent at least a portion of the surface of the roll and contacting the surface of the roll in a contact region, the belt having a second temperature that is different from the first temperature, wherein the belt affects a temperature change in at least a portion of the surface of the roll in the contact region as the roll is rotated. 
     One method for zone controlling the temperature of a rotating roll according to the present invention includes the following steps: (a) providing a roll having an axis and a surface at a first temperature; (b) providing a belt disposed adjacent at least a portion of the surface of the roll; (c) heating or cooling the belt to a second temperature that is different from the first temperature; (d) directly or indirectly contacting the belt with the surface of the roll in a contact region, (e) rotating the roll while in contact with the belt such that the belt affects a temperature change in at least a portion of the surface of the roll in the contact region as the roll is rotated. 
     Alternative methods and apparatuses to perform the methods are contemplated and described in more detail in the following sections of this specification. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the present invention, it is believed that the present invention will be better understood from the following description of preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify identical elements and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling and/or adjusting the temperature of equipment, such as rolls and/or belts, used in the manufacture of a film, web or other articles that are typically manufactured in a high speed, continuous manner. However, it should be understood that the method and apparatus of the present invention may also be applicable to non-continuous manufacturing processes and apparatuses that are used therein as well as processes and equipment that do not operate at high speeds. 
     It is well known in the art that during manufacturing processes, and more typically during high speed manufacturing processes, rolls (or rollers) and/or belts are often used to guide articles or materials and/or to perform certain operations that can affect the properties of the materials or articles being manufactured. As used herein, the terms “roll”, “rolls”, “roller” or “rollers” refer to generally cylindrically shaped devices that are configured to rotate about an axis. Such rolls or rollers typically provide a surface against which the article or material being processed will be directed for at least some period of time. In continuous processes, the material or article being processed is generally disposed against the surface of the rolls for only a portion of the roll&#39;s rotation before the material or article is removed from contact with the surface of the roll and directed to another apparatus or processing step. As used herein, the terms “belt” or “belts” refer to a continuous band of material configured to move in a predetermined path. Such belts typically provide a surface against which the article or material being processed will be directed for at least some period of time. In continuous processes, the material or article being processed is generally disposed against the surface of the belts for only a portion of the belt&#39;s rotation before the material or article is removed from contact with the surface of the belt and directed to another apparatus or processing step (in order to simplify the disclosure of the present invention and to reduce repetition, the following discussion will generally be directed to the use of rolls for providing the working surface of the apparatus, however, it should be understood that belts and other equipment can be used and that the apparatus and method of the present invention is intended to include such alternatives, without limitation). As noted above, rolls are used for many purposes during typical manufacturing processes, including, but not limited to calendering, embossing, heating, cooling, tensioning, directing, and applying glue, ink or other substances to the materials or articles being processed. For certain operations, it may be desirable for the material or articles being processed to reach or maintain a certain temperature range while in contact with the roll through one portion of its rotation and a different temperature when in contact with the roll through a different portion of its rotation. Alternatively, it may be desirable for one or more of the rolls to be heated or cooled to a certain temperature range through a certain portion of its rotation and heated or cooled to another temperature range along a different portion of its rotation. However, providing zone controlled temperature of the material being processed or the rolls themselves is very difficult to achieve with conventional technology, especially at high speeds. Accordingly, it has been discovered that a relatively inexpensive apparatus and method can be used to provide such zone temperature control for materials and/or articles that are processed using one or more rolls. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of one relatively simple embodiment of the apparatus and method according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, web  15  is passed over a roll, in this case roll  30 . In this embodiment, the web  15  is moving continuously from the lower left-hand corner of the figure to the upper right-hand corner of the figure as it is processed. