KR19980703773A - 2-stage stacker - Google Patents

Abstract

The lamination apparatus 10 includes upper and lower belt parts 20 and 22 supported in closely spaced adjacencies. The lower belt component 22 includes a stainless steel belt 30 around the first and second metal rollers 32 and 34, and the upper belt component 20 surrounds the third and fourth metal rollers 38 and 40. Injected in Teflon, including a fiberglass belt (36). The belt parts 20 and 22 have unbroken belts 30 and 36 located in opposite relations, the first and third rollers 32 and 38 form input nips, and the second and fourth rollers 34 and 40. Is positioned to form an output nip. The first roller 32 is heated with an internal cartridge heater 66 at a temperature of 200 ° C., and the protrudingly located heating platen 68 having the upper layer of the metal belt adjacent to the first roller is heated at about 160 ° C. Fan cooled heat sinks 72, 74 are positioned protruding adjacent the output nip to cool the glass fiber belts of metal passing between them. The belt is rotated to move the thermoplastic plate 14, 16 material between the seamless belt from the input nip to the output nip, where the lower thermoplastic plate 16 is under the heat and pressure of the input nip rollers 32, 38. It is laminated to the upper thermoplastic plate 14 for the first time and completely laminated in a path over the heating platen 68. The laminated plastic sheet is then cooled by the path between the fan cooled heat sinks 72 and 74.

Description

2-stage stacker

The present invention relates to a laminating apparatus for laminating like a thermoplastic plate, and more particularly, to a laminating apparatus including a seamless belt on a front surface that carries a thermoplastic plate through successive pre-lamination, laminating and cooling steps.

Here, the general type belt laminating device is known in the art. In general, the prior art lamination apparatus typically includes a single heating step that heats the surface of the thermoplastic plate while the plate is held. When this single stage lamination device is effective for many types of thermoplastic plate materials, there are several types of thermoplastic plate materials, such as the materials used to make identification cards or safety cards, which are special heating and Cooling characteristics

The best form contemplated for forming the present invention is shown in the drawings;

1 is a front view of a lamination apparatus of the present invention;

2 is a rear view of the present invention;

3 is a top view of the present invention;

4 is a cross-sectional view connecting lines 4-4 of FIG.

The present invention is to provide a two-stage lamination apparatus including upper and lower belt parts supported in closely spaced adjacent relationship. The lower belt part comprises stainless steel belts around the first and second rollers, and the upper belt part includes fiberglass belts, Teflon around the third and fourth rollers. The belt part is supported by a framework such as the first and third roller-type input nips and the second and fourth roller-type output nips with a belt that is seamless. The first and second rollers are fixed in position with the third and fourth rollers slidably hanging relative to the first and second rollers. The third and fourth rollers are tilted downward from the position hung toward the first and second rollers to form a space, but apply pressure to the input and output nips. In the first or lower layer, the input roller is heated with an internal cartridge heater at a temperature of about 200 ° C. The heated input nip is limited to the initial lamination step. The heating platen protruding in relation to the upper layer of the metal belt adjacent to the first roller is heated at a temperature of about 160 ° C. to define the completed lamination step. Fan cooling heat absorption is in a protruding position adjacent the output nip that cools the metal and glass fibers passing between them.

In particular, the apparatus is useful in systems for stacking safety cards comprising amorphous copolymer esters reinforcing plates, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cover plates, and safety phases located between the plates. The safety phase is preferably printed back to the bottom of the cover plate with the usual thermal dyeing transfer technique and securely placed between the plates in a position where the safety phase cannot interfere. When viewed through the upper surface of the cover plate, the reversed printed image appears in its correct direction. Amorphous copolymer esters and PVC plates are synthetic polymers that are effectively mixed together under heat and pressure without the use of intermediate adhesives. In use, the rotating belt is operated to carry a cover over it and to reinforce the plate between the input and output nips. The overlying plate is inserted into the input nip of the device with the cover plate facing downward, so that the cover plate is first laminated to the upper layer reinforcing the plate under the heat and pressure of the input nip roller. After the initial lamination, the adjacent heating platen on the path further heats the pre-laminated plates in a fixed position, which can be completely melted or laminated. Fusion and laminates are cooled by the path between the fan cooling heat sinks.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a two-stage lamination apparatus in which two thermoplastic plates are laminated in advance under heat and pressure, completely laminated only in heat, and then cooled; There is provided a lamination device comprising a heated input nip, a heated platen and a fan cooled heat sink.

Still other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become devices such as the description of the process when considered in connection with what is shown in the drawings.

