IE78613B1 - Manufacture of trailer curtains - Google Patents

Abstract

A web (14) of material is drawn from a supply reel (10) and delivered through a cutter (15) having a number of spaced-apart blades for cutting the web into a number of elongate strips. The strips are cut away from the web (14) of form panels comprising main panels (20), extension skirt panels (21) and tape panels (22). Holes are punched in the extension skirt panels (21) and grommets fitted at each hole. The panels are delivered to an assembly station (30) at which a top edge of an extension skirt panel (21) is glued along a lower edge of each main panel (20) to form a composite trailer curtain (33). The tape panels (22) are glued to a rear face of the curtain (33) extending between a top and a bottom of the curtain (33). A webbing tape (40) is inserted through the holes in the extension panel (21) and led through a pocket formed by each tape panel (22) to a top of the curtain (33). The tape (40) is secured at a top of the curtain (33) by rollers (43) which are bolted along an upper edge of the curtain (33).

Description

Manufacture of Trailer Curtains This invention relates to a process and apparatus for the manufacture of trailer curtains.

The invention particularly relates to the manufacture of trailer curtains in an efficient, cost effective and trouble free manner.

According to the invention, there is provided a process for the manufacture of trailer curtains, comprising the steps:pulling a web of material from a supply reel which is rotatably mounted on a support rack, feeding the web through a cutter, cutting the web longitudinally into a number of elongate strips, cutting the web transversely for forming the elongate strips into a number of panels of a desired size including main panels, extension skirt panels and tape panels, delivering the main panels, extension skirt panels and tape panels to an assembly station, joining a top edge of an extension skirt panel to a bottom edge of an associated main panel to form a trailer curtain, and mounting a plurality of the tape panels extending between a top and a bottom of the trailer curtain on a rear face of the trailer curtain.

In a preferred embodiment the process includes; - 2 arranging the extension skirt panels in stacks, each stack containing a pre-desired number of the extension skirt panels, delivering the stacks of extension skirt panels to a punching station, punching a plurality of rows of tape holes through the stack of extension skirt panels, the rows spaced-apart a preset distance along each stack of extension skirt panels, mounting grommets in each punched hole of each extension skirt panel, mounting a plurality of the tape panels extending between a top and a bottom of the trailer curtain on a rear face of the trailer curtain in alignment with and covering each row of tape holes in the extension skirt panel, threading a webbing tape through each set of tape holes into an associated pocket formed between the tape panel and a rear of the trailer curtain, leading the tape to an upper end of the pocket and securing the tape at the upper end of the pocket.

In one embodiment of the invention, the process includes the step of cutting all extension panels to a preset depth between a top and a bottom of each extension panel and varying the depth of the main panel for producing trailer curtains of varying depth.

In another embodiment, the process includes cutting the web longitudinally by guiding the web past a number of spaced-apart cutter blades .

In a further embodiment, the process includes feeding the web over a flat cutter board having the cutter blades mounted along a trailing edge of the board and projecting upwardly therefrom.

In another embodiment, the process includes guiding the passage of the web over the cutter board by engaging each side of the web in inwardly facing channel section guides adjacent each end of the cutter board.

In another embodiment, the process includes flattening the 10 web against a top surface of the cutter board by means of a weight bar, the weight bar being seated on the web, the web passing between a top surface of the cutter board and the weight bar.

In a further embodiment, the process includes floating the 15 cutter board on rollers allowing lateral movement of the cutter board. with an upstanding said spigot being In a preferred embodiment, the process includes punching the tape holes in the extension skirt panels by mounting a stack of the extension skirt panels on a bed of a punch, 20 aligning the stack on the bed and punching a row of holes through the stack, advancing the stack on the bed, engaging the first row of holes positioning spigot on the bed, positioned on the bed according to the required spacing 25 between adjacent rows of holes on the extension skirt panels, punching a second row of holes in the stack of extension skirt panels, advancing the stack incrementally, engaging each row of holes with the positioning spigot for aligning the stack for punching the next adjacent row of 30 holes in the stack of extension skirt panels.

