Apparatus for intermittently applying deposits of adhesive onto a moving web of material

Abstract

Apparatus for intermittently applying deposits of adhesive at predetermined locations on a face of a moving web, as follows. An adhesive extruding head is positioned adjacent the face of the moving web of material for receiving therein and extruding therefrom adhesive onto the face of the moving web of material in a predetermined pattern. An adhesive supply and conduit is connected with the extruding head for containing a supply of adhesive under pressure and for conveying the adhesive to the extruding head. A selectively operable, metering pump is positioned in the adhesive conduit for selectively pumping metered amounts of adhesive from the supply through the conduit to the extruding head. A specifically designed control and drive mechanism is connected with the metering pump for selectively operating the pump intermittently for predetermined time periods for timed, intermittent, metered pumping of adhesive to the extruding head for timed intermittent application of predetermined amounts of adhesive onto the face of the moving web of material at predetermined intervals. Preferably, the apparatus further includes a valve positioned in the adhesive conduit between the pump and the extruding head for being opened to allow the passage of adhesive therethrough during operation of the pump and for closing to stop the flow of adhesive through the conduit when the pump control and drive mechanism is inoperable and a control mechanism connected with the adhesive valve and with the pump control and drive mechanism for closing the valve upon the pump control and drive mechanism becoming inoperable.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention relates to an apparatus for intermittently applying deposits of adhesive in predetermined locations on a face of a moving web of material. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus for intermittently applying deposits of adhesive in the form of transversely spaced-apart, longitudinally-extending, sets of lines of predetermined length in which the sets of lines are longitudinally spaced-apart at predetermined intervals on the face of the moving web of material.

Heretofore, various mechanisms have been commercially proposed for intermittently applying deposits of adhesive onto a moving web of material. These include the use of an adhesive conduit for conveying adhesive under pressure from a source to a device for extruding the adhesive onto a moving web. The adhesive conduit included a pneumatically-operated valve therein for opening and closing the passageway through the conduit for intermittently applying the adhesive which is passed therethrough under pressure. This type of adhesive application mechanism has suffered from many problems including the inability to properly meter predetermined amounts of adhesive to compensate for variations in speed of the moving web while still applying deposits of adhesive of a predetermined length and pattern onto a moving web of varying speed. This is particularly true when it is considered that the opening and closing of an air valve in a pressurized adhesive conduit will allow the passing therethrough of an amount of adhesive and the extruding therefrom of this amount of adhesive in relation to the amount of pressure on the adhesive. This is a very inaccurate control of the amount of adhesive deposited by such a system and has caused many problems in the use thereof.

Additionally, it has been previously commercially proposed to utilize printing roll adhesive applicator systems in which a rotary printing roll would pass through a supply of adhesive and print the adhesive onto the the surface of a moving roll. Due to the inherent tackiness, etc., of adhesive, these printing roll systems have also caused many problems and resulted in a non-uniform, very messy application of adhesive onto a moving web.

The above problems of previously proposed systems are particularly acute when intermittently applying deposits of adhesive between components of a disposable diaper in a disposable diaper fabricating machine, such as disclosed in copending application, being filed concurrently herewith, Ser. No. 491,793, filed July 25, 1974 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for intermittently applying deposits of adhesive at predetermined locations on a face of a moving web which overcomes the prior problems and disadvantages of previously proposed mechanisms.

It is a further more specific object of this invention to provide apparatus for intermittently applying deposits of adhesive in the form of transversely spaced-apart, longitudinally-extending, sets of lines of predetermined length in which the sets of lines are longitudinally-extending, sets of lines of predetermined length in which the sets of lines are longitudinally spaced-apart at predetermined intervals on the face of the moving web of material.

By this invention, it has been found that the above objects may be accomplished, broadly, by providing apparatus including the following.

Adhesive extruding head means is positioned adjacent the face of the moving web of material for receiving therein and extruding therefrom adhesive on the face of the moving web of material in a predetermined pattern. Adhesive supply and conduit means is connected with the extruding head means for containing a supply of adhesive under pressure and for conveying the adhesive to said extruding head means. Selectively operable, metering pump means is positioned in the adhesive conduit means for selectively pumping metered amounts of adhesive from the supply means through the conduit means to the extruding head means. A control and drive means is connected with the pump means for selectively operating the pump means intermittently for predetermined time periods for timed, intermittent, metered pumping of adhesive to said extruding head means for timed, intermittent application of the predetermined amounts of adhesive onto the face of the moving web at predetermined intervals. Further details of the above described control and drive means will be given in the specific description to follow.