The lamination apparatus of the present invention is shown by reference numeral 10, generally in Figs. The lamination apparatus 10 is operated to be laminated on the front of the thermoplastic sheet material such as the type of sheet material used to make the safety card. More specifically, the stacking device 10 was found to be useful for developing at the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company of St. Paul Minnesota and fusing the safety card system shown in US Pat. No. 08 / 128,484.

A safety card system, generally indicated at 12 in FIG. 4, has a safety phase with a backing plate 14, a cover plate 16, and a safety phase that is printed back to the inner surface 18 of the cover plate 16 (FIG. (Not shown in FIG. 2), it is placed on the laminates 14 and 16 when protected together.

When viewed from the top of the cover plate, the reversed safety phase appears in the correct direction. The backing plates and cover plates 14 and 16 are laminated in direct contact without an intermediate layer of adhesive, in which the backing plates 14 preferably comprise a pre-crystallized copolymer film and the cover plate 16 is made of rigid polyvinyl chloride. It includes. The amorphous copolymer ester backing plate 14 becomes opaque white by coloring with preferably titanium oxide when the PVC cover plate is preferably transparent, although other color mechanisms and devices are also suitable. Most recently, the backing plate 14 is relatively thicker than the cover plate to provide the rigidity and strength of the assembled card 12. For example, the backing plate 14 preferably has a thickness between about 20 and 22 mils, and the cover plate 16 is preferably between about 7 and 10 mils at a total card thickness of between about 27 and 32 mils. Has

A particular advantage of the safety card system 12 in particular is that good adhesion can be achieved between PVC and amorphous copolymers at relatively low temperatures, for example about 150 ° C. During the lamination process, both the amorphous co-ester and the PVC soften, cool down and shrink at about the same rate, so that adhesion is effectively achieved, thus reducing the warpage problem with encountering another existing card.

Lamination apparatus 10 includes upper and lower belt components, generally indicated at 20 and 22, which include a bottom wall 24 and a parallel front wall 16 and a back wall 28, respectively. It is supported by closely spaced adjacent relationship as a frame part.

The lower belt part 22 generally comprises a stainless steel belt, indicated by reference numeral 30 around each of the first and second metal rollers 32, 34, and the upper belt part 20 generally being the third and fourth. Injected Teflon, fiberglass belts, indicated by reference numeral 36 around each of the metal rollers 38, 40. Both stainless steel belt 30 and fiberglass belt 36 preferably have a thickness of about 0.003 inches. The stainless steel belt 30 can be used industrially from the belt technology of AGAWAM, MA, and the glass fiber belt 36 can be used from Green Belt Industry Co., Ltd. of Buffalo. The rollers 32, 34, 38, 40 preferably comprise aluminum rollers having axes 32s, 24s, 38s, 40s. It shows that the axes 32s and 38s become cavities when the axes 34s and 40s are solid.

Seamless belts (30, 36) facing belt parts (20, 22) are connected to the first and second roller (32, 38) type nip, second and fourth roller (34, 40) type nip Supported. The first and second rollers 32 and 34 are fixed in position with the third and fourth rollers 38 and 40 which are slidably movable relative to the first and second rollers 32 and 34. More specifically, the axis of each roller is obtained through a bearing mount having a pair of spaces indicated by reference numerals 42A, 42B, 42C, 42D. Each bearing mount 42 includes bearings 44A, 44B, 44C, 44D supported by bearing holders 46. Each of the bearings 44A and 44C includes a roller bearing, and the bearings 44B and 44D include a sleeve bearing. Sleeve bearings 44B and 44D are placed on the rigid outer sleeve 45. Each bearing holder 46 includes a groove 48 for receiving the bearing 44 and further includes a groove 50 on the edge thereof. The grooves 50 of the bearing mount 42 receive the slots 52 slidably in the front and rear walls 26 and 28 of the frame part, respectively, so that the bearing holders 46 are inward and outward of the walls 26 and 28. Listed on both outer surfaces. Bearing mounts 42A and 42B are stable relative to the bottom of their respective slots 52 to hold the first and second rollers 32 and 34 in a fixed vertical position. It is shown that the groove 48B of the bearing mount 42B (second roller 34) extends in the horizontal direction with the sliding horizontal movement of the axis of the second roller 34 relative to the first roller. In this connection, the device 54 extends through the sewn opening of one wall of the bearing mount 46B and is rigid to adjust the distance between the axis of the first roller 32 and the axis of the second roller 34. Coupled with the outer outer sleeve 45. The device screw arrangement acts to tighten or pick up the slack of the stainless steel belt 30 as well as the parallel adjustment of the first and second roller shafts. The bearing mount 42D of the fourth roller 40 has the same extended groove 48D and the fourth screw shaft adjusting device screw 54 about the third roller shaft.

