US2591359A - Cellulose pad machine - Google Patents

Description

April 1, 1952- c. G. JOA

CELLULOSE PAD MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 14, 1950 Imnentor (Ittqtnegs A ril 1, 1952 c, G, JOA 2,591,359

CELLULOSE PAD MACHINE I illiili 3nventor wzr 4 J04 attornegs April 1, 1952 c. G. JOA 2,591,359

' CELLULOSE PAD MACHINE Filed June 14, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 3m entor Cum 5 (/04 (Ittotnegs April 1, 1952 c. G. JOA

CELLULOSE PAD MACHINE 7 sheets sheei 4 Filed June 14, 1950 Zhwentor can 4 J04 (Ittornegs c. G. JOA 2,591,359

CELLULOSE PAD MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 A ril 1, 1952 Filed June 14, 1950 6 Q2 FM attqrnega April 1, 1952" c. G.VJOA

CELLULOSE PAD MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 14, 1950 Z'mnentor Gttornegs c. G. JOA 2,591,359

CELLULOSE PAD MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 MJMJM April 1, 1952 Filed June 14, 1950 (Ittornegs Patented Apr. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CELLULOSE PAD MACHINE Curt G. J oa, Sheboygan Falls, Wis.

Application June 14, 1950, Serial No. 168,045

30 Claims. 1

My invention relates to improvements in cellulose pad machines.

Many products require pads of cellulosic tissue built up in multiple laminations and having different lateral and longitudinal dimensions, so as to fit equipment with which they are used. More particularly stated therefor, my invention relates to a machine for building up a pad of cellulosic tissue with a selected number of plies of tissue and to cut and deliver an adjustably selected size of pad.

Cellulose material is marketed in bulk in the form of relatively loosely rolled sheets of tissue from which a number of plies may be unrolled simultaneously, but the several laminations thus unrolled have very little tensile strength and, like filmy textile material, are not form sustaining so as to retain a web shape unless the web is supported at relatively closely spaced intervals. The rolls from which the laminations of tissue are removed are diificult to support upon a mandrel and it is diflicult to maintain them in a rotative movement upon such a mandrel at the correct speed to feed the web from the supply roll. The usual number of plies of tissue to be unrolled at a given speed of rotation of the supply roll do not provide sufiicient 'tensile strength to make it practical to supply the power for the unrolling operation by pulling on the laminated tissue itself. Therefore, one of the important features in connection with my invention is the provision of means for withdrawing tissue from the supply roll so as to meet the problems above referred to.

The objects of my invention are: To provide a machine to support a bulk supply roll of cellulose tissue, rotate the supply roll without the provision of a mandrel and without placing destructive tensile stresses upon the tissue, and support the withdrawn web of tissue in such a way as to maintain its web shape; to provide a multiple of web feeding machines, each adapted to feed a web of material having little form sustaining and tensile strength; to accumulate the output of a web feeding machine and stitch the laminations into a pad forming belt; to sever a belt into predetermined sizes of cellulosic tissue pads; to deliver and to segregate individual pads-much of the web and lamination handling mechanism of my machine having as its object to sustain, tension, and deliver material of the character described without having a web or pad forming material collapse or be misaligned at intermediate stages in the handling of the material apparatus.

A further and important object of my invention is to provide a machine to receive in center- 2 less support a roll of web material to be fed from the roll, and to feed the web from the roll with a minimum of strain placed upon the web.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing at the extreme right my belt severing and pad delivering mechanism and showing two units of my web handling, stitching and delivering mechanisms for delivery of multiple web laminations to the belt severing mechanisms.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the roll and web handling units shown at the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective showing a web stitchingapparatus forming part of one of the units shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the belt severing and pad handling and delivery apparatus shown at the right in Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a section on line 'l--'l of Fig. 6.

Figs. 8 to 13 inclusive are diagrammatic plan views showing successive positions of three sets of retractable material supporting plates in the path of material travel as the pads leave the belt severing apparatus adjacent the output end of my pad machine, each of said Figs. 8 to 13 inclusive having a corresponding view 8a to I3a respective:- ly, showing a section corresponding to the plan view with which it is associated, the section lines in each instance being indicated upon the plan v1ew.

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of my compression bar conveyor chain and showing in end elevation a floating and non-floating compression bar according to my invention.