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the web  15  is contacted with the surface  32  of the roll  30 . (It should be understood that the phrase “in contact” as used herein, refers to direct or indirect contact between two surfaces, materials or articles. Thus, a web is considered in contact with a roll when directly touching the surface of the roll, as well as when the web is not directly touching the surface of the roll, but is touching a material that is in turn directly touching the roll. Further, a belt or roll is deemed to be in contact with another belt, roll or other piece of equipment if it is in direct contact or if it is in contact with a web or article which is in turn in contact with the other piece of equipment.) After the web is placed in contact with the surface  32  of the roll  30 , the web  15  moves with the roll  30  throughout a portion of the roll&#39;s rotation about its axis  34 . Thus, the web  15  is wrapped around a portion of the roll  30  defined by a contact angle  120 . Prior to being removed from the surface  32  of the roll  30 , the web  15  is passed between the roll  30  and a temperature modifying apparatus  12 , as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The temperature modifying apparatus  12 , shown in  FIG. 1 , includes a belt  70  that rotates continuously about rolls  50  and  60  having surfaces  52  and  62  and axes  54  and  64 , respectively. The temperature modifying apparatus  12  is preferably positioned adjacent the surface of a roll, such the surface  32  of roll  30 , used in the manufacture, converting or other processing of a particular material or article. Preferably, the rolls  50  and  60  of the temperature modifying apparatus  12  are disposed such that the belt  70  is in contact with the working surface  32  of the manufacturing roll  30  for at least a portion of the circumference of the manufacturing roll&#39;s  30  surface  32 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the belt contact region C is located between the point A at which the belt  70  first contacts the roll  30  and the point B at which the belt  70  last contacts the roll  30  during normal operation of the apparatus. The contact region C can also be described In terms of the angle between a pair of lines  100  and  110  extending radially from the axis  34  of the manufacturing roll  30  through the points A and B, respectively. One benefit of the apparatus of the present invention is that the contact region C can be greater than a typical nip between two contacting rolls. In certain embodiments, it may be preferred that the contact region C be at least about 5 degrees of the surface  32  of the roll  30 . In other embodiments, the contact region C may be at least about 10 degrees of the surface  32  of the roll  30  or may be at least about 15 degrees of the surface  32  of the roll  30 . Accordingly, the use of a belt  70  in the temperature modifying apparatus  12  of the present invention may provide for more effective and/or efficient heat transfer as opposed to simply contacting two rolls of different temperatures. 
     The contact angle  120 , and thus, the contact region C, can be increased or decreased by moving the belt  70  toward or away from the axis  34  of the manufacturing roll  30 . Alternatively, the contact angle  120  can be increased or decreased by adjusting the distance between the rolls  50  and  60  that hold the belt  70  against the surface  32  of the manufacturing roll  30 . This type of adjustment is one useful way to increase or decrease the amount of temperature adjustment that can be made using the apparatus  12  of the present invention. These and other adjustment means could be especially useful at start up of the machine to compensate for temperature changes as temperatures are reaching equilibrium. The adjustment may also be useful to compensate for intentional changes in line speed. 
     As the web  15  passes between the manufacturing roll  30  and the belt  70 , the belt  70  can heat or cool the web  15  and/or the surface  32  of the manufacturing roll  30 . For example, if the manufacturing roll  30  is running at ambient temperature, the belt  70  can be heated above the ambient temperature or cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature such that as the belt  70  passes through the contact region C, the belt  70  heats or cools the web  15  and/or the surface  32  of the manufacturing roll  30 . In other embodiments, the manufacturing roll  30  may be heated or cooled to provide a temperature differential between the belt  70  and the roll  30 . In certain embodiments, it may be preferred that the difference between the temperature of the belt and the temperature of the surface of the roll  30  be at least about 50° F. (about 28° C.) or greater than about 60° F. (about 34° C.), although other temperature differences may be desirable for different uses. In any case, the method and apparatus of the present invention provide an effective means for controlling the temperature of a particular region of the surface of a manufacturing roll  30  or a material that is placed in contact with such a roll during processing. 
     The belt  70  can be of any size, style and can be made of any suitable materials for the desired processing step in which the belt is utilized. In certain preferred embodiments, the belt  70  may be made from metal, rubber, polymeric resins (e.g. Nylon) or a combination of materials. Metal belts may be desirable due to their strength and heat capacity. Suitable metals for use in the belt considering heat properties and cost are, for example, steel (generally having a heat capacity or specific heat of about 0.12 cal/gm ° C.), Aluminum (generally having a heat capacity of about 0.2 cal/gm ° C.), stainless steel (generally having a heat capacity of about 0.103 cal/gm ° C.), and alloys of these and other metals or combinations thereof (generally having a heat capacity in the range of about 0.10 to about 0.23 cal/gm ° C.). Alternatively, the belt may be made from a polymer that is reinforced with and/or filled with high heat capacity materials. Suitable high heat capacity low cost mineral fillers may include, for example, alumina (having a heat capacity of about 0.2 cal/gm ° C.), limestone (having a heat capacity of about 0.217 cal/gm ° C.), silica (having a heat capacity of about 0.316 cal/gm ° C.), gypsum (having a heat capacity of about 0.259 cal/gm ° C.), and most metals or metal oxides in powder or filament form or combinations thereof. In certain preferred embodiments, where the belt includes a filler material, the filler may have a heat capacity or specific heat of at least about 0.09 cal/gm ° C. In other embodiments, the heat capacity of the filler may be at least about 0.15 cal/gm ° C or at least about 0.20 cal/gm ° C. 