The bearing mounts 42C, 42D at the third and fourth rollers 38, 40 are hooked to the frame part by screws 56 extending downward through the catching bars 58 with spaces bonded to the front and rear walls. . The head 60 of the screw 56 passes through the opening (not shown) of the bar 58 and extends into a sewn hole (not shown) on top of each bearing holder 46. When it stops at the top of the bar. The compression springs 64 are received around each screw 56 and the catch bars 58 respectively to tilt the third and fourth rollers 38 and 40 downward from their fixed positions towards the first and second rollers 32 and 34. Wrap between the bottom of the) and the bearing holder (46). The rotation of the screw 56 controls the spacing vertically between the third and first rollers 38 and 32 (input nip rollers) and the fourth and second rollers 40 and 34 (output nip rollers). The belt parts 20 and 22 are adjusted so that there is a space of 25 mils between the input rollers 32 and 38 and between the output rollers 34 and 40 and thinner than the combined thickness of the safety card plates 27 to 33 mils. Leave space The third and fourth rollers 38 and 40 tilt downwards toward the first and second rollers 32 and 34, spaced roller pairs, but apply pressure to the input and output nips.

First or lower, the input roller 32 is heated with the cartridge heater 66 at a temperature between about 190 ° C. and about 215 ° C., more preferably about 200 ° C. The cartridge heater 66 is slidably obtained at the center of the common roller shaft 32s and applies a voltage as an energy source. The input nip (rollers 32, 38) defines the steps of starting or pre-laminating the fusing of the cover and backing plates 14, 16 under pressure and heating.

The complete lamination step shown in FIG. 4 limits the aluminum thickness of the heating platen 68 located in the protruding relationship of the upper layer of the stainless steel belt 30 adjacent to the first roller 32 to 1/2 inch. Platen 68 is preferably heated to a temperature between about 150 ° C and 170 ° C, more preferably about 160 ° C. Heating of the platen 68 consists of a rubber plate heater 70 that intersects the bottom surface of the platen 68. The considered rubber sheet heater 70 was applied from Hotset Corporation of Battle Creek. Another heating device, such as a cartridge heater, may be used to heat the platen 68.

The first and second cooled heat sinks indicated by belts 30 and 36 and laminated plates 14 and 16, and reference numerals 72 and 74, sandwiched between them to cool the output nip (rollers 34 and 40). Located in the protruding part adjacent to. More specifically, the first aluminum heat sink 72 is positioned between the front and rear walls 26, 28 of the frame having the trunk portion 72B in the projected relationship of the upper layer of the steel belt 30. The fastening 76 extends through the front and back walls 26 and 28 of the frame and into the opening of the heat sink 72 to securely fix the heat sink 72. The second heat sink 74 is positioned between the front and rear walls 26 and 28 of the frame part having the body portion of the protrusion 74B which is associated with the lower portion of the fiberglass belt 36. The second device of the fastening 78 extends through the vertical slot 80 of the frame walls 26 and 28 to the second heat sink 74. The spring 82 is secured between the fastenings to attract the second movable heat sink 74 downward in a press relationship with the first fixed heat sink 72. The fins 72F and 74F of the heat sinks 72 and 74 are connected to the first and second fans 82 and 84 which are placed on the rear wall of the mold for inflating the fin surfaces 72F and 74F perpendicular to the belt movement direction. In this case, the belts 30 and 36 extend vertically in the moving direction. To quickly promote the use of air movement and cooling, air moves through the openings 86 and 88 of the front and rear walls 26 and 28 of the frame parts.

In use, the belts 30 and 36 are spontaneously rotated in the opposite direction to move the backing plates 14 and 16 between the covered cover and the seamless belt from the input nip to the output nip. Rotation of the belts 30 and 36 is via the electric motor and gear system indicated by reference numeral 90. The body 92 of the electric motor 90 is placed on a bracket 94 attached to the rear wall of the frame part. The drive shaft 96 of the motor 90 includes a worm gear portion 98 of a rotating drive gear 100 mounted at the rear end of the second roller 34 shaft 34S (Figs. 2 and 3). The rotation of the lower belt component 22 is transferred to the upper belt component with a pair of interlocking transition gears 102 and 104 mounted at the front ends of the axes 34S and 40S of the second and fourth rollers 34 and 40. The motor 90 and gear parts are preferably adjusted to move the card through the device at a rate of about 0.25 per second. The device is operated to move a typical size ID card through stacking at a rate of about 1 card per minute.

