Size independent modular web processing line and modules

Claim 2

A web processing module (100) comprising: web processing means (110, 112) for effecting a predetermined web process; web driving means (106, 116) for transporting a web with respect to said web processing means; and electrically programmable web drive control means connected to control the driven web motion in accordance with a programmable function of the driven process.

Claim 3

A web processing module according to Claim 1 characterised in that the electrically programmable web drive control means is connected to control the driven web motion in accordance with pre-stored velocity/position profile digital data representing a predetermined but programmable functional relationship between process motion and web motion.

Claim 4

A web processing module as in Claim 2 characterised in that said web drive control means comprises: a process drive encoder means (126) for producing a first electrical pulse p 1 in response to a predetermined first increment 1/N of process drive motion and at least one market reference pulse P m occurring at a predetermined phase of each repetition of said web process; a web drive encoder means (136) for producing a second electrical pulse P2 in response to a predetermined second increment 1/M of driven web motion; digital memory means for storing said profile digital data as a sequence of digital signal values corresponding to the programmed number of web drive encoder pulses P 2 which are to occur for each successive occurrence of a process drive encoder pulse P 1 ; a web drive servo control loop means which uses said marker reference pulse P m as a web drive registration reference signal, which uses said web drive pulses P 2 as a feedback servo control signal and which utilizes successive ones of said profile data to derive a corrected and programmably controlled web drive output signal.

Claim 5

A web processing module as in Claim 2 or Claim 3 characterised in that a plurality of sets of said profile digital data is also prestored in compressed form using digital data signals representing: (a) form depth, (b) length of required process/web speed matching; (c) overall process repeat length and (d) one-half of a symmetrical web drive speed change.

Claim 6

A web processing module according to any of Claims 1 to 4 including: a web driving electrical motor (124); a web drive rotational encoder (136) producing first output electrical signals representing increments of actual web drive motion; a process driving electrical motor (120) driving a repetitive web process; a process drive rotational encoder (126) producing second output electrical singals representing increments of actual process drive motion characterised by an electrical intermodule umbilical bus 134 adapted to electrically interconnect with other web processing modules, said process drive rotational encoder also producing at least one marker reference signal at a predetermined phase of each repetition of said web process; a web drive servo control loop (138) connected and adapted to use said first ouput electrical signals as a motion feedback signal and said marker reference signal as a motion index or reference signal for effecting registration control between said process driving and said web driving motors; said web drive servo control loop (138) also using said second output electrical signals in conjunction with programmable velocity/position profile data to achieve overall programmable control of a predetermined functional relationship between said process driving and said web driving motors; and a main process drive servo control loop (128) connected and adapted to use said second output electrical signals as a motion feedback signal and to use reference process drive signals obtained from said intermodule bus for maintaining the motion of said process driving motor in synchronism with said reference process drive signals.

Claim 7

A free-standing mobile web processing module according to any of Claims 1 to 4 characterised by an intermodule electrical bus (134) adapted for electrical connection to other modules; a process drive servo control loop electrically connected with said bus and adapted to drive a web process in synchronism with electrical process drive control signals appearing on said bus; a web drive servo control loop (138) electrically connected with said process drive servo control loop and adapted to drive a web in synchronism and in a predetermined relationship with respect to said driven web process; operator means (132) coupled to said process drive servo control loop for initiating process drive motion when actuated; means for supplying said process drive control signals to said bus if process drive motion is initiated by the operator means of this module, a serial stop interlock circuit; at least one output unbilical cord with an electrical connector (140) at its distal end for connection with another module; a plurality of input electrical connectors (142) for receiving the connector end of the umbilical cord from other modules; and at least one further electrical connector for receiving the connector end of an umbilical cord and supplying electrical connector for receiving and supplying electrical power to said serial stop interlock circuit.

Claim 8

A web proceesing line comprising: a plurality of web processing modules each according to any of Claims 1 to 7 characterised in that they are interconnected by slack loop(s) of web material being processed; each said module (100, 100 1 )_.including a driven process station (108) and at least one web driving station (106) and each module being physically movable as a unit with respect to other module(s); said driven process stations all being electrically coupled together to simultaneiously maintain a co-ordinated synchronous drive to the process station of each module; the web driving station within each module being electrically coupled to the driven process station of that same module to effect driven web motion as an electronically programmable function of the driven process motion for that particular module, with substantially equal average web throughput being maintained for all modules.

Claim 9

A web process line as in claim 8 characterised in that one of said modules operates as a master module controlling the process drive in all other modules.

Claim 10

A web process line as in claims 8 or 9 characterised in that an electrical control bus (134) provides said electrical coupling between the driven process stations (108) of each module, each process station being connected to monitor electrical control signals on said bus and to drive its respective process at a corresponding rate; each of said process stations also including means for transmitting said electrical control signals onto said bus and arbitration means for insuring that only one of said process stations so transmits at any given time.

Claim 11

A web process line as in claim 10 characterised in that each module includes a control panel (132) with operator switches for controlling its process drive and, via said bus, the process drive of all other modules and wherein said arbitration means includes means for causing the module used to initiate process drive for the line to automatically become a master module which transmits said electrical control signals onto the bus.

Claim 12

A web process line as in claim 9 characterised in that the control panel (132) of any module, whether or not it happens to then be the master module, may be used by an operator to control the process drive of all modules.

Claim 13

A web process line as in claim 10 characterised in that at least one of said modules includes means for causing its particular process to run at a fixed multiple of the drive rate indicated by the electrical control signals on said bus.

Claim 14

A web process line as in any of claims 8 to 13 characterised in that each module includes programming means for selecting said programmable function; and each module includes data communication means which may be selectively activated to effect data communication linkage with all other modules so as to monitor programming changes effected by the programming means of any other module.

Claim 15

A web process line as in any of claims 8 to 14 characterised in that said electrical coupling includes a plug and socket connected electrical control bus having plural input sockets (142) and at least one output line (140) and plug associated with each module.

Claim 16

A web process line as in any of claims 8 to 15 characterised by a series stop circuit effected through inter-module connections of said bus and effective to stop the process drive (108) of all modules if the stop circuit continuity is broken at any module.

Claim 17

A web process line as in any of claims 8 to 16 characterised in that said electrical coupling may be effected by an arbitrary interconnection of bus line plugs (140) and sockets (142).

Claim 18

A web processing method including simultaneous practice of effecting a predetermined web process; transporting a web with respect to said web process; controlling the driven web motion in accordance with an electrically programmable function of the driven process, in each of plural modules electrically interconnected and physically arrayed together to effect a co-ordinated web finishing process, each module effecting a different process but having substantially the same average web throughput, there being a slack loop of web disposed between adjacent modules in the array.

Claim 19

A web processing method including simultaneous practice of effecting a predetermined web process; transporting a web with respect to said web process; controlling the driven web motion in accordance with an electrically programmable function of the driven process, in each of plural modules electrically interconnected and physically arrayed together to effect a co-ordinated web finishing process, each module effecting a different process but having substantially the same average web throughput, there being a slack loop of web disposed between adjacent modules in the array.