Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi – Control means energized in response to activator stimulated... – Responsive to work material – the product or means engaging...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-09
2001-04-17
Vo, Peter (Department: 3721)
Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturi
Control means energized in response to activator stimulated...
Responsive to work material, the product or means engaging...
C493S022000, C493S194000, C493S223000, C493S340000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217497
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for producing flexible stand-up pouches and, in particular, an apparatus for punching holes in a web during production of the pouch.
II. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to produce flexible pouches from a continuous web of plastic film. The web is preprinted with the label and product information. A registration eyemark is formed along one edge of the web for each preprinted panel. The web is fed to a knife cutter. A sensor such as an electronic eve is used to detect the registration mark and generate a signal to stop the web and initiate the knife cutter to cut a panel from the web. Fitments are then attached to the panel and the pouch is formed by sealing the edges.
When a stand-up style pouch is being produced, a pair of holes are punched in the web in order to facilitate forming the welding of the base of the stand-up pouch. These holes permit welding of the corners of the leading and trailing edges of the pouch to the base to form gussets on the sides. The holes are punched in the web by a die cutter before the web moves to the knife cutter to form the panels. The die cutter is positioned upstream of the knife cutter and is activated to punch the holes when the web is stopped downstream at the cutting station.
However, the length between the registration marks on the web or pitch is not always equal due to shrinkage or stretch during the printing of the web. The length of each pitch or panel can vary as much as +/−0.0625 inches per pouch. The result of this variability in length can cause a variety of hole punching problems when the holes are punched upstream of the cutoff knife. As an example, if the stand-up hole punches are 20 pitches upstream of the cutoff knife and the variability of the web is +/−0.0625 inches, the hole punch could be theoretically +/−(20)*0.0625 inches or +/−1.25 inches off. The position of the hole punch must be manually adjusted whenever the web material has a length variation, a splice, or if there is a roll change. This results in a great slow down in the process.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to automatically adjust the position of the die cutter to punch the holes in the proper position.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present system compensates for variations in the web length and automatically positions the web for punching stand up holes. The system utilizes a secondary or die punch registration eye. The die punch eye is positioned a distance of one pitch or panel width upstream of the stand-up hole punch. When the eyemark is detected, a servo powered secondary or die punch feed drive immediately stops the web. The web is thus aligned in exactly the correct position for proper hole punch alignment.
A dancer system is positioned downstream of the die punch feed drive. After the die punch punches the holes, the die punch feed drive is activated to move the web into the die punch dancer system. The dancer system accumulates the web and maintains a constant tension on the web until it is moved downstream by the primary web drive.
The present invention permits the punch system to operate independently from the main web feed roll system without running any risk of either breaking the web because of too much tension or having too much slack in the system thus causing operating problems.
This system precisely punches the stand-up holes in the proper location regardless of variability in the printing of the web, a splice, or when a new roll is put through the machine.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 35067 (1995-10-01), Bauknecht
patent: 5518559 (1996-05-01), Saindon et al.
patent: 5777879 (1998-07-01), Sommerfeldt
patent: 5833107 (1998-11-01), Terranova et al.
patent: 5843540 (1998-12-01), Heydarpour et al.
Desai Hemant M.
Gifford, Krass, Groh Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
Profile Packaging, Inc.
Vo Peter
LandOfFree
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