Abstract: A method of measuring fluid flow in a system includes providing a fluid supply assembly which includes a fluid supply supplying fluid, a dispensing valve from which the fluid is dispensed, a dispensing line connecting the fluid supply to the dispensing valve, a gear pump including a motor and a gear being rotated by the motor to provide a flow of fluid from the fluid supply to the dispensing line, a revolution counter counting a number of revolutions of an element of the gear pump, a pressure transducer coupled to the dispensing line sensing pressure in the system, and a controller including a processor and a memory to control the system. The method further includes directing fluid from the fluid supply, rotating the gear to provide the flow of fluid from the fluid supply to the dispensing line, and providing a calibration process by modulating the gear pump.

Abstract: A method for inspecting a non-woven material is provided. The method comprises introducing, by a sonotrode, ultrasonic energy to weld the non-woven material, supporting, by an anvil roll, the non-woven material between the anvil roll and the sonotrode, rotating the anvil roll to transfer the non-woven material in a downstream direction, taking, by an imaging unit disposed downstream of the anvil roll, an image of the non-woven material, and processing the image by an image processing unit. The image processing unit comprises identifying a defect based on the image, classifying the defect into one of a plurality of categories, analyzing a cause of the defect based on the respective category, determining a component causing the defect, and notifying the cause with a recommended remedial action associated with the component.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser. The dispenser includes reversible modular components to define selective removability and rearrangement between them and a base structure such that one or more sheets of a passing liquid-receiving substrate may receive such liquid through interchangeable liquid-dispensing orientations. The removability features include tool-free operation to facilitate quick insertion and removal of the modular components that include at least a liquid-dispensing valve assembly and a seal that is selectively engageable with the valve assembly to protect liquid-dispensing nozzles of the valve assembly from becoming clogged with residual dried liquid during periods of inactivity of the liquid dispenser. Selective movable cooperation or attachment between the modules—as well as between the modules and the base structure—facilitates flexible configurations of the dispenser, including top-down and bottom-up liquid-dispensing orientations.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser. The dispenser includes reversible modular components to define selective removability and rearrangement between them and a base structure such that one or more sheets of a passing liquid-receiving substrate may receive such liquid through interchangeable liquid-dispensing orientations. The removability features include tool-free operation to facilitate quick insertion and removal of the modular components that include at least a liquid-dispensing valve assembly and a seal that is selectively engageable with the valve assembly to protect liquid-dispensing nozzles of the valve assembly from becoming clogged with residual dried liquid during periods of inactivity of the liquid dispenser. Selective movable cooperation or attachment between the modules—as well as between the modules and the base structure—facilitates flexible configurations of the dispenser, including top-down and bottom-up liquid-dispensing orientations.

Abstract: A device and method for inspecting the deposition of hot melt onto an object to be assembled. A comparison is made between sensed images of the object after application of the hot melt and a predetermined standard to determine if the construction integrity of the object made with the hot melt is within the range established by the standard. Composite images from a sensor operating in the infrared band and another sensor reveal physical features of the object, as well as provide registration information about the placement of the hot melt on the assembled object. Composite images also present a way to visually ascertain ongoing or past production operations in order to trace problems with the raw material used for the object, as well as for the construction process of the object with the hot melt.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser. The dispenser includes reversible modular components to define selective removability and rearrangement between them and a base structure such that one or more sheets of a passing liquid-receiving substrate may receive such liquid through interchangeable liquid-dispensing orientations. The removability features include tool-free operation to facilitate quick insertion and removal of the modular components that include at least a liquid-dispensing valve assembly and a seal that is selectively engageable with the valve assembly to protect liquid-dispensing nozzles of the valve assembly from becoming clogged with residual dried liquid during periods of inactivity of the liquid dispenser. Selective movable cooperation or attachment between the modules—as well as between the modules and the base structure—facilitates flexible configurations of the dispenser, including top-down and bottom-up liquid-dispensing orientations.

