Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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MEDIA DEPOSITING SYSTEM AND METHOD
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system and method for
depositing a pattern of media and in particular, to a
system and method for depositing granules in a predefined
pattern on a continuously moving sheet to form a roofing
material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A common method of manufacturing roofing materials
involves depositing granules on a coated sheet of material,
such as a webbed material that is coated with asphalt. A
common roofing material is the roofing shingle which
presents a well defined and pleasing pattern on a roof.
Shingles are time consuming to install, however, and the
seams present a potential source of water leaks. Although
a continuous sheet of roofing material would be preferable,
such a continuous sheet lacks the distinctive "shingle"
pattern users have grown accustomed to.
Some attempts have been made at depositing granule
patterns on a continuous sheet of material. The continuous
sheet of material is unrolled, coated with a tacky material
such as asphalt, and moved beneath a granule application
device that drops granules onto the tacky coating covering
the sheet. Existing granule application devices are
limited in that they are not capable of depositing granules
in a predefined pattern, such as a pattern simulating
overlapping shingles. A sheet of shingle material with a
pattern simulating overlapping shingles would be useful and
would save considerable time in the roofing industry.
A typical granule application device uses a hopper and
a roll or gate rotating beneath the hopper to allow the
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granules to fall onto the moving sheet of roofing material
itself. However, such devices do not adequately control the
falling of the granules onto the moving sheet of roofing
material and do not allow the granules to be deposited in a
predetermined and predefined pattern.
One such prior art granule application device is
disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,900,589 to Montgomery. This
granule application device includes a series of granule
applicators and a sheet that travels under the applicators
for receiving the granules. Each applicator includes a
roll and gate unit for depositing the granules by allowing
the granules to just fall to the sheet. This device does
not deposit granules in a predefined pattern on the sheet
and does not control the dropping of the granules.
Another device is disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
4,478,869 to Brady, et al. This device includes a series
of hoppers for applying granules to a continuously moving
strip. This device provides a means for sensing the amount
of excess granules collected in a back fall hopper and for
monitoring the rate of discharge of the granules to the
back fall hopper. However, this device does not provide a
system and method that controls the dropping of granules
and deposits granules in a pattern on the continuously
moving sheet.
Other granule application systems are overly complex
and have been unable to simply and efficiently deposit a
pattern of granules on a continuous sheet of shingle
material. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos.
4,295,445 and 4,352,837 issued to Kopenhaver. This type of
apparatus and method for manufacturing roofing shingles is
a long and complex process in which one stage includes
applying a series of bands of coating asphalt with an
inking wheel so that the granules will stick to the bands
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of asphalt in a pattern. Such a complex and time consuming
process is expensive and unproductive.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for
precisely depositing granules, particles, liquid, or any
other type of media, in .a predefined pattern on a
corritinuously moving surface. The media depositing system
and method should be simple and efficient so as to minimize
the production costs and increase productivity. The system
and method should control the dropping of the media to
precisely deposit the media in a predefined pattern, for
example, by controlling the speed and distance at which the
media is dropped.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention features a system and method for
depositing a predefined pattern of a medium, such as
granules or similar particles or viscous liquids on a
moving surface. The system comprises an apparatus for
precisely depositing the media in a predefined pattern of
any design on a moving surface, such as a moving sheet of
material. In one embodiment, the sheet of material is a
web material including at least one surface coated with an
asphaltic material, for receiving a medium, such as
granules, in the predefined pattern.
The apparatus for depositing the media in a predefined
pattern on the moving surface comprises a media applicator
roll having an media receiving region for receiving the
media in the desired predefined pattern, such as an
engraved region or raised region. A media retaining
member, such as a belt or chute, is provided proximate at
least a portion of the media receiving region of the media
applicator roll. The media retaining member retains the
media in the media receiving region from proximate a top
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region of the media applicator roll to proximate a bottom
region of the media applicator roll.
The media retaining member preferably retains the
media in the media receiving region of the media applicator
roll until a point proximate the bottom region of the media
applicator roll that minimizes the distance that the media
fall or drop from the media receiving region to the moving
surface. The media retaining member thereby controls the
dropping of the media from the media applicator roll to
precisely deposit the media in the predefined pattern.
