Extrudate transport apparatus having a free floating roller assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137599-B2
Application number	US-201715404891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2017
Priority date	Feb 26, 2010
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

An extrudate transport apparatus comprises a free floating roller assembly, wherein the roller assembly controls a rotational pitch of a cylindrical green ceramic extrudate as the green ceramic extrudate moves longitudinally from a first location to a second location within the extrudate transport apparatus. The free floating roller assembly has a predetermined effective weight and comprises a contact roller having a deformable outer surface for frictionally contacting an outer surface of the green ceramic extrudate in motion adjacent thereto, while maintaining a constant contact force upon said green ceramic extrudate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for orienting sections of a green ceramic extrudate, comprising:
applying a reference mark to a green ceramic extrudate as the extrudate exits an extrusion apparatus onto an extrudate support channel;
contacting a surface of the green ceramic extrudate with a contact roller comprising a contact roller axis substantially perpendicular to a predetermined extrudate axis along the extrudate support channel, wherein the contact roller is rotatably mounted to a free floating roller assembly having a predetermined effective weight, wherein the free floating roller assembly exerts a constant contact force to the surface of the green ceramic extrudate;
selectively reorienting the contact roller angularly with respect to the predetermined extrudate axis while maintaining the constant contact force;
cutting the extrudate to form an extrudate segment;
floatingly supporting the extrudate segment on an air bearing;
taking an optical reading of the reference mark on the cut section of the floatingly supported extrudate;
transferring the extrudate segment from the extrudate support channel via frictional force to a dryer tray; and
imaging an end of the extrudate segment on the dryer tray and comparing the image with a target range for alignment.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of correcting corkscrew deformation of the extrudate exiting the extrusion apparatus in response to a reference mark misalignment.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the correction is made prior to the green ceramic extrudate being cut to form an extrudate segment.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of selectively reorienting a contact roller angularly with respect to the predetermined extrudate axis while maintaining a constant contact force and correcting misalignment of the reference mark from a predetermined reference point by inducing an extrudate rotation about a centroidal extrudate axis, said correction being subsequent to the green ceramic extrudate being cut to form an extrudate segment.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of transferring the extrudate segment from the extrudate support channel via frictional force comprises contacting the extrudate segment with pad supports constructed of a flexibly resilient foam.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Duroe John Christian

Classifications

• B29C2793/0027

  Cutting off · CPC title

• B29C48/92

  Measuring, controlling or regulating · CPC title

• B29C2795/002

  before shaping · CPC title

• B29C48/08

  flexible, e.g. films · CPC title

• B29C2795/007

  after shaping · CPC title