US3110624A

US3110624A - Web aligning mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3110624A
Application number: US87392A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr George P Mcgraw
Original assignee: Western Electric Co Inc
Current assignee: AT&T Corp
Priority date: 1961-02-06
Filing date: 1961-02-06
Publication date: 1963-11-12
Anticipated expiration: 1980-11-12

Description

Nov. 12, 1963 G. P. MOGRAW, JR 3,110,624

WEB ALIGNING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOR/Vfy United States Patent 3,119,624 WEB ALEGNHNG MECHANISM George P. McGraw, J23, Downers Grove, llL, assignor to Western Eieetrie Company, Incorporated, a eorperation of New York Filled Feb. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 87,392 4 Claims. (Cl. 118-9) This invention relates to web aligning mechanism, and more particularly to mechanism for ascertaining and effecting the alignment of a web in a metallizing apparatus for applying stripes of vaporized metal to both sides thereof.

In the art of making one type of wound capacitor, a web of dielectric is placed in a metallizing apparatus and passed through an applicator for vaporizing metal and applying a plurality of stripes of the vaporized metal to one side of the web. The web is passed through the applicator a second time and a plurality of stripes of vaporized metal are applied to the other side of the web in predetermined overlapping relation to the stripes on the reverse side. Successive portions of the metallized web are subsequently wound into sticks which are cut into sections midway between the edges of adjacent stripes to form capacitors.

It is desirable that the extent of overlap of the stripes of metal on the web should be uniform throughout the length of the web so that the capacitors made from the metallized web shall have uniform values of capacitance. However, because of the extreme thinness and flexibility of the web there is a tendency of the Web to shift laterally during the travel of the Web from the supply roll through the applicator to the take-up arbor. Thus, when the web is run through the applicator for the application of stripes of metal to the second side of the web there occur variations in the position of the strips on the second side of the web with respect to the stripes on the first side of the web.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved web aligning mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for ascertaining the lateral position of a moving web having stripes of metal on one side thereof in a metallizing apparatus while stripes of vaporized metal are being applied to the other side of the strip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for indicating the lateral position of a moving web in a metallizing apparatus and for maintaining the device in a predetermined close proximity to the web as the Web changes its path of travel during the winding of the metallized web into a roll.

With these and other objects in view, the invention contemplates the provision of a housing forming a sealed chamber, and a spindle mounted on the housing for rotation and limited axial movement to support a supply roll of a web of transparent dielectric to be metallized within the chamber. The web from the supply roll is passed through a meta-llizing head in the chamber for applying stripes of vaporized metal thereto and the web is guided therefrom around a guide roller and a lay down roller onto a take-up arbor. The lay down roller is supported above the arbor on an arm pivotally mounted on the housing and the lay down roller is urged by the arm into engagement with the arbor and the metal-lized web being wound thereon. 1

An apertured gage plate is supported in parallel relation and close proximity to the web at a point between the guide roller and the lay down roller, and a lamp projects a beam of light through the aperture onto the web between a pair of the metal stripes applied to the first side of the web. A window is provided in the housing so that the operator may observe the relation of the metal stripes on the first side of the web to the stationary illuminated gaging spot projected onto the Web to ascertain the position of the web relative to the metallizing head whereby the operator may adjust axially the position of the spindle and the web supply thereon to correct any lateral shifting and misalignment of the web during the application of the stripes of vaporized metal onto the second side of the web.

The gage plate is mounted for pivotal movement about the axis of the guide roller and is connected by linkage to the arm for supporting the lay down roller so that as the web is Wound on the arbor and the size of the take-up roll increases, the gage plate moves angularly with the Web and is maintained in close and parallel relation thereto to present a clearly defined spot of light of constant size on the Web to serve as a stationary reference point for the lateral alignment of the moving web.

