Abstract: A flexographic printing press is provided which is particularly suited for printing thin, elastic webs. The web is imprinted by a plurality of printing decks which are positioned around a central impression cylinder. A between color dryer is located between each pair of adjacent printing decks and one or more additional dryers are located downstream of the last printing deck for drying the web before it leaves the central impression cylinder. The web does not pass any dryers after it leaves the central impression cylinder.

Abstract: A rewinding machine for the production of logs of web material around a tubular core includes a first winding roller around which the web material is fed, a second winding roller forming a gap with the first winding roller, through which gap the core is inserted, and a third roller mounted movably to allow the diameter of the log to increase and the log to be discharged at the end of winding. A blade is carried by a rotating member which is pivoted on the axis of said first winding roller and protrudes from the profile of the roller. The blade rotates in the same direction as the first winding roller at different speeds, so as to undergo a deceleration or an acceleration when it is in contact with the web material in the winding space defined by the three rollers to cause severing of the web material at the end of winding.

Abstract: A sleeve is provided with a clamp for removably clamping the sleeve on a mandrel. A rigid ring is mounted inside of the sleeve at each end of the sleeve. Each ring has a generally cylindrical inside surface which includes a curved contact portion which extends for less than 180 degrees and which is engageable with the outside surface of the mandrel. A curved clamp arm is pivotally secured at one end thereof to each ring. An eccentric shaft extends through an opening in the other end of the clamp arm. Rotation of the eccentric shaft moves the clamp arm toward the contact portion of the ring so that the mandrel can be clamped between the clamp arm and the contact portion.

Abstract: The cutting blade of a continuous motion saw is mounted on a skew arm which rotates about an axis which is skewed relative to the path along which the product to be cut is advanced. The blade rotates about an axis which is parallel to the path. The blade orbits in a planetary manner to compensate for the skew angle and to ensure that the blade remains perpendicular to the path. Grinding stones for the blade are mounted radially inwardly of the blade throughout the entire orbit of the blade.

Abstract: A device for removal of trimmings obtained from cutting of logs of web material by means of a log cutting machine which include a cutting blade for log cutting and a supporting surface downstream of the cutting blade to support cut out rolls. The device for removal of trimmings is disposed downstream of the supporting surface and at least one pair of conveyor belts for conveying the rolls toward an unloading station, the lower conveyor belt having a back-up horizontally movable roller able to move toward or away from the supporting surface thus creating a gap between the supporting surface and the conveyor sufficient for the trimmings to pass through and fall beneath the machine, while the cut out rolls pass form the supporting surface to the conveyor.

Abstract: A sample of printing ink for a printing press is obtained using actual press components. An anilox roll for the press is supplied with ink and is rotated while the anilox roll is either mounted on the press or mounted off-line from the press. A printable substrate is printed with the ink either by pressing the substrate directly against the anilox roll or by pressing a transfer roll against the anilox roll and pressing the substrate against the transfer roll. The ink on the substrate is inspected, and any necessary changes to the ink are made before the press run is started.

Abstract: A stack of interfolded sheets is formed from a plurality of groups of interfolded sheets. Adjacent groups are secured or bonded together so that the bottom sheet of each group pulls the top sheet of the next group. In one embodiment of the invention, the strength of the bond is such that when the bottom sheet of a group is withdrawn through an opening in a package for the stack, the bond releases the top sheet of the next group after the top sheet is partially withdrawn through the opening. In another embodiment of the invention, the strength of the bond is such that the top sheet remains secured to the bottom sheet and is completely withdrawn through the opening. The sheets can be secured by an adhesive bond or by a non-adhesive bond.

Abstract: A method of producing a paper product which is formed from a pair of embossed webs enables the embossments to be arranged in either a nested or a foot-to-foot configuration. An embossing pattern has a machine direction and a cross-machine direction and is formed by a plurality of embossments. Adjacent embossments are spaced from each other in either or both of the machine direction and the cross-machine direction by an amount which exceeds the dimension of the embossments in that direction. A pair of embossing rolls are engraved with the same embossing pattern. When it is desired to produce foot-to-foot embossments, the embossing rolls are rotatably mounted so that the embossments on each roll are aligned. When it is desired to produce nested embossments, the embossing rolls are rotatably mounted so that the embossments on each of the rolls are positioned between the embossments on the other roll.

Abstract: The invention provides a new latch mechanism which is controlled by a camshaft which is mounted axially in the bedroll and by a servo motor which rotates the camshaft. The servo motor normally rotates the camshaft in the same direction and at the same speed as the bedroll. When the web is to be severed, the speed of the servo motor is either increased or decreased to rotate the camshaft relative to the bedroll. The rotation of the camshaft allows push rods in the bedroll to move radially inwardly to release the severing and transferring mechanism. Cam followers for the severing and transferring mechanism engage a stationary cam and control the movement of the mechanism. After the web is severed and transferred, the camshaft is rotated to force the push rods radially outwardly to relatch the severing and transferring mechanism.