Fig. 15 is a section on line l5l5 of Fig. 14.

Fig. 15a is a section longitudinal of a bar Ill and showing in section a rail in position to force the bar into engagement with its opposed bar I00.

Fig. 16 is a section on line l6l6 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 1'7, 18 and 19 are elevations of the cams for the actuation of the plates shown in Figs. 8 to 13 inclusive, the angularity of each cam with respect to a starting position being shown so as to indicate the timing of the respective pairs of plates.

Fig. 20 is a section on line 20-20 of Fig. 16.

Like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the following specification it may be understood that the material handled by the machine embodying my invention may be any form of textile-like or fabric web, but I shall herein refer to a web of cellulose tissue, such as is commonly used to make up absorbent pads for catamenial bandages, diaper pads, filter pads and the like. The web may be a single thickness of cellulose tissue, but ordinarily such tissue is commercially produced in the form of a roll of laminated web having several thicknesses of tissue.

Furthermore in the following specification I shall refer to the fact that in my machine superimposed webs are. stitched together. By this I means that the various laminations are bound together by the pressure treatment along or adjacent Y a margin, and by reason of the pressure treatment the fibers of cellulose tisue in the various plies are bonded together.

Also, in the following description it will be seen that my machine accumulates superposed webs which coincide as to their lateral margins and take the appearance of a belt which is the term by which I shall refer to them.

As shown in Fig. 1 my cellulose pad machine includes a series of substantially identical web feeding and stitching units, A, B, etc. in suflicient number so as to make up a belt of adequate thickness, and finally, a severing and delivering unit C.

A web feeding and stitching unit such as A in Fig. 1 is shown in detail in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive as will now be described.

The raw material to be acted upon comprises the roll 25 which rests in a valley formed by two sets of V belts, one set of these belts comprises a group of four belts 26 supported and guided by pulleys on an upper idler shaft 21, and a lower valley shaft 28; the other group of belts, three in number, is shown at 29. They are considerably longer than the belts shown at 26 and they have their pulleys on the valley shaft 28; on web guide shaft 36, on stitching drum 3| and tightener shaft 32. The various shafts are supported in frame work 35 provided with legs 36 and in the frame work 31 supported on legs 38. The frame work 35 is sufficiently wide so that any length of roll 25 of raw material within the capacity of the machine may be supported in the valley of belts 26 and 29 and may be positioned there by side plates 46 and 4| secured in place by spaced mountings 42, 43, 44 and 45. Thus as the belts 26 and 29 move about their respective pulleys, the web 56. is progressively unwound from the roll, guided and supported over the belts 29, over the stitching drum 3| and under a web laying roll 5| so that it may slidably advance upon polished tray 52 as it is fed under the succeeding units B to the unit C.

As the web 50 is conveyed to the stitching drum along the approximately horizontal upper reaches of the belts 29, the web is pressed firmly against the belts 29 by stripping belts 53. These belts 53 are provided in the same number as belts 29 and are similarly spaced upon pulleys 54 and 55 mounted respectively on stripper pulley shafts 56 and 51 carried by suitable bushings 58, forming part of frame 31. Supported by this same frame 31 is a stitching shaft 60, but the stitching shaft is floated in adjustable bearing blocks 6|. As shown in Fig. 4 the bearing blocks are guided in the frame 31 and are thrust downwardly by stitching roll adjusting screws 62.

The stitching roll assembly shown most clearly in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 includes bearing cone collars 63 and 64 adjustably positionable along the shaft 66 and releasably fixed in place by set screws 65. Upon each of these bearing cone collars is a stitching collar 66 and a grooved friction drive collar 6'l-the two collars 66' and 61 being secured together. The stitching collar has a serrated periphery of such diameter that it is positioned to bear with considerable pressure against the web on the drum. In the groove of the grooved friction collar 61 is a tightly fitted V belt 68 so gauged as to size that it may bear upon the surface of the stitching drum laterally of the web 50, and thus impart rotative motion from the stitching drum to the stitching roll. Therefore as web 50 is fed from rolled material 25 to be supported and carried over the pulleys on web guide shaft 30 it passes on belts 29 over the stitching drum 3|, but as it passes over the stitching drum, stitching collar 66 bears upon the web 50 to impress it against the compression drum as shown in Fig.5, thus stitching or welding the several plies of tissue together so that the web 56 in its progress toward and through the unit C remains as a ribbon without any marginal tendency of the plies of tissue to separate.