Other objects, advantages and novel aspects of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a metallizing apparatus showing the present invention there- 011;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through a metallized web and a portion of the gage for aligning the web in the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the apparatus taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view of a portion of the web of dielectric having stripes of vaporized metal on both sides thereof and indicated as looking at the web in the direction of the arrows44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view of the apparatus taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational sectional view of a portion of the apparatus showing the gage plate thereon and indicated as taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 7 is an end view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6 showing the gage plate and the mounting thereof adjacent one of the guide rollers of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, the metallizing apparatus 15 (FIG. 1) is designed to apply a plurality of stripes 17 of vaporized metal (FIG-S. 2-5) onto one side of a thin web 18 of transparent plastic dielectric material in one operation and to apply a plurality of stripes 17 of vaporized metal onto the opposite side of the web in a second metallizing operation. As shown in FIG. 2, the web of dielectric 18 has three stripes 17 of metal applied to one side thereof and four stripes of metal 17 applied to the opposite side thereof with portions of the stripes on opposite sides of the web positioned in overlying relation to each other. The stripes 17 are of a predetermined uniform width except for the marginal stripes on the second side which are narrower, and the stripes are spaced apart from adjacent stripes a predetermined distance. Sections of the metallized web thus formed are wound into capacitor sticks which are severed transversely along planes disposed midway between the edges of the metal stripes to form capacitors. In order that the capacitors may have uniform capacitance values it is essential that the extent of overlap of the portions of the stripes on opposite sides of the dielectric strip should be the same and uniform throughout.

The metallizing apparatus 15 comprises a vertically disposed circular frame plate 25 and a removable cupshape-d hood 26 which cooperate to form a housing enclosing a chamber 27 from which the air may be evacuated. A spindle 36 is mounted for rotation and for limited axial movement in a bearing 31 (FIG. 3) on the vertical 3 frame plate 25 for supporting a supply roll as of the web 13 thereon within the chamber. The supply roll is held on the spindle 3% against axial movement relative thereto by a shoulder 34 and a removable collar 3.).

One end 36 of the spindle 3b is also rotatably supported in a slide block 37 and is secured thereto for axial movement therewith by collars 38. The slide block 37 is mounted for sliding movement in a support member 49 on the vertical frame plate 25 and has a rack 42 formed on one side thereof. Meshing with the rack 42 is a gear 43 fixed to a shaft 44 which is journalled in the support member and extends in a substantially horizontal direction therefrom and has an operating wheel 46 secured to the other end thereof outside of the chamber 27 by means of which the spindle 3i may be adjusted axially.

The web 153 is guided from the supply roll 33 by a plurality of guide rollers 51-53 (FIG. 1) to an applicator or metallizi-ng head 55 for applying stripes of vaporized metal onto the web and the web is guided from the head 55 by guide rollers 57 and 58 onto a movable lay down roll 59 which guides the web onto a take-up arbor oil. The guide rollers l55, 57 and 523 are rotatable about fixed axes. The lay down roller 59 is rotatably supported on one end of an arm 64 which is supported on the vertical frame plate 25 for pivotal movement about a pin 6%. Rotation is imparted to the arbor 6% by mechanism including a motor as (FIG. 1).

The metallizing head 55 serves to vaporize a metal such as aluminum, the vaporized metal being directed upwardly onto the underside of the web 18 in a predetermined pattern through apertures of a removable grid or mask 79 of the head 55. The grid 76 may be replaced by other gridsfor effecting the application of the vaporized metal onto the web is in different patterns.

A gaging device/7i is provided for indicating the lateral position of the web 18 within the chamber 25 relative to the applicator 55. A window 72 is also provided in the housing through which the web and the gaging device 71 may be seen by an operator. The gaging device includes a flat gage plate '73 (FIGS. 2, 6 and 7) positioned parallel and in close proximity to the web 18 as the web advances from the guide roll 53 onto the lay down roll The gage plate 73 is provided with a round aperture 74: through which a beam of light is directed onto the web 18 from a light source in the form of a fluorescent lamp 76. The lamp 76 is mounted in a suitable lamp base 77 which is secured to a plate '7 8 attached to the gage plate '73. A pair of brackets 8i? extending from the lamp base '77 support a mirror 79 for reflecting the light from the lamp 77 toward the gage plate 73.

