MINERAL WOOL PACKAGER

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method where rolling a length of compressed flexible material into a roll use a flexible roll-up belt moving along a belt pathway, said pathway defined by a number of rollers, wherein at least one of said rollers is active where its rotation is driven by a drive motor and drives the belt along said belt pathway, the roll-up belt can be tightened or loosened along said belt pathway by changing the position of at least one moveable roller and thereby changing the length of the pathway, wherein said method comprises feeding said compressed flexible material into a meeting loop cavity shaped by a segment of said roll-up belt along said roll-up belt pathway, whereby material follows the inner surface of the loop and the rolling of the flexible material is initiated, gradually increasing the length of the segment of said roll-up belt in said meeting loop cavity to ensure that that the roll-up belt segment in said meeting loop cavity gradually and continuously follows the increasing size of the roll and supports the outer contour of the roll, wherein said gradual increase of the segment comprises the steps of gradually loosening the roll-up belt by changing the position of said at least one moveable roller and simultaneously controlling the rotation speed of said at least one active roller to control the length of said belt segment in said meeting loop cavity.

Thereby, an automatic rolling of flexible material is obtained, which adaptably expands a meeting loop cavity to ensure that the rolling is initiated in a controlled manner, and furthermore, that one apparatus performing the method according to the present invention may be used to roll flexible material of various dimensions and characteristics.

Claims

1. A method of rolling a length of compressed flexible material into a roll using a flexible roll-up belt (10) moving along a belt pathway, said pathway defined by a number of rollers (11, 111, 12, 12, 16, 161, 17, 181) wherein at least two of said rollers (11, 16) are active where their rotation is driven by a drive motor and drives the belt along said belt pathway, said roll-up belt can be tightened or loosened along said belt pathway by changing the position of at least one moveable roller (17) and thereby changing the length of the pathway, characterised in that said belt pathway comprises a first pathway segment (101) defining a route between said two active rollers and a second pathway segment (102) defining another route between said two active rollers, wherein said moveable roller (17) is located along said first pathway segment (101) and a meeting loop cavity (14) is located along said second pathway segment (102), wherein said method comprises feeding said compressed flexible material (4) into said meeting loop cavity shaped by a segment of said roll-up belt along said roll-up belt pathway, whereby material follows the inner surface of the loop and the rolling of the flexible material is initiated, gradually increasing the length of the segment of said roll-up belt in said meeting loop cavity to ensure that that the roll-up belt segment in said cavity gradually and continuously follows the increasing size of the roll and supports the outer contour of the roll, wherein said gradual increase of the segment comprises the steps of gradually loosening the roll-up belt by changing the position of said at least one moveable roller and simultaneously controlling the rotation speed of said at least two active rollers to control the length of said belt segment in said meeting loop cavity.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least two of said rollers are active and wherein gradually increasing the length of the segment of said roll-up belt in said meeting loop cavity comprises controlling the rotation speed of at least one of said at least two active rollers along said belt pathway.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the compression (41) of said flexible material is obtained by moving the flexible material (4) between an upper feed belt (3) and a lower feed belt (2), and wherein the feed belts are inclined relative to each other, whereby the distance between their transport surfaces decreases in their transport direction.

4. An apparatus for rolling a length of compressed flexible material into a roll, said apparatus comprising a flexible roll-up belt (10) moving along a belt pathway being defined by a number of rollers (11, 111, 12, 12, 16, 161, 17, 181), at least two active rollers (11, 16) where their rotation is driven by a drive motor and where said active rollers drives the belt along said belt pathway, a moveable roller (17), where the roll-up belt can be tightened or loosened along said belt pathway by changing the position of said moveable roller and thereby changing the length of the pathway, a meeting loop cavity (14) shaped by a segment of said roll-up belt along said roll-up belt pathway, for receiving said length of compressed flexible material (4) to be rolled, means for gradually increasing the segment by gradually loosening the roll-up belt by changing the position of said at least one moveable roller and simultaneously controlling the rotation speed of said at least one active roller to control the length of said belt segment in said meeting loop cavity, characterised in that said belt pathway comprises a first pathway segment (101) defining a route between said two active rollers and a second pathway segment (102) defining another route between said two active rollers, wherein said moveable roller (17) is located along said first pathway segment (101) and said meeting loop cavity (14) is located along said second pathway segment (102).

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising at least one limiter unit (16), where said at least one limiter unit is adapted to reduce the speed of said belt along said belt pathway, and where said limiter unit is positioned along said belt pathway after said meeting loop cavity in the belt moving direction.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said limiter unit is a passive roller or an active roller.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said limiter unit is the first roller positioned along said belt pathway after said meeting loop cavity in the belt moving direction.

