U.S. patent number 3,874,030 [Application Number 05/339,167] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-01 for apparatus for spreading tows of fibrous materials.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Philip Morris Incorporated. Invention is credited to Jack B. Knight.
United States Patent |
3,874,030 |
Knight |
April 1, 1975 |
APPARATUS FOR SPREADING TOWS OF FIBROUS MATERIALS
Abstract
Method and apparatus for spreading webs of spreadable materials
is disclosed. A web of such material is advanced into contact with
the convex periphery of a plurality of curved rolls to effect
successive incremental lateral spreading of the web material on
each curved roll, the curved rolls being spacedly disposed about a
fixed axis and rotatably supported between aligned mounting centers
disposed on axes extending parallel to the fixed axis. While the
web is advanced in an open loop travel course around and in contact
with the convex peripheries of the curved rolls, the curved rolls
are concurrently unitarily orbited about said fixed axis in a path
counter to the advance course of the tow and at an orbiting speed
such that a given point on the web contacts the convex peripheries
of the curved rolls a plurality of times in excess of the plural
number of curved rolls disposed about the fixed axis.
Inventors: |
Knight; Jack B. (Richmond,
VA) |
Assignee: |
Philip Morris Incorporated
(Richmond, VA)
|
Family
ID: |
23327808 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/339,167 |
Filed: |
March 8, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
28/282; 26/101;
242/157R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24D
3/0204 (20130101); D06C 3/06 (20130101); D02J
1/18 (20130101); B29C 55/085 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A24D
3/00 (20060101); A24D 3/02 (20060101); B29C
55/08 (20060101); B29C 55/04 (20060101); D02J
1/00 (20060101); D02J 1/18 (20060101); D06C
3/00 (20060101); D06C 3/06 (20060101); D01d
011/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;19/65T,66T
;226/108,109,168,189 ;26/63 ;242/157 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
358,943 |
|
Jan 1906 |
|
FR |
|
4,172 |
|
1887 |
|
UK |
|
21,269 |
|
1914 |
|
UK |
|
30,067 |
|
Jan 1885 |
|
DD |
|
Primary Examiner: Newton; Dorsey
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Watson Leavenworth Kelton &
Taggart
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In apparatus for spreading the fibers of a web of spreadable
material which includes an assembly of a plurality of curved rolls
each having a smooth concave peripheral surface portion and a
smooth convex peripheral surface portion over which said web can be
advanced to effect successive incremental lateral separation of the
web on each of said curved rolls,
mounting structure for supporting said curved rolls for rotation in
planetary disposition about a fixed axis and for rotation of each
about an axis defined by aligned mounting centers disposed parallel
with the axes of the others and parallel with said fixed axis,
means for feeding said web in an open loop travel course around and
in contact with first the concave peripheral surface portion and
then the convex peripheral surface portion of each of said curved
rolls, and
means for rotating said mounting structure about said fixed axis in
a direction counter to the travel course of said web at a
predetermined speed whereby said curved rolls transit an orbiting
course about said fixed axis and a given point on the web contacts
the convex peripheral portion of said curved rolls a plurality of
times in excess of the plural number of rolls in said assembly.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said curved rolls are spaced
uniformly from each other and equidistant from said fixed axis.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said assembly comprises three
curved rolls, said three curved rolls being disposed equilaterally
about said fixed axis.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said mounting structure
includes
a shaft, and
a pair of plates spaced on and fixed to said shaft said plates
having mounting centers thereon, each mounting center on each plate
being aligned with a corresponding mounting center on the other
plate, a line passing through each pair of aligned mounting centers
being parallel with said shaft, said curved rollers each including
an axle fixedly received in one of said pairs of aligned mounting
centers, said axle traversing a curved path between said mounting
centers, said curved path extending radially outwardly relatively
of said line passing through said mounting centers to a maximum
curvature at midlength of said axle, ball bearing assemblies
rotatable on said axle, and a resilient sleeve enclosing said ball
bearing assemblies and rotatable therewith.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for variable
controlling tension in said web at the entry thereof to said open
loop travel course to compensate for any such tension produced in
said web in said open loop travel course.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said tension control means
comprises a spring-loaded roller engageable with said web.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a second like plurality of
curved rolls, mounting structure for supporting said second
plurality in like manner as said first plurality, means for guiding
said web in off-feed from said first plurality of curved rolls into
an open loop travel course around and in contact with first the
concave peripheral surface portion and then the convex peripheral
surface portion of each the rolls of said second plurality of
curved rolls, and means for rotating said second plurality of
curved rolls in a direction counter to the travel course of said
web at a predetermined speed to orbit said second plurality in
synchronization with said first plurality to produce a web tension
therein exactly out of phase with that produced in said first
plurality.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Webs of spreadable materials such as, for example, a filter tow for
forming cigarette filter plugs generally is supplied in bulk
continuous form most usually in a compact bale of such material in
which the material has a high density. Accordingly, such materials
prior to processing of the same in filter plug forming apparatus
must be opened or bloomed to lessen the density thereof. The
spreading or opening of such materials, whether they be in tow,
non-woven web, carded batts or like continuous stock form, can be
accomplished in various known ways. The material may, for example,
be passed (primarily for effecting fluffing in 2 or 3 dimensions)
through air jets, or over or between roller devices. Such rolls may
have knurled, threaded, or slatted surfaces. Edge guide rolls pull
the edges of a web outward. One particularly effective type of roll
which can be used for spreading is a smooth-surfaced roll which is
bowed at its mid-point instead of being in the conventional right
cylinder form. It is not used for spreading in contact or
cooperating relation with an opposing roll but rather as a single
unit. Such curved roll can be, for example, of the type
manufactured by the Mt. Hope Machinery Co. Such curved rolls have
been employed by passing the material over the roll and in first
contact with the concave side, and in an exiting contact with the
convex side and in a contact course up to 120.degree. wrap so that
the longer curvature of the convex side vs. the concave side
produces a uniform spreading action toward the ends of the roll.