The preferred embodiment of the media depositing
system includes at least one media feeder positioned
proximate the media applicator roll. The media applicator
roll rotates at a predetermined speed at a location above
the moving surface as the media feeder feeds the media to
the media receiving region of the media applicator roll. In
one embodiment, the granule feeder includes a hopper
generally extending across a length of the media applicator
roll. The hopper includes a gasket positioned around a
portion of the hopper in contact with the media receiving
region of the media applicator roll.
In one embodiment, the media retaining member includes
a media retaining belt, such as an endless belt made of
rubber or another suitable material. At least a first
roller holds the media retaining belt proximate the media
receiving region at a top region of the media applicator
roll. At least a second roller holds the media retaining
belt in contact with the media receiving region at a bottom
region of the media applicator roll. The media retaining
belt runs continuously around the first and second rollers
as the media applicator roll rotates to maintain the media
in contact with the media receiving region from the top
region to the bottom region of the media applicator roll.
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In one embodiment, the media applicator roll includes
a substantially cylindrical sleeve made of a rubber or
other suitable material and having the media receiving
region, e.g. engraved or raised regions. The substantially
cylindrictal sleeve is disposed around an internal support.
In one embodiment, the substantially cylindrical sleeve is
removably fitted on the internal support, and a plurality
of sleeves having different media receiving regions
corresponding to various predefined patterns can be
interchangeably fitted over the internal support to vary
the patterns that can be deposited.
The method of depositing media in a predefined pattern
on a moving surface according to the present invention
comprises the steps of: rotating a media applicator roll at
a predetermined speed; moving a surface at a predetermined
speed and at a predetermined distance beneath the media
applicator roll; feeding media to an media receiving region
of the media applicator roll; retaining the media in
contact with the media receiving region of the media
applicator roll from proximate a top region of the media
applicator roll to proximate a bottom region of the media
applicator roll; and releasing the media from the media
receiving region of the media applicator roll at the bottom
region.
The preferred method includes synchronizing the
predetermined speed of rotation of the media applicator
roll and the predetermined speed of the moving surface.
The preferred method further includes positioning the
moving surface at a predetermined distance from the media
applicator roll to minimize or optimize a distance that the
media drop from the media receiving region at the bottom
region of the media applicator roll to the moving surface.
Synchronizing the speed of rotation of the media applicator
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roll and the speed of the moving surface and minimizing the distance of the
media drop both
control the media drop so that the media are precisely deposited in the
predefined pattem.
Thus in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a system for
depositing granular media in a pattern on a moving web, said system
comprising:
a means for moving said moving web at a linear velocity in a direction;
a media applicator roll, rotating in a direction and at a speed of rotation
above said moving
web, said media applicator roll having a media receiving region corresponding
to said
pattern, wherein said direction of said media applicator roll corresponds to
said direction
of said moving web, and wherein said speed of rotation of said media
applicator roll is
synchronized with respect to said means for moving said moving web; and
a media retaining member, proximate at least a portion of said media
applicator roll, for
maintaining said granular media in said media receiving region of said media
applicator
roll as said media applicator roll rotates, wherein said media applicator roll
and said
media retaining member cooperate to release said granular media from said
media
receiving region of said media applicator roll at a linear velocity which
substantially
corresponds to said linear velocity of said, moving web, and directly onto at
least a top
surface of said moving web in the form of said pattern.
In accordance with another aspect the present invention provides a media
depositing
apparatus, for depositing media in a pattern on a moving surface, said media
depositing
apparatus comprising:
a media applicator roll having a media receiving region corresponding to the
pattern to
be deposited on the moving surface; and
a media retaining belt proximate at least a portion of said media receiving
region of said
media applicator roll and movable with said applicator roll, for maintaining
media in
contact with said media receiving region of said media applicator roll until
the
media in said
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media receiving region reach a bottom region of said media applicator roll,
said
media retaining belt terminating at said bottom region of said media
applicator roll and
beneath said media applicator roll, wherein said media applicator roll and
said media
retaining belt cooperate to release said media from said bottom region of said
media
applicator roll and said media retaining belt and directly onto said moving
surface.
