US3301109A - Method for cutting rolls of adhesive coated tape - Google Patents

Description

jam. 31, 1967 T. A. TAVERNA 3,301,109

METHOD FOR CUTTING ROLLS OF ADHESIVE COATED TAPE Filed May 12, 1964 INVENTOR. 7/10/1445 ,4. EVE/2M4 United States Patent 3,301,109 METHOD FOR CUTTING ROLLS 0F ADHESIVE COATED TAPE Thomas A. Taverna, Yorktown Heights, N.Y., assignor to Technical Tape Corporation, Westchester, N.Y., a

corporation of New York Filed May 12, 1964, Ser. No. 366,851 4 Claims. (Cl. 82-47) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for cutting rolls. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and to apparatus for slitting wide rolls of pressure-sensitive tape into consumer sizes.

Heretofore, it has been conventional to slit tape by unrolling the tape from a wide roll thereof, cutting the unreeled web of tape into the desired widths by means of suitable cutting tools, and then rewinding the cut strips of tape to form rolls of the desired commercial widths.

The prior practice of tape cutting had certain inherent disadvantages, which, theoretically, might be eliminated by avoidance of the unreeling and rereeling steps of the cutting operation, viz. cutting the master roll itself. All efforts in this latter direction have failed, however, because of gumming of the cutting knife, the generation of heat resulting from friction between the knife and the tape during the cutting operation, and variations in the width of the slit rolls due to deflection of the cutting tool upon contact with the roll. One of the most serious results of these prior attempts has been the adhesion of adjacent turns of tape in the cut rolls.

This invention is based on the discovery that the foregoing disadvantages of the prior practice can be overcome by resort to a rotating cutting knife for cutting the' master roll while the master roll is also rotated throughout the cutting operation. Important additional advantages are obtained if the relative rotational speed of the cutting knife and the roll are maintained at a slight differential at all phases of the cutting operation.

It is, therefore, an important object of the invention to provide a method for directly cutting a master roll of pressure-sensitive tape into rolls of consumer widths, whereby master roll unwinding and cut tape strip rewinding are eliminated.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for direct cutting of a master roll of pressure-sensitive tape into consumer widths which avoids the gumrning of the cutting knife, the generation of heat due to the friction of the cutting operation, the adhesion of adjacent turns of tape on the cut rolls, and a method by which the width of the cut rolls of tape may be controlled with great accuracy.

It is a further object of the invention to provide simple, yet effective mechanism for bringing a rotary cutting knife and a rotating tape roll into contact with each other in a substantially continuous and substantially automatic manner.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a mechanism by which the relative rotation of a rotary cutting knife and the rotation of a rotating tape roll are maintained at a differential at all phases of the roll cutting operation.

These objectives, together with other objectives and advantages, will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description which is illuminated by the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of tape roll cutting mechanism suitable for the performance of the tape roll cutting method herein and in which certain features of the invention are embodied; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view, taken generally on line 22 of FIG. 1.

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The tape roll cutting method herein comprises the steps of differentially rotating a cutting instrument and a roll of pressure-sensitive tape while bringing the cutting implement and the tape roll into contact with each other, and maintaining a differential in the relative speed of tape reel and cutting implement rotation while completing the cutting operation.

In its more limited aspects, the method is conveniently performed by rotating a cutting implement at a fixed rate, rotating a roll of pressure-sensitive tape at a differential rate, bringing the rotating cutting implement and the differentially rotated tape roll into contact with each other to initiate the cutting operation, and increasing the rotational rate of the tape roll as the roll cutting operation proceeds in order to maintain a rotational differential between the rotating cutting implement and the rotating tape roll throughout the cutting operation.

The cutting operation is facilitated if a suitable lubricant is applied to the cutting knife while the cutting operation is being performed. A suitable lubricant for this purpose is a cooked water solution of starch containing a .small amount of antibacterial material, e.g., .02 formaldehyde.

The mechanism for performing the disclosed roll cutting method in a substantially continuous and substantially automatic manner, may take the form illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing wherein a core reel assembly 10 is associated with a cutter assembly 12. The core reel assembly 10 is adapted to hold and rotate a plurality of tape rolls on their axis while they are being carried into contact with a rotary knife mounted on the cutter assembly.

The core reel assembly 10 has a pair of reel plates 14 and 16 which may comprise a pair of disks or a pair of platelike arms as shown in FIG. 2. The reel plates 14 and 1 6 are fixed to a shaft 18 which is mounted for rotation in a pair of pillow blocks 26 and 22. One end of the shaft 18 extends beyond the pillow block 20 and has fixed thereto a gear 24 which meshes with a spur gear 26. A motor 28 operating through a speed reducer 30 drives the spur gear 26 with the result that the shaft 18 and the reel plates 14 and 16 thereon are rotated.

A plurality of rotatable shafts 32 and 34 are mounted in the reel plates 14 and 16. The shaft 32 is mounted for rotation in bearings 36 and 38 carried respectively by the reel plates 14 and 16. The shaft 34 is mounted for rotation in bearings 40 and 42 carried respectively by the reel plates 14 and 16.