Abstract: A stack of folded sheets includes right and left W folded sheets and right and left Z folded sheets which are arranged and interfolded so that the stack is balanced and has uniform bulk across its width. Withdrawal of the top sheet of the stack lifts the next sheet into position for withdrawal. The W and Z folded sheets advantageously have a maximum width of 120 mm, an overlap of about 40 mm, and a sheet width of up to 340 mm. Narrower stacks of W and Z folded sheets have folded widths of 100 mm or 75 mm and sheet widths of 292 mm or 215 mm.

Abstract: A splicing apparatus for an unwinder automatically splices the trailing end of a web from one roll to the leading end of a web from a second roll. A pair of roll support frames are mounted for movement between an unwinding position in which a roll on the support frame is aligned with the path of web movement and a loading position in which a roll on the support frame is laterally offset from the path of web movement. A vacuum retainer is mounted on each of the roll support frames for retaining a leading edge of the web of a new roll. A movable vacuum belt is mounted adjacent the path of web movement, and a slitter is mounted upstream of the vacuum belt. When a first roll in the unwinding position is to be replaced, the first web is secured by the vacuum belt and cut by the slitter to form a trailing end. The roll support frames are moved to bring a second roll into the unwinding position. The leading end portion of the second web is adjacent the trailing end portion of the first web.

Abstract: A surface winder includes first and second winding rolls for winding a web on a center member, a stationary surface spaced from the first winding roll for rolling a center member on the stationary surface, and a pinch pad for pinching the web against a pinch surface upstream of the center member and thereby severing the web. The first winding roll is provided with a high friction surface, and only a short length of web needs to be stretched between the pinch surface and the first roll to tension and sever the web. The severed web is wound on the center member as the center member rolls on the stationary surface.

Abstract: A preprinted web having a plurality of first repeating images is reprinted with a plurality of second repeating images which are in register with the first images. A register mark is printed on the web for each of the first images. When the web is reprinted, the positions of the register marks are sensed and compared with the positions of the second images, and the unwind tension of the web is adjusted to maintain the relative positions substantially constant.

Abstract: An elongated web of paper is perforated along a plurality of transverse lines to provide bands of web areas having relatively high tensile strength which extend generally longitudinally along the web. The lines of perforation can be formed by staggered perforation lines which contain groups of perforations which are separated by unperforated areas or by staggered perforation lines which include groups of perforations having relatively low tensile strength which are separated by groups of perforations having relatively high tensile strength.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a roll or log of bathroom tissue or kitchen toweling with a pattern being repeated between each pair of transverse perforations wherein an extensible web having a pattern thereon repeated at equally longitudinally spaced position is advanced along a path toward a rewinder having a knife-equipped perforator and a cutoff mechanism. A detector senses the position of each pattern and also sensed is the position of the perforation knife with the positions being reported to a controller. The perforation knife is adjusted to insure that each perforation is between pattern positions and the cutoff mechanism is adjusted to stay in time with the transverse lines of perforations to provide a selected count of patterns in each winding cycle.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sealing the tail of a convolutely wound log which include a longitudinally extending path, an infeed station and a sealing station in the path, equipping the infeed station with a pair of spaced-apart, rotatable rollers, providing one of the rollers with vacuum ports in the periphery thereof, feeding logs sequentially into the nip space between the pair of rollers, rotating the rollers, orienting the log tail to a position over the ports in the one roller, rotating the rollers to unwind the tail, and rolling each log in the path into the sealing station; the unwinding being either (a) triggered by a mark on the tail such as a UV ink stripe or (b) using an air blast.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for winding an elongate web into a convolutely wound roll either on a core ensleeved on a mandrel or on the mandrel itself and which include providing a center wind rewinder defining an upstream to downstream path having in sequence a web direction changer and a turret indexably rotatable about a first axis and equipped with a plurality of orbiting circumferentially spaced rotatable mandrels. The rewinder has an articulatable arm member indexably rotatable about a second axis outside the orbit of the mandrels.

Abstract: An ink fountain unit for a printing press having a rotatable cylindrical transfer roll, an ink fountain adjacent the roll and parallel thereto, the fountain being equipped with doctor and containment blades and end seals between the blades, all of the blades and end seals having edges bearing against the roll to define a closed chamber for ink, each of the end seals having relatively elongated, spaced apart first and second angled bearing surfaces confronting the doctor and containment blades and an arcuate bearing surface confronting the roll between the angled surfaces and a recess in a chamber wall of each end seal generally aligned with the arcuate bearing surface top provide a cantilevered edge on the arcuate surface so as to apply in operation less lineal pressure to the roll than to the blades.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a diaper-producing machine where a series of unfolded diapers are advanced along a path containing a plurality of stackers each having a folding blade, the apparatus having means for periodically altering the movement of one blade to permit diaper movement past that stacker to a subsequent one, thereby continuing stacking while a previously completed stack is removed.

Abstract: An apparatus for transversely sealing layers of thermoplastic material wherein platen-equipped upper and lower cross bar conveyors are provided for the sealing, there is provided means for jogging the thermoplastic web material incident to heat-up of the platens to prevent scorching of the web and means for stretching the layered web during sealing to overcome the tendency for differential longitudinal shrinkage.