Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LAMINATING
PLANAR AND CORRUGATED SURFACE DEFINING
LAYERS OF SHEET MATERIAL
Related APplication
This Application is based in part on our copending
Application Serial No. 255,859, entitled ME~HOD OF LAMINATING
PLANAR AND CORRUGATED SURFACE DEFINING LAYERS OF SHEET MATERIAL
filed June 28, 1976.
The Invention in General
In the above Application, a method and apparatus are
disclosed for laminating two or more layers of sheet material,
one of which has a corrugated surface thereon and the other of
which has a planar surface thereon. According to the method, the
corrugated surface def ining layer is passed about a carrier roll -
having a pressure differential thereacross to retain the layer ~
thereon, and the carrier roll is rotated in juxtaposit~on with an ~ `
, . .
adhesive applicator roll having spaced, parallel lines of adhe- ;
sive formed thereon crosswise of the ridges of the corrugated
surface defining layer. The applicator roll is also rotated and
while it is rotated, the lines of adhesive and ridges are con-
tacted with one another so that portions of the lines are depos- -~
ited on the ridges in series of spaced, pressure deformable spots
of adhesive extending along the lengths of the ridges. There-
after the planar surface of the other layer is contacted with the
series of spots and the two layers are pressed together so that
they splay the respective spots into the spaces there~etween and
form-substantially continuous lines of adhesive along the lengths
of the ridges by which the two layers bond together, including at
-1- ~
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points on the planar surface of the other layer coinciding with
the spaces between the spots.
According to the present invention, while the adhesive
applicator roll is rotated, the adhesive is repeatedly succes-
sively deposited on the applicator roll in the foregoing lines
crosswise of the ridges of the corrugated surface defining layer,
the lines and ridges are contacted with one another so that por-
tions of the lines are deposited in the foregoing series of spots
on the ridges of the corrugated surface defining layer, and the
balance of the lines of adhesive is removed from the applicator
roll to a neutral zone separate from the layers. In this way, the
lines of adhesive on the applicator roll are renewed from time to
time, and if desired, the removed adhesive can be renewed in
character and reused in whole or in part to form the new lines.
Preferably, the lines of adhesive are renewed over the course of
each 360 rotation of the applicator roll, and the removed adhe-
sive is renewed in character and reused in full to form new
lines. For example, where the adhesive is of a type which
requires that it be preheated to a fluid condition before it is
deposited on the applicator roll, preferably the removed adhesive
is reheated to renew the fluid condition of it, and then it is
reused in forming new lines on the roll. The adhesive may also be
filtered before it is reheated and reused.
In the presently preferred embodiments of the inven-
tion, the adhesive is deposited on the applicator roll in the
foregoing lines, the lines and ridges are contacted with one
another, and the balance of the lines is removed from the appli-
cator roll in continuous sequence at angularly spaced intervals
about the axis of rotation of the roll. ~he adhesive is
deposited on the applicator roll by discharging it in streams of
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the same which are adapted to impinge on the roll along spaced,
parallel lines extending about the roll crosswise of the ridges
of the corrugated surface defining layer. The adhesive is dis-
charged in such streams by extruding it from a series of orifices
which are spaced apart from one another opposite the applicator
roll at a location spaced rotationally ahead of the location at
which the lines of adhesive on the applicator roll are contacted
with the ridges of the corrugated surface defining layer. The
adhesive is removed from the applicator roll by doctoring it off
with a rectilinearly edged blade which is slidably engaged with
the roll at a location spaced rotationally after the foregoing
location at which the lines of adhesive on the applicator roll
are contacted with the ridges of the corrugated surface defining
layer.
In one of the presently preferred embodiments of the
invention, the adhesive is of the hot melt type and is heated to a
fluid condition and forced by a pump into an apertured manifold
under a pressure at which it extrudes from the apertures of the
manifold in the direction of the applicator roll. The removed
20 adhesive is collected in a sump when it is doctored off of the ~-~
applicator roll, and the pump is connected with the sump to
recirculate the collected adhesive to the manifold. The
collected adhesive is also reheated between the sump and the pump
to renew the fluid condition of the adhesive; and the manifold is
heated to sustain the fluid condition of the adhesive therein.
Preferably, the pump is a variable speed pump and the rate at
which the adhesive is discharged from the manifold is controlled
by varying the speed of the pump. In practice, moreover, the
rate is controlled so as to be commensurate with the speed of
rotation of the applicator roll.