In accordance with a further aspect the present invention provides a method of
depositing granular media in a pattern directly on a moving surface of a
continuous
web, said method comprising the steps of:
rotating a media applicator roll;
moving said continuous web on which said granular media is to be deposited at
a linear
velocity beneath said media applicator roll;
feeding said granular media to a media receiving region on said media
applicator roll;
maintaining said granular media in contact with said media receiving region of
said
media applicator roll from a top region of said media applicator roll to a
bottom region
beneath said media applicator roll; and
releasing said granular media from said media receiving region of said media
applicator
roll at said bottom region directly onto said moving surface of said
continuous web in
said pattern, wherein said granular media is directly deposited on said moving
surface at
an acute angle with respect to said moving surface.
In accordance with an additional aspect the present invention provides a
system for
depositing granular media in a pattern on a moving web, said system
comprising:
a media applicator roll, rotating at a speed of rotation above said moving
web, said media
applicator roll having a media receiving region corresponding to said pattern
to be deposited
on said moving web, wherein said speed of rotation of said media applicator
roll is
synchronized with
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respect to a speed of said moving web; and
a media retaining member, proximate at least a portion of said media
applicator roll, for
maintaining said granular media in said media receiving region of said media
applicator roll
as said media applicator roll rotates, said media retaining member terminating
at a bottom
region of said media applicator roll and beneath said media applicator roll,
wherein said
media applicator roll and said media retaining member cooperate to release
said granular
media directly onto at least a top surface of said moving web in said pattern.
In accordance with still another aspect the present invention provides a
method of
depositing granular media in a pattern directly on a moving surface of a
continuous
web, said method comprising the steps of:
rotating a media applicator roll;
moving said continuous web on which said granular media is to be deposited at
a
linear velocity beneath said media applicator roll;
feeding said granular media to a media receiving region on said media
applicator roll;
maintaining said granular media in contact with said media receiving region of
said
media applicator roll with a media retaining member positioned against said
media
receiving region, wherein said granular media is maintained in contact with
said
media receiving region from a top region of said media applicator roll to a
bottom
region beneath said media applicator roll; and releasing said granular media
from said
media receiving region of said media applicator roll at said bottom region
directly onto
said moving surface of said continuous web in said pattern.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be
better understood by
reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings
wherein:
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Fig. 1 is a side view of the system for depositing media in a predefined
pattern according to
the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a side view of an apparatus for depositing media in a predefined
pattern according
to one embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a top view of a system for depositing media in a predefined pattern
including a
moving surface having media deposited thereon in a predefined pattern
according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a side view of the media applicator roll including an media
receiving region
according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an media receiving region having engraved
portions on
a media applicator roll according to one embodiment of the present invention;
and
Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an media receiving region having raised
portions
according to another embodiment of the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A system for depositing media in a pattern according
to the present invention includes an apparatus 10, Fig. 1,
that deposits media 2, such as mineral and non-mineral
media, sawdust, roofing granules, aluminum flakes, resin,
ink, or any other particulates or material, in a predefined
pattern on a surface 22 moving beneath the apparatus 10.
The apparatus 10 for depositing media in a predefined
pattern on the moving surface 22 includes a media
applicator roll 12 having an media receiving region 18,
such as an engraved or raised region, that receives the
media in the predefined pattern. The media depositing
apparatus 10 further includes a media retaining member 14,
such as a belt or chute, proximate at least a portion 11 of
the media receiving region 18 of the applicator roll 12
that retains the media 2 in the predefined pattern on the
media receiving region 18 until the media 2 are deposited
on the surface 22, as will be described in greater detail
below.
An exemplary system and method for depositing media in
a predefined pattern is a system and method for depositing
media, such as granules or similar particles, in a pattern
on the surface 22 of a sheet of material 20 to form a
roofing material. One example of the pattern includes a
shingle pattern that simulates the overlapping, double
coverage of roofing shingles. The present invention also
includes any pattern including, but not limited to, a slate
pattern and a wood pattern.
In the exemplary system and method for depositing
media on a sheet of material 20 to form a roofing product,
the sheet of material 20 is coated along at least its top
surface 22 with a tacky material, such as asphalt, so that
the granules or other particles 2 deposited in a predefined
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pattern will fall to the surface 22 of the material 20.
