Abstract: The bristles for brushes used in the deceleration section of a sheet handling system are made of a pultruded construction utilizing a high strength fiber core and high wear resin binder to provide bristles which will not acquire a set from bending and exhibit extremely long wear life. Pultruded fibers of various cross sectional shapes and constructions may be utilized to tune the brushes to a particular sheet handling application.

Abstract: An active vibration damping system (e.g. an active tuned mass damping system) uses phasor techniques for accommodating excessive phase shifts in system components (e.g. amplifier and actuators). Optimal control techniques are used to determine preliminary coefficient values for the controller model. These preliminary coefficients are scaled to account for differences in units and the scaled coefficients are then used to determine phase angle and relative phasor magnitudes. For each component of the control force on the tuned mass, the respective phasor is shifted to accommodate a known phase shift in the system while maintaining the same relative phasor magnitude for each component. The phase-shifted coefficient values are then scaled to return the coefficients to the original units, and these coefficients are used in the controller to generate the command signal to drive the actuator that provides the control force on the tuned mass.

Abstract: An on demand ink mixing system for a flexographic or similar printer utilizes a chambered doctor blade with a chamber divided by a flexible bladder to form ink chamber and a pressure chamber. Ink use is coordinated with print run length, and ink mixing and the collapse of the ink chamber to essentially zero volume are coordinated to coincide with the end of the run. The flexible bladder is also utilized in the operation of the ink cleaning system to move cleaning solution through all portions of the supply system and printer contaminated by ink mixed for the run.

Abstract: The labyrinth path in the corrugating nip of a single facer is substantially reduced by utilizing a small diameter corrugating roll captured between a larger diameter conventional corrugating roll and a backing roll arrangement. The smaller diameter corrugating roll is captured to prevent bending thereof under corrugating loads. The corrugator may be operated at high speeds without the adverse increase in labyrinth path and web tension characteristic of a pair of large diameter corrugating rolls.

Abstract: An essentially non-contact holddown system for a corrugator double backer utilizes air pressure supplied by a plenum positioned above and closely spaced from the lower heating section which supports the corrugated web. Continuous edge sealing membranes seal the interface between the lateral edges of the plenum and the web, and overlie the edges of the web so that the seal is enhanced by the holddown pressure.

Abstract: An essentially non-contact holddown system for a corrugator double backer utilizes vacuum pressure through the lower heating section which supports the double face corrugated web. Continuous edge sealing membranes overlie the edges of the web and form, with the web edge and the surface of the heating section, vacuum chambers into which air is drawn from the flute spaces in the double face web.

Abstract: A steam heated web processing roll includes a fully enclosed steam and condensate flow-through system which maintains the roll end walls at approximately the same operating temperature as the functional cylindrical outer roll shell at normal rotational speeds. The closed loop system also assists in purging non-condensible gases from the steam path. At low roll speeds or when the roll is stopped, a valving system closes all of the condensate return paths except one or more of the lowermost paths from which condensate pooling in a sump at the bottom of the roll is withdrawn. This prevents undesirable cooling of the lower portion of the roll as compared to the remaining portion, thereby reducing the possibility of bowing of the roll by thermal distortion.

Abstract: In a single facer, the premoistened medium web is dried on both surfaces to a shallow depth immediately prior to passage through the corrugating nip. The dried shallow surface layers substantially decrease friction between the flutes of the corrugating rolls and the paper while the interior of the web is maintained in a moist condition necessary for formability.

Abstract: A web thread-up apparatus for a beltless double backer includes a coiled flexible band positioned at the downstream end of the double backer on a reel from which the band may be unwound in the upstream direction through the double backer heating section. A clamping device on the free end of the band is utilized to capture the downstream edge of a new corrugated web positioned at the upstream entry to the double backer. Rotation of the reel is reversed to rewind the flexible band into the coil, carrying the web with it through the heating section of the double backer. A downstream web drive conveyor receives the lead edge of the new web which is detached from the rewound clamping device.

Abstract: An apparatus for curing the web bonding adhesive and drying the corrugated paperboard web utilizes a top heating module contacting the upper face surface of the paperboard web for simultaneously heating the paperboard web along with a series of lower heating units. The top heating module includes of a series of internal heating elements. The heating elements are preferably tubes which receive a supply heated gas or liquid and transfer the heat contained therein to a heat exchange fluid within the module. The heat from the heat exchange fluid is then transferred to the paperboard web through a web-conforming contact member. As the paper-board passes through the double backer, the combination of the top heating module and the lower heating units cure the adhesive bonds in the paperboard web. The web-conforming contact member preferably comprises a thin metal membrane and the heat exchange fluid is a liquid.

Abstract: An industry standard width composite paper web includes one layer comprising a plurality of narrow web portions derived from trim rolls of paper which are laminated to a second carrier web of the selected standard width. In an alternate embodiment, the carrier web itself may comprise a plurality of narrow trim roll web portions. The web portions comprising each layer may be spaced from one another slightly, and the gaps between web portions in both layers must offset laterally with respect to one another to maintain composite web integrity.