The device 10 includes upper and lower steering parts, indicated by reference numerals 106 and 108, to maintain the proper rotation and proper rotation of the belts 30 and 36 on each roller. Each steering component 106, 108 includes a shaft 110 mounted between the front and rear walls 26, 28 of the frame. The shaft 110U of the upper steering component 108 immediately extends directly below the upper layer of the fiberglass belt 36 adjacent to the input nip, and the shaft 110L of the lower steering component 108 is the lower layer of the steel belt 30 adjacent to the input nip. It immediately extends over (Figure 4). Each mounted shaft 110 is a paired truncated roller 112 with a larger diameter end of the roller 112 towards the outer end of the shaft 110. If the belt is bent toward one or the other, such as the belts 30 and 36 rotate, the belt will rise above the corresponding cut rollers 112 and will usually be pushed down below the rotating position.

The device 10 is used as a backing plate 14 facing upwards and a cover plate 16 of the card system facing downwards. The overlying plates 14 and 16 are fed to the input nip, and the backing plates and cover plates 14 and 16 are heated by the heated lower layer rollers 32 of the input nips. When the pressure is applied as under the pressure of the nip. The pressure of the input nip pushes the bubbles out between the plates 14 and 16 prior to lamination and further maintains the cover plate and backing plates 14 and 16 with proper markings during the first heating with the rollers 32. This is extremely important because the plastic material that holds the plates 14 and 16 with proper markings during initial heating is soft, and the movement of the plates at their obstructions during the melting phase is a safety feature printed on the inside 18 of the cover plate 16. This will be dirty or cloudy. After the initial lamination, the pre-laminated plates 14, 16 are moved over the heated platen 68 which heats the plates for a longer period of time in a fixed position and they are completely fused or laminated. Long adjustments to heat over the platen 68 significantly softens the upper backing plates 14, 16, and the nature or tissue of the fiberglass 36 is applied to the back surface 114 of the backing plate 14. Can be printed accidentally. The lower layer part of the fiberglass belt 36 directly above the heated platen 68 is cooled by the fan 116. The air passed across the fiberglass belt 36 sufficiently cools and hardens the back surface 114 of the card 14 to prevent it from being printed onto the surface texture of the fiberglass belt 36.

The laminated plates 14, 16 are cooled at near room temperature by the path between the fan cooled heat sinks 72, 74. Sinks 72 and 74 remove almost all heat from the plates 14 and 16 that are first present from the device between the output nips.

Therefore, the present invention is a laminating apparatus effective for pre-laminating a pair of plate materials under pressure and heat, further heating the pre-laminated plates to achieve a perfect bond, and efficiently cooling the laminated plates of the existing device. 10 may be provided. The apparatus achieves this by providing an input nip which exerts a pressure with the heated roller 32. The plate material passing through the input nip is laminated under the pressure and heat of the nip. The pre-laminated material passes over a heated platen 68 which further heats the plate material to achieve a complete bond of materials. The fully laminated plates are cooled by fan cooled heat sinks 72 and 74 that first pass through the device through a pressurized output nip. For this reason, the present invention represents a significant advancement in technology with substantially commercial advantages.

When showing the specific structure which this invention embodies, it is clear that various changes and rearrangements of a part should be shown so that it may not deviate from the mind and range of this invention, and it is limited to a specific form and is indicated in the scope of a claim.

Claims (25)