For example, the sheet of material 20 can be a web type
material, such as fiber glass, polyester, paper,
polyethylene, felt, polypropylene, metal or other similar
materials commonly used for roofing, formed as a roll 24.
The web material is coated along at least its top surface
22 with the tacky or asphaltic material according to any
suitable method well known to those skilled in the art, for
example, a conventional coating mechanism 26.
One way of moving the sheet of material 20 beneath the
apparatus 10 is by a conventional web or paper conveying
machine (not shown) known to those skilled in the art. The
system according to the present invention can also include
one or more additional media applicators 21, for example,
to lightly coat granules or other media over the entire
surface 22 after the predefined pattern of media has been
deposited. The system according to the present invention
also contemplates more than one media depositing apparatus
10 arranged in a series to deposit a predefined pattern on
the moving sheet of material 20.
The present invention contemplates any type and size
of mineral or non-mineral particle to be deposited
including, but not limited to, roofing granules, sand,
slag, aluminum flakes, resin, and sawdust. The present
invention also contemplates liquid media, such as resin,
ink or other substantially viscous liquids. In addition,
the present invention contemplates various types of
surfaces 22, with or without a coating, on which the
various types of media 2 can be deposited.
In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 for depositing
media in a predefined pattern on the moving surface 22
further includes a media feeder 16, such as a hopper, as
will be described in greater detail below. As the media
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applicator roll 12 rotates, the media 2 in the media feeder
16 are fed to the media receiving region 18 of the
applicator roll 12. The present invention contemplates any
type of media feeder 16 including, but not limited to, a
granule feeder, curtain feeder, drag box, gravity feeder,
applicator roll, auger, pneumatic feeder, and other similar
feeding devices.
In the preferred embodiment, the media retaining
member 14 retains the media 2 within the media receiving
region 18 along the portion 11 of the media receiving
,region 18 from a top region 13 to a bottom region 15 of the
media applicator roll 12. Proximate the bottom region 15,
the media 2 are released from the media receiving region 18
and dropped to the moving surface 22 in the predefined
pattern. The distance d that the media 2 drop or fall from
the media receiving region 18 of the media applicator roll
12 to the moving surface 22 is preferably minimized so that
the media 2 are precisely deposited in the predefined
pattern, as will be discussed in greater detail below.
One example of the media retaining member 14 includes
a media retaining belt, such as endless belt made of a
rubber or other similar material. Other examples of the
media retaining member 14 include a chute or similar device
generally contoured to match the exterior surface of
application roll 12.
In a media depositing apparatus 10, Fig. 2, that uses
a media retaining belt 30, the belt 30 runs around a
plurality of rollers 32, 33, 34, 35. A first roller 32
holds the media retaining belt 30 proximate the media
receiving region 18 of the media applicator roll 12
proximate the top region 13. A second roller 33 holds the
media retaining belt 30 proximate the media receiving
region 18 proximate the bottom region 15. The media
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retaining belt 30 moves around the rollers 32, 33, 34, 35
together with the media applicator roll 12 as the media
applicator roll 12 rotates.
In the preferred embodiment, the granule applicator
roll 12 is rotatably coupled to the first roller 32 so that
the media retaining belt 30 moves along with the media
applicator roll 12. One way of rotatably coupling media
applicator roll 12 to first roller 32 is by a belt or chain
drive mechanism including a belt or chain 42 rotatably
engaged with the media applicator roll 12. The belt or
chain 42 is rotatably engaged with a first gear 43 which
engages a second gear 44 coupled to the first roller 32.
Rotational movement is transmitted to the first roller 32
as the media applicator roll 12 rotates, e.g. by a motor,
as will be described below. The first gear 43 then rotates
second gear 44 and the first roller 32, thereby moving the
media retaining belt 30 along with the media applicator
roll 12.
