APPARATUS WITH ZONE COATED TRANSFER TAPE FOR SEPARATING AND SPOOLING A PAPER WEB
20250178854 ยท 2025-06-05
Assignee
Inventors
- Peter Rodriguez (Jacksonville, FL, US)
- Jason Rodriguez (Jacksonville, FL, US)
- Craig Austin (Jacksonville, FL, US)
Cpc classification
B65H19/262
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65H19/283
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65H2408/236
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
Abstract
The present invention relates to a paper web processing apparatus featuring a transfer tape construct designed for efficient turn-up operations. The apparatus includes a carrier paper with a zone coating applied in longitudinal stripes, an adhesive layer laminated to the carrier paper, and a cover flap that protects the adhesive from environmental contaminants. The transfer tape construct is mounted on an empty web spool, and the zone coating comprises a silicone-based release material. The cover flap is engineered to open in response to centrifugal and aerodynamic forces during spool rotation, facilitating the separation of the adhesive layer into ribbons along the zone-coated areas. This configuration allows the cover flap to bridge a gap between the empty web spool and a paper web, ensuring a seamless transfer process. The apparatus is designed to enhance the reliability and efficiency of paper web processing, particularly in high-speed environments.
Claims
1. A paper web processing apparatus, comprising: a transfer tape construct, including: a. a carrier paper with a first face and a second face; ii. a zone coating applied to the first face in a series of longitudinal stripes; iii. an adhesive layer laminated to the first face; iv. a cover flap positioned to protect the adhesive layer from environmental contaminants; b. an empty web spool on which the transfer tape construct is mounted; c. wherein the zone coating comprises a silicone-based release material; d. further comprising a second zone coating applied to the second face of the carrier paper, the second zone coating comprising a series of longitudinal stripes that are offset from the series of longitudinal stripes on the first face; e. wherein the cover flap is configured to open in response to centrifugal forces generated by a rotation of the transfer tape construct; f. wherein the adhesive layer is configured to separate into ribbons along the zone-coated areas when the carrier paper is pulled; g. wherein the cover flap is configured to open due to aerodynamic forces during the rotation of the empty web spool; and h. wherein the cover flap is configured to bridge a gap between the empty web spool and a paper web during a turn-up process.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carrier paper is made from a pulpable material to facilitate recycling and environmental sustainability.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a pressure-sensitive adhesive to enhance bonding with the paper web.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover flap is made from a flexible material that allows it to conform to a shape of the empty web spool during rotation.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the zone coating is applied in a pattern that maximizes the separation of the adhesive layer into ribbons.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer tape construct is configured to be easily removable from the empty web spool after use.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover flap includes a tab for manual opening to facilitate initial setup.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer is resistant to airborne contaminants to maintain its adhesive properties.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the empty web spool is equipped with a mechanism to adjust its rotational speed to optimize the opening of the cover flap.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover flap is treated with an anti-static coating to reduce an attraction of dust and debris.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer tape construct includes multiple layers of adhesive to enhance its bonding strength.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the zone coating is applied using a precision coating technique to ensure uniformity.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover flap is designed to detach from the transfer tape construct after the adhesive layer is exposed.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer includes a color indicator to show when it is fully exposed.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the empty web spool is made from a lightweight material to reduce energy consumption during rotation.
16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer tape construct is pre-cut to a specific length to match dimensions of the empty web spool.
17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover flap is reinforced with a mesh material to increase its durability.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer is formulated to provide a temporary bond that allows for repositioning of the paper web.
19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the zone coating is designed to degrade over time to facilitate recycling of the transfer tape construct.
20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover flap is configured to fold back onto itself to minimize its profile when not in use.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0026] The present invention provides methods and apparatus for producing and for attaching a Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct which may be used in a paper web Tum-Up operation. The process may facilitate the Tum-Up operation wherein a continuous paper web being rolled onto a Parent Web Roll is severed and transferred to an Empty Web Spool when the Parent Web Spool nears a fully wound state. During operation, a transfer may occur without requiring a flow of the paper web to be temporarily altered or stopped. It is to be understood that disclosure of the apparatus and methods in relation to a paper web Tum-Up operation are exemplary disclosure not meant to be limiting.