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In the apparatus of the present invention, there is a
rotatably mounted carrier roll, means for passing the corrugated
surface defining layer about the carrier roll, means for generat-
ing a pressure differential across the carrier roll to retain the
corrugated surface defining layer thereon, and an adhesive appli-
cator roll which is mounted to rotate in juxtaposition with the
corrugated surface defining layer. There are also means for
depositing adhesive on the applicator roll in spaced, parallel
lines crosswise of the ridges of the corrugated surface defining
layer, means for contacting the lines of adhesive and the ridges
with one another so that portions of the lines are deposited on
the ridges in series of spaced, pressure deformable spots of
adhesive extending along the lengths of the ridges, and means for ~
removing the balance of the lines of adhesive from the applicator
roll to a neutral zone separate from the layers. There are means
for contacting the planar surface of the other layer with the
series of spots and presRing the two layers together so that they
~play the respective spots into the spaces therebetween and form
substantially continuous lines of adhesive along the lengths of
the ridges by which the two layers bond together, including at
points on the planar surface of the other layer coinciding with
the spaces between the spots.
In the presently preferred embodiments of the appa-
ratus, the adhesive depositing means, the adhesive spot forming
means, and the adhesive removal means are operable during the
rotation of the applicator roll to deposit the adhesive on the
applicator roll in the foregoing lines, contact the lines and
ridges with one another, and remove the balance of the lines from
the applicator roll in continuous sequence at angularly spaced
intervals about the axis of rotation of the roll. The adhesive
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P 12
depositing means include means for discharging the adhesive in
streams of the same which are adapted to impinge on the roll
along spaced, parallel lines extending about the roll crosswise
of the ridges of the corrugated surface defining layer. The
adhesive discharge means include means which define a series of
orifices that are spaced apart from one another opposite the
applicator roll at a location spaced rotationally ahead of the
location at which the lines of adhesive on the applicator roll
are contacted with the ridges of the corrugated surface defining
layer, and means for extruding the adhesive from the orifices in
the foregoing streams of the same as indicated. The adhesive
removal means include a rectilinearly edged blade which is slid-
ably engagable with the applicator roll to doctor off the balance ;
of the lines of adhesive at a location spaced rotationally after ~-
the foregoing location at which the lines of adhesive are con- -~
tacted with the ridges of the corrugated surface defining layer. ~ -~
In one of the presently preferred embodiments of the
apparatus which i8 especially useful with a hot melt type of
adhesive, the orifice defining means takes the form of an aper-
tured manifold, and there are means including a pump connectedwith the manifold for heating the adhesive to a fluid condition
and pumping the adhesive into the manifold under a pressure at
which it extrudes from the apertures of the manifold in the
direction of the applicator roll. There are also means defining
a sump for collecting the adhesive when it is doctored off of the
applicator roll, and a connection between the sump and the pump
by which the collected adhesive can be recirculated to the mani-
fold. Additionally, there are means for reheating the adhesive
between the sump and the pump to renew the fluid condition of the
adhesive; and means for heating the manifold to sustain the fluid
1090~ 3 288
condition of the adhesive therein. Also, normally the pump is a
variable speed pump and there are means operable to vary the
speed of the pump in response to variation in the speed of the
applicator roll so as to maintain the rate at which the adhesive
is supplied to the manifold commensurate with the speed of the
applicator roll.
Brief DescriPtion of the Drawing
These features will be better understood by reference
to the accompanying drawing which illustrates the latter embodi-
ment of the invention wherein a hot melt adhesive is extrudedfrom an apertured manifold onto the applicator roll of the lami-
nating apparatus.
In the drawing, FIGURE 1 is a part perspective view of
the laminating apparatus;
FIGURE 2 is a part end elevational view of the
manifold-fed applicator roll in the apparatus; and
FIGURE 3 is a part side elevational view of the roll.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the
laminating apparatus employs two webs of paper 2 and 4, and in
the process, the web 2 is given a corrugated body configuration
and becomes the corrugated layer of the laminar composite 6,
while the web 4 remains planar and becomes the facing layer of
the composite. Since a hot melt adhesive is employed in the pro-
cess, the webs need not be subjected to steam preheating, but
means are provided at 8 for this purpose in the event some other
adhesive is employed.