One example of the chain drive mechanism includes a
chain 42, such as a 60 pitch single roller chain
approximately 48 in. in length. The chain is engaged with
a sprocket 45 coupled to the media applicator roll 12, such
as a 60 pitch / 48 tooth sprocket having an outer diameter
of approximately 11.893 in. and a pitch diameter of
approximately 11.468. The chain 42 engages a sprocket 46
coupled to the first gear 43, such as a 60 pitch / 11 tooth
sprocket having an outer diameter of approximately 3.005
in. and pitch diameter of approximately 2.663 in. In this
example, the first and second gears 43, 44 are spur gears
having 10 pitch / 48 teeth, an outer diameter of
approximately 5 in. and a pitch diameter of approximately
4.8. A chain drive mechanism according to this example,
will transmit movement from the media applicator roll 12 to
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the first roller 32 and the media retainirng belt 30 so that
the media retaining belt 30 moves along with the media
applicator roll 12 at approximately the same speed.
The second roller 33 has a relatively small preferred
diameter in the range of approximately 1 to 2 inches and is
located proximate the bottom region 15 such that the
distance d that the media 2 drop from the media applicator
roll 12 to the surface 22 is minimized. The distance d can
be minimized by positioning the second roller 33 so that
the lowest point 52 of the second roller 33 lies
substantially in the same horizontal plane as the lowest
point 54 of the media applicator roll 12.
A cam follower mechanism 36 having one or more cam
follower wheels 37 can be used with the second roller 33 if
the second roller 33 has a relatively small diameter and
needs additional support along its length.
In one example, the second roller 33 has a diameter of
approximately 2.375 in. and is supported by two cam
follower wheels 37 along the length of the second roller
33. Using this second roller 33 of 2.375 in. allows a
distance d of approximately 2 in. or less between the point
that the media drop from the media receiving region 18 and
the surface 22.
In one example, the first roller 32, the third roller
34, and the fourth roller 35 have an outer diameter of
approximately 4 in. and are spaced from one another at
approximately 18.5 in. center-to-center. In this example,
the media retaining belt 30 is an endless belt of
approximately 90 in. in length, and the media applicator
roll 12 has a diameter of approximately 18.382 in. The
present invention, however, contemplates different numbers
of rollers and various dimensions for the rollers, belts,
and applicator roll.
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The preferred embodiment of the media applicator roll
12 includes a substantially cylindrical outer sleeve 8
having the media receiving region 18 and secured around an
internal support 7. The internal support 7 is preferably
made of a rigid material, such as metal, and the sleeve 8
is preferably made of rubber or a similar material but the
present invention contemplates other suitable materials
such as plastic and metal. The sleeve 8, in one
embodiment, can be removably secured to the internal
support 7 using bolts, screws or the like. A plurality of
sleeves 8 having media receiving regions 18 of various
predefined patterns can be interchanged to easily and
quickly vary the predefined patterns deposited on the
surface 22.
The media depositing apparatus 10 further includes
support members 6, such as support plates, for rotatably
supporting the media applicator roll 12, the rollers 32,
33, 34, 35, and the first and second gears 43, 44 and for
supporting cam follower mechanism 36 having cam follower
wheels 37.
A motor 40, Fig. 3, is coupled to a shaft 41 extending
from the media applicator roll 12 for rotating the media
applicator roll 12. Preferably the motor 40 is any type
capable of driving a chain from a sprocket, e.g. a 3 to 5
h.p. motor. The applicator roll 12 may have its own drive
system (motor, belt, gears, etc.) or may be driven from
another source, as is well known in the art.
The media retaining belt 30 is approximately the same
width of the media applicator roll 12. In one example, the
media retaining belt 30 is approximately 42 in. wide and
the media applicator roll 12 is approximately 43 in. wide.
The width of the surface 22 also corresponds generally with
the width of the applicator roli 12. In the example above,
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the width of the surface 22 is approximately 37 in. The
present invention, however, contemplates media applicator
rolls, media retaining belts, and surfaces of various sizes
and dimensions.