Glossary
[0027] Cover Flap; as referred to herein refers to a physical layer positioned to mitigate exposure of an adhesive layer to environmental contaminant. During performance of a Turn-Up, at least a portion of the Cover Flap will be moved to expose at least ap portion of the adhesive layer that the Cover Flap protected from environmental contaminant.
[0028] Tum-Up: As used herein, a process involving switching a paper web from a nearly completed parent web spool to an empty web spool. A Turn-up process may include severing a paper web from a rotating parent web roll nearing its capacity to hold paper, transferring the paper web to an empty web spool, and securing the paper web to the empty web spool.
[0029] Transfer Tape: As used herein a Transfer Tape, sometimes referred to as a tum-up tape, refers to a substrate adapted for extending across a longitudinal cylindrical surface of one or both of an empty web spool and a paper bearing web spool. The transfer tape may include multiple layers.
[0030] Web Binding Adhesive: as used herein a Web Binding Adhesive, sometimes referred to as Web Grabbing Adhesive, refers to an adhesive layer of a transfer tape that attaches the transfer tape to a paper web. During paper manufacture and/or processing, a paper web that is attached via web binding adhesive may be pulled to a spool that a transfer tape is adhered to.
[0031] Mounting adhesive: as used herein a Mounting Adhesive refers to an adhesive used to bind transfer tape constructs together and/or used to hold a transfer tape construct to a spool.
[0032] Pressure Sensitive Adhesive: as used herein a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive refers to a non-reactive adhesive which creates binding force when pressure is applied to attach the adhesive to a surface.
[0033] Nip: as used here Nip refers to the area where a paper web or sheet is pressed between two rolls/spools.
[0034] Parent Web Roll: as used herein a Parent Web Roll, which may be called an Old Spool, refers to a web spool that is substantially nearing its capacity for holding paper web.
[0035] Empty Web Spool: as used herein an Empty Web Spool, sometimes referred to as an Empty Reel, a New Spool, or an Empty Spool, may include a reel that paper web being reeled onto a Parent Roll is transferred to. The surface of an Empty Web Spool is commonly used to adhere a transfer tape upon.
[0036] Reel Drum: as used herein a Reel Drum refers to a spool used to drive movement of a paper web; in some embodiments a reel Drum may impart rotational movement to a Parent Roll receiving a paper web in a reeling action.
[0037] With reference to the drawings, which are provided for descriptive and illustrative purposes which are not meant to be limiting as the scope of the invention, the invention in various embodiments in a broad and general sense includes apparatus and methods for processing and applying a Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct which may be used in a paper web tum-up operation. The processes facilitate a tum up operation wherein a continuous paper web being rolled onto a first web spool is severed and transferred to an empty second web spool when the first web spool is fully wound.
[0038] In the operation, a transfer may occur without requiring a flow of the paper web to be temporarily altered or stopped. It is to be understood that disclosure of the apparatus and method in relation to a paper web tum-up operation is an exemplary disclosure not meant to be limiting, as the Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct, methods of its manufacture and associated applicators and methods of application may be suitable for use in different industrial applications.
[0039] The present invention provides improved methods of utilizing a Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct to sever and transfer a continuous paper web from one spool to another spool, such as may be especially useful in transferring lightweight papers such as tissue or newsprint Empty Web Spool. The Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct may be applied to an Empty Web Spool Nip in a closed position such that the Cover Flap is temporarily adhered in a portion of its surface and opens during the run up in the speed of the spool to which it is attached due both to aerodynamic forces and to centrifugal force. In examples of the present application, the construct is produced so that when the cover flap opens, adhesive layers open with the Cover Flap presenting adhesive off of the surface of the spool. Adhesive layers may be elevated to interact with the paper web.