The ends of the shafts 32 and 34 extend beyond the reel plates 14 and 16. Each shaft has fixed to that end thereof which extends beyond the reel plate 16 an expansible core holder of conventional design. Fixed to the end of the shafts extending beyond the reel plate 14 are expansible variable speed pulleys of conventional design, as, for example, the product of Boston Gear Company identified as Catalog No. VPG-7.

Specifically, the shaft 32 has affixed thereto an expansible core holder 44 and an expansible variable speed pulley 46, while the shaft 34 has affixed thereto an expansible core holder 48 and an expansible variable speed pulley 50. The expansible core holders 44 and 48 are normally expanded into roll core holding position but they are automatically contractible into a roll loading position. The expansible core holder 44 has associated therewith an actuating rod 52, while the expansible core holder 48 has a similar rod 54 associated therewith. When the rods 52 and 54 are moved to the right as viewed in FIG. 1, they will contract their respective expansible core holders such that tape rolls may be easily discharged and loaded. The mechanism herein provides a cam plate 56 which has a cam 58 fixed thereto at the core loading position of the core reel assembly. Thus, when either of the actuating rods 52 and 54 move into contact with the cam 58, the respective expansible core holders 54 and 58 are contracted.

The expansible variable speed pulleys 46 and 50 are comprised of a disk 60 which is fixed to its shaft, and a disk 62 which is mounted 'for limited axial movement on its shaft. The disk 62 is spring-biased toward the disk 60. The confronting faces of. the disks 60 and 62 are bevelled such that they form a V-pulley.

The expansible variable speed pulleys 46 and 50 are arranged for driving contact with a leather drive disk 64 as the shaft 18 of the reel assembly rotates. The peripheral edge of the drive disk 64 is bevelled to accommodate it to the V-forrn of the expansible variable speed pulleys 46 and 50. The drive disk 64 is fixed to one end of a shaft 66 which is mounted for rotation in a pair of pillow blocks 68 and 70. Fixed to the shaft 66 is a drive pulley 72. The drive pulley 72 is rotated by a pulley 74 by way of a V-belt 76 which interconnects the pulleys 72 and 74. The pulley 74 is driven by a motor 78.

It is evident from the foregoing that as the core reel assembly shaft 18 is rotated, it will successively carry the expansible variable speed pulleys 46 and 50 into driving contact with the drive disk 64 such that the shafts 32 and 34 are successively rotated. It should be also particularly noted that the initial contact between the expansible variable speed pulleys 46 and 50 and the drive disk 64 is substantially peripheral such that the associated expansible variable speed pulley shafts are rotated at a predetermined minimum speed. However, as the core reel assembly carties the axes of the variable speed EPLIllYS closer to the axes of the drive disk 64, the variable speed pulleys will be expanded such that driving contact between the pulleys and the drive disk 64 is established closer to the axes of the pulleys with the result that their respective shafts are rotated at a higher speed.

The core reel assembly is so arranged in respect to the cutter assembly 12 that the expansible core holders 44 and 48 pass in proximity to a rotary knife 80. The rotary knife 80 is carried by a shaft 82 mounted in a pair of pillow blocks 84 and 86 fixed to the face of a motor table 88. The shaft 82 and consequently the rotary knife 80 are in driving connection with a motor 90 which is also mounted on the face of the motor table 88. The motor shaft has fixed thereto a drive pulley 92 which is connected by means of a V-belt 94 with a pulley 96 fixed to the knife shaft 82.

The motor table 88 is mounted for lateral movement on a stationary bed plate 98. Guide elements (not shown) extending from the bottom of the motor table 88 are adapted to engage in a pair of parallel guide slots 100 and 102 formed in the bed plate 98. Thus, the motor table 88 may be laterally shifted to adjust the position of the knife 80 along the axes of tape rolls carried by the expansible core holders 44 and 48, thereby determining the width of a roll of tape to be cut from the master roll. Obviously, if the master roll is to be cut more than once, the motor table 88 will be shifted to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, prior to each cutting operation.

A suitable arrangement for adjusting the motor table 88 is shown in FIG. 1, wherein a lead screw 104 is mounted for rotation in a pair of lead screw journals 106 and 108 extending upwardly at opposite edges of the bed plate 98. Fixed to the bottom of the motor table 88 are a pair of aligned, threaded, lead screw followers 110 and 112. The lead screw followers 110 and 112 engage the lead screw 104 such that when the lead screw 104 is rotated the motor table 88 will be moved to the right or the left, as shown in FIG. 1, depending on the direction in which the lead screw is rotated.

The lead screw may be rotated through manual operation of a hand wheel 114 fixed to a control shaft 116 which is mounted for rotation in pillow blocks 118 and 120 A fixed to the face of the bed plate 98. A bevelled gear 122 at the distal end of the control shaft 116 is in engagement with a bevelled gear 124 fixed to the lead screw 104.