The curved roll aforesaid has a fixed axle on which is mounted a
series of ball bearing assemblies, with the outer races of the
latter free to turn while the inner races are fixed to the axle. A
rubber sleeve encloses the outer races and rotates therewith. Thus,
in operation the sleeve expands and contracts as it rotates about
the axle to produce the desired even or uniform spreading. Several
rolls in series will accomplish a certain amount of opening of the
web. An advantage of using this roll for spreading webs of
spreadable material is that it does not produce a severe tearing
action on the material, as do knurled or threaded rolls. The curved
or bowed rolls act more evenly over the entire web, whereas edge
guide rolls may tear the edges with little effect at the center.
Slatted rolls are less easily controlled. Thus, while curved rolls
are particularly effective for spreading material webs generally
where such is in a form that is difficult to open or spread, a
great many bowed rolls in series are required since with a 4
1/4-inch diameter roll, for example, each spreads the width only
about 5 percent. It is desirable therefore, that efficient
spreading be accomplished with a relatively small number of curved
rolls and that such equipment in addition to being relatively
inexpensive to provide, be compact so that the same can operate in
and require but a relatively small space in the cigarette filter
making apparatus line. In spreading of woven and non-woven textile
fabric or sheet materials which have been bundled, twisted and
otherwise foreshortened in the crosswise direction in normal
processing, a large number of curved rolls normally are used to
effect the large spreading ratio required to return the fabric or
sheet to its original width.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides method and apparatus with which webs
of spreadable material can be spread from a relatively compact
dense continuous stock thereof such as a bale of such material into
an opened or bloomed relatively low density form for further
processing, as for example, for use in making cigarette filter
stock. In making such stock, the opened or bloomed material is fed
into cigarette filter rod making machinery of known construction
wherein it is formed in a continuous stock of light density
material and subsequently sectioned into plug length pieces for
incorporation in a cigarette making machine. It also could be
employed, e.g., in the textile industry where cloth is twisted,
bleached, dyed and untwisted as part of normal processing and then
must be spread to its original width for drying. The economics and
space requirements of this invention offer a great advantage in
such uses. The present invention provides for efficient and
effective spreading of such materials, using for that purpose a
relatively small number of curved rolls, such curved rolls being
arranged in a manner that requires use of only a small space in the
filter making apparatus or other production line as well as
requiring only a limited investment to provide apparatus for such
purposes.
In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of curved
rolls of known construction are spacedly disposed about a fixed
axis and also rotatably between aligned mounting centers which in
turn are disposed on axes extending parallel to the fixed axis. The
web or other form of material to be spread is advanced in an open
loop travel course around and in first contact with the concave
periphery, and then contact with the convex periphery of each of
the curved rolls with each roll contact producing a successive
incremental lateral separation of the material in the web.
Conveniently the curved rolls are mounted on structure which
includes a pair of spaced apart plates mounted on and fixed to a
central shaft which shaft provides the fixed axis. During the
course of the travel of the web around the curved rolls, the same
are concurrently and unitarily orbited about the fixed axis in a
path counter to the advance course of the web and at an orbiting
speed such that a given point on the web in traversing the course
contacts the convex peripheries of the curved rolls a plurality of
times in excess of the plural number of curved rolls disposed about
the fixed axis. Suitable means to feed the web in its open loop
travel course around the plurality of curved rolls and also to
off-feed the web from the rolls is provided as well as means for
rotating the mounting structure.