Since the pressure applied by the teeth on the edge of the stitching collars 66 is considerable there is some tendency of the material of the web to lift at the trailing zone of contact. It is for this reason that I provide stripping belts 53 which strip the material from the serrated edges of the stitching collars, and the web may thereafter freely conform to and then leave the stitching drum and pass downwardly under the web laying roll 5|.

The machine units A, B, etc., derive their power for the rotation of pulleys, drum, belts and shafts from a line shaft 16 extending parallel with the various units and supported in bearings H (see Fig. 3). To this line shaft, a cross shaft 12 for each unit is connected by miter gears 13 and 14. A belt 15 connects the unit cross shaft 12 to jack shaft 16. Power from-jack shaft 16 is in turn imparted to stitching drum 3| by means of chain (see Figs. 2 and 3). A chain 18 connects the cross shaft 12 to a sprocket 19 on shaft 80. Also mounted on shaft is a spur gear 8| meshing with a spur gear 82 on cross shaft 83. Cross shaft 83 in turn carries pulley 84 which connects by means of a V belt to a pulley 55 on stripper power shaft 51. From this stripper power shaft 51 V belts 53 derive their motivation through the pulleys 55.

Pulleys for the sets of belts 26 and 29 are fixed on shaft 28, therefore, the sets of belts 26 and 29 derive their power for this operation from the stitching drum 3| which is grooved to take the belts 29. r

Thus the rolls of tissue material 25 are rotated in centerless support in the valleys on belts 26 and 29 and the web 50'is fed over the belts 29 to the stitching mechanism as will be apparent from the above description. After it has been marginally stitched the web 50- from each of the units A, B, etc. passes around and under the weblaying roll 5| for delivery onto the polished tray which will now be described in greater detail.

Each of the frames 38 is provided with a rodlike tray support 85 which spans the frame 38 under the stitching drum 3|. This tray support extends through the tubular terminals 86 of the tray 52 onto which the particular unit A or B served by frame 38 feeds its web 50. This tray then extends between the legs 36 and 38 of each of the units B to the point of delivery of the webs 50 as they are brought upwardly under tension between the'last units B and the unit C as shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted that each of the trays is bent upwardly at 81 and that the lower-most tray is the longest. Each successive tray in an upward direction is shorter and slightly differently curved so as to facilitate delivery of the respective webs as will be clear upon an examination of the drawings. These trays as mentioned before are of polished stainless steel and the webs 50 glide with exceedingly small friction over their surfaces. Since the side plates 40 are adjustable laterally according to the length of the spacer mountings 42, 43, 44 and 45, and since the stitching rolls with their respective collars 63 and 64 are adjustable upon shaft 60 it will be apparent that my Web feeding and stitching units A, B, etc., are adapted to take, stitch and feed a web of any desired width within maximum capacity of these units as prescribed by the length of shaft 60.

Continuing with the assumption that there are sufficient units A and B to supply five webs 50, all the five webs will form a multi-ply belt 88 entering unit C over a cutting machine entry roll 90 so that the superimposed Webs in belts 85 may enter the throat 9I defined by an upper and lower chain conveyor which is associated with a web severing mechanism. The lower conveyor consists of two side chains 92 and 93 supported and guided over front sprockets 94 and 95 and over rear sprockets 96 and 91the front sprockets being mounted upon shaft 98 and the rear sprockets on shaft 99. The chains 92 and 93 are sufiiciently far apart so that the webs 50 would fall between them, but the chains are provided with pairs of web-supporting bars I and IOI. The web severing knife as will hereinafter be described is so mounted as to sever the webs along the line midway between these bars I00 and IOI, and I provide these bars in a sufficient number of pairs and so spaced along the chains 92 and 93 that a bar IOI may hold a trailing end of a severed web and bar I00 may hold the leading end of a severed web in conjunction with pairs of bars forming part of the upper conveyor.