In one practical embodiment of the mechanism herein, a 75-tooth gear 24 was driven from a 22-tooth spur gear 26, the latter being mounted on the speed reducer output shaft which was rotated at 8.8 r.p.m. A 1730 r.p.m. motor 78 driving a 2 /2 pulley 74, imparted drive to a 9" pulley 72 and rotated a 10" drive disk 64. A 9" knife was driven by a 30 r.p.m motor by way of a 3 /2 pulley 92 and an 8 pulley 96. From this example it can be seen that the core reel assembly 10 is rotated at a relatively slow speed and that the expansible core holders 44 and 48 are driven at a relatively high speed which increases as the axes of the expansible variable speed pulleys 46 and 50 approach the axis of the drive disk 64. The substance of this is that the relative speed of the cutting knife 80 and the roll of the tape is maintained at a slight differential at all phases of the cutting operation.

In operation the motors 28, 78 and 90 are energized to start the mechanism into motion. As the actuating rod 54 of the expansible core holder 48 comes into contact with the cam 58, the expansible core holder 48 will be contracted to permit an operator to load a roll of tape thereon. As soon as the actuating rod 54 is out of contact with the cam 58, the expansible core holder 48 will expand automatically to grip the tape roll.

Since the core reel assembly 10 rotates rather slowly, the operator may now manipulate the hand wheel 114 to adjust the position of the knife 80 in respect to the tape roll on the expansible core holder 48.

As the expansible variable speed pulley 50 is carried into contact with the drive disk 64 which in point of time is before contact of the knife 80 with the tape roll, the tape roll will be rotated and will continue to rotate differentially as the core reel assembly carries the tape roll through the cutting zone. As the tape roll on the expansible core holder 48 is being cut, the actuating rod 52 of the expansible core holder 44 will be rotated into contact with the cam 58 such that the expansible core holder 44 is contracted. When this condition is achieved, the operator will load a tape roll onto the expansible core holder 44, which, in turn, will be rotated through the cutting zone by the core reel assembly. If a plurality of cuts are to be made along the length of the loaded tape rolls, the operator will make an appropriate adjustment of the knife 80 by manipulating the hand wheel 114 between each pair of cutting operations.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that a very simple, effective and substantially automatic mechanism has been provided for cutting tape rolls according to the abovedescribed method. In this apparatus, there has been shown a core reel assembly having a pair of expansible core holders. This should not be regarded as a limitation but merely by way of illustration since it is obvious that any desirable number of core holders can be mounted in the core reel assembly.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of separating a roll of pressure-sensitive tape into a plurality of rolls of predetermined width which comprises the steps of differentially rotating a cutting instrument and a roll of pressure-sensitive tape while bringing the cutting instrument and tape roll into contact with each other, and maintaining a relatively fixed differential in the peripheral speed of tape reel in respect to a fixed peripheral speed of the cutting instrument while completing the cutting operation.

2. The method of separating a roll of pressure-sensitive tape into a plurality of rolls of predetermined width which comprises the steps of differentially rotating 0. cutting instrument and a roll of pressure-sensitive tape while bringing the cutting instrument and tape roll into contact with each other, maintaining a relatively fixed differential in the peripheral speed of tape reel in respect to a fixed peripheral speed of the cutting instrument rotation While completing the cutting operation, and applying a lubricant to said cutting implement during the roll cutting operation.

3. The method of separating a roll of pressure-sensitive tape into a plurality of rolls of predetermined Width which comprises the steps of rotating a cutting implement at a fiXe-d rate, rotating a roll of pressure-sensitive tape at a differential rate, bringing said rotating cutting implement and said differentially rotated tape roll into contact with each other, and increasing the rotational rate of the tape roll as the roll cutting operation proceeds in order to maintain a rotational differential between the rotating cutting implement and the rotating tape roll throughout the cutting operation.

4. The method of separating a roll of pressure-sensitive tape into a plurality of rolls of predetermined Width which comprises the steps of rotating a cutting implement at a fixed rate, rotating a roll of pressure-sensitive tape at a differential rate, bringing said rotating cutting References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 455,816 7/1891 Hadfield 8247 2,109,786 3/1938 Taft 8247 3,083,601 4/1963 Leiss 8250 X 3,190,158 6/1965 Snyderman 82101 3,218,894 11/1965 HoChoW 82101 ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

2 H. L. HINSON, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. THE METHOD OF SEPARATING A ROLL OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE TAPE INTO A PLURALITY OF ROLLS OF PREDETERMINED WIDTH WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF DIFFERENTIALLY ROTATING A CUTTING INSTRUMENT AND A ROLL OF PRESSURE-SENSITIVE TAPE WHILE BRINGING THE CUTTING INSTRUMENT AND TAPE ROLL INTO CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, AND MAINTAINING A RELATIVELY FIXED DIFFERENTIAL IN THE PERIPHERAL SPEED OF TAPE REEL IN RESPECT TO A FIXED PERIPHERAL SPEED OF THE CUTTING INSTRUMENT WHILE COMPLETING THE CUTTING OPERATION.

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