     The belt  70  can be impermeable or permeable of have regions of differing permeability. One advantage of a permeable or semi-permeable belt is that air, water or other fluids can be passed through the belt  70  as a means to transfer heat to or from the belt  70 . Further, a permeable belt can provide openings through which a vacuum can be provided to help remove the material or article being manufactured from the manufacturing roll  30 . Perforated metal belts and metal screens are generally suitable for use with the present invention. An advantage of metal screens is that they can be configured to have different strands made of different materials. Thus, for example, it may be desirable to provide relatively strong strands in the machine direction and relatively high heat capacity strands in the cross machine direction, or vice versa. 
     The belt  70  can be generally flat or may have some structure. The belt  70  may also be used to provide some properties to the article or web being manufactured, such as a three-dimensional structure, or may be used to add or remove materials from the web (e.g. printing, adding adhesive, etc.). Further, the belt  70  may be of any suitable width. Accordingly, the belt  70  can be the same width as the manufacturing roll  30  or the web  15 , or can be larger or smaller than either. If the belt  70  is smaller in width than the web  15  or manufacturing roll  30 , the heating or cooling effects of the belt  70  can be directed to only a portion of web  15  or roll, if so desired. Alternatively, only a portion of the belt  70  may be heated or cooled to give a similar effect. In yet another embodiment, two or more belts may be used and can be spaced apart and/or made from different materials. In any case, such embodiments may provide for zone heating or cooling of the roll  30  or web  15  in the cross-machine direction. Alternatively, for machine directional control of heating or cooling, the belt  70  may be intermittently heated or cooled or may be made from materials that produce or retain different amounts of heat energy. Thus, intermittent or continuous patterns of heating or cooling can be achieved in both the machine and cross-machine directions, if desired. 
     The rolls, including the manufacturing rolls  20 ,  30  and  40 , as well as the belt rolls  50  and  60  can be of any size and be made of any suitable material. In many known processes, for example, in the manufacture of paper products, films and nonwoven materials, rolls are often made of metal to prolong their life. However, the rolls may be made from or coated with materials such as rubber, synthetic rubber, polymers, plastic, wood, ceramics, glass or any other material suitable for the particular use desired. Further, all or a portion of the surface of any of the rolls may be covered or coated with materials that alter or otherwise provide some benefit to the roll for its intended use. For example, steel rolls are often coated with Teflon, silicone, rubber, synthetic rubber or other polymers to alter the characteristics of the surface of the roll. 
     The roll or rolls may be solid or hollow and may be rotated by any known means, including, but not limited to electric motors, belts, gears, etc. In certain embodiments, the roll or rolls are not actively rotated by a source dedicated to the rotation of the rolls, but are rotated due to contact with other rolls that are rotating or belts that are in contact with a portion of the roll&#39;s surface. In other embodiments, the material or article being processed provides the means for rotating one or more of the rolls. Any of the rolls can be heated or cooled internally or externally and the surface of the rolls can take on any desired configuration. In some embodiments, the surface of the rolls may be smooth, while in other embodiments, the surface of at least some of the rolls may have raised or depressed regions. The surface of the rolls may be continuous or may include any number of openings or passages in their surface or body for any desired purpose. Thus, for example, the surface of a roll may be entirely or partially screen-like, having a number of openings through which air can pass. In yet other embodiments, the cross-section of the roll may not be circular, but may take on any suitable shape such as an oval, an octagon or an irregular shape including any number of curves or linear portions. 