The upper conveyor has two side chains I and I06 supported and guided on sprockets I01 and I08 at the leading end I09 and H0 at the trailing end-sprockets I01 and I08 being supported upon shaft III, and sprockets I09 and H0 being supported on shaft II2 as shown most clearly in Figs. 6 and 7. The upper chains I05 and I06 are provided with bars H3 and H4 in pairs spaced identically with the spacing of the bars I00 and IN on the lower conveyor chains.

The bars II 3 and I I4 are not identical. The leading bar, H3, in each pair as shown in Fig. 14 is secured firmly to chains I05 and I06 by means of chain links II5 which have outstanding ears II6 to which rivets II'I firmly hold the bar II3. Conventional chain links without ears, and blocks II8 connected pivotally between the links II5 complete the chain assembly. However, the trailing bar I I4 in each pair of bars of the upper chain is thinner and longer than bar II3. It is loosely mounted on rivet II! but is thrust downwardly positively by a rail I20 at either end of the bar. Bars II3 are not sufiiciently long to underlie rails I20 and therefore they bear against their opposing rails IOI only by gravity.

Throughout the stretch of the lower conveyor where it is important that the rails I I4 and I00 be pressed firmly toward each other with web 50 therebetween, I provide rails I2I which underlie the upper portion of the lower chain conveyor 92-93.

It is thus important that the bars of the upper conveyor and the lower conveyor in the unit C be accurately positioned with respect to each other since bar I0 I must'accurately underlie bar I I3 and bar I00 must accurately underlie bar II 4 as will be apparent from the following description of the web severing mechanism.

The many plies of tissue making up the respective webs, and the five webs which enter the unit C, constitute the belt as above defined. This belt 88 through unit 0 passes over shearing roll I25 and under shearing roll I26 which are spaced apart as shown in Fig. '7. They are geared together by gears I21 and I28. Gear I2'I is meshed withgear I29 on shaft I30, and a fly-Wheel I3I upon this same shaft assures a steady rotation of the two rolls I25 and I26. Mounted in each of the rolls I25 and I26 is a cut-off blade I32-I39 and the timing of the gears and rolls I25-I29 is 'such that the two blades are fed in between pairs of bars as they advance in their respective conveyors. The cut-oif blades come into coincidence with their edges positioned to pinch off the belt 88 by extreme pressure. In thus cutting" the belt 88 the many layers of tissue are in effect, pressure welded, so that in the remaining movement of the severed portions of the belt 88 there is no tendency for individual layers of tissue to separate from the layers with which they have been bonded.

The severing and bonding operation having been completed as above described, the belt 88 takes the form of a succession of individual cellulose pads I35, each having a leading edge and a trailing edge with the leading edge firmly held by bars I00--I I3 and the trailing edge being less firmly held by bars IOI-I I 4.

It will be noted in Fig. 7 that immediately beyond the belt severing mechanism the lower conveyor terminates at sprockets 96-91. At this point each individual pad I35 is picked off of the lower bars I00, IOI by a pair of fixed fingers I36, I31. These fingers are bluntly pointed and are so set longitudinally with reference to the general path of progress of the severed pads I35 that they are inserted in notches I38-I39 in the bars I00IOI. Thus as the chains and bars of the lower conveyor swing around sprockets 96 and 91, the fingers I36--I3I are in position to support and guide each pad as it is drawn along by the bars I I3I I4 of the upper conveyor chain assembly.

The fingers I 36-I 31 are relatively short and they are followed at the same level immediately below the lower portion of the upper conveyor by a series of three pairs of pad delivery plates. Those on the right side as seen in Fig. 16 are numbered I40, I M and I42, and those on the left are designated I40 MI and I42 These pad delivery plates, as shown in Fig. 6, are mounted for lateral withdrawal and replacement so that as each pad I 35 advances over a delivery table I45 which is beneath the three sets of plates there is a, continuous double path for the leading edge of the pad, but the plates are withdrawn in such sequence that the trailing end of the pad is without support, and means are provided to depress the unsupported-portions of the pad and flip them down to the delivery table I 45. The mounting and operation of these laterally retractable and replaceable plates will now be described.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 16 and 20 the path of travel of the pad I35 lies under bars H4 and over plates I40 and I40 Each of these plates is mounted upon a plate slide I46 mounted in ways I41. The plate slide I46 for plate I40 has an upstanding bracket I48 and the plate slide for plate I40 has 9. depending bracket I49. These brackets are interconnected by power link I50, bracket lever I5I, and upper bracket rod I52.

