GB1116934A - Apparatus for handling strip materials to form a rectangular laminated honeycomb block structure - Google Patents

Abstract

1,116,934. Laminating. CORNING GLASS WORKS. 18 Oct., 1965 [16 Oct., 1964], No. 44028/65. Heading B5N. A material handling apparatus for forming a rectangular honeycomb block 101, Fig. 1, from a layered strip 30 of strip materials 21, 29 the strip 29 being corrugated and the strip 21 being coated with a liquid composition including a binder, comprises a rotatable drum 53 for drawing together the strip materials 21, 29 to form a layered strip 30 and advancing the strip 30 along a first part of a predetermined path of travel, cutting means 73, 74 intermittently operable in timed relation with the speed of movement of the strip 30 along the path of travel for cutting predetermined equal lengths of such strip, the cutting means being located along the path beyond the first part thereof; conveyer means 81, 82, Fig. 2, for conveying the cut lengths of strip 30 along the path of travel at a speed substantially greater than the speed of the uncut strip, the conveyer means being located beyond the cutting means to receive at least the leading edge of the uncut strip prior to the cutting of one of the cut lengths thereof, a platen 89 in the path of travel and beyond the conveyer means, movable between a position in which it can receive a cut-length of layered strip and an inverted stacking position, the platen receiving each cut length of strip; a horizontally disposed and vertically movable counterbalanced platform 102, Fig. 1, located in a stacking position in the path of movement of the platen; and motor means 94 for intermittently and reciprocatingly actuating the platen between its cut length receiving position and its stacking position, the motor means being actuated in timed relationship with the cutting means so that the platen receives each cut length of strip 30, transfers the received cut length, while inverting it, to the stacking position, and thereafter returns to its receiving position prior to the cutting of and in time to receive the next cut length of such strip. In the apparatus described. Fig. 1, strip material 21 from a roll 20 is coated with binder in a tank 27 and is contacted at drum 53 with corrugated strip material 29 from a roll 28. The strip materials may be as described in Specification No. 882,484. The drum 53 comprises a perforated outer cylinder through which vacuum is applied to hold the strips 21, 29 against the drum and feed them as a layered strip 30 over a plate 63 to conveyer belts 81, 82 which are travelling more quickly than the strip 30. Cutting means comprising intermittently rotated knives 74, 75, and situated ahead of the conveyer belts 81, 82, cut the strip 30 into lengths which are fed individually by the belts on to a platen 89. The platen 89, which is supported on an arm 93 and is rotatable thereby from the position shown in Fig. 2, to an inverted stacking position above a platform 103, Fig. 1, has orifices 133 in its upper plate 88 and through these orifices vacuum is applied to hold a cut length of strip 30 in position on the platen as the latter moves from the Fig. 2 to the Fig. 1 position. The vacuum is then removed so that the cut length is placed on the platform 103 and the platen returns empty to the Fig. 2 position ready to receive the next cut length which is then placed on the first cut length on platform 103. The platform 103 is counterbalanced so that it lowers as each cut length is placed thereon. The platen exerts pressure on the stack of cut lengths on the platform whilst it is above such stack. Hot air supplied by a fan 118 is blown through the assembled stack via a conduit (not shown) to dry the binder. When the stack is completed on platform 103 it is removed therefrom and may be subsequently fired in a furnace. An air and vacuum conduit system controlled by valves 1 to 5, actuated by cams 7 on a motor driven drum 10 controls the operation of the various sections of the apparatus.