Abstract: A double backer for curing the web bonding adhesive and drying the corrugated paperboard web utilizes a web holddown apparatus for maintaining the web in intimate drying contact with the lower heating units which does not require the use of a driven holddown belt. The web is pulled through the double backer by a downstream vacuum conveyor section comprising a single full width belt to the upper surfaces of which a vacuum is applied. The vacuum drive belt has low friction strips on the underside by which the belt is supported on vacuum plenum support surfaces and a unique pattern of vacuum distribution channels on the other side of the belt which together reduce friction and drive power requirements.

Abstract: A double backer for curing the web bonding adhesive and drying the corrugated paperboard web utilizes a web holddown apparatus for maintaining the web in intimate drying contact with the lower heating units which does not require the use of a driven holddown belt. The holddown is provided instead by a series of parallel, flexible, closely spaced strips suspended above the web in the heating section and extending in the direction of web travel. Supplemental holddown force may be provided by banks of spring fingers supported above and in contact with the holddown strips on a transverse support rod which may be rotated to vary the amount of supplemental holddown force. Alternately, the holddown strips may comprise continuous cables in which one run of the cables rests upon the moving web to provide the web holddown and a second run includes high friction cable portions which are movable into driving contact with the upper surface of the web to pull it through the heating section, as for initial web thread up.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for optimizing an arrangement of articles, such as stacks of paperboard sheets, into horizontal tiers, then stacking the horizontal tiers one on top another to form a rectangular-shaped unit, wherein the rectangular shaped unit has base dimensions substantially equal to a selected standard pallet-type. The system includes a computer programmed to receive the base size of an article, the total number of articles desired, and a selected pallet type. The computer is connected to a palletizer for building the actual unit of articles consistent with an optimized unit configuration. The palletizer has a tier forming station in which tiers of articles are formed according to the selected tier configuration, and a transfer device for moving the formed tiers into a stack forming station wherein the tiers are sequentially deposited. The system can add spacing between selected articles in a tier, and stack the tiers such that the spaces in adjoining tiers are not aligned.

Abstract: A double backer for curing the web bonding adhesive and drying the corrugated paperboard web utilizes a web holddown apparatus for maintaining the web in intimate drying contact with the lower heating units which does not require the use of a driven holddown belt. The holddown is provided instead by a series of parallel, flexible, closely spaced strips suspended above the web in the heating section and extending in the direction of web travel. The length of the holddown strips in contact with the web may be selectively varied.

Abstract: A conveyor system wherein individual sheets are conveyed from a cutter at a given speed, are increased in speed before passing through a vacuum conveyor shingling section, are slowed down at the shingling section, and then normally proceed at a slowed down speed to the stacker which is adapted to stack a fixed number of sheets before discharging a stack. The sheets are basically handled in accordance with the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,276. The vacuum shingler of the invention includes a slow-down device, such as a smoothing wheel or spring fingers, positioned above the vacuum conveyor section to nip the leading edge of the individual sheets before they contact the vacuum conveyor. The slow-down device acts to reduce the tendency of lightweight paperboard sheets to fold transversely or buckle across their width.

Abstract: Light weight fabricated metal hot plates in a double backer are initially leveled and maintained flat and coplanar against the forces of thermal distortion by utilizing a dense array of adjustable spring biased support assemblies attached to the underside of the hot plate and securing the plate to an underlying supporting framework. The support assemblies allow horizontal thermal deflection of the hot plate but hold the hot plate heating surfaces firmly against vertical deflection.

Abstract: A sharpening device for use with a continuous flexible band cutting blade. The sharpening device includes a pair of rotating abrasive wheels positioned on opposite sides of the cutting blade. The rotating wheels are mounted to a pivot plate on either side of a pivot point between the pivot plate and an assembly arm. The pivot plate is rotatable about the pivot point through the application of a pressure device to the pivot plate. By rotating about the pivot point, the pivot plate moves the abrasive wheels into contact with the cutting blade to facilitate sharpening. The assembly arm is fixed about its upstream end, while the downstream end is movable to adjust the position of the abrasive wheels.

Abstract: A double backer for curing the web bonding adhesive and drying the corrugated paperboard web utilizes a web holddown apparatus for maintaining the web in intimate drying contact with the lower heating units which does not require the use of a driven holddown belt. The holddown is provided instead by a series of parallel, flexible, closely spaced strips suspended above the web in the heating section and extending in the direction of web travel. Supplemental holddown force may be provided by banks of spring fingers supported above and in contact with the holddown strips on a transverse support rod which may be rotated to vary the amount of supplemental holddown force. Alternately, the holddown strips may comprise continuous cables in which one run of the cables rests upon the moving web to provide the web holddown and a second run includes high friction cable portions which are movable into driving contact with the upper surface of the web to pull it through the heating section, as for initial web thread up.

Abstract: A corrugator dry end includes a sheet saving diverter positioned immediately downstream of a rotary shear and a conventional scrap diverter. Useable sheets may be cut to selected useable lengths, diverted and stacked without damage, and without slowing the corrugator line. The useable sheet diverter includes a vacuum diverting conveyor and vacuum shingler which deliver sheets into an adjustable stacking bin.