Abstract: A method for forming a hardened coating on a workpiece, such as a corrugating roll, having an undulated surface. A high velocity oxygen fueled gun is aligned with the undulated surface and a coating material is sprayed onto the surface from the gun to form a hardened coating having substantially uniform surface characteristics. The coating material is a tungsten carbide-cobalt material, or other hard carbide or oxide materials, which is sprayed onto the surface in a direction which is parallel to and offset from a plane passing through the longitudinal center of the roll. During the spraying operation, the gun is traversed along the length of the roll while the roll is rotated.

Abstract: An improved idler roll is disclosed including a longitudinal cylinder having tubular walls sealed at the ends by flanged stub shafts. The interior of the idler roll is filled with ethylene glycol. The idler roll can be placed into rolling abutment with a heated surface, and when the idler roll is stopped for a period of time, the thermal distortion along the longitudinal length of the idler roll is minimal. When the idler roll is once again started, the fluid in the idler roll causes a forced convection heat transfer, evenly distributing the temperature of the idler roll, and thereby eliminating the thermal distortion.

Abstract: A heater for a double facing apparatus includes a flat metal plate where channels are drilled through end faces of the plate. Slots are provided at the end faces of the plate to interconnect pairs of adjacent channels at alternate ends to form a serpentine steam passage through the plate. The channels are positioned through the plate proximate to the upper surface of the plate, to define a thin web of plate material between the channel and the upper surface and a thick web of material between the channel and the lower surface of the plate. End caps are welded over the slots to seal the communication between the adjacent interconnected pair of channels. Steam supply ports extend into the serpentine path to steam pressurize the serpentine passage. Air vents can be supplied between some adjacent channels of the heater, extending between an upper and a lower surface of the plate.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for heat treating the flutes of a corrugating roll. A laser having a beam with a Gaussian power density distribution is provided for heating the flutes. The beam from the laser is reconfigured by an integrator lens to form a beam having a homogeneous power density distribution, which is focused upon the upper portion of a flute to be heat treated as the flute is traversed lengthwise past the beam.

Abstract: An improved idler roll is disclosed including a longitudinal cylinder having tubular walls sealed at the ends by flanged stub shafts. The interior of the idler roll is filled with ethylene glycol. The idler roll can be placed into rolling abutment with a heated surface, and when the idler roll is stopped for a period of time, the thermal distortion along the longitudinal length of the idler roll is minimal. When the idler roll is once again started, the fluid in the idler roll causes a forced convection heat transfer, evenly distributing the temperature of the idler roll, and thereby eliminating the thermal distortion.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for heat treating the flutes of a corrugating roll. A laser having a beam with a Gaussian power density distribution is provided for heating the flutes. The beam from the laser is reconfigured by an integrator mirror to form a beam having a homogeneous power density distribution, which is subsequently interrupted by a copper rod to form a substantially U-shaped beam. The beam is positioned over an end of the roll with the open end opposing the center of the corrugating roll, and the roll is traversed relative to the beam, whereby the flute is heat treated.

Abstract: A paper corrugating machine is disclosed which includes a heater for preheating the medium prior to the corrugation. The heater includes a curved metal plate where channels are drilled through end faces of the plate. Slots are provided at the end faces of the plate to interconnect pairs of adjacent channels at alternate ends to form a serpentine steam passage through the plate. End caps are welded over the slots to seal the communication between the adjacent interconnected pair of channels. Steam supply ports extend into the serpentine path to steam pressurize the serpentine passage. The heater is placed in a single facer corrugating apparatus above the upper and lower corrugating rolls. A variable wrap mechanism is also disclosed which varies the angle of wrap between the medium paper and the heater.

Abstract: A robotic die mounting mechanism can be used to apply or remove fasteners to or from aligned locations such as pre-drilled and pre-tapped holes in a cutting die and backing drum for attaching or detaching the die to or from the drum. The mounting mechanism including a fastener supply magazine with a dispensing chute, a robotic arm, a socket on a rotary driver, and an actuator mounting the driver. The magazine holds a supply of the fasteners and its chute dispenses one fastener at a time from the magazine. The robotic arm movable between a fastener pickup position adjacent the magazine chute and a fastener discharge position remote therefrom and above the die and drum receives one fastener at a time from the magazine chute and transfers the fastener from the fastener pickup position to the fastener discharge position. The socket on the rotary driver engages the fastener at the fastener discharge position.