The plate 78 is secured to an arm 83 which has a hub 84- (FlG. 6) mounted on a shaft 85 that is secured to the frame plate 25 and supports the guide roll 5?. The arm 83 is held against axial movement by spacing collars 85 on the shaft 35 engage-able with the hub $4. A link 88 pivotally interconnects one end of the arm 83 and an intermediate portion of the arm 6%. The arrangement of the arm 83, link and arm 64 is such as to effect the movement of the gage plate 73 and maintain it in close and parallel relation to the web 13 as the web advances from the guide roll 58 onto the lay down roll 59 and as the angular position or" the web changes with the size of the take-up roll of the web. 7

With the gage plate '73 maintained in close and parallel relation to the moving web 18, the spot of illumination projected onto the web is always maintained in sharp and definite outline at all times during the processing of the web. It has been found that a circular illuminated spot of a size slig itly less than the spacing between adjacent bands of metal on the web is well suited to serve as a stationary gage or reference point relative to which the position of the metal stripes and the Web may be readily ascertained by inspection, Thus the operator by V 4 observing the web and the gage may readily determine when the web has shifted laterally to a misaligned position at which times he may turn the handle 46 and move the spindle 3t? axially to adjust the position of the supply roll 33 and correct the misalignment of the web relative to the metallizing head 55.

in the operation of the device, a supply roll 33 of uncoated we 1% of transparent dielectric is mounted on the spindle 3% of the metallizing apparatus 15, and after the metallizing apparatus is set up, the web 18 is advanced through the metallizing head 55, threebands of vaporized metal i? are applied onto the first or lower side of the web, and the web is wound into a roll on the arbor 60. The mid "ill of the metallizing head is then replaced with another grid for applying four bands of metal in a pattern disclosed in FIG. 5. The roll of web 18 metallized on one side is then mounted on the spindle 36 of the metallizing apparatus and advanced through the metallizing head 55 and four bands of vaporized metal are applied onto the second side of the web. During its movement from the head 55 onto the arbor 60, the web passes over the gaging device 71 and the circular spot of light is projected thereon between a pair of adjacent metallizcd bands 17 on the first or lower surface of the stripes as shown in FIG. 2.

The edges of the pair of adjacent metal stripes 17 on the lower surface of the strip and the spot of light projected onto the web between these stripes are visible through the web 18 and the microscopically thin strip 17 of vaporized metal on the upper side of the web 18, the spot of light serving as a stationary reference or gaging element which is readily seen by the operator through the window 2. By frequent inspection of the web and the selected stripes of metal thereon relative to the stationary gage aperture 174 illuminated spot on the web the operator may readily ascertain the position of the web l3 relative to the metallizing head 55 and manipulate the control wheel 46 to eriect the lateral shifting of the supply roll 33 to correct any misalignment of the web 18 relative to the metallizing head and thus obtain the application of the stripes 17 of metal to the second side of the web in proper registration with the stripes of metal on the first side of the web.

A second gage aperture 174 is provided in the gage plate 73 of the same size as the gage aperture 74. The is spaced a predetermined distance from the gage aperture and is used for ascertaining the lateral position of the web 18 when the web is metallized by first rap-plying four bands to one side of the web and subsequently applying three bands to the second side of the strip.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. in an apparatus for applying stripes to opposite sides of a web, a support means, a spindle mounted on said support means for supporting a supply roll of a transparent web having stripes on one side thereof, an applicator on said support means for applying stripes to the other side of the web, an arbor mounted on said support means for winding the web thereon, a guide mounted on said support means for guiding the web from said applicator onto said arbor, means for adjusting the spindle axially to align the web with said applicator, a gage having an aperture therein, means for projecting a beam of light through the aperture of's aid gage onto the web in between a pair of stripes on said one side of the web, means for supporting said gage between said guide and said arbor in close proximity to the path of movement of the web and for movement angularly with the web, and

means including an element engageable with the periphcry of the roll of web on said arbor for moving said gage to maintain it in close proximity to the web as the roll of web on the arbor increases in size,

2. In a metallizing appmatus, a housing provided with a window and forming a chamber, a spindle mounted on said housing for supporting a supply roll of a transparent web of dielectric having stripes of metal on one side thereof, a metall-izing head on said housing for applying strip-es of vaporized metal on the other side of the web, an arbor mounted on said housing for winding the Web thereon, guide means including a roller located adjacent to said window for guiding the web through said metallizing head and onto the anbor and the take-up roll of strip being wound thereon, means for adjusting the spindle axially to align the web with said metallizing head, a gage plate having an aperture therein alignable with the web I between adjacent stripes of metal on said one side of the web, means mounted adjacent to said gage plate for projecting a beam of light through the aperture onto the web, means for supporting said gage plate in parallel and close proximity to the path of movement of the web at a point between said guide roller and said arbor and for movement angularly with the Web, and means including a roller engageable with the periphery of the take-up roll of web for effecting the movement of said gage plate to maintain said gage plate in close and parallel relation to the web as the take-up roll of Web increases in size.