Abstract: A device and method for inspecting the deposition of hot melt onto an object to be assembled. A comparison is made between sensed images of the object after application of the hot melt and a predetermined standard to determine if the construction integrity of the object made with the hot melt is within the range established by the standard. Composite images from a sensor operating in the infrared band and another sensor reveal physical features of the object, as well as provide registration information about the placement of the hot melt on the assembled object. Composite images also present a way to visually ascertain ongoing or past production operations in order to trace problems with the raw material used for the object, as well as for the construction process of the object with the hot melt.

Abstract: A method for inspecting a feature applied to a box blank during manufacture of a paper box, comprising the steps of illuminating at least that portion of box blank including the feature with an illumination source, receiving an image of the illuminated portion of the box blank from at least one optical sensor, varying a characteristic of the illumination source for optically distinguishing between the feature a surface of said portion of the box blank to which the feature is applied, comparing the received image to a stored product profile containing an optimal image of the feature to determine if features in the received image are similar to the features in the stored product profile, and using the comparison to indicate when the box blank does not conform to the product profile.

Abstract: A tissue manufacturing/handling device is provided. The device comprises a reel turn-up section including a tissue reeling station and an adhesive application system. The tissue reeling station is configured to provide a tissue spool in the path of an advancing tissue web. The adhesive application system is configured to apply a turn-up adhesive to the advancing tissue web or the tissue spool and comprises an adhesive spray rack. The spray rack comprises at least one adhesive applicator nozzle coupled to an adhesive manifold via an adhesive valve assembly. The spray rack comprises a rotation mechanism configured to permit reciprocal rotation of the spray rack about an axis substantially parallel to the spray rack axis between a spray position and at least one maintenance position. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser. The dispenser includes a plurality of cartridges at least one of which allows selective deposition of the liquid onto a workpiece passing through a travel path between the cartridges. Spacing between the cartridges is moveable such that they are responsive to the presence or absence of or changes in thickness or planarity of the workpiece. A linear bearing cooperates with at least one of the cartridges to limit relative movement between them along a linear path. In one embodiment, the dispenser includes an applicator head configured to deposit the liquid includes a divergently-shaped flowpath.

Abstract: A release liner staging unit for depositing a release liner onto an adhesive layer. The unit includes an accumulator that creates a buffer between an amount of release liner supplied and an amount needed for covering a layer of adhesive. The tendency of release liner placed within the accumulator to settle allows additional release liner to be introduced, thereby producing a slightly saturated level of release liner in the accumulator. Time delays can be accounted for to reduce the number of times a drive mechanism needs to operate, thereby reducing wear on such componentry. The unit may also form part of a larger release liner application device and adhesive application system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing a product comprising a support having a long-acting adhesive and a protective tape disposed thereon, so that said adhesive can be used at a later time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for transferring tissue reels. The system preferably incorporates nozzles that spray an adhesive directly onto moving tissue paper substrate, as opposed to applying adhesive directly to the reel, independent of machine speeds and basis weights of the substrate. Alternatively, the system of the present invention may also apply adhesive directly to the new reel as opposed to the tissue paper substrate. In the preferred embodiment, the new core or reel is brought up to substantially equivalent speed as the moving tissue paper substrate and placed into contact with the moving web of tissue. When the new reel is in place, the valves are activated thereby spraying adhesive across the width of moving tissue. The newly coated substrate sticks substantially immediately to the new core and cleanly tears away from the completed roll.

Abstract: A liquid dispenser. The dispenser includes a base structure, a plurality of cartridges releasably mounted to the base structure, and a valve fluidly coupled with an applicator head to allow continued contact with and selective deposition of the liquid to a product passing through a travel path between the cartridges. At least one of the cartridges is linked to the base structure through a variable coupling that is linearly responsive to changes in thickness or planarity of the product such that the applicator head automatically maintains constant contact with the product, regardless of such changes, without having to stop the dispenser or ancillary pieces of machinery. The cartridges are hand interchangeable such that liquid can be deposited on either an upper or lower surface of the product without requiring any tools to affect top-down or bottom-up deposition.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a hot molten adhesive application machine. More specifically the present invention discloses a unique hot melt adhesive application machine having a novel construction whereby the reservoir of molten adhesive material is heated from within the molten adhesive. The adhesive pump, discharge hoses, and discharge applicators are heated by electrical resistance heating elements that may operate on 120 or 240 volt current. Further, a novel axial pump piston is disclosed whereby the pump cylinder bore may be machined to a lessor tolerance standard than previous pumps of this type.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a hot molten adhesive application machine. More specifically the present invention discloses a unique hot melt adhesive application machine having a novel construction whereby the reservoir of molten adhesive material is heated from within the molten adhesive. The adhesive pump, discharge hoses, and discharge applicators are heated by electrical resistance heating elements that may operate on 120 or 240 volt current. Further, a novel axial pump piston is disclosed whereby the pump cylinder bore may be machined to a lessor tolerance standard than previous pumps of this type.

Abstract: A collapsible tube dispenser is disclosed for use with collapsible tubes that contain highly viscous materials, such as silicone gasket RTV. The dispenser provides two engaging plates for squeezing the sides of a collapsible tube, which causes the contents of the tube to be expressed from its open end. The dispenser also includes two handles which can be gripped by a single hand of a human user. When the handles are kept apart from one another, a collapsible tube can be inserted into the slot formed between the engaging plates of the dispenser. When the handles are squeezed together, the engaging plates apply force to the sides of the tube, thus squeezing out a very controlled amount of highly viscous material. The dispenser is very easy to use, in that it can produce a bead of highly viscous material upon a target having a very narrow line width, and having great positional accuracy.

Abstract: A collapsible tube dispenser is disclosed for use with collapsible tubes that contain highly viscous materials, such as silicone gasket RTV. The dispenser provides two engaging plates for squeezing the sides of a collapsible tube, which causes the contents of the tube to be expressed from its open end. The dispenser also includes two handles which can be gripped by a single hand of a human user. When the handles are kept apart from one another, a collapsible tube can be inserted into the gap formed between the engaging plates of the dispenser. When the handles are squeezed together, the engaging plates apply force to the sides of the tube, thus squeezing out a very controlled amount of highly viscous material. The dispenser is very easy to use, in that it can produce a bead of highly viscous material upon a target having a very narrow line width, and having great positional accuracy.

Abstract: A fixture for automatically and selectively coating a predetermined area of the inner surface of a hollow body with a liquid, wherein the hollow body has a closed end and an open end with an edge which defines the open end. The fixture is preferably at least partially disposed in a volume of the coating liquid, and comprises a base member, a pressure tube attached to the base member, and in fluid communication with a variable pressure source, and a hollow body support for orienting the hollow body in inverted condition with its open edge partially submerged in the volume of coating liquid. The inverted hollow body thereby provides a closed cavity defined by the closed end of the hollow body and the partially submerged open edge. A preferred embodiment of the fixture further includes a control partition extending upwardly from the base, circumscribing and spaced radially from the pressure tube.

Abstract: An airless, solenoid-operated applicator having a high speed non-contact extrusion valve, wherein the time required for opening and closing the plunger assembly of the valve, as well as for the applicator to recycle, is minimized by concentrating an electromagnetic field on pole pieces made of magnetically soft material. The electromagnetic field is generated by a coil having windings with a length substantially equal to the distance between their inner and outer diameter. Further, the dynamic pole has a length relative to the length of the windings since the plunger assembly is spring-loaded within the static pole instead of the dynamic pole. An annealing process may also be performed on the pole pieces, as well as various magnetically conductive and corrosion resistant coatings or platings applied thereto, in order to further enhance the susceptibility of the pole pieces to magnetism.