'I'I, l8 and I9.

accuses Bracket lever II is pivoted at I53 so that the plates I40 and MI move equally and oppositely in their respective ways. Each of the sets of retractable and replaceable plates I4I-I II and I42 and I42 has its own mechanism comprising.

substantially a duplicate of the ways-brackets, links and levers which I have just described with respect to plates I40 and I40 To actuate these sets of plates in the proper sequence I provide a camshaft I55 upon which are three cams I56, I51 and I58 of identical contour, as shown in Figs. In conjunction with cam I56 for the actuation of plates I40 and I 40 I provide cam follower I60 with its cam roller I6I to bear upon the external contoured portion of the cam. Cam follower I60 is guided in cam follower bracket I62 which is so shaped as to provide a recess and abutment for compression spring I63, one end of which bears against a collar I64 fitted to a groove in the cam follower shaft I65, whereby cam follower I60 is urged downwardly against the cam. At the upper end of cam follower shaft I65 is a link connecting head I66 to which is pivotally connected at I6'I a bell crank operating link I68. Bell crank I69 mounted pivotally at I is thus oscillated so that its pivotal connection at I'II causes the power link I50 to move the plates I40 and I40 in proper synchronized movement.

As shown in Fig. 7 cam I5! is provided with similar cam follower mechanism and similar linkage and bell crank to motivate the properly timed motion of plates MI and MP, while at I58 the third cam is provided with similar cam following apparatus with linkage and bell crank for the operation of plates I42 and I42 When the high contours of the cams thrust the cam followers upwardly the plates which they control are retracted laterally so as to withdraw those particular plates from their supporting position beneath a pad advancing under control of the upper conveyor.

As shown in Figs. 8-8a to 13-1311, the sequence of the operations of the plates is clearly set forth. In each of these views the severed pad is shown in dot and dash lines at I35. The leading edge of the pad has a bar II3 bearing down upon it, and a trailing edge of the pad has a bar II4 bearing upon it, so that the pad is advanced over the plates as above indicated by reason of the frictional engagement of these bars upon the 'pad. At the point of commencement of the cycle now to be described, the leading edge of the pad I shown in Figs. 8-811 is leaving the fingers I36 and is sliding over plates I40 and I40 These plates have been replaced by the cam mechanism under control of cam I56 and the cam is in the position shown in Figs. 16 and 17. At this point in the cycle, plates MI and MI and plates I42 and I42 are fully retracted since the preceding pad has just been dropped onto the table I45. The next stage in the advance of pad I35 is that shown in Figs. 9-9a wherein the pad has advanced almost to the point where it will overlie plates HI and Hil Therefore, this means that shaft I55 has rotated sufliciently with its respective cams so that cam I5I actuated the plates I4II M to the position shown in Figs. 9-9a.

As shown in Figs. 10-100. by the time the leading edge cfpad I35 approaches the end of plates I4II4I the plates I40I4I.I are already re- ,tracted so that portions of the pad are completely unsupported. Plates I4II4I remain in position until, as shown in Figs. ll-lla, the leading edge of the pad passes over onto plates I42I42 to pull the trailing edge of the pad out of the grip of the bar II4 of the fingers I36-I3'I.

As indicated at Figures 13-130; the final step in the cycle is the actuation of plates I42I42 and by this time the plates IIIIII4II are being replaced in position to receive the next succeeding pad; and spring I8I bearing upon the widest area of the pad I35 is all ready to flip the pad downwardly upon the table I45.

In the Figs. 17, 18 and 19 the respective cams are shown in their relative positions which they assume at the point of commencement as shown in Figs. 8-80,; they operate clockwise as shown in Figs. 16-19, inclusive as will be understoodfrom the description above.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 16 it will be noted that the table I45 is slotted and that ejector fingers I are included as a part of an ejector chain I9I moving under the table. Each of the ejector fingers is shaped like a bell crankand pivoted to one of the pivot pins of the chain so that the ejector fingers may oscillate under the control of a roller I93. Throughout a part of the cycle of operations of ejector chain I9I, the ejector fingers take the position shown in Fig. 16, however, when the roller I93 contacts roller track I94, the finger I90 is caused to take an erect position through the slot in the table, and in this position, to move across the table, at right angles to the path of travel of conveyors and to eject the pad which has fallen upon the table at the right as shown in Fig. 16.