A device for applying pressure with said plate when holding said plate of a stationary mark to remove bubbles from between said plates; 12. An apparatus for heating a plate at a first temperature when pressure is applied with an indication that the plate is fixed, the apparatus comprising: the plates being pre-laminated; 10. An apparatus for heating said pre-laminated plates when holding said plate of a stationary marking, said plates being completely heat fused; And Laminating apparatus fusing opposite plate material comprising an apparatus for cooling said plate. Input nip with upper and lower rollers; An apparatus for heating one of the upper and lower rollers; A heated platen adjacent the input nip; A device for directing the plate material from the input nip to the heating platen; A chiller adjacent said heated platen; And A lamination apparatus for laminating opposite plate materials comprising a device for forwarding the plate material from the heated platen to the cooling device. A first belt part comprising a first seamless belt around the first and second rollers; A second belt part comprising a second seamless belt around the third and fourth rollers; In a device for supporting the first and second parts in close spaced proximity, the first and third rollers form an input nip, the second and fourth rollers form an output nip, and the first and second seamless The belt is facing the relationship; A device for rotating said first and second belts to move plate material between said first and second seamless belts from said input nip to said output nip; An apparatus for heating said first roller, said plate material being first laminated together under heat and pressure of said input nip; In an apparatus for heating an upper layer of said first seamless belt adjacent said first roller, said plate material being completely laminated together; And an apparatus adjacent to the output nip for cooling the first and second seamless belts, wherein the plate material is cooled before being present through the output nip. 4. The lamination apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first roller is heated at a temperature between about 190 ° C and about 215 ° C. 5. The lamination apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first roller is heated including a cartridge heater inserted into a hole extending through said roller. 4. The lamination apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said upper layer portion of said first seamless belt adjacent said first roller is heated at a temperature between about 150 < RTI ID = 0.0 > 7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: heating the upper layer of the first seamless belt comprising a platen of protruding metal associated with the upper layer of the first seamless belt adjacent to the first roller; And laminating the platen at the second pre-laminated temperature. 4. The lamination apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a device for cooling the lower layer of the second seamless belt adjacent to the third roller. 10. The lamination apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said lower layer of said second seamless belt adjacent said third roller comprises a fan facing an airflow vertical plane in the direction of movement of said seamless belt. 4. The output of claim 3, wherein the output comprises a first heat sink positioned to protrude in a relationship with an upper layer of the first seamless belt and a second heat sink positioned in a projecting relationship having a lower layer of the second seamless belt. Laminating apparatus for cooling the seamless belt adjacent to the nip. 11. The cooling device of claim 10, further comprising: a first fan and a second fan traversing a heat sink perpendicular to the direction of movement of the seamless belt for directing air to the direction of movement of the seamless belt. Laminating apparatus of heat sink having a vertically extending fin. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first seamless belt comprises a metal belt, and the second seamless belt comprises a fiberglass belt. 4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a device for adjusting the longitudinal distance between the first, second, third, fourth drums, between the axes of the first and second drums, and between the third and fourth drums, adapted to rotate about a parallel axis. Laminating apparatus comprising. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a device for measuring a distance between the first, second, third, fourth drum, between the axes of the first and third drums, and between the second and fourth drums, adapted to rotate about a parallel axis. Lamination device. 4. The lamination apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a first and second steering device that maintains proper adjustment of each of the first and second seamless belts on the roller during its rotation. A lower belt part comprising a seamless belt of metal around the first and second rollers, said first roller comprising a metal roller; An upper belt part comprising a teflon implanted, a seamless belt of fiberglass around the third and fourth rollers; In a device for supporting the upper and lower belts in closely spaced adjacencies, the first and third rollers form an input nip, the second and fourth rollers form an output nip, and the seamless belt is in relation. Avoiding; A device for rotating said first and second components to move plate material between said seamless belt from said input nip to said output nip; Inclining the third roller downwardly toward the first roller; An apparatus for heating said first roller, said plate material being first laminated together under heat and pressure of said input nip; A heating platen positioned in a protruding relationship with an upper layer of the metal belt adjacent to the first roller; An apparatus for heating the platen, the plate material being completely laminated together; An apparatus for cooling the lower layer portion of the glass fiber belt adjacent to the third roller; And an apparatus adjacent said output nip for cooling said belt seamless of said metal and said glass fibers, wherein said plate material is cooled before being present through said output. The laminating apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first roller is heated at a temperature between about 190 ° C and about 215 ° C. 18. The lamination apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said first roller is heated including a cartridge heater inserted into a hole extending through said roller. 17. The lamination apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said second seamless belt adjacent said third roller comprises a fan facing an air flow perpendicular to the direction of movement of said seamless belt. 17. The lamination apparatus of claim 16, wherein the platen is heated at a temperature between about 150 ° C and about 170 ° C. 18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising: a first heat sink positioned to protrude relative to an upper layer of said first seamless belt and a second heat sink positioned to protrude relative to a lower layer of said second seamless belt. Lamination apparatus for cooling the seamless belt. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising: a heat sink having fins extending perpendicular to the direction of movement of the seamless belt, first to direct air across a heat sink in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the seamless belt; Laminating apparatus further comprises a second fan. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a device for measuring longitudinal distances between the first, second, third and fourth drums, between the axes of the first and second drums, and between the third and fourth drums, adapted to rotate about parallel axes. The lamination device. 17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a device for measuring longitudinal distances between the first, second, third and fourth drums, between the axes of the first and third drums, and between the second and fourth drums, adapted to rotate about parallel axes. Laminating apparatus comprising a. 17. The stacking device of claim 16, further comprising a first and second steering device that maintains proper adjustment to the first and second seamless belts on the rollers during rotation of the device.