U.S. patent number 3,874,394 [Application Number 05/274,097] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-01 for back roll cleaning apparatus and method.
Invention is credited to James F. Robertson.
United States Patent |
3,874,394 |
Robertson |
April 1, 1975 |
Back roll cleaning apparatus and method
Abstract
A back roll cleaning apparatus and method is provided employing
a rotatable cleaning roll, having a resilient covering carrying a
liquid cleaning medium for rinsing and scrubbing said back roll,
urged into engagement with said back roll under predetermined
pressure across a plane passing through the axis of rotation of
each of said rolls to avoid stripping and other contamination of a
web by the action of the back roll.
Inventors: |
Robertson; James F.
(Greenville, SC) |
Family
ID: |
23046756 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/274,097 |
Filed: |
July 21, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
118/203;
15/256.51; 118/70; 101/425; 134/6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B41F
35/00 (20130101); D06B 23/30 (20130101); B41P
2235/22 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B41F
35/00 (20060101); D06B 23/00 (20060101); D06B
23/30 (20060101); B08b 007/00 (); B05c
011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;134/6
;117/111R,111A,111B,111H,66 ;118/70,203,104 ;101/425
;15/256.51 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Scovronek; Joseph
Assistant Examiner: Turk; Arnold
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bailey & Dority
Claims
I claim:
1. For use in a web coating apparatus having applicator means for
applying a liquid coating material across one side of a web and a
rotatable back roll opposide and aligned with said means for
applying a liquid coating carrying the other side of said web, a
cleaner for said back roll avoiding contamination thereof
comprising:
A. a rotatable cleaning roll aligned with said back roll opposite
said applicator means;
B. a resilient compressible coating over said cleaning roll
substantially impervious to said liquid cleaning medium;
C. a fabric sleeve over said resilient coating;
D. means supplying a liquid cleaning medium to said cleaning roll
for application thereby to said back roll and for removing
contaminants from said resilient covering;
E. means urging said cleaning roll into engagement with said back
roll under predetermined pressure sufficient to compress said
resilient coating;
F. driving means rotating said cleaning roll with respect to said
back roll; and
G. means aligned with the back roll and positioned ahead of said
applicator means for removing liquid cleaning medium applied to
said back roll by said resilient covering;
whereby said resilient coating and the sleeve carried thereby
expands after engagement with the rotating roll dislodging foreign
particles from the sleeve facilitating removal therefrom by said
means supplying a liquid cleaning medium.
2. The cleaner set forth in claim 1, wherein said means supplying
liquid cleaning medium is a trough in which said cleaning roll is
immersed in the medium.
3. The cleaner set forth in claim 1, wherein said means urging said
cleaning roll into engagement is self-adjusting acting on a plane
passing through the longitudinal axis of each of said rolls.
4. The cleaner set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for removing
liquid cleaning medium is an aligned roll urged against the back
roll causing liquid cleaning medium deposited on the back roll to
pass down the face thereof.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the application of a liquid coating material, such as latex, to
a web, such as drapery material, a back coater or reverse roll
coater is often used. Other similar coating devices include a knife
over roll coater for applying a coating to a web. In such instances
applicator means apply a liquid coating material across one side of
a web, while a rotatable back roll opposite and aligned with the
means for applying the liquid coating carries the other side of the
web. The coating material sometimes penetrates the web causing a
build-up of coating material on the back roll resulting in
stripping and otherwise contaminating the web material being
treated. Operating losses from the second quality material produced
are substantial.
In an effort to solve this problem a prior practice has been to
engage a workman whose job it is to continuously wash the back roll
with water. These efforts are costly, laborious, only partially
effective in removing contaminating particles and often result in
water damage to the web due to insufficient drying of the back
roll.
Roll cleaning devices have been applied to other rolls such as
disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,731,916 and 3,592,136, as well as to
drafting rolls as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,730,770. The
cleaning rolls of such devices are covered with highly degradable
material such as cork. Such cleaning rolls have a tendency to
themselves become fouled with foreign matter removed in the
cleaning. It was hitherto thought impossible by those skilled in
this field to make a cleaning roll applicable to such problems.
This is evidenced by the extreme measures undertaken to only
partially solve the problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been found that an effective solution to the problem may be
achieved through the use of a driven cleaning roll having a
resilient covering urged against the back roll for rinsing and
scrubbing same and then effectively drying the back roll ahead of
the applicator.
Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to clean a
back roll during a web coating operation by effective automatically
operable means.
Another important object of this invention is the provision of an
effective roll cleaner employing a cleaning roll with a covering
capable of carrying out the operation for reasonable periods of
time.
Another important object of the invention is the provision of means
for applying a force urging the cleaning roll against a rotating
roll along a plane passing through the axis of rotation of both
rolls.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a method
of cleaning a rotating roll, wherein, the rotating roll is
effectively rinsed, scrubbed and dried.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The construction designed to carry out the invention will be
hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.