3. In an apparatus for applying stripes of vaporized metal onto a web of transparent dielectric, a housing provided with a window and forming a chamber, a spindle mounted on said housing for supporting a roll of the web having stripes of metal on one side thereof, vaporizer mounted on said housing in said chamber for depositing stripes of vaporized metal on the other side of the web, an arbor rotatably mounted on said housing within said chamber for winding the web thereon, a lay down roller for guiding the web onto said arbor, an arm pivoted on said housing for supporting said lay down roller for movement toward said arbor, guide means including a roller located adjacent to said window for guiding the web along a predetermined path through said vaporizer and onto said lay down roller, means for adjusting said spindle axially to align the web with said vaporizer, a gage registerable with the web between the stripes ott metal on said one side of the web, means for mounting said gage on said housing in close proximity to the Web and against movement parallel to the axis of said arbor and for viewing through said window, and means moved by said arm tor moving said gage mounting means and maintaining said gage in close proximity to the path of travel of the web as the web is being wound onto said arbor.

4. In an apparatus for applying stripes of vaporized metal onto a web of dielectric, a housing provided with a window and forming a chamber, a spindle mounted on said housing for supportingwithin said chamber a roll of the web having stripes of metal on one side thereof, an applicator mountedon said housing in said chamber for applying stripes of vaporized metal on the other side of the web, an arbor rotatably mounted on said housing within said chamber for winding the web thereon, a lay down roller for guiding the web onto the take-up roll, a first arm pivotally mounted on said housing for supporting the lay down roller and urging it onto the arbor and the web being wound thereon, guide means including a roller located adjacent to said window for guiding the web through said applicator and onto said lay down roller, means for adjusting the spindle axially to align the web with said applicator, a second arm mounted on said housing for pivotal movement about the axis of said guide roller and against axial movement, a gage plate secured to said second arm in parallel and close proximity to the path of movement of the Web from said guide roller onto said lay down roller, said guide plate having an aperture therein alignable with the web between adjacent stripes of metal on said one side of the web, means mounted on said second arm for projecting a beam of light through the aperture of said gage plate onto the web, and means interconnecting said first and said second arms to client the movement of said second arm in response to movement of said first arm for maintaining said gage plate in parallel and close proximity to the web as the web is wound onto said arbor.

OTHER REFERENCES Holland: Vapor Deposition of Thin Films (1956), N.Y. Wiley (pp. 260-263 and plate 7 relied upon).

Claims

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING STRIPES TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF A WEB, A SUPPORT MEANS, A SPINDLE MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A SUPPLY ROLL OF A TRANSPARENT WEB HAVING STRIPES ON ONE SIDE THEREOF, AN APPLICATOR ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR APPLYING STRIPES TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WEB, AN ARBOR MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR WINDING THE WEB THEREON, A GUIDE MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR GUIDING THE WEB FROM SAID APPLICATOR ONTO SAID ARBOR, MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE SPINDLE AXIALLY TO ALIGN THE WEB WITH SAID APPLICATOR, A GAGE HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN, MEANS FOR PROJECTING A BEAM OF LIGHT THROUGH THE APERTURE OF SAID GAGE ONTO THE WEB IN BETWEEN A PAIR OF STRIPES ON SAID ONE SIDE OF THE WEB, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID GAGE BETWEEN SAID GUIDE AND SAID ARBOR IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE WEB AND FOR MOVEMENT ANGULARLY WITH THE WEB, AND MEANS INCLUDING AN ELEMENT ENGAGEABLE WITH THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROLL OF WEB ON SAID ARBOR FORM MOVING SAID GAGE TO MAINTAIN IT IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE WEB AS THE ROLL OF WEB ON THE ARBOR INCREASES IN SIZE.