     The temperature modifying apparatus  12  may also include a means or device for controlling the temperature of the belt  70 . The belt temperature control device can use any known means for heating or cooling a surface or structure, including, but not limited to heat exchangers or other heating or cooling devices that use hot or cool air, radiant heating, friction, evaporation, light, magnetism, radio waves, microwaves, laser light, refrigeration, or any combination of these and other heating and cooling methods. In one embodiment, the rolls  50  and/or  60  may be cooled or heated to cool or heat the belt  70 . In another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the temperature modifying apparatus  12  may include a vacuum plenum  75 . The vacuum plenum  75  pulls air across the belt  70  to cool or heat the belt  70  as it rotates. In other embodiments, the vacuum plenum  75  may include a heating element or a cooling element to further heat or cool the air before it passes over the belt  70 . Further, when the belt is permeable to air, the vacuum may pull air through some or all of the openings in the belt. This may provide for more rapid and/or even heating or cooling of the belt  70 . 
     The temperature modifying apparatus  12  may also be useful to help remove the web  15  from the roll  30  without distorting the web  15  or otherwise negatively impacting the structure of the web  15 . For example, if the temperature modifying apparatus  12  includes an air pervious belt and a vacuum, the apparatus may be configured such that the vacuum pulls the web  15  from the roll  30 . This may provide for a more gentle removal of the web  15  from the roll  30 . (Although not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the vacuum can provide for better removal because it spreads the forces over a larger area of the web and thus, reduces localized stress concentrations. Further, a removal force generally perpendicular to the machine direction and the plane of the web can help reduce the machine direction forces otherwise needed to strip the web from the roll.) This can be useful when the web  15  is glued or otherwise stuck to or has a tendency to stick to the roll  30 , especially if the removal force is provided at the time when the adhesive is cooled or heated to be less tacky. Further, cooling of the web  15  may increase its strength and allow for more aggressive removal operations. Other means for improving removal of the web  15  from the roll  30  may include static electricity or coatings or materials that provide some affinity between the belt  70  and the web  15 . In any case, it may be desirable to remove the web  15  from the roll, while the web  15  is still in contact with the belt  70 . Otherwise, the cooling or other characteristics of the belt  70  may be lost as the web  15  continues to be disposed adjacent the surface of the roll beyond the contact region C. 
     Although the temperature modifying apparatus  12  of the present invention has been described in terms of a device including a belt rotating continuously about at least two rolls, the apparatus can be modified to include different elements, if desired. For example, the apparatus  12  may include non-rotating bars in addition to or in place of one or more of the rolls  50  and  60 . The bars can be used to direct and/or tension the belt  70 . Further, the apparatus  12  may include a belt support to help keep the belt  70  from sagging and/or to help direct and/or adjust the belt  70  against a surface, such as the surface  32  of the manufacturing roll  30 . The apparatus  12  of the present invention could also be provided with belt tensioning and/or belt tracking systems, as desired for a particular operation. In yet other embodiments of the present invention, the temperature modifying apparatus  12  may be used to heat or cool the surface of manufacturing equipment other than rolls, such as, for example, planar and curved moving and non-moving surfaces, belts, shafts and the like. 
       FIG. 3  depicts an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein the temperature modification apparatus  112  includes a belt  170  that is disposed adjacent at least a portion of manufacturing belt  130 . Web  115  is shown to pass between the belt  170  and the manufacturing belt  130 , however, embodiments are contemplated wherein the material or article being manufactured or converted does not pass between the temperature modifying apparatus  112  and the manufacturing belt  130 . In any case, as in the other embodiments described herein, the belt  170  of the temperature modifying apparatus  112  preferably heats or cools at least a portion of the surface  132  of the manufacturing belt  130 , typically in contact region C 1  located between the point A 1  where the belt  170  first touches the manufacturing belt  130  during normal operation and point B 1  where the belt  170  last touches the manufacturing belt  130 . The temperature modifying apparatus  112  may also include means for facilitating the removal of the web  115  from the surface  132  of the manufacturing belt  130  such as those described herein with respect to other embodiments of the present invention. 
