US3594866A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automated belt press
Assignee: Hewitt Robins Inc
•
Filing: 1969-01-08
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Granted: 1971-07-27
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Expires: 1989-01-08
Abstract
Abstract The disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for curing ribbonlike stock of curable material in successive longitudinal segments. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a bed press having two opposed platens, presenting confronting substantially flat pressing surfaces and defining a curing zone therebetween. An endless belt around one of these platens has a run passing through the curing zone between the platens, and the stock in the form of a continuous ribbon is delivered intermittently in successive segments through said zone and onto said belt run. Means are provided for moving the platens relatively towards and away from each other. In the operation of carrying out a cycle of the process of the present invention, a longitudinal segment of raw stock is pulled from a source of supply and delivered onto the belt run in the curing zone, the platens are moved relatively towards each other to clamp the stock segment between the belt run and the platen outside the belt run, and the stock is heated to curing temperature, while the stock, the belt and the platens are stationary. At the end of the curing period, the platens are moved relatively apart, the belt is operated to move the run on which the stock was placed for curing, our of the curing zone, and to move the net portion of the belt into the curing zone, and at the same time, the cured stock is moved with the belt run out of the curing zone to a windup, while the next successive segment of raw stock is moved into the curing zone. The cycles are repeated.
Inventors
- 👤 Clayton H Skinner
- 👤 Charles C Kosa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 21:37
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C35/00; B29C35/02; B29C35/04; B29C35/06; B29C35/065; B29K; B29K2021/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
363 words
An apparatus for curing a ribbonlike stock of curable material in successive longitudinal segments, comprising a bed press having first and second opposed platens presenting confronting first and second substantially flat pressing surfaces respectively, means for moving said platens relatively towards and away from Each other to close and open said press, means for heating said press to stock-curing temperature, a first endless conveyor belt surrounding said first platen and having a straight run extending along said first pressing surface in face to face contact with said first pressing surface in the closed position of said press, a pair of endless parallel edging bands frictionally retained by said first conveyor belt for longitudinal movement therewith and extending around and along said conveyor belt, means for adjusting the distance between said edging bands along said first pressing surface to bring said edging bands into contact with the stock and for maintaining said edging bands at said distance for successive curing cycles of said apparatus, said edging bands and said first conveyor belt jointly defining a heat-curing trough along said conveyor belt for the stock, a second endless conveyor belt surrounding said second platen and having a straight run extending along said second pressing surface in face to face contact with said second pressing surface in the closed position of said press, means for advancing the raw stock intermittently in successive segments longitudinally into the open press into position between said belt runs to cause the platens to press opposite faces of the segment of raw stock in said press when the press is closed, and for advancing at the same time the segment of the cured stock out of the open press, and means for advancing said conveyor belts longitudinally at a linear speed corresponding to the linear speed of advancement of said stock to and from the open press, to cause said belts and said stock to move in tandem through the open press, said stock advancing means having means for guiding the cured stock away from said belts as the cured stock is advanced away from the press, to cause the cured stock adhering to said belts to be stripped automatically therefrom.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
363 words
An apparatus for curing a ribbonlike stock of curable material in successive longitudinal segments, comprising a bed press having first and second opposed platens presenting confronting first and second substantially flat pressing surfaces respectively, means for moving said platens relatively towards and away from Each other to close and open said press, means for heating said press to stock-curing temperature, a first endless conveyor belt surrounding said first platen and having a straight run extending along said first pressing surface in face to face contact with said first pressing surface in the closed position of said press, a pair of endless parallel edging bands frictionally retained by said first conveyor belt for longitudinal movement therewith and extending around and along said conveyor belt, means for adjusting the distance between said edging bands along said first pressing surface to bring said edging bands into contact with the stock and for maintaining said edging bands at said distance for successive curing cycles of said apparatus, said edging bands and said first conveyor belt jointly defining a heat-curing trough along said conveyor belt for the stock, a second endless conveyor belt surrounding said second platen and having a straight run extending along said second pressing surface in face to face contact with said second pressing surface in the closed position of said press, means for advancing the raw stock intermittently in successive segments longitudinally into the open press into position between said belt runs to cause the platens to press opposite faces of the segment of raw stock in said press when the press is closed, and for advancing at the same time the segment of the cured stock out of the open press, and means for advancing said conveyor belts longitudinally at a linear speed corresponding to the linear speed of advancement of said stock to and from the open press, to cause said belts and said stock to move in tandem through the open press, said stock advancing means having means for guiding the cured stock away from said belts as the cured stock is advanced away from the press, to cause the cured stock adhering to said belts to be stripped automatically therefrom.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
107 words
An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said means for adjusting said edging bands comprises a pair of cam plates for moving said edging bands toward each other for the run along said first pressing surface until said edging bands contact the raw stock and means for moving said edging bands away from each other after the run along said pressing surface is completed so that the separation of the edging bands from the stock is facilitated and the spacing between said edging bands will be greater than the width of the raw stock prior to the beginning of the run along said first pressing surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus as described in claim 2, said stock advancing means for tensioning the segment of stock in said press.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus as described in claim 1, said stock advancing means comprising means for tensioning the segment of stock in said press.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus as described in claim 4, said stock advancing means comprising two sets of stock guiding rolls at opposite ends of said press, each of said roll sets having a roll movable into position to tension the segment of stock between said movable rolls.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
163 words
An apparatus as described in claim 1, comprising control means for automating and automatically correlating the different operations of said apparatus (1) to cause said press to remain closed on a segment of said stock for a period to cure said segment, while said conveyor belts and said stock advancing means are immobilized, (2) to move said platens relatively apart at the end of each of said periods to open the press, (3) to operate said conveyor belts and said stock advancing means in unison when said press has been opened to move the cured segment of the stock out of the press and to move the next raw segment of the stock into the press, (4) to immobilize said conveyor belts and said stock advancing means after said next successive raw segment of the slack has been advanced into the press, and (5) to move said platens relatively in position to close said press on the raw segment of the stock therein.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-26 | 1975-01-25 | 1975-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-26 | 1979-01-25 | 1979-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-26 | 1983-01-25 | 1983-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |