Method and apparatus for adjusting and maintaining a position of a cutting surface of a perforating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12049019-B2
Application number	US-202017095787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2020
Priority date	Sep 11, 2018
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to adjusting and maintaining a position of a cutting surface used to create lines of weakness for rolled products. A perforating apparatus includes a housing rotatably supported by a frame, wherein the housing is adapted to rotate about a first axis. A support member including a first cutting surface is rotatably supported by the housing, wherein the support member is adapted to rotate about a second axis offset from the first axis. A roll including a second cutting surface is positioned adjacent the support member, wherein the roll is adapted to rotate about a third axis. The second cutting surface is adapted to contact the first cutting surface as the roll rotates about the third axis. The perforating apparatus is configured such that the functions of adjusting the position of the first cutting surface and holding the first cutting surface in a fixed position are separate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A perforating apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a housing rotatably supported by the frame, the housing adapted to rotate about a first axis;
a support member rotatably supported by the housing, the support member adapted to rotate about a second axis, the second axis being offset from the first axis, the support member comprising a first cutting surface;
a roll positioned adjacent the support member, the roll adapted to rotate about a third axis, the roll comprising a second cutting surface adapted to intermittently contact the first cutting surface that is adapted to remain stationary about the second axis as the roll rotates about the third axis to form perforations in a substrate passed between the first and second cutting surfaces in a machine direction;
a support member actuator configured to hold the first cutting surface in a stationary position about the second axis during the formation of perforations and configured to rotate the support member about the second axis to selectively adjust a circumferential position of the first cutting surface when perforations are not being formed in the substrate; and
a holding device selectively operable in a first configuration and a second configuration;
wherein in the first configuration, the housing is permitted to rotate about the first axis; and
wherein in the second configuration, the housing is fixedly connected with the frame to maintain a fixed distance between the first cutting surface and the third axis.

2. The perforating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first cutting surface comprises at least one blade.

3. The perforating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the at least one blade comprises a first tooth and a second tooth separated by a notch.

4. The perforating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second cutting surface comprises at least one blade.

5. The perforating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one blade comprises a first tooth and a second tooth separated by a notch.

6. The perforating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first cutting surface comprises an anvil.

7. The perforating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second cutting surface comprises an anvil.

8. The perforating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the holding device comprises a clamp.

9. The perforating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the clamp is connected with the frame, and wherein the clamp comprises a clamping surface adapted to selectively engage a surface of the housing in the second configuration and disengage from the surface of the housing in the first configuration.

10. The perforating apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the clamping surface is selectively movable radially inward toward the first axis and radially outward from the first axis.

11. The perforating apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a housing actuator with a first end portion connected to the frame and a second end portion connected with a tang of the housing;
wherein in the second configuration the clamping surface is configured to move radially inward and engage the surface of the housing to fixedly connect the housing within the frame;
wherein in the first configuration the clamping surface is configured to move radially outward to disengage the surface of the housing such that the housing can be rotated about the first axis by the housing actuator based on selectively increasing or decreasing a length between the first end portion and the second end portion of the housing actuator.

12. The perforating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising bearings rollingly connecting the housing with the frame.

13. The perforating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising bearings rollingly connecting the support member with the housing.

14. The perforating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first actuator connected with the housing and adapted to rotate the housing about the first axis.

15. The perforating apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first actuator comprises a servo motor.

16. The perforating apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first actuator comprises a linear actuator.

17. The perforating apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a second actuator adapted to rotate the support member about the second axis to selectively adjust a circumferential position of the first cutting surface.

18. The perforating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support member comprises a plurality of first cutting surfaces that are circumferentially spaced from each other about the second axis and wherein the support member actuator comprises:
a first end portion connected with the frame; and
an opposing second end portion connected with the support member;
wherein the support member actuator is configured to adaptively increase and decrease in length between the first end portion and the second end portion to rotate the support member about the second axis to selectively adjust the circumferential position of the plurality of first cutting surfaces such that one of the plurality of first cutting surfaces is moved out of a contacting relationship with the second cutting surface and another of the plurality of first cutting surfaces is moved into the contacting relationship with the second cutting surface when perforations are not being formed in the substrate.

19. The perforating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first cutting surface comprises a blade;
wherein the second cutting surface comprises an anvil;
wherein the blade is positioned such that a distal edge of the blade overlaps a distal edge of the anvil by an overlap distance;
wherein the overlap distance is measured between the distal edge of the blade and the distal edge of the anvil in a cross direction that is perpendicular to the machine direction; and
wherein the holding device in the first configuration is configured to adjust the overlap distance based on rotation of the housing about the first axis.

20. The perforating apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the holding device in the first configuration is configured to adjust the overlap distance such that:
the overlap distance is greater than a first threshold value such that the blade operatively engages the anvil and the substrate is perforated; and
the overlap distance is less than a second threshold value such that the substate can advance through a nip where the anvil contacts the blade.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Schwamberger Brian Christopher
• Mellin Gustav André
• Long Michael Devin

Classifications

• B26F1/20

  with tools carried by a rotating drum or similar support (B26F1/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B26D7/204

  Anvil rollers · CPC title

• B26D3/085 Primary

  On sheet material · CPC title

• B26D7/265 Primary

  Journals, bearings or supports for positioning rollers or cylinders relatively to each other · CPC title