The web 2 is given a corrugated body configuration by
passing it through the nip 10 (FIGURE 1~ between a pair of
hollow, sinisoidally contoured, power driven corrugating rolls 12
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and 14 which are juxtaposed in parallel but vertically staggered
relationship to one another and mated together in conventional
fashion at the nip. The upper web receiving roll 12 is driven in
the counter clockwise direction, as indicated in FIGURE 1,
whereas the lower web discharging roll 14 is driven in the clock-
wise direction. The lower roll is also equipped with a vacuum
means 16, including a vacuum generator 17, for temporarily
retaining the corrugated layer web 2 on the exterior surface 13
of the roll after the web has exited from the nip 10 with its ~~
corrugated body configuration. The vacuum means 16 is also
operative to maintain the corrugated layer web 2 in close
registry with the contour of the surface 18, and the web 2 is
maintained in this condition while the ridges 20 of the same are
spotted with adhesive and the webs 2 and 4 are laminated with one
another at the ridges. The adhesive is applied to the ridges of
the web 2 by a hollow, cylindrical, power driven adhesive appli- -
cator roll 22 which is mounted in parallel juxtaposition to the
roll 14 and contacted with the ridges 20 while the web 2 is sub-
ject to the vacuum in the roll 14. The webs 2 and 4 are laminated
thereafter by a pressure roll 24 which is in receipt of the
facing layer web 4 and rotatably mounted in parallel juxta-
position with the roll 14 so as to feed the facing layer web in
the direction of travel of the corrugated layer web, and to bond
the facing layer web to the ridges of the corrugated layer web as
the latter exits from its path of travel around the roll 14.
Afterward, the laminar composite 6 is reversed in direction and
if desired, fed into a second lamination stage (not shown) where
a second facing layer web is bonded to the composite in a some-
what similar manner but on the opposite side of the web 2, as
explained in the earlier Application.
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The adhesive applicator roll 22 is mounted so as to be
co-extensive with the lower corrugating roll 14 in the axial
direction thereof, and is driven in the counter clockwise direc-
tion as indicated. The outside surface 26 of the roll is plain
and smooth, and according to the invention, while the applicator
roll is rotated, the hot melt adhesive is repeatedly successively
deposited on the roll in spaced parallel lines 28 crosswise of
the ridges 20 of the corrugated surface defining web 2, the lines
and ridges are contacted with one another so that portions of the
lines are deposited on the ridges in the aforementioned series of
spots, and the balance of the lines is removed from the roll to a
neutral zone 32 separate from the webs. See FIGURE 2. The adhe-
sive is deposited on the applicator roll by a satellite system 34
which discharges the adhesive in streams 36 of the same that are
adapted to impinge on the surface 26 of the roll along spaced
parallel lines extending about the roll crosswise of the ridges
of the web. The streams are formed by extruding the adhesive
from a series of orifices 38 that are spaced apart from one
another opposite the roll at a location spaced rotationally ahead
of the location at which the lines 28 of adhesive on the roll are
contacted with the ridges 20 of the web. The adhesive is removed
from the applicator roll by doctoring it off with a rectilinearly
edged blade 40 which is slidably engaged with the roll at a loca-
tion spaced rotationally after the foregoing location at which
the lines 28 of adhesive on the applicator roll are contacted
with the ridges 20 of the web. Thus, the adhesive is deposited on
the roll in the foregoing lines 28, the lines and ridges 20 are
contacted with one another, and the balance of the lines is
removed from the roll in continuous sequence at angularly spaced
intervals about the axis of rotation of the roll 22.
lOYHD~U~ 3 288
More specifically, in the illustrated arrangement, the
adhesive is heated to a fluid condition and pumped at 42 into an
apertured manifold 44 under a pressure at which it extrudes from
the apertures 38 of the manifold in the direction of the applica-
tor roll. Also, the removed adhesive is collected in a sump 46
when it is doctored off of the applicator roll, and the pump 42 is
connected with the sump to recirculate the collected adhesive to
the manifold. The collected adhesive is also reheated between
the sump and the pump to renew the fluid condition of the adhe-
sive; and the manifold is heated to sustain the fluid conditionof the adhesive therein. The connection between the pump and the
manifold is seen at 47; the connection between the sump and the
pump is seen at 48; and the means for reheating the adhesive are
associated with the pump unit at 42 as indicated. The means for
heating the manifold ta~e the form of a pair of heater tubes 50
which are contiguous to and co-extensive with the manifold on
opposite sides thereof in a plane perpendicular to the discharge
path of the streams 36.
As indicated earlier, the pump 42 is normally a vari-
able speed pump, and there are means 52 interconnected betweenthe pump and the applicator roll to vary the speed of the pump in
response to variation in the speed of the applicator roll, so as
to maintain the rate at which the adhesive is supplied to the
manifold commensurate with the speed of the applicator roll.
Normally, the pump and reheater unit 42 also includes
means for filtering the adhesive as indicated.