8. An apparatus according to claim 4, where said loop cavity is retained by fingers (13), said fingers protruding onto said belt (10) inside said meeting loop cavity (14)

Description

SHORT LIST OF DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 is a side view of the mineral wool packager at a time prior to formation of a wool roll.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a side view of the mineral wool packager at the beginning of formation of a wool roll.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a side view of the mineral wool packager almost finished rolling the wool.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a side view of the mineral wool packager as it has released the finished roll.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] FIGS. 1-4 illustrates the process of making rolls of flexible, compressed material according to the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates the mineral wool packager 1 prepared to form a roll of wool 4. Furthermore, it also illustrates the wool being compressed 41 between two feed-belts 2, 3 adapted to receive the wool between the two belts. Each belt is a conventional transporting belt, where a belt rotates around rollers and the rotating direction and also the transport direction are illustrated by the arrows 5.

[0030] The upper compression belt 3 is mounted in an inclined manner relative to the lower compression belt 2, whereby the distance decreases between the two belts in the transport direction of the transporting belt. This decrease in distance compresses the insulation material between the belt as the insulation is moved along the transport belts. One or both of the feed-belts 2, 3 are at least vertically moveable, thus affording control over the degree of compression 41, achieving an appropriate thickness of compressed wool 42. This allows multiple thicknesses and types of wool to be inserted into the mineral wool packager at their effective compressions, such as appropriately compressing stone wool with a thickness of ten and thirty centimetres respectively.

[0031] The embodiment of the mineral wool packager according to FIG. 1 consists of a roll-up belt fitted onto a number of passive rollers 12, 12, 17, 19, 181 as well as two active rollers 11, 16, driving the movement of the belt by rotating, this rotation provided by drive motors. Most of the passive rollers 12, 19 have as function to define the belt pathway, while other passive rollers 12, 17, 181 have further functions as well, as described in the following. The mineral wool packager has a controllably moveable roller 17, whose displacement along axis A shortens or lengthens the belt pathway, thereby either slacking or tightening the belt. In FIG. 1 this displacement is vertical, but in other embodiments, the displacement may be horizontal or any other angle.

[0032] In one embodiment, a motor controls the movement along axis A. In one embodiment where axis A is at least substantially vertical, a counterweight is attached to the moveable roller 17, whereby the gravity of the counterweight substantially equals the upwards pull by the belt being tight, which allows the motor attached to moveable roller 17 to operate with less frequency and with less power.

[0033] Furthermore, along the roll-up belt pathway, an expandable meeting loop cavity 14 is located, so that compressed wool 42 encountering the belt 10 enters this cavity. In FIG. 1, this cavity is illustrated in its initial, contracted position. In an embodiment of the invention, the belt pathway is kept expanded into the cavity-shape by two fingers 13 in the contracted position. Because the belt 10 is broader than compressed wool 42, the fingers 13 holds the belt in the cavity, but adapted to not protrude deeply onto the belt, whereby they do not obstruct the path of the wool as it enters the cavity. Thereby, the fingers hold the belt in a minimal cavity size but does not obstruct the wool from pressing against the cavity. In an embodiment, the fingers 13 are mechanically removable during operation, allowing broader profiles of for example plastic film to roll unobstructed into the cavity at a convenient time, for example allowing packaging the wool in an outer packaging layer.

[0034] The belt 10 is rotated by at least one active roller 11. This active roller is controllable, by which is understood that it has a controllably variable speed. This speed is adapted based on the need for loose belt in the meeting loop cavity. By having a controllably variable speed, belt feed to the cavity can be precisely controlled, whereby wool of varying materials and thicknesses can be rolled in the mineral wool packager according to the invention. In addition, the mineral wool packager according to the invention is thus adapted to supply a tightly fitting cavity and a precisely paced expansion, even as the machine becomes older and tolerances creep.

[0035] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the roller 16 is an active roller. According to the invention, the roller 16 might also be a passive roller.

[0036] In the embodiment shown, two active rollers 11, 16 are provided, where the direction of the rotation of these is seen by rotational arrows 5. Counter-rollers 111, 161 are used to ensure the grip of the active rollers onto the belt to ensure a high degree of power transfer as well as a controlled belt displacement. By having one or two active rollers 11, 16, one of which is controllable, driving the belt 10 and a mechanically controlled moveable roller 17, the exact amount of belt fed to the meeting loop cavity can be controlled.

[0037] When the moveable roller 17 is moved upwards, the belt initially becomes loose. The geometry of the belt pathway will determine where the flaccidity expresses itself the most. If the active rollers operates normally following the belt becoming flaccid, the flaccidness will travel along the belt pathway and will likely result in a concave line immediately before the first active roller 11 as well as a slightly more flaccid pathway upstream of the first active roller all the way to the second active roller.

[0038] The first active roller is not a passive roller; however, the flaccidness is substantially kept at a first belt-segment 101 corresponding to upstream relative to the first active roller, and between the two active rollers, while the flaccidness cannot enter a second belt-segment 102 corresponding to downstream from the first active roller and between the two active rollers. In other words, while the two active rollers displace the belt at the same speeds, flaccidness on one belt-segment 101 or 102 cannot travel to the other segment. Substantially, only by operating the active rollers at different speeds the flaccidness may travel between belt segments.