Preferably, the apparatus also includes valve means positioned in the adhesive conduit means between the pump means and the extruding head means for being opened to allow the passage of adhesive therethrough during operation of the metering pump means and for closing to stop the flow of adhesive through the conduit means when the pump control and drive means is inoperable, and control means connected with the adhesive valve means and with the pump control and drive means for closing the valve means upon the pump control and drive means becoming inoperable.

Preferably, the adhesive extruding head means comprising a generally flat plate member having a forward, straight, longitudinally-extending edge positioned adjacent and transversely across the face of the moving web. The plate member is connected with the adhesive conduit means and includes internally thereof a plurality of interconnected channels leading from the connection with the conduit means and a plurality of extruding port means spaced along the length of the forward edge and connected with the channels for receiving adhesive therefrom and extruding adhesive onto the face of the moving web in transversely spaced-apart, longitudinally-extending sets of lines of predetermined length and in which the sets are longitudinally spaced-apart at predetermined intervals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some of the objects and advantages of this invention having been stated, other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective view of the apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, broken away, of part of the control and drive mechanisms for the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, taken generally along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, taken generally along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail, taken generally along the line 5--5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial sectional detail, taken generally along the line 6--6 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 the apparatus of this invention generally indicated at 10, for intermittently applying deposits of adhesive A onto a face of a moving web of material M. The illustration of the apparatus 10 in FIG. 1 is purposely schematic for a better understanding of the apparatus of this invention. This apparatus 10 is adapted to intermittently apply deposits of adhesive A onto a face of any moving web of material M and for purposes of illustration in the drawings, there are schematically shown a "take-up" and a "let-off" and are labled as such. These take-up and let-off devices may be any suitable mechanisms for causing movement of the web of material M and may be in the form of mechanisms shown in the aforesaid copending application Ser. No. 491,793, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, which discloses an apparatus for successively forming disposable diapers wherein the adhesive applying apparatus 10 of this invention may be utilized for applying deposits of adhesive between the components of the disposable diaper. Further reference for a suitable environment for the adhesive applying apparatus 10 of this invention may be had to the above-mentioned copending application.

The adhesive applying apparatus 10 includes an adhesive extruding head 12, preferably in the form of a generally flat plate having a forward, straight, longitudinally-extending edge positioned adjacent and transversely across the face of the moving web of material M. The adhesive extruding head 12 includes internally thereof a plurality thereof a plurality of interconnected channels 14 for receiving and conveying adhesive A therethrough, and a plurality of extruding ports 15 spaced along the length of the forward edge and connected with the channels 14 for receiving adhesive A therefrom and for extruding the adhesive A onto the face of the moving web of material M in a predetermined pattern, preferably in the form of spaced-apart, longitudinally-extending sets of lines, as shown in FIG. 1.

Connected with the channels 14 of the extruding head 12 is an adhesive conduit 17 which is connected at one end with the channels 14 and at the other end with any suitable source of pressurized adhesive A for receiving adhesive A therein from the source and conveying the adhesive therethrough to the extruding head 12 and the internal channels 14 thereof for application to the moving web of material M out of the ports 15.

Positioned in the adhesive conduit 17 is a selectively operable, metering pump 20 for selectively pumping metered amounts of adhesive A from the adhesive source or supply through the conduit to the extruding head 12. This metering pump 20 is a driven pump which may be preferably a driven, gear type, metering pump comprising a housing 21, a passageway 22 extending therethrough from the entrance side to the exit side of the adhesive conduit 17 and being respectively connected thereto for passage of the adhesive A through the passageway 22 in the pump 20. Positioned within the housing 21 and within a widened portion of the passage 22 is a pair of intermeshing pumping and metering gears 24, 25 which interlock with each other and force the adhesive therethrough and pump the adhesive when rotated, in a manner well understood by those with ordinary skill in the art. One of these gears 24 is selectively driven for rotation of both of the gears 24, 25 by means of a stub shaft 26 extending outwardly from the gear 24 out of the housing 21 and having a sprocket gear 28 connected with the other end thereof for being driven in a manner to be described below. Thus, when the gears 24, 25 of the pump 20 are rotated, a pumping action on the adhesive A will be performed and when rotation of these gears 24, 25 is stopped, the flow of adhesive through the passageway 22 of the pump 20 and thus through the adhesive conduit 17 will be shut off.