One embodiment of the granule feeder 16 includes one
or more hoppers extending at least part of the length of
the media applicator roll 12. The hopper contains a supply
of media 2, such as granules, that are fed to the entire
length of the media receiving region 18, such as by gravity
or by a mechanical feeding mechanism, as the media
applicator roll 12 rotates. Preferably, the media feeder
or hopper 16 includes a gasket or seal 17 around the
opening of the media feeder or hopper 16 in contact with
the media receiving region 18. The gasket or seal 17,
typically made of a rubber or similar material, prevents
media 2 from escaping as the media 2 are fed to the media
receiving region 18. The media feeder or hopper 16 is
supported between support members 6 and automatically
replenished from a source of media(not shown).
One embodiment of the media receiving region 18, Fig.
4, consists of a pattern of engraved portions 60, 64 that
receive the media 2, such as granules, from the feeder 16
and hold the media as the media applicator roll 12 rotates.
In one example, a first series of engraved portions 60 run
substantially in an axial direction 1 along the media
applicator roll 12 and are spaced circumferentially around
the media applicator roll 12, e.g. at a predetermined
distance of approximately 5.25 in. apart. A second series
of engraved portions 64 run substantially in a
circumferential direction 3 and are spaced axially on the
media applicator roll 12, e.g. at a predetermined distance
of approximately 11.75 in. apart.
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The engraved portions 60, 64 arranged in this
configuration deposit the media 2 in a simulated shingle
pattern 28 (Fig. 3) on the moving sheet of material 20.
The present invention contemplates various patterns of
engraved portions 60, 64 to form various patterns other
than a shingle pattern or to cover the entire surface 22.
The engraved portions 60 that run substantially in an
axially direction 1 are preferably formed as slots 62. The
engraved portions 64 running substantially in the
circumferential direction 3 along the media applicator roll
12 are preferably formed as pockets 66.
A plurality of pockets 66, Fig. 5, are arranged
substantially in the circumferential direction 3 along the
media receiving region 18 of the media applicator roll 12
to form the engraved portions 64. Each pocket 66 includes
side portions 67, 68 to prevent the media 2 contained
within the pockets 66 from being displaced or sliding in
the circumferential direction 3 as the media applicator
roll 12 rotates. Thus, any engraved portion 64 that
extends substantially in a circumference direction 3 is
preferably formed as a series of pockets 66 so that the
predefined pattern of the media is precisely maintained as
the media applicator roll 12 rotates and deposits the media
on the moving sheet of material. In addition to pockets,
the present invention contemplates holes, grooves, or open
areas that prevent the media from being displaced or
sliding.
In another embodiment, the media receiving region 18,
Fig. 6, of the media applicator roll 12 includes raised
portions 70 that receive and hold media 2, such as
granules, as the media applicator roll 12 rotates. The
present invention also contemplates an media receiving
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region 18 having a combination of engraved and raised
portions.
The method of depositing media in a predefined pattern
on a moving surface includes rotating the media applicator
roll at a predetermined speed and moving the surface at a
pre'determined speed beneath the media applicator roll and
at a predetermined distance from the media applicator roll.
In the preferred embodiment, the predetermined speed of
rotation is synchronized to correspond with the
predetermined speed of the moving surface 22. In other
words, the linear velocity of the media applicator roll 12
at the point where the media are released from contact with
the media receiving region 18 should substantially
correspond with the linear velocity of the moving surface
22.
In one example, the surface 22 is moving at
approximately 500 ft./min. and the speed of rotation of the
media applicator roll 12 should be sufficient to provide a
linear velocity of approximately 500 ft./min. at the point
where the media are released. The present invention,
however, contemplates moving the media applicator roll 12
and the moving surface 22 at different speeds.
Synchronizing the speed of rotation of the media
applicator roll 12 and the speed of the moving surface 22
and minimizing the distance d that the media must drop from
the media receiving region 18 to the moving surface allows
the media to be dropped precisely in the predefined
pattern. Such a controlled media drop prevents the media
from shifting and prevents distortion of the predefined
pattern of the media as the media are deposited on the
surface 22.
Accordingly, the system and method for depositing the
pattern of media according to the present invention allows
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media to be deposited in a predefined pattern and provides
for a controlled media drop so that the media are precisely
deposited in that predefined pattern. The present
invention also provides a relatively simple system and
method for depositing media in a predefined pattern that is
productive and cost efficient.
Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary
skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of
the present invention which is not to be limited except by
the claims which follow.
What is claimed is:
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