Advantageously three curved rolls are employed and they are spaced
on the mounting structure equilaterally about and in respect of the
fixed axis of the latter structure.
During the course of travel of the web around the curved rolls
tension may be produced in the web and to compensate for the same
suitable means for variably controlling the degree of tension in
the web is provided, such means advantageously being disposed at
the entry of the web to its open loop travel course and being, for
example, a spring-loaded roller which engages with the web to
selectively vary the tension therein.
It also is possible to employ for purposes of controlling or
eliminating web tension in the web during the open loop travel
course thereof, a second like set of curved rolls which are
disposed in and unitarily orbit in like manner with the
first-mentioned plurality of curved rolls, the second plurality
being orbited in synchronization with the first plurality to
produce in the web a tension which is exactly out of phase with
that produced by the first plurality.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,
combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be
exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope
of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention
will be had from the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of spreading apparatus
constructed in accordance with the principles of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a modified form of apparatus
comprising two sets of curved rolls in which the second set is
synchronized to give a web tension exactly out of phase with that
in the first set.
Throughout the description like reference numerals are used to
denote like parts in the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for
spreading webs of spreadable materials. As used herein "web" is
intended to include various types and forms of material stock in
which various materials can be packaged following manufacture
thereof and is inclusive of a tow of fibers, non-woven webs, carded
batts and woven and non-woven textile fabrics and sheet materials
in continuous processes and bulk quantities. Generally, the
finished material, if fibrous, can be packed in a relatively dense
continuous stock form such as a bale. On the other hand, in textile
and sheet processes the material is usually in a continuous stream
and requires spreading on a continuous basis. The present invention
provides apparatus and method which can be employed conveniently in
the production apparatus line for making cigarette filter material
since it occupies minimum space particularly in the longitudinal
dimension. As is known by those skilled in the art, such cigarette
filter manufacture involves taking a tow of fibrous material,
opening or blooming the same to lower the density thereof, and then
forming it in suitable apparatus into a continuous wrapped stock of
filter material which can be sectioned to provide individual plugs
for later use in a cigarette making machine.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown apparatus with which a
continuous web of spreadable material can be spread. The apparatus
10 includes a set of curved rolls 12, 14 and 16 each of which is a
curved roll of known type as, for example, one manufactured by the
Mt. Hope Machinery Company of Taunton, Massachusetts. The curved
rolls 12, 14 and 16 are mounted on a suitable mounting structure
which includes a pair of plates 18, 20 (FIG. 2) which are spacedly
mounted on and fixed to rotate with a central shaft 22, the central
shaft being driven by suitable drive means such as an electric
motor 24 although other forms of drive also can be employed for
this purpose. The curved rolls 12, 14 and 16 as will be noted from
FIGS. 1 and 2, have each an axle 26 which is fixedly or
non-rotatably received in aligned mounting centers located in the
two plates 18, 20, the mounting centers being arranged in pairs in
correspondence to the numbers of curved rolls in the assembly and
being aligned such that a line passing through each pair of
mounting centers is parallel with the shaft 22. The axles 26 of the
curved rolls as will be noted, are curved or bowed in a curved path
extending radially of a line connecting the aligned mounting
centers and being at maximum curvature at mid-length of the axle.
The curved roll includes suitable ball bearing assemblies 27
rotatable on the axle 26, the ball bearing assemblies being shown
in FIG. 2, and in turn being covered by a resilient sleeve 28 which
encloses all of the ball bearing assemblies in each curved roll and
rotates with the ball bearing assemblies, the sleeve 28 preferably
being made of rubber. With the curved rolls 21, 14 and 16 thus
disposed in plates 18, 20, the convex surfaces thereof are
generally disposed outermost on the apparatus so that when the
mounting structure is rotated in the manner to be described later,
the convex surfaces will engage the travel course of the web 40 of
spreadable material as shown. For the purposes of feeding the web
40 of spreadable material onto the apparatus 10, a feed roller
assembly comprising rollers 32, 34 and 36 is provided. Rollers 32,
34 function to feed the web 40 onto the apparatus 10 whereas the
rollers 34 and 36 function to off-feed the web following the
spreading treatment of the same. During the travel of the web 40
through the apparatus and as will appear from later description
herein of the operation of the same, there may be produced certain
undesirable tension in the web 40. To control variably the degree
of tension present in the web 40 while it is on the apparatus 10,
there can be provided a tension control mechanism shown generally
at 50 which can include a spring-loaded roller mechanism which
engages the web 40 to alter or vary the tension therein.