In another aspect the invention provides apparatus for manufacturing trailer curtains according to the process substantially as herein described.

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a process for the manufacture of trailer curtains according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a web cutting station used in the process; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the web cutting station; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of portion of the web cutting station; Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of portion of the web cutting station; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a punching station used in the process; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the punching station; Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view showing an assembly station used in the process; Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of portion of a trailer curtain formed according to the process; and Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of a reel support rack used in the process.

Referring to the drawings, a process and apparatus according to the invention for the manufacture of trailer curtains will be described.

Fig. 1 schematically shows the process. A support stand 10 carries a plurality of supply reels 11 of plastics material from which the curtains are made. Each reel 11 is mounted on a spindle 12. Opposite ends of the spindles 12 are supported between pairs of spaced-apart rollers on the stand 10 to allow rotation of the reel 11 for pulling off a web 14 of material from a reel 11 and feeding the web through a cutter 15.

In passing through the cutter 15, the web 14 is cut longitudinally into a number of elongate strips indicated generally at 16 which are laid out on a table 17 downstream of the cutter 15. When strips 16 of a desired length have been cut, the web 14 is cut transversely to form the strips 16 into a number of panels of a desired size. These panels comprise main panels 20, extension skirt panels 21 and tape panels 22. It will be noted that the web 14 is of a standard width, typically about 2.5 metres, and the combination of strips cut from the web 14 are arranged for optimum use of the web 14. It will further be noted that advantageously, the extension skirt panels 21 are always cut to a standard depth, and the depth of the main panel 20 is adjusted for subsequently providing a trailer curtain of any desired depth.

The extension skirt panels 21 are arranged in stacks, each of which typically contains 8 or 10 extension skirt panels 21. Each stack of extension skirt panels 21 is delivered to a punching station 25. At the punching station 25, a plurality of rows 26 of tape holes 27 are punched through the stack of extension skirt panels 21. Three tape holes 27 are provided in each row 26 of tape holes 27. The rows 26 are spaced-apart a preset distance along the length of the extension skirt panel 21. Grommets 28 (Fig. 9) are mounted in each punched hole 27 to strengthen a periphery of each hole 27.

The main panels 20, extension skirt panels 21 and tape panels 22 are delivered to an assembly station 30. The assembly station 30 (Fig. 8) has a table 31 on which the panels 20, 21, 22 are laid out and joined together to form a trailer curtain 33. To form the curtain 33, a main panel 20 is joined to an extension skirt panel 21, a heat welded joint 34 being formed by a welding machine 38 between a top edge of the extension skirt panel 21 and a bottom edge of the main panel 20. Then the tape panels 22 are heat welded on a rear face of the trailer curtain 33 spaced-apart and extending between a top edge 35 and a bottom edge 36 of the trailer curtain 33. It will be noted that the tape panels 22 are in alignment with and cover each row of holes 27 in the extension skirt panel 21 and form a pocket at a rear of the trailer curtain 33 only being heat welded along side edges to a rear face of the trailer curtain 33. Peripheral edges of the trailer curtain 33 are folded over and heat welded to the rear face of the trailer curtain 33.

The trailer curtain 33 is then overturned on the table 31 with its front face uppermost and a webbing tape 40 (see Fig. 9) is threaded through the holes 27 as shown in Fig. 9 and led up to a top edge 35 of the trailer curtain 33. The webbing tape 40 is secured adjacent the top edge 35 by means of bolts 42 passing through the curtain 33 and which also secure rollers 43 spaced-apart along the top edge 35 of the trailer curtain 33. A lower end of the webbing tape 40 has a buckle and clasp (not shown) for securing the free end of the webbing tape 40 to the bed of a trailer in use.