The power source of the entire mechanism thus far described comprises a motor with a double sprocket upon its shaft. I have not shown this motor since it is a conventional piece of power equipment. From its double sprocketed shaft two chains 200 and 20I are connected to shaft 10 and shaft 202, respectively. Shaft 202 extends through a gear housing 203. Within this housing is a set of gears 204-205 for the drive of a shaft 206 extending to the front of the case 203 as shown in Fig. '7. Upon this shaft 206 is a sprocket 201 connected to shearing roll I25 by means of chain 208 .running over sprocket 209 connected to shearing roll I25. A short chain 2I0 from a companion sprocket next to sprocket 209 on shearing roll I25 extends to sprocket 2 on jack shaft 2 I 2. This jack shaft extends across the unit C and is provided with a spur gear 2I3 meshed with spur gear 2I4 on shaft 2I5 which supports and drives the lower conveyor chains 92 and 93. An upper conveyor driving chain 2I6 connects a sprocket on shaft 2I2 with sprocket I09 so as to drive the upper conveyor.

The shaft 202 has sprocket 220 connected by chain 22I to sprocket 222 on shaft I55 for the drive of the cams I56, I51 and I58. Shaft 202 also" has a sprocket 223 connected by chain 224 to sprocket 225 on shaft 226, and it is this shaft 226 which is provided with the power sprocket to receive the raw cellulose tissue stock and to support each of the rolls in centerless cradlelike disposition. The V-shaped arrangement of the belts 26 and 29 gives rotative support not only for the roll but also for the web 50 as it leaves the roll. Relatively little tension is placed upon the tissue of the web 50. In fact, the only tension upon the web is placed thereon by the entry roll 90 of the unit C and the upper and lower conveyors of the unit C which are slightly more rapidly driven than the units A--B. I obtain this ratio of speed of operation by means of the chain drives for the chains 200--20l (see Fig. 7). The motor which drives these chains has sprocket connections to these chains so that the shaft 202 rotates slightly more rapidly than shaft 10 driven by chain 200.

Thus the multi-ply belt 88 entering over the entry roll 9|] is constantly under slight tension and when the belt 88 is squeezed between the bars of the upper and lower chain conveyor in the unit C, the pads I35 are under some tension. It will be understood, of course, that this tension is relatively slight, but it is nevertheless a factor in retaining the web in belt-like shape as it passes to the plates Mil-H2. Of course, when the pad is severed the only tension which can remain in the pad I35 is that which is maintained by the weight of the bar H4 at the trailing end of the pad.

As indicated above various sizes of raw stock may be handled by my machine. The spacer mountings 42-45 may be adjusted so that the side plates 4!] and 4| are in position to take narrower or wider rolls. Also the stitchin rolls may be properly spaced by adjusting them upon shaft 60 so as to stitch the margins of the particularly selected width of raw stock. This adjustment is facilitated by the particular drive for the stitching rolls whereby belts 68 may frictionally derive their motion from any point on the surface of the stitchin drum 3 i.

It will be understood that various lengths of pad may be made by relocating the bars in the chains 92 and I and by locating the cut-off knives in the two rolls I25 and I26 so as to correspond with the selected bars.

As indicated in the drawings the adjustment of the chains and of the pressure upon the cutoff knives is readily made.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a web feeding machine comprising laterally spaced rolls mounted at substantially the same level and a roll downwardly offset from said level and between adjacent rolls, belts carried by said laterally spaced rolls and said offset roll and together constituting a continuous conveyor including a cradle having its bed defined by said downwardly offset roll, a roll laterally offset from said cradle constituting a crimping drum, and a crimping roll having a mounting on which it cooperates with said drum to crimp a web moving from a roll supported in said cradle between said crimping drum and said crimping roll.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said crimping roll is provided with crimping teeth engageable with the web and with a frictional drive contact laterally spaced from said teeth whereby to bear directly against said crimping drum to receive motion from the drum.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said crimping drum comprises a drive connection for said conveyor belts and said crimping roll, said crimping drum having surfaces laterally spaced from said 10 moving web, said crimping roll having friction contact surfaces equally laterally spaced from said moving web and in contact with said drum surfaces.

