GB1045561A - Method and apparatus for manufacturing a collagen article - Google Patents

Abstract

1, 045, 561. Electric retroactive control. JOHNSON & JOHNSON. Feb. 24, 1964 [Feb. 25, 1963], No. 7555/64. Heading G3R. [Also in Division B5] Apparatus for automatically controlling the diameter of an inflated travelling tubular body, and especially useful in the drying of tubular collagen films, comprises means for admitting a gaseous inflating medium into said tubular body from a pressurized source of supply, a control valve for controlling the admission of said medium into said tubular body, and an inflated diameter sensing unit associated with said valve and disposed in the path of travel of said body and responsive to variations in diameter of said tubular body for adjusting said valve to increase or decrease the admission of said medium into said tubular body, whereby the inflated diameter of said tubular body is maintained at a predetermined dimension. Thus, in Fig. 2, an arm 46, supports a roller 40 in the path of travel of the tubular film C so that roller 40 is biased by gravity toward and in continuous light contact with the upper, outer portion of film C moving past it. Any change in the inflated internal diameter of film C as it moves between rollers 38 and 40, causes roller 40 to move either upwardly or downwardly depending upon whether the casing diameter is greater or smaller than the desired internal diameter. In turn, this movement of roller 40 pivots arm 46 of potentiometer 48 in the direction of arrow A, for a casing having an internal diameter that is too large or in the direction of arrow B, for a casing having an internal diameter that is smaller than desired. To translate this movement of roller 40 and arm 46 into an appropriate change in air pressure in the inflated casing, potentiometer 48 is electrically associated with a suitable electromechanical metering device 50, (Fig. 1, not reproduced) which preferably includes an internal amplifier 52 and a pair of internal relays 54 and 56. Meter 50, is electrically connected to suitable variable speed control unit 58 for controlling the direction of rotation of a reversible speed reducer motor 60, mounted on the outside wall 62 of drying chamber 10. Output shaft 64 of motor 60 is provided with a drive sheave 66 around which is trained an endless belt 68, which is trained around a second sheave 70, mounted on the control shaft 72 of the air pressure regulator 74 for air supply line 36. To supply air to port 32 and hence to mandrel 22, clamp support 30 (Fig. 4, not reproduced) is provided with an internal bore 34 aligned with port 32 when support 30 is in normal clamping position. Air supply line 36 conducts air from a suitable source through regulating means to bore 34 and hence through port 32 and mandrel 22 into casing C for controlled inflation thereof. An adjustable quantity of air is fed therethrough into the surrounding casing tube and throughout the length thereof in the drying chamber 10 to maintain the casing C in an inflated state throughout its passage to the drying chamber 10.