Referring now to Fig. 2 to 5, the cutter 15 is shown in more detail. The cutter 15 has a frame 50. A number of spaced-apart web guide rollers 51 are rotatably mounted spaced-apart on the frame 50. Mounted centrally on the frame is a flat cutter board 52 over which the web 14 is passed in use. At a trailing edge 53 of the cutter board 52, a number of spaced-apart cutter blades 54 are provided for cutting the web 14 into the longitudinal strips 16. Inwardly facing channel section guides 56 are provided at each end of the cutter board 52 for engagement with each side 57 of the web 14 and aligning the web 14 with the cutter blades 54. A weight bar 60 is mounted on the web 14 flattening the web 14 against the cutter board 52. The weight bar 60 is positioned on the cutter board 52 by means of flexible flaps 62 mounted on top of each of the guides 56. The flap 62 folds down over an end of the weight bar 60 to hold the weight bar 60 in position.

The cutter board 52 is mounted on the frame 50 by means of rollers 64, 65 which support an underside and a trailing edge of the cutter board 52 respectively thus allowing the cutter board 52 to float laterally on the frame 50 to accommodate any uneven feeding of the web 14 from the reel 11.

In use, the web 14 is fed from the reel 11 over the cutter board 52 past the cutter blades 54 cutting the web 14 into a number of the strips 16 as shown in Fig. 2. As the web 14 is de-reeled, the cutter board 52 floats back and forth laterally as required to keep the web centralised between the guides 56 on the cutter board 52 for accurate cutting of the web 14 into the strips 16.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the punching station 25 is shown in more detail. The punching station 25 has a punch head 70 with three spaced-apart cutters 71 for punching out each row of tape holes 27 in the extension skirt panel 21. Directly beneath the punch head 70 is a bed 72 over which the extension skirt panels 21 are led to the punch head 70. The bed 72 has upstanding guide rails 73 at opposite sides of the bed 72, the distance between the guide rails 73 corresponding to the depth of the extension skirt panels 21.

A leading edge of a stack of extension skirt panels 21 is led along the bed 72 between the guides 73 and aligned with a positioning line marked on the bed 72 extending between the rails 73. This correctly aligns the stack of extension skirt panels 21 with the punch head 70 for punching a first row of holes in the extension skirt panels 21.

Upon retraction of the punch head 70, the stack of extension skirt panels 21 is advanced on the bed 72, one of the holes 27 previously punched in the extension skirt panels 21 being engaged with an upstanding positioning spigot 75 mounted on the bed 72 downstream of the punch head 70. This positioning spigot 75 is adjustable, a number of location holes 76 being provided in the bed 72 for mounting the positioning spigot 75 at various distances spaced-apart from the cutters 71 of the punch head 70. The positioning spigot 75 is positioned so that the centre distance between the positioning spigot 75 and the cutter blade 71 gives the required distance between adjacent rows of holes 27 in the extension skirt panels 21.

It will be appreciated that the stack of extension skirt panels 21 can be readily easily and quickly advanced through the punching station 25 accurately cutting the required holes 27 at the desired locations on the extension skirt panels 21. As only the extension skirt panel 21 is being handled, the operation can be readily easily and efficiently carried out by a single operator. Further, advantageously as the depth of the extension skirt panels 21 have been standardised, the positioning of the holes 27 from the edges of the extension skirt panels 21 will be the same for all cases, the only adjustment required is the spacing between adjacent rows of holes 27 which is readily easily adjusted to the required spacing by locating the positioning spigot 75 in the required holes 76 in the bed 72.

Referring to Fig. 10 the support stand 10 is shown in more detail. The support stand 10 has a frame 80 with a plurality of spaced-apart ground-engaging upright support struts 81 at each side of the frame 80 on which are mounted a number of vertically spaced-apart horizontal reel bearing beams 82. The spindles 12 of each reel 11 extend outwardly at each end of the reel 11. Each outer end of the spindle 12 is rotatably supported on a pair of spaced-apart rotatable bearings 84 which are mounted on the beams 82. In this way, conveniently a number of different reels 11 of material of different colours, thicknesses or of different types of plastic material may be mounted on the support stand 10 ready for use.