4. The device of claim 1 further provided with a web laying roll downwardly offset from said crimping drum, and a glide tray beneath said web laying roll to which the web is delivered from said crimping drum.

5. The device of claim 4 further provided with stripping means adjacent said crimping roll whereby to strip said web from said crimping roll after crimping has taken place.

6. In a device of the character described, a series of web feeding machines each having a web roll cradle, a web feeding conveyor constituting part of the cradle, and stitching means formarginally bonding the fed material, and means for superposing said marginally bonded Webs to form a composite belt.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said web feeding machines are placed end to end and said means for superposing the respective webs comprises superposed spaced glide trays to which the respective webs are fed, said trays each having an inlet end at the machine from which it receives its web and an outlet end terminating mutually with the outlet ends of the other trays, said outlet ends being open whereby to permit the webs to be laminated in face to face relationship for the formation of said belt.

8. The device of claim 6 in combination with means for severing said belt into pads of predetermined length, said means comprising mutually spaced conveyors to which the belt is fed, said conveyors having aligned laterally eictending flights arranged in longitudinally spaced pairs, and severing means mounted in the path of said conveyors whereby to sever said belt between said longitudinally spaced flights, said flights coinprising means for gripping the severed margins of the belt. 7

9. The device of claim 8 in further combination with severed pad ejecting means comprising a transverse discharge table downwardly offset, from the path of said severed pads and retractible means for alternately supporting and releasing'said pads on said path above said table.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said retractible supporting means constitute marginal supports comprising individual successivelyretractible support segments spaced in the direction of conveyor movement whereby portions of the pad may be downwardly ejected and other portion of the pad supported. 7 V

11. In a pad forming machine comprising a severing means including a conveyor for delivering a severed pad upon a predetermined path, a pad delivery means comprising a transverse delivery table downwardly offset from said conveyor path, conveyor means operating over said transverse table, and means for transferring said pads from said path to said table, said transferring means comprising means for alternately supporting and releasing said pad on said path above said table, said means being longitudinally segmented and successively operable whereby portions of said pad are successively supported and released for the non-uniform transfer of said pad from said path to said table.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said supports are disposed at the margins of said pad, the center portions of the pad being otherwise unsupported, corresponding opposed segmented supports being movable outwardly from the center whereby to withdraw marginal support from the pad, and resilient means mounted above said path and over the unsupported portions of the pad whereby to bias said pad downwardly, said resilient means being longitudinally discontinuous whereby downward delivery of released portions of the pad occurs non-uniformly.

13. The device of claim 1'1 wherein said-eretractible support means are provided with actuating mechanism comprising means interconnecting laterally aligned support segments and means for actuating said interconnecting means whereby to simultaneously retract or advance said laterally aligned segments, and a common shaft having angularly offset cams respectively acting upon said actuating means whereby the respective laterally aligned segments function sequentially.

14. A series of successive web feeding machines aligned and connected for delivery of a multi-ply belt of fed material, a stitching means for each said web feeding machine for bonding a margin of the fed material and a unit at the end of the series of web feeding machines to sever the belt at spaced intervals whereby to form pads.

15. The machine of claim 14 wherein the unit for severing the belt is a compression severing device whereby to compress and bond the material along the line of severance and the pads are thereby marginally bonded.

16. Successive web feeding machines in end to end series relationship each provided with a delivery tray extending to the end of the series,

said trays being superposed whereby webs fed thereby are cumulated and delivered in overlying relationship, to provide a belt of fed material.

1'7. A series of successive web feeding machines each provided with a delivery tray extending to the end of the series, said trays being superposed whereby webs fed thereby are cumulated and delivered in overlying relationship to provide a belt of fed material, and a unit at said end of the series positioned to receive said belt, said unit having means for severing the belt into pads.

18. A web feeding machine including a frame having a multiple of parallel shafts with a series of pulleys and belts thereabout to provide a valley for the reception of a roll of web material, said belts being movable whereby to roll the web material in centerless support for delivery of the web, and a web stitching machine comprising a stitching drum positioned to receive the web from the web feeding machine, said drum having belts passing over pulleys constituting said web feeding machine, and a web stitching roll positioned to bear marginally upon the web against said drum.