     Exemplary Embodiment 
     In one exemplary embodiment, the method and apparatus of the present invention may be used during the manufacture of a sheet material that includes a thin layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive in certain predetermined locations, such as the food and storage wraps described in detail in commonly-assigned patents, namely, Hamilton et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,758, entitled “Composite Material Releasably Sealable to a Target Surface When Pressed Thereagainst and Method of Making”, Hamilton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,607, entitled “Material Having A Substance Protected by Deformable Standoffs and Method of Making”. McGuire et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,235, entitled “Three-Dimensional, Nesting-Resistant Sheet Materials and Method and Apparatus for Making Same”, and Hamilton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,062, entitled “Improved Storage Wrap Materials”, and McGuire et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,918, entitled “High Speed Embossing and Adhesive Printing Process and Apparatus, and Hamilton et al. U.S. Ser. No. 10/003,900, filed Oct. 25, 2001 entitled “Storage Wrap Material”, and Toussant et al., U.S. Ser. No. 10/150,258, filed Oct. 25, 2001 entitled “High Speed Embossing and Adhesive Printing Process and Apparatus”. 
     For such applications, it has been found to be advantageous to include the temperature modifying apparatus  12  of the present invention to help increase the speed and reliability of the process. Specifically, as described in more detail below, adhesive is applied to a film by means of a roll. The method and apparatus of the present invention can be employed to help cool, solidify and/or deactivate the adhesive such that the adhesive coated film can be more easily removed from the adhesive application roll. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates in schematic form, a high speed embossing process and high speed embossing apparatus  10  including the temperature modifying apparatus  12  of the present invention. (Although this example is described in terms of an embossed web, the present invention is equally applicable to non-embossed webs.) The high speed embossing apparatus  10  comprises first and second embossing rolls  20  and  30 . The first and second embossing rolls  20  and  30  have a complementary (i.e., matched) embossing pattern which interlocks to emboss the pattern onto a web  15  of material passed therebetween. The embossing roll provided with pockets and raised lands is generally referred to as the female embossing roll. The embossing roll with raised nubs and recessed lands is generally referred to as the male embossing roll. It will be understood that either the first or second embossing roll  20  and  30  can be the male or female roll. As a non-limiting example, if the first embossing roll  20  is determined to be the female roll, then the second embossing roll  30  should be the male roll. It may be preferred that one of the embossing rolls have a release material, such as a silicone-based or a fluorocarbon-based material (i.e. FEP), disposed thereon. The release material generally has a high release characteristic to facilitate removal of the embossed final product from the embossing roll. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the high speed embossing apparatus  10  may further include an adhesive application roll  40  (having axis  44 ) that supplies a metered amount of adhesive  46  to the second embossing roll  30  from an adhesive supply. The surface  42  of the adhesive application roll  40  is preferably conformable to the surface  32  of the second embossing roll  30 . Alternatively, the surface  32  of the second embossing roll  30  may be conformable to the surface  42  of the adhesive application roll  40 . This helps ensure that the entire surface of the embossing roll  30  is coated with the adhesive  46 . More specifically, with reference to  FIG. 2 , an adhesive  46  is extruded onto the surface  42  of the adhesive application roll  40  via a slot die  48 . However, it would be known to one of skill in the art that other methods to supply an adhesive  40  to the adhesive application roll  40  can be used. Once the adhesive is applied to the adhesive application roll  40 , it is transferred by contact to the surface  32  of the second embossing roll  30 . 
     In one preferred embodiment, adhesive  46  is applied only to the land areas of the second embossing roll  30 . This can be accomplished by carefully controlling the interaction between second embossing roll  30  and the adhesive application roll  40  so that the adhesive application roll  40  does not press the adhesive  46  into the recesses around or pockets between the lands of second embossing roll  30 . For this reason, it may be desirable for the second embossing roll  30  and the adhesive application roll  40  to have matched surface speeds. Deposition of adhesive  40  exclusively onto the lands of the second embossing roll  30  prevents adhesive  40  from being transferred onto the non-recessed regions of the embossments in the finished embossed adhesive coated web  15 . 