It would be appreciated that the invention provides a process and apparatus for producing a high quality trailer curtain in an efficient and relatively simple manner. It will be noted that the cutter advantageously facilitates accurate cutting of the web into the various desired panels. The accurate cutting also saves waste. Cutters for different configurations of panels can be readily easily and quickly changed thus minimising lost production time when changing over between production runs for different curtains.

The support stand for the reels of material greatly facilitate change over between production runs using different material and reel handling and change over between different production runs can be carried out in an efficient manner minimising time delays at change over.

Further, the process of manufacturing the curtains in two main parts that is the main panel and the extension panel maintaining the extension panel at a desired depth and varying the depth of the main panel to vary the height of the curtain produced promotes more efficient production of curtains. It is also easier to handle the smaller extension panel for carrying out the punching process. It will also be noted that the manner in which the punching is carried out facilitates accurate placement of the punched holes along the extension panel in a relatively simple fashion.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims (10)

1. A process for the manufacture of trailer curtains, comprising the steps:pulling a web of material from a supply reel which is rotatably mounted on a support rack, feeding the web through a cutter, cutting the web longitudinally into a number of elongate strips, cutting the web transversely for forming the elongate strips into a number of panels of a desired size including main panels, extension skirt panels and tape panels, delivering the main panels, extension skirt panels and tape panels to an assembly station, joining a top edge of an extension skirt panel to a bottom edge of an associated main panel to form a trailer curtain, and mounting a plurality of tape panels extending between a top and a bottom of the trailer curtain on a rear face of the trailer curtain.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process includes; arranging the extension skirt panels in stacks, each stack containing a pre-desired number of the extension skirt panels, delivering the stacks of extension skirt panels to a punching station, punching a plurality of rows of tape holes through the stack of extension skirt panels, the rows spaced-apart a preset distance along each stack of extension skirt panels, mounting grommets in each punched hole of each extension skirt panel, mounting a plurality of the tape panels extending between a top and a bottom of the trailer curtain on a rear face of the trailer curtain in alignment with and covering each row of tape holes in the extension skirt panel, threading a webbing tape through each set of tape holes into an associated pocket formed between the tape panel and a rear of the trailer curtain, leading the tape to an upper end of the pocket and securing the tape at the upper end of the pocket.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the process includes the step of cutting all extension panels to a preset depth between a top and a bottom of each extension panel and varying the depth of the main panel for producing trailer curtains of varying depth. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the process includes cutting the web longitudinally by guiding the web past a number of spaced-apart cutter blades.

4. 5. A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the process includes feeding the web over a flat cutter board having the cutter blades mounted along a trailing edge of the board and projecting upwardly therefrom. 5

5. 6. A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein the process includes guiding passage of the web over the cutter board by engaging each side of the web in inwardly facing channel section guides adjacent each end of the cutter board. 10

6. 7. A process as claimed in claim 5 or 6 wherein the process includes flattening the web against a top surface of the cutter board by means of a weight bar, the weight bar being seated on the web, the web passing between a top surface of the cutter board and 15 the weight bar.

7. 8. A process as claimed in any of claims 5 to 7 wherein the process includes floating the cutter board on rollers allowing lateral movement of the cutter board.

8. 9. A process as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the process includes punching the tape holes in the extension skirt panels by mounting a stack of the extension skirt panels on a bed of a punch, aligning the stack on the bed and punching a row of holes through the stack, advancing the stack on the bed, engaging the first row of holes with an upstanding positioning spigot on the bed, said spigot being positioned on the bed according to the required spacing between adjacent rows of holes on the extension skirt panels, punching a second row of holes in the stack of extension skirt panels, advancing the stack incrementally, engaging each row

9. 10.

10. 11. - 14 of holes with the positioning spigot for aligning the stack for punching the next adjacent row of holes in the stack of extension skirt panels. A process for the manufacture of trailer curtains substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Trailer curtains whenever manufactured according to the process as claimed in any preceding claim.