Method and apparatus for transferring a discrete substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636262-B2
Application number	US-201514747118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	Jun 26, 2014
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus and method for transferring a discrete substrate. A transfer apparatus may include a top plate and a bottom plate. The top plate and the bottom plate may include a first inboard supply port and a first outboard supply port and may define a passageway. The discrete substrate may enter the passageway at a first velocity and exit the passageway at a final velocity. The final velocity may be greater than the first velocity. A first inboard control valve and a first outboard control valve may be activated, and each valve may operate on a valve frequency that defines an on-period and an off-period for each cycle. Each cycle may be controlled by a controller. A visual detection device may track the discrete substrate and communicate with the controller. The discrete substrate may be adjusted as it advances in a machine direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transferring a discrete substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a transfer apparatus comprising a top plate and a bottom plate opposite the top plate, wherein the top plate and the bottom plate include a first supply port, and a first outboard supply port adjacent to the first inboard supply port, and wherein the top plate and the bottom plate define a passageway having an entry portion, an exit portion opposite the entry portion, and a central longitudinal axis extending in a machine direction;
feeding a discrete substrate comprising a leading edge portion, a trailing edge portion opposite the leading edge portion, a central portion between the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion, a first surface, and a second surface opposite the first surface through the transfer apparatus, wherein the discrete substrate enters through the entry portion of the passageway at a first velocity and exits through the exit portion of the passageway at a final velocity, wherein the final velocity is greater than the first velocity;
activating a first inboard control valve to supply fluid to the first inboard supply port;
activating a first outboard control valve to supply fluid to the first outboard supply port, wherein the first inboard control valve and the first outboard control valve operate on a valve frequency, wherein the valve frequency defines an on-period and an off-period for each cycle;
controlling each of the first inboard control valve and the first outboard control valve with a controller, wherein the controller modifies the on-period and the off-period for each cycle for each of the first inboard control valve and the first outboard control valve;
advancing the discrete substrate in a machine direction;
tracking at least a portion of the discrete substrate with a visual detection device, wherein the visual detection device is positioned adjacent to at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate such that at least a portion of at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the discrete substrate is detectable by the visual detection device; and
adjusting the discrete substrate;
wherein the first inboard supply port includes a plurality of inboard injector ports extending along the length of the first inboard supply port and the first outboard supply port includes a plurality of outboard injector ports extending along the length of the first outboard supply port, wherein each of the plurality of ports extend from at least one of the first inboard supply port and the first outboard supply port into the passageway.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first inboard control valve and the first outboard control valve are active for at least a product period.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of controlling the first inboard control valve and the first outboard control valve includes activating and deactivating the first inboard control valve and the first outboard control valve.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of modifying the on-period and the off-period for each cycle includes at least one of increasing and decreasing the on-period.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first inboard supply port and the first outboard supply port remain active while at least one of the first inboard supply port and the first outboard supply port engages the leading edge portion of the discrete substrate with fluid to when at least one of the first inboard supply port and the first outboard supply port engages at least one of the central portion and the trailing edge portion of the discrete substrate with fluid.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first inboard supply port is fluidly connected to a first inboard injector port and first outboard supply port is fluidly connected to a first outboard injector port.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fluid supplied to the first inboard supply port exits through the first inboard injector engaging at least a portion of the leading edge portion of the discrete substrate and advancing the discrete substrate toward the exit portion of the passageway.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fluid supplied to the first outboard supply port exits through the first outboard injector engaging at least a portion of the leading edge portion of the discrete substrate and advancing the discrete substrate toward the exit portion of the passageway.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller is operatively connected to the visual detection device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of inactivating the first inboard control valve to stop the supply of fluid to the first inboard supply port.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of inactivating the first outboard control valve to stop the supply of fluid to the first outboard supply port.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first inboard supply port and the first outboard supply port is substantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the passageway.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first outboard supply port is at a supply port angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the supply port angle is from about 75 degrees to about 15 degrees.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first inboard supply port is at a supply port angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the supply port angle is from about 75 degrees to about 15 degrees.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ports has a vertical injector angle with respect to an internal surface of at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate wherein the vertical injector angle is from about 15 degrees to about 75 degrees.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the injector angle is from about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of ports has a horizontal injector angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis, wherein the horizontal injector angle is from about 0 degrees to about 30 degrees.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the discrete substrate is in facing relationship with the top plate and the second surface of the discrete substrate is in facing relationship with the bottom plate.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first inboard supply port and the first outboard supply port include an inlet portion and an end portion opposite the inlet portion, and wherein the fluid enters through the inlet portion and moves toward the end portion.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transfer apparatus comprises a first side plate substantially perpendicular to at least one of the top plate and the bottom plate, and a second side plate opposite the first side plate.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
activating a second inboard control valve to supply fluid to a second inboard supply port; and
activating a second outboard control valve to supply fluid to a second outboard supply port.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual detection device is a camera positioned along the machine direction.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a field-programmable gate array.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discrete substrate is a nonwoven.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of adjusting the discrete subst

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Kawka Paul Anthony
• Walsh Bradley Edward

Classifications

• A61F13/15764 Primary

  Transferring, feeding or handling devices; Drives · CPC title

• B65G2812/16

  Pneumatic conveyors · CPC title

• B65G2811/0673

  Control of conveying operations · CPC title

• B65G37/00

  Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes (series of co-operating belt conveyor units B65G15/22; series of co-operating chain conveyor units B65G17/26; sequence control of combined conveyors B65G43/10) · CPC title

• B65G43/08

  Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged {(and controlling the discharging devices B65G47/42)} · CPC title