In operation, the web 40 is fed through the roller set 32, 34 onto
the apparatus 10 and around the peripheries of the rollers 12, 14
and 16 in an open loop travel course with the web 40 making a first
contact with the concave periphery and a second or exit contact
with the convex periphery and up to 120.degree. wrap on each curved
roll. Concurrently with the travel of the web around the rollers
12, 14 and 16, the mounting structure is rotated in a direction
counter to the loop travel course of the web so as to unitarily
orbit the curved rolls about the axis defined by shaft 22 with the
rotational speed of the mounting structure being such as to provide
an orbiting speed in the curved rolls that causes a given point on
the web 40 in traversing its travel course to contact the convex
peripheries of the curved rolls a plurality of times in excess of
the plural number of curved rolls in the assembly. During such
orbital movement, the curved rolls 12, 14 and 16 also rotate about
the axis defined by a line passing through the associated mounting
centers for the curved rolls. Further, they rotate in the same
direction as the web travel at substantially the same surface speed
as the web so that there occurs no slip between the rolls and the
web 40 in that direction. The rotation of the curved rolls 12, 14
and 16 caused by web travel generally can be provided as a free
rotation if the web is sufficiently strong to that purpose, but if
required positive drive means for each roll can be provided.
Generally, the line speed of the web in its travel course is
limited by the rotational speed allowable for the particular curved
roll employed. During the course of each contact of the web with a
curved roll convex surface, the web is spread slightly laterally in
an incremental amount which due to the effect of the rotation of
the frame providing many such contacts during the travel of the web
around the apparatus results in a net spreading many times greater
than that which would be obtained if stationary curved roll
assemblies were employed. For example, if the peripheral line speed
of the planetary arranged curved roller assembly is about equal to
the web speed, the web will make 1 1/2 times the number of curved
rolls contacts with the convex surfaces of the latter.
In a particularly advantageous form, three curved rolls are
provided and mounted as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 providing for
most cigarette filter forming operations a satisfactory measure of
spreading of the fibrous materials. Other numbers of curved rolls
could be employed in the assembly, as for example two, with the
upper limit on such rolls being defined only by space limitations
and degree of spreading to be achieved. Where a larger number of
curved rolls, as for example six, are used in an assembly the
amount of spreading effected per roll for a mounting structure of
essentially the same dimensions as that depicted in FIG. 1 will be
decreased because of a shorter contact arc of the web on each roll
so that the net spreading effect produced during one revolution of
the mounting structure would be approximately the same as where
only three curved rolls are employed.
The FIG. 3 apparatus is employed where a web of material of low
elasticity property is to be spread. With such material the
creation of tension in a single spreading assembly may as indicated
earlier be provided with a tension controlling device such as a
spring-loaded roller. However, it is also possible to offset the
effect of any tension produced in the first roller assembly by
providing a second like assembly in which the latter is rotated to
give the curved rolls therein an orbiting movement in
synchronization with the first plurality to produce in the second
plurality a web tension exactly out of phase with that produced in
the first plurality. Thus, there will be no net variation in the
total path length or tension of the web during the course of its
travel through the apparatus 100. In the FIG. 3 apparatus,
corresponding parts are designated with the same reference numerals
as shown in FIG. 1 with the second set of curved rolls being given
prime designations for like parts in such second assembly. The
roller 102 is used to guide the web 40 in its off-feed from the
first assembly and on to the second assembly. When using a second
set of curved rolls as shown in FIG. 3, the spreading action of
course is doubled approximately if the same rotational speed of the
mounting structure in both assemblies is employed. On the other
hand, since the spreading action can be doubled it, accordingly, is
possible to reduce the rotational speeds of the mounting structure
by one-half if only the same total degree of spreading is
desired.
In the foregoing description it will be noted that the same side of
the web of material has been treated, that is, spread. It will be
apparent however, that the treatment may be applied to both sides
of the web as where it might have different side characteristics.
Thus, the apparatus of FIG. 3 could be modified so that the first
assembly would treat one side of the web and by employing a
suitable arrangement of idler rolls, the other side could be
treated on the second assembly. This would be advantageous in the
instance where one side of the sheet was, for example, very
abrasive resistant and the other side had very low resistance to
abrasion.
It will be apparent from a reading of the foregoing that the method
and apparatus for spreading a web of spreadable material as
provided in the present invention has been disclosed in certain
embodiments thereof only and it is possible to produce still other
embodiments without departing from the scope of the inventive
concept herein disclosed and, accordingly, it should be understood
that all matter contained in the above description and in the
accompanying drawing should be interpreted as illustrative and not
in a limiting sense.
* * * * *