For selectively operating the pump 20 intermittently for predetermined time periods, control and drive mechanisms are connected with the pump 20. These control and drive mechanisms comprise a motor 30 which may be any suitable type of electrically-operated motor or otherwise. A first mechanical drive is connected with and driven by a motor and, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is in the form of an endless chain 32 received around and driven by a first sprocket gear 33 carried on the end of a shaft 34 from a gear box device 35 which is in turn connected with and driven by the motor 30. The other end of the chain 32 is received by a second sprocket 36 carried on the end of a stub shaft 37 rotatably mounted on one side of a cam-gear housing 38. Internally of the housing 38 there is provided a generally circular, rotary cam 40 carried on the other end of stub shaft 37 for being rotated thereby. The cam 40 includes a cam groove 41 therein of a predetermined profile for reception of a cam follower 42.

The cam follower 42 is carried by a slide member 43 mounted on a pair of slide rods 44, 45 carried by the housing 38. Thus, as the cam 40 is rotated by the chain and sprocket drive 32, 33, 36 from the motor 30, the follower 42 and slide 43 will be linearly reciprocated back and forth along the slide rods 44, 45 determined by the profile of the cam groove 41 acting on the cam follower 42.

Connected with the slide member 43 is a rack member 48 of a rack and pinion gear device. The rack 48 engages with a pinion 49 which is carried on the end of a stub shaft 50 mounted for rotation in the other side of housing 38. Thus, as the rack member 48 is linearly reciprocated back and forth with the slide 43, the pinion 49 will be rotated thereby in reciprocating, back and forth rotation.

Connected between the pinion 49 and the shaft 50 is a one-way clutch device having one clutch member 54 keyed to the shaft 50 and the other clutch member 55 carried by the pinion gear 49. This one-way clutch 54, 55 is of the ball type which produces a positive drive between the clutch members 54, 55 during rotation in one direction, i.e. to the right as viewed in FIG. 5, while allowing relative movement or slippage between the clutch members 54, 55 when rotated in the other direction, i.e. to the left as viewed in FIG. 5. Thus, when the rack 48 and slide 43 are reciprocated in one direction under the action of cam follower 42 in cam groove 41 of cam 40, a drive will be imparted to the stub shaft 50 and rotation thereof will be had. However, when the slide 43 and rack 48 are reciprocated in the opposite direction by the cam follower 42 in the cam groove 41 of cam 40, the clutch members 54, 55 will be disengaged and no rotational movement of the stub shaft 50 will be had.

The stub shaft 50 is connected with a second mechanical drive in the form of a sprocket 60 secured to the stub shaft 50 for rotation therewith and which receives an endless chain 61 which also passes around a sprocket 62 on one end of a shaft 63 which carries a gear 64 on the other end thereof in meshing relationship with the gear 28 for driving of the pump 20.

It may be seen, that as the motor 30 rotates the first mechanical drive 32, 33, 36, the cam 40 will be rotated for reciprocating the rack 48 back and forth in a linear reciprocating movement for rotating the pinion 49 and intermittently driving the second mechanical drive 60, 61, 62 through the clutch 54, 55 for intermittently driving the pump 20 for predetermined time periods depending upon the profile of the cam groove 41 of the cam 40. The profile of the cam groove 41 of the cam 40 may be so arranged to provide for intermittent driving of the pump 20 for predetermined time periods, as desired, for the application of sets of lines of adhesive A onto the web of moving material of a predetermined length and spacing.

Normally, the metering pump 20 also acts as a valve for shutting off the flow of adhesive A through the conduit 17. However, as a safety measure and particularly for use when the entire adhesive applying apparatus 10 is shut off including the motor 30, a valve 70 is positioned in the adhesive conduit 17 between the pump 20 and the extruding head 12 for being operated to allow the passage of adhesive therethrough during operation of the pump 20 and for closing to stop the flow of adhesive A therethrough and through the adhesive conduit 17 when the pump control and drive mechanisms including the motor 30 are inoperable. This valve 70 prevents the leakage of adhesive A out of the extruding head 12 when the adhesive applying mechanism 10 is shut off.

For controlling the adhesive valve 70, there are provided control mechanisms including an electrical circuit, broadly indicated at 72 in FIG. 1, connected with the motor 30 and including a solenoid-actuated, normally-closed switch 73 which when in the closed position thereof completes an electrical circuit through the circuit means 72 to a solenoid 74 of a solenoid-actuated valve 75. The solenoid actuated valve 75 is a two-position valve and is connected to a fluid conduit 76 leading from a suitable source of fluid under pressure, which is schematically shown and labled as such in FIG. 1. The solenoid-actuated, two-position valve 75 is also connected with fluid conduits 77 and 78 leading therefrom to each side of the adhesive valve 70. Preferably, the adhesive valve 70 is fluid-operated, pneumatic or hydraulic, valve and if fluid under pressure in introduced thereto from one of the conduits 77 or 78, the adhesive valve 70 will open, and if introduced from the other of the conduits 77 or 78, the adhesive valve 70 will close.