The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the
following specification, and by reference to the accompanying
drawing forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention
is shown and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation, partially in section,
illustrating a back roll coater equipped with a roll cleaning
apparatus carrying out the method in accordance with the invention,
and
FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 2--2
in FIG. 1, with parts omitted, for clarity of illustration.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The drawing illustrates a web coating apparatus having applicator
means for applying a liquid coating material across one side of a
web and a rotatable back roll opposite and aligned with the means
for applying a liquid coating carrying the other side of the web. A
cleaner for said back roll, avoiding contamination thereof during a
coating operation includes a rotatable cleaning roll A aligned with
the back roll opposite the applicator means. A resilient covering B
is carried on the rotatable cleaning roll. Means C are provided for
supplying a liquid cleaning medium to the resilient covering for
application thereby to the back roll and for removing contaminants
from the resilient covering. Means D urge the cleaning roll into
engagement with said back roll under predetermined pressure
compressing the resilient covering. Driving means E rotate the
cleaning roll with respect to the back roll. Means F are provided
for removing liquid cleaning medium applied to the back roll by the
resilient covering aligned therewith and positioned ahead of the
applicator means. Thus, stripping and other contamination of the
web resulting in an inferior product is avoided.
The web coating apparatus is illustrated schematically as including
a supply roll 10 which receives a liquid coating material M
confined by a material dam 10a. The metering roll 11, having a
cleaning doctor blade 11a, controls the amount of coating material
applied to the supply roll 10 through the metering gap between the
rolls 10 and 11. The liquid coating material may be in the form of
a slurry, or in any liquefied condition as may be applied through
the use of an applicator roll. Viscous materials are often applied
to drapery materials, for example, such as latex or flame retarding
coatings. Devices, such as illustrated, may be used for any purpose
wherein a web is treated through the application of a backing or
coating material. Such applications include, but are not limited to
the application of a backing or coating, as to drapery
materials.
The web coating apparatus further includes a driven back roll 12
having a shaft 13 carried in a bearing block 14. The frame 15 is
supplied for carrying the components comprising the cleaner
attachment set forth herein. The web 16 is illustrated as passing
over the back roll 12 in the direction of the arrow. The web 16
thus passes between a nip formed by the supply roll 10 and the back
roll 12.
As is often the case with such an operation, the coating material
may penetrate the web so as to form a coating build-up upon the
back roll. This build-up results in the application of uneven
pressure producing stripping or other adverse effects in the web
being treated.
The rotatable cleaning roll A, preferably includes a shell 17 (FIG.
2) carried upon a shaft 18 (FIG. 1) which is journalled in a pair
of spaced depending brackets 19. These brackets are pivotally
mounted as at 20 for carrying the rotatable cleaning roll A as will
be described in greater detail below.
The roll A carries a resilient covering B. The resilient covering B
includes a hard rubber coating 21 as well as a fabric cover 22. The
resilient coating 21 may be of rubber having a Durometer hardness
of about 40 which is preferably impervious to the liquids involved
in the coating operation, as well as those involved in the cleaning
operation described herein. Preferably, the coating 21 is somewhat
softer than the covering of the back roll 12. The fabric cover may
be provided in the form of a circular knit seamless cotton sleeve
and the like. Means C for supplying a liquid cleaning medium, such
as water, or perhaps a volatile solvent includes a tray or trough
23 for carrying a bath of liquid 24. The rotatable cleaning roll A
is illustrated as being immersed at all times within the bath
24.
Fluid operated means D are provided adjacent each end of the
cleaning roll A for urging the cleaning roll into engagement with
the back roll including an air cylinder 25 which is connected
through suitable linkage 26 to the depending brackets 19. The air
cylinders 25 urge the linkage 26 toward the left-hand side of FIG.
1 compressing the resilient covering B carried by the roll A as
will be discussed in greater detail below.
It is important to note the fabric cover and rubber coating are
urged against the back roll 12 placing it under maximum
compression. The fabric cover wipes the roll surface clean after
which the rubber backing expands thus fragmenting particles which
are removed from the surface of the back roll. Then the removed
particles are washed from the fabric cover 22 and disposed in the
solution. After scrubbing or wiping the sleeve 22 rinses the back
roll 12.
It will be noted that the cylinder 25 has pivoted connection with
the frame 15 as at 25a and a piston (not shown) has a piston rod
25b having connection with the linkage 26. The linkage 26 has a
pivoted connection as at 26a with the depending brackets 19. By
means of these pivoted connections the force exerted by the air
cylinder is self-adjusting to act through a plane passing through
the respective longitudinal axis of rolls 12 and A. Thus, wear on
the rolls may be compensated for avoiding binding of the rolls and
facilitating a rinsing action by the sleeve following a scrubbing
action applied along the plane through which the force is exerted.
It should also be noted that a threaded stop element 27 is
adjustably positioned by the hand wheel 28 for engagement with an
upwardly extending portion 19a of the depending brackets 19 to fix
the position of the cleaning roll A with respect to the back roll
12. Drive means E for rotating the cleaning roll include a belt 29
driven by a variable speed drive 30 from the motor 31. The belt 29
drives a pulley 29a carried by the shaft 18. If increased cleaning
action is required, the roll A may be overdriven to any desired
speed with respect to the back roll 12.
The means F for removing liquid cleaning medium applied to the back
roll for drying same includes a pressure roll 32 which is urged by
the cylinder 33 into engagement with the back roll causing the
cleaning solution to pour down the front surface thereof into a
reservoir formed by the pan 34. It will be observed that the
cylinder 33 is suitably positioned to urge the roll 32 into contact
with the back roll through suitable linkage 35. A threaded stop 36
is also provided for limiting the engagement of the roll 12 by the
drying roll 32. Pivoted connections, similar to those described
above, are provided for permitting self-adjustment of the force
provided by the air cylinder 33 causing it at all times to pass
through the axis of rotation of rolls F and 32. While the back roll
may not be required to be completely dry, the action of the drying
roll is important in insuring uniform moisture content in the
web.
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described
using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes
only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be
made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following
claims.
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