[0039] Thereby, the amount of flaccid belt fed to the meeting loop cavity is precisely controlled. Furthermore, because the first active roller is placed substantially immediately upstream of the meeting loop cavity, the wool pressing against the belt inside the meeting loop cavity does not need to overcome the forces inherent in drawing belt from a concave belt line under the mineral wool packager to expand the cavity, but instead the first active roller actively feeds flaccid belt at a rate matching the rate of inserted wool, accounting for wool thickness and type. In one embodiment of the invention, the first active roller is adapted to respond to the wool pressing against the belt, feeding belt according to forces sensed from the belt.

[0040] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, where the compressed wool 42 is beginning to be formed into a roll inside the meeting loop cavity 14. The moveable roller 17 is moved upwards, shortening the belt pathway, allowing the first active roller 11 to feed flaccid belt to the cavity 14, which is then expanded by the compressed wool 42. Edge rollers 12, 12 define the outer edges of the meeting loop cavity, and in one embodiment, one or both of them are moveable, allowing the meeting loop cavity to substantially close as the roll of wool is being formed. This ensures that the wool cannot leave the meeting loop cavity, as the height between the edge rollers 12, 12 may be adjusted to less than two times the height of the compressed wool. The wool traveling along the roof of the cavity may by its own weight fall onto the wool traveling along the floor of the cavity. However, if this does not happen by itself as may be the case for thicker wools especially, the gap between inlet rollers 12, 12 being less than two times the height of the compressed wool, ensures contact between the upper and the lower layer. Friction between the two layers ensure a bend at the tip of the wool traveling at the roof, whereby the formation of the roll is initiated with no or minimal plastic deformation of the wool.

[0041] To improve this function and reduce plastic deformation of the wool, especially in the beginning of the roll formation, it is useful to control the geometry of the cavity precisely, such as by controllably feeding loose belt to the cavity. This may for example be according to the rate of insertion of wool, as well as the type and thickness of wool used. By this adaptation, the cavity can be so small as to force the upper layer of wool to travel along the lower layer for the entire length of the cavity (not shown), thereby creating friction, which initiates the rolling. Alternatively, a larger cavity can be created, allowing the upper layer to fall onto the incoming layer by way of gravity, as seen in FIG. 2. Depending on wool characteristics such as thickness, stiffness and friction, the amount of flaccid belt fed may vary. In one embodiment, the belt feed during roll initiation may be non-linear or stop entirely or even reverse momentarily. An example may be quickly feeding a large amount of belt to the cavity, whereby a large cavity is created, ensuring that the wool has relatively far to travel along the roof of the cavity. When the wool bends and falls down and initiates rolling, the cavity may then for example be contracted again, ensuring a tight fit and so retaining the compression.

[0042] Since the fingers 13 do not protrude deeply enough onto the belt to touch the compressed wool, it does not hinder the movement of the wool, and the wool thus passes between the fingers, illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 with the compressed wool 42 and fingers 13 overlapping.

[0043] In FIG. 3, the moveable roller is further displaced along axis A, allowing the meeting loop cavity 14 to attain a desired size for a wool roll 43. After the roll has attained the desired size, an outer layer, for example of plastic film, is fed conveniently along the upper feed-belt 3 and into the meeting loop cavity, thereby encapsulating the wool roll. This allows the roll to retain its compression even after removal from the mineral wool packager.

[0044] In FIG. 4, the bottom of the mineral wool packager is rotated substantially sideways around a roller 181, allowing the packaged wool roll out of the meeting loop cavity. Machine section 18 is rotated around roller 181, whereby the wool roll is expelled, ready for further processing, storage and/or transportation. The roller 17 is displaced to accommodate any changed belt pathway distance between rollers 12 and 12, corresponding to the meeting loop cavity of FIGS. 1-3.

[0045] By subsequent reversing the rotation of machine section 18 around roller 181 and correspondingly tightening the belt pathway by roller 17 to ensure a tight fit around fingers 13, the mineral wool packager is returned to a position corresponding to the one depicted in FIG. 1.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0046] 1. Mineral wool packager [0047] 10. roll-up belt [0048] 101. first belt section [0049] 102. second belt section [0050] 11. first active roller [0051] 111. counter-roller of first active roller [0052] 12. lower edge roller [0053] 12. upper edge roller [0054] 13. fingers [0055] 14. meeting loop cavity [0056] 16. second active roller [0057] 161. counter-roller of second active roller [0058] 17. moveable roller [0059] 18. machine section [0060] 181. passive roller [0061] 19. passive roller [0062] 2. first feed-belt [0063] 3. second feed-belt [0064] 4. wool [0065] 41. wool being compressed [0066] 42. compressed wool [0067] 43. wool roll [0068] 5. rotational movement [0069] A. axis