[0040] The Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct may be produced by assembling layers of structural materials, such as paper, along with layers of adhesive material, such as double stick adhesive tapes. Coatings of various kinds may be applied to the surfaces of the layers to alter properties of the surface. A release layer may be performed by coating a portion of a surface, such as with a silicone coating, which renders the surface as less adherent to an adhesive that may be attached to it. In a non-limiting example, if a portion of a surface of a structural layer is coated with a release coating, then an attached adhesive layer will form a strong bond with the uncoated portion and a weaker bond with the coated portion such that when forces are applied the adhesive will separate from the coated surface and lift up.
[0041] Referring to
[0042] Referring now to
[0043] The rotation may bring the opened Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct 210 into the Nip 220 which will put pressure onto the exposed adhesive surface. In some examples, the cover flap Adhesive Layer 110 will approach the Paper Web 100 when the Empty Web Spool 102 is brought into close contact with the Paper Web 100 on the Reel Drum 101 and compresses the Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct 210.
[0044] In an example, proceeding now to
[0045] Proceeding now to both
[0046] As illustrated in
[0047] The Cover Flap Transfer Paper Constructs include an arrangement of a zone-coated carrier paper and adhesive tape that can be adhered to a new spool. A function of a Cover Flap protects the adhesive that will eventually pick up and tear the Paper Web. The primary problem with applying adhesive tapes to a spool is that the dusty environment will blind the adhesive before it can be delivered to the nip to pick up the paper web. By integrating the Cover Flap the tum-up adhesive may be protected from the environment and contamination of the adhesive until just before it is needed. Various examples of Cover Flap Transfer Tape Constructs are described in following sections.
[0048] However, the nature of a combination of multiple layers of adhesive tape, protective liner, and/or carrier paper in assemblies result in structures that resist being wound into a roll suitable for storage, distribution, and dispensing. The differential radii among the various layers may create issues such as differences in circumference and wrinkling, that can affect the performance of the system and may cause the system to delaminate.
[0049] In a solution a dispenser system can be formed that performs part of the creation of the Transfer Tape structure while dispensing the Transfer Tape and while at the point of dispensing the system to the spool face. Preformed materials may be dispensed from spools with the removal and discarding of unneeded materials during the application process.
[0050] For a Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct a dispensing solution may be achieved by applying a double-sided adhesive tape across the full width of the zone-coated carrier paper and winding the product into a roll. The packaged rolls of liner and adhesive may not be in the final configuration designed to perform the tum-up, and these final steps of the processing may be performed concurrently with the dispensing of the material and application to the spool in the paper mill.
[0051] In some examples, the zone coated carrier paper may be formed by treating a carrier paper with a silicone release material to the first face of the carrier paper in longitudinal stripes. When adhesive is applied to the zone coated carrier paper it may permanently adhere to the uncoated stripes, while being impermanently adhered to the coated stripes. In some examples, the second face of the release liner has stripes in an order and placement opposite to those on the first face. In some examples, the adhesive and release liner are laminated together and wound into a roll. Again, the adhesive adheres permanently to the uncoated stripes of the second face of the release liner that has been laid upon the adhesive of the previous layer wound into the roll. In some examples, when the outer-most layer of carrier paper is pulled away from the underlying layer, the adhesive separates into ribbons defined by the alternating coated and uncoated stripes.
[0052] In some examples, dispensing and completed processing may be completed by folding the carrier paper in half lengthwise. The outer face on one side of the folded ribbon presents adhesive that adheres the product to the face of the new spool. The product may be oriented with the edges pointing in the direction of spool rotation, while the fold is trailing. In examples without a remaining fold, the similar sides may be oriented in a similar manner.
