Web sensing and guiding apparatus

Claim 2

In a web sensing and guiding apparatus for laterally guiding a longitudinally travelling web along a predetermined path of web travel including a web guide roller extending transverse to the travelling web to have the web wrap partway around the roller and exit therefrom in an exiting plane, a movable guide frame mounting the web guide roller on a stationary support structure for combined crosswise and angular movement relative to said path of web travel, a web position sensor having a sensor head and operative to sense lateral deviation of a selected longitudinal characteristic of the web relative to said sensing head, and power means controlled by said web position sensor for moving the guide frame and web guide roller relative to said stationary support in a direction to correct deviation of said web from said desired path of web travel; the improvement comprising: means on the movable guide frame defining a crosswise guideway extending crosswise of the path of web travel parallel to said web guide roller and movable in unison with the movable guide frame in combined crosswise and angular movement relative to said path of travel, a sensor carriage mounted on said crosswise guideway for movement therealong parallel to said web guide roller, means mounting said web position sensor on said sensor carriage with said sensing head arranged to sense the lateral position of the web at a sensing location in said exiting plane of the web, and sensor positioning means connected to said stationary support structure and operatively engaging said sensor carriage at a location adjacent said sensing location for moving the sensor carriage along said crosswise guideway as the guide frame is moved relative to the stationary support structure to maintain the sensor head at a preselected position laterally of said path of web travel.

Claim 3

A web sensing and guiding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor positioning means includes a longitudinal sensor guideway mounted on said stationary support structure and extending transverse to the plane of the exiting web, and means slidably engaging said longitudinal sensor guideway and swivelly engaging said carriage at a location adjacent the plane of the exiting web.

Claim 4

A web sensing and guiding apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said longitudinal sensor guideway is mounted on said stationary support structure for adjustment crosswise of said path of web travel.

Claim 5

A web sensing and guiding apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said sensor has its sensor head positioned adjacent the perIphery of said web guide roller to sense the position of the web as it exits from the roller.

Claim 6

A web sensing and guiding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said crosswise sensor guideway includes spaced parallel guide rails mounted on said guide frame parallel to said web guide roller, said carriage being slidably mounted on said spaced guide rails.

Claim 7

In a web sensing and guiding apparatus for laterally guiding a longitudinally travelling web along a predetermined path of web travel including a web guide roller extending transverse to the travelling web to have the web wrap partway around the roller and exit therefrom in an exiting plane, a movable guide frame mounting the web guide roller on a stationary support structure for combined crosswise and angular movement relative to said path of web travel, a web position sensor having a sensor head and operative to sense lateral deviation of a selected longitudinal characteristic of the web relative to said sensing head, and power means controlled by said web position sensor for moving the guide frame and web guide roller relative to said stationary support in a direction to correct deviation of said web from said desired path of web travel; the improvement comprising: at least one crosswise guide bar mounted on said movable guide frame for movement therewith and extending crosswise of said path of web travel and parallel to said guide roller, a sensor carriage mounted on said crosswise guide bar for sliding movement therealong, means mounting said web position sensor on said sensor carriage with said sensing head arranged to sense the lateral position of the web at a sensing location in said exiting plane of the web, a longitudinal sensor guide bar mounted on said stationary support structure and extending transverse to the plane of the exiting web, and sensor positioning means slidably engaging said longitudinal sensor guide bar and swivelly engaging said sensor carriage at a location adjacent said sensing head for moving said sensor carriage along the crosswise guide bar as the guide frame is moved relative to said stationary support structure to maintain said sensing head at preset position laterally of said path of web travel.

Claim 8

In a web sensing and guiding apparatus for laterally guiding a longitudinally travelling web along a predetermined path of web travel including a web guide roller extending transverse to the travelling web to have the web wrap partway around the roller and exit therefrom in an exiting plane, a movable guide frame mounting the web guide roller on a stationary support structure for combined crosswise and angular movement relative to said path of web travel, a web position sensor having a sensor head and operative to sense lateral deviation of a selected longitudinal characteristic of the web relative to said sensing head, and power means controlled by said web position sensor for moving the guide frame and web guide roller relative to said stationary support in a direction to correct deviation of said web from said desired path of web travel; the improvement comprising: at least one crosswise guide bar mounted on said movable guide frame for movement therewith and extending crosswise of said path of web travel and parallel to said guide roller, a sensor carriage mounted on said crosswise guide bar for sliding movement therealong, means mounting said web position sensor on said sensor carriage with said sensing head arranged to sense the lateral position of the web at a sensing location in said exiting plane of the web, a longitudinal sensor guide bar mounted on said stationary support structure and extending transverse to the plane of the exiting web, and sensor positioning means slidably engaging said longitudinal sensor guide bar and swivelly engaging said sensor carriage at a location adjacent said sensing head for moving said sensor carriage along the crosswise guide bar as the guide frame is moved relative to