Accordingly, if the motor 30 of the pump control and drive mechanisms is operating, the solenoid-operated switch 73 will be closed to complete the electrical circuit through the circuit 72 to the solenoid 74 of the valve 75 to position the valve for the flow of fluid under pressure through one of the conduits 77, 78 to maintain the fluid-operated, adhesive valve 70 open. However, if the pump control and drive mechanisms including the motor 30 are shut off by opening of a switch 80 in the circuit 72 the solenoid-actuated switch 73 will be opened to break the circuit to the solenoid 74 thus reversing the flow of fluid under pressure through the conduits 77, 78 and introduce fluid to the other side of the fluid-operated, adhesive valve 70 to close the valve 70 and prevent the flow of adhesive through the adhesive conduit 17.

It may be clearly seen, that the apparatus 10 of this invention has provided an improved mechanism 10 for applying deposits of adhesive A in predetermined locations on a face of a moving web of material M and, more particularly, for intermittently applying the deposits of adhesive A in the form of transversely spaced-apart, longitudinally-extending, sets of lines of predetermined length in which the sets of lines are longitudinally spaced-apart at predetermined intervals on the face of the moving web of material M.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for intermittently applying deposits of adhesive at predetermined locations on a face of a moving web of material; said apparatus comprising:

adhesive extruding head means positioned adjacent the face of the moving web of material for receiving therein and extruding therefrom adhesive onto the face of the moving web of material in a predetermined pattern;

adhesive supply and conduit means connected with said extruding head means for containing a supply of adhesive under pressure and for conveying the adhesive to said extruding head means;

selectively operable, metering pump means positioned in said adhesive conduit means for selectively pumping metered amounts of adhesive from said supply means through said conduit means to said extruding head means; and

control and drive means connected with said pump means for selectively operating said pump means intermittently for predetermined time periods for timed, intermittent, metered pumping of adhesive to said extruding head means for timed, intermittent application of predetermined amounts of adhesive onto the face of the moving web of material at predetermined intervals.

2. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, in which said adhesive extruding head means comprises a generally flat plate member having a forward, straight, longitudinally-extending edge positioned adjacent and transversely across the face of the moving web, said plate member being connected with said adhesive conduit means and including internally thereof a plurality of interconnected channels leading from the connection with said conduit means and a plurality of extruding port means spaced along the length of said forward edge and connected with said channels for receiving adhesive therefrom and extruding adhesive onto the face of the moving web in transversely spaced-apart, longitudinally-extending sets of lines of predetermined length and in which said sets are longitudinally spaced-apart at predetermined intervals.

3. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, in which said control and drive means comprises

motor means,

first mechanical drive means connected with and driven by said motor means,

cam means connected with said first mechanical drive means for being rotated thereby,

cam follower means in engagement with said cam means for being linearly reciprocated back and forth thereby,

rack and pinion gear means in which said rack is connected with said cam follower means for reciprocating back and forth linear movement therewith and for rotating said pinion back and forth thereby,

second mechanical drive means connected with said metering pump means for driving said pump means during operation thereof, and

one-way clutch means connected between said pinion of said rack and pinion means and said second mechanical drive means for operating said second mechanical drive means during rotation of said pinion means in one direction and for not operating said second mechanical drive means during rotation of said pinion means in the other direction, whereby said pump means is intermittently driven for predetermined time periods in relation to the profile of said cam means.

4. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 3, in which

said first mechanical drive means comprises a first endless chain and pair of sprockets carrying said chain in which one of said sprockets is connected to said motor means and the other of said sprockets is connected to said cam means;

said second mechanical drive means comprises a second endless chain and pair of sprockets carrying said chain in which one of said sprockets is connected with said one-way clutch means and the other of said sprockets is mechanically connected with said pump means, and

said control land drive means further includes a linearly reciprocating slide member carrying said cam follower and said rack of said rack and pinion means.

5. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, in which said apparatus further includes

valve means positioned in said adhesive conduit means between said pump means and said extruding had means for being opened to allow the passage of adhesive therethrough during operation of said pump means and for closing to stop the flow of adhesive through said conduit means when said pump control and drive means is inoperable, and

control means connected with said adhesive valve means and with said pump control and drive means for closing said valve means upon said pump control and drive means becoming inoperable.

6. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, in which said pump control and drive means includes a motor means and in which said adhesive valve control means comprises

electrical circuit means connected with said motor means and including a solenoid actuated, normally closed switch means which is in the closed position to complete the circuit through said circuit means during operation of said motor means and which will open to break the circuit through said circuit means upon stopping of said motor means,

pressurized fluid supply and conduit means connected with said adhesive valve means for supplying fluid under pressure thereto for operating said valve means between the open and closed positions thereof, and

solenoid operated, two position valve means located in said fluid conduit means and connected with said electrical circuit means and being maintained in a first position thereof when the electrical circuit is completed through said circuit means by operation of said motor means to provide the flow of fluid under pressure through said fluid conduit means to said adhesive valve means for opening said adhesive valve means, and for moving to a second position thereof upon breaking of the circuit through said circuit means by stopping the operation of said motor means to provide the flow of fluid under pressure through said fluid conduit means for closing said adhesive valve means and preventing the flow of adhesive through said adhesive conduit means to prevent leaking of adhesive from said extruding head means when said apparatus is inoperative.

7. Apparatus for intermittently applying deposits of adhesive at predetermined locations on a face of a moving web of material; said apparatus comprising:

adhesive extruding head means comprising a generally flat plate member having a forward, straight, longitudinally-extending edge positioned adjacent and transversely across the face of the moving web, said plate member including internally thereof a plurality of interconnected channels for receiving and conveying adhesive therethrough, and a plurality of extruding port means spaced along the length of said forward edge and connected with said channel for receiving adhesive therefrom and for extruding adhesive onto the face of the moving web of material in a predetermined pattern of spaced-apart longitudinally-extending sets of lines;

adhesive supply and conduit means connected with said channels of said extruding head means for containing a supply of adhesive under pressure and for conveying the adhesive to said extruding head means;

selectively operable, metering pump means positioned in said adhesive conduit means for selectively pumping metered amounts of adhesive from said supply means through said conduit means to said extruding head means; and

control and drive means connected with said pump means for selectively operating said pump means intermittently for predetermined time periods for timed, intermittent, metered pumping action of adhesive to said extruding head means for timed intermittent application of adhesive onto the face of the moving web of material at predetermined intervals to form longitudinally spaced-apart sets of lines of predetermined length at predetermined intervals, said control and drive means comprising motor means, first mechanical drive means connected with and driven by said motor means, cam means connected with said first mechanical drive means for being rotated thereby, cam follower means in engagement with said cam means for being linearly reciprocated back and forth thereby, rack and pinion gear means in which said rack means is connected with said cam follower means for reciprocating back and forth linear movement therewith and for rotating said pinion back and forth thereby, second mechanical drive means connected with said pump means for driving said pump means during operation thereof, and one-way clutch means connected between said pinion and said second mechanical drive means for operating said second mechanical drive means during rotation of said pinion means in one direction and for not operating said second mechanical drive means during rotation of said pinion means in the other direction, whereby said pump means is intermittently driven for predetermined time periods in relation to the profile of said cam means.

8. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 7, in which said apparatus further includes

valve means positioned in said adhesive conduit means between said pump means and said extruding head means for being operated to allow the passage of adhesive therethrough during operation of said pump means and for closing to stop the flow of adhesive through said adhesive conduit means when said pump control and drive means is inoperable, and

control means connected with said adhesive valve means and with said motor means for closing said adhesive valve means upon stopping of said motor means, said adhesive valve control means comprising electrical circuit means connected with said motor means and including a solenoid actuated, normally closed switch means which is in the closed position to complete the circuit through said circuit means during operation of said motor means and which will open to break the circuit through said circuit means upon stopping of said motor means, pressurized fluid supply and conduit means connected with said adhesive valve means for supplying fluid under pressure thereto for operating said adhesive valve means between the open and closed positions thereof, and solenoid operated two position valve means located in said fluid conduit means and connected with said electrical circuit means and being maintained in a first position thereof when the electrical circuit is completed through said circuit means by operation of said motor means to provide the flow of fluid under pressure through said fluid conduit means to said adhesive valve means for opening said adhesive valve means, and for moving to a second position thereof upon breaking of the circuit through said circuit means by stopping the operation of said motor means to provide the flow of fluid under pressure through said fluid conduit means for closing said adhesive valve means and preventing the flow of adhesive through said adhesive conduit means to prevent leaking of adhesive from said extruding head means when said apparatus is inoperative.