[0053] An outer face of the folded carrier paper may not have adhesive on it. This side may face the paper web as the spool is set for the tum-up. The forward edge of the Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct as dispensed in this manner may be caught in the air around the spinning spool and lifts up and folds back, exposing the adhesive ribbon that had been protected by the folded carrier paper. Again, in this manner, fresh adhesive may be presented to the paper web when the nip between the empty spool and the reel drum is closed. The paper web may adhere to the exposed adhesive and may follow the circumference of the empty spool. The change in direction ruptures the web in tension and the tum-up may be complete in a process as has been depicted in
[0054] An exemplary processing flow to form a Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct may follow. Referring now to
[0055] Referring now to
[0056] Referring now to
[0057] Referring now to
[0058] Referring now to
[0059] Proceeding to
[0060] Again, referring to
[0061] Referring to
[0062] As the Empty Web Spool 7001 reaches a sufficient speed as it rotates in the direction of Arrow 7010, the Cover Flap 7003 may detach from the tape construct and open. Referring now to
[0063] As has been discussed generally in previous sections, and as can be seen in the illustrations, the rotational movement of the Empty Web Spool 7001 causes the Cover Flap 7020 to be elevated off of the Empty Web Spool 7001, and to bridge a gap between the Empty Web Spool 7001 and the Paper Web 7022, such that the Adhesive 7021 adheres to the Paper Web 7022. However, prior to elevating off of the Empty Web Spool 7001, the Adhesive 7021 is protected by the Cover Flap 7020 and is not exposed to sufficient articles (such as for example paper particles) and other air borne environmental contaminants to significantly impair the adhesive qualities of the Adhesive 7021 until the Empty Web Spool 7001 spins up to speed. A desired spin up speed may be measured as rotations per minute of the Empty Web Spool. In some embodiments, the desired spin up speed rotations per minute will be based upon, such as within 10% of the surface speed of a Paper Web 7022 that is spinning on a full spool (not shown in
[0064] In some embodiments, a Release Layer 7031 may be coated on a base of the Cover Flap Transfer Tape Construct 7002 to facilitate the Adhesive Layer 7021 on the Cover Flap 7020 separating from the Release Layer 7031.
[0065] In various embodiments of the present invention, alternate types of Cover Flap Transfer Tape Constructs that may be formed with the methods and apparatus as have been described. In the following sections different examples are described and illustrated to highlight different features and functions that may be created.
[0066] Proceeding to
[0067] Referring now to
[0068] For illustration purposes, the Transfer Tape Construct 8000 is illustrated where the Empty Web Spool 8010 has begun to rotate up to speed in a counterclockwise direction. Whereas rotation in either direction may generate a roughly equal centrifugal force upon the Transfer Tape Construct 8000 body for a given speed, the counter-clockwise rotational fashion may create the aerodynamic force to open a Cover Flap 8020 in the manner as illustrated.
[0069] As the illustration shows, the speed of the Empty Web Spool 8010 may be just enough to begin to generate forces to start breaking the bonds in a weaker interlayers formed by Release Coatings 8021-8022. In these initial stages, the layers of Transfer Tape Construct 8000 may be kept in position by the interfaces between the Release Coatings 8021 and 8022, and Adhesive 8001 that bond with each other in tenuous bonds. As the Empty Web Spool 8010 continues to increase its speed of rotation, the outermost layers of the Cover Flap 8020 may begin to unfurl the Transfer Tape Construct 8000.
[0070] Proceeding to
[0071] Referring to
[0072] Referring to
[0073] Referring next to
[0074] Proceeding to
[0075]
[0076] Referring to
[0077] A roll of Transfer Tape may be separated at the point of use by an applicator mechanism. The applicator may have bending and folding mechanisms to fold the product longitudinally into the configuration illustrated earlier in
[0078] Particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order show, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.
[0079] The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word may is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words include, including, and includes mean including but not limited to. To facilitate understanding, like reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate like elements common to the figures.
[0080] The phrases at least one, one or more, and and/or are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions at least one of A, B and C, at least one of A, B, or C, one or more of A, B, and C, one or more of A, B, or C, and A, B, and/or C means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, Band C together, or A, B, and C together.
[0081] The term a or an entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms a, or an, one or more, and at least one can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms comprising, including, and having can be used interchangeably.
[0082] Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination within a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in combination in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.
[0083] As has been mentioned, the illustrations depict aspects of exemplary embodiments, and the relative scale of illustrated features may be exaggerated for depiction of various aspects. Accordingly, the scale of features illustrated is not intended to limit the scope of the elements of the various embodiments consistent with the present application.