     For exemplary purposes only, adhesive application roll  40  can be a rubber coated steel roll. The nip between adhesive application roll  40  and the second embossing roll  30  may be controlled in the machine direction with precision wedge blocks. It is believed that a rubber coating can be utilized to both protect the coating on the second embossing roll  30  from damage and also allow the adhesive application roll  40  to be very lightly pressed against the second embossing roll  30  so the deflection of the rubber compensates for the actual runout of the second embossing roll  30  and the adhesive application roll  40 . Alternatively, the second embossing roll  30  may exhibit conformable characteristics and the adhesive application roll  40  may exhibit non-conformable characteristics. This can help the adhesive  40  to be applied evenly on the lands of second embossing roll  30 . However, it would be known to one of skill in the art that either the second embossing roll  30  or the adhesive application roll  40  can be any arrangement of conformable/non-conformable as long as the adhesive  46  is provided in a topically efficacious manner. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , web  15  is directed into contact with the surface  22  of the first embossing roll  20  (having axis  24 ). Alternatively, web  15  is directed into contact with the surface  32  of the first embossing roll  30  (having axis  34 ). The web  15  is then embossed between the nip of the first embossing roll  20  and the second embossing roll  30 , shown in  FIG. 2  as nip E. The embossed web  15  is adhered to the surface  32  of the second embossing roll  30  as the roll  30  rotates from the nip E to the contact region C. The surface  32  of the second embossing roll  30  preferably has release characteristics. That is, it is configured or treated to allow the adhesive  46  to stick to the web  15  and not the surface of the roll  30  when the web  15  is removed from the roll  30 . The release characteristics and the adhesive properties should be carefully balanced to provide the best combination of adhesion and release. An exemplary release characteristic would be a coating which allows a hot (typically about 250-350° F. (121-177° C.)) adhesive to transfer to the second embossing roll  30  and yet allows the embossed adhesive coated web  15  to release from the second embossing roll  30  at a lower temperature. If the release characteristic promotes too little adhesion, the adhesive will not transfer from the adhesive application roll  40  to the second embossing roll  30 . However, if the release characteristic promotes too much adhesion, the final adhesive coated web  15  may not be able to be removed from the surface  32  of the second embossing roll  30  without tearing, stretching or otherwise deforming the web of sheet material  15 . 
     In one exemplary embodiment, in order to improve adhesive transfer from the adhesive application roll  40  to the second embossing roll  30 , the surface  32  of the embossing roll  30  is heated. The surface may be heated to any desired temperature, but it has been found that for the embodiment described herein, a temperature of between about 250° F. and about 350° F. (about 121° C. to about 177° C.) works well. Any type of heater known to those of skill in the art can be used to heat the embossing roll  30 , including heaters that produce heat by means of radiation, conduction, convection and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, as is described in more detail below, a temperature modifying apparatus  12  of the type described herein may be used to heat the surface  32  of the roll. Once the adhesive  46  is applied to the web  15 , the interface between the adhesive  46  and the second embossing roll  30  is preferably cooled by the temperature modifying apparatus  12  of the present invention to allow for easier and more effective removal of the adhesively coated web  15  from the roll  30 . Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the temperature of the interface between the web  15  and the surface  32  of second embossing roll  30  is lower in the region where the belt  70  contacts the second embossing roll  30  than the temperature of the interface between the adhesive  46  and the surface  32  of second embossing roll  30  at the glue transfer nip G. In sum, a temperature differential should exist between the point of adhesive pick-up, glue transfer nip G, and the point where the embossed adhesive coated web  15  is removed from the second embossing roll  30 . In one preferred embodiment, it has been found that it is preferable that the interface between the web  15  and the surface  32  of the roll  30  in the contact region C be less than about 180° F. (about 82° C.), more preferably less than about 140° F. (about 60° C.) or less than about 100° F. (about 38° C.). In other embodiments, it may be desirable to get the temperature of the web  15  to be within a certain range in the contact region C. For example, it may be desirable for the temperature of the web  15  to be less than about 100° F. (about 38° C.) by the time the web  15  is removed from the roll. However, the exact temperature of the web  15  and/or the exact temperature at each of the regions and the desired temperature differential will vary depending on the adhesive and/or film used. 
     In one alternative embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4 , a temperature modifying apparatus  12 A of the type described herein can be located adjacent the second embossing roll  30  between the point B where the web  15  is removed from the roll  30  and point G where the glue is applied to the second embossing roll  30 . The belt  70 A of the apparatus  12 A can be heated to a temperature above the temperature of the surface  32  of the roll  30  such that the belt  70  heats the surface  32  of the roll  30  to a temperature suitable for the adhesive  46  to transfer from the adhesive application roll  40  to the second embossing roll  30 . In such embodiments, it may be desirable to cool the second embossing roll  30  internally, by means of the temperature modifying apparatus  12  of the present invention or by any other cooling means or combination of cooling means to facilitate removal of the adhesively coated web  15  from the second embossing roll  30  at point B. 
     While particular embodiments and/or individual features of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, it should be apparent that all combinations of such embodiments and features are possible and can result in preferred executions of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.