19. A web feeding machine including a frame having a multiple of parallel shafts with a series of pulleys and belts thereabout to provide a valley for the reception of a roll of web material, said belts being movable whereby to roll the web material in centerless support for delivery of the web, and a web stitching machine comprising a stitching drum positioned to receive the web from the web feeding machine and a web stitching roll positioned to bear marginally upon the web against said drum, the roll and drum having frictional driving connections laterally of said web whereby said drum drives the roll.

. 20. In a web severing-apparatus, opposed conveyors having paired laterally extending web end gripping bars to move in registry with the web therebetween, and a web severing knife mounted to move between the bars and sever the web whereby one bargrips a trailing end andthe other bar grips a leading end of pads severed from the web.

21. In a web severing apparatus opposed conveyors each having pairs of laterally extending bars to grip and move a belt like web therebetween, and a knife insertable between the bars of one of said pairs to sever the belt, the bars of said pair providing means for holding the margins of the belt along each side of the line of severance.

22. In a machine for receiving and severing a belt like web of material, an upper and a lower conveyor, each provided with pairs of web engaging cross bars, the conveyors being mounted for movement in synchronism whereby the pairs of bars coincide to combine in pressure relationship and to advance the web between them, each of said pairs demarking a zone along which the web is severed, and a knife mounted to move into said zone and into severing contact with said web, the bars providing means for holding the margins of the belt along each side of the line of severance.

23. In a mechanism for handling lengths of web-material, a surface over which said web material is fed, said surface comprising a series of plate-like supporting elements, a delivery table below said elements, and retraction means connected to one of said plate-like elements whereby to withdraw it and drop the web upon the delivery table.

24. In the mechanism of claim 23 an arrange- .ment of a multiple of said elements mounted for successive retraction, said elements being spaced and having therebetween a resilient depressor to force the web toward the delivery table upon retraction of an adjacent plate-like member.

25. In a mechanism of the character described, opposing plate-like members positioned to form spaced marginal supports for a web of material to be handled and delivered by said mechanism, mounting means for said plate-like members interconnected whereby to move the opposed platelike members outwardly laterally to remove the support of the web, means for severing the web and motivating means for said web severing means and said plate connections whereby to remove said support in timed sequence with the severance of said web. 7

26. The mechanism of claim 25 having a series of said plate members, an interconnection between the motivating connections of the several plate members whereby to successively withdraw and then replace said members and a delivery table beneath said plate members.

27. In a web handling mechanism a pair of chain conveyor devices providing a throat and a path of travel for said web, each of said conveyor devices having bar-like elements positioned and connected thereto whereby to be disposed transversely of said driving means for said conveyor devices interconnected to dispose said bar-like elements approximately opposite bar-like elements of the other conveyor devices whereby to squeeze the web therebetween and advance the web along said path, one of said bars being shaped differently from other of said bars, and a rail positioned to contact only said difierently shaped bar to supply added squeezing pressure against the web.

28. The mechanism of claim 27 wherein the bar-like elements are arranged in spaced pairs, one bar of each pair so differently shaped.

29. A, web handling and severing mechanism 13 including spaced conveyor chain-like endless elements arranged at either side of a path of travel of said web, bar-like members interconnecting said chain-like elements and arranged in pairs transversely positioned with respect to said path of travel, said conveyors being juxtaposed whereby with said bars to define said path of travel, interconnecting power means between said conveyors whereby to positively position pairs of bars of one conveyor opposite the pairs of bars of another conveyor whereby to squeeze the web therebetween and advance it along said path, rails positioned along the margins of said path in position to bear against certain of said bars,

the less advanced bar in each pair of bars along said path of travel being shaped to bear against a rail, and a web severing device mounted for movement in timed sequence with said conveyors whereby to sever the web between the bars of a pair.

30. The mechanism of claim 29 provided with 14 fingers to remove the severed web from one pair of conveyor bars and direct the severed web upon retractible plate-like supporting members, retractible plate-like supporting members positioned rearwardly of said fingers, means for re tracting said supporting members in timed sequence with said conveyor movement, and a delivery table to receive the severed web upon retraction bf the plate-like elements.

CURT G. JOA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,662,577 Johnson Mar. 13, 1928 1,771,983 Wandel July 29, 1930 1,882,944 Ross Oct. '18, 1932 2,525,042 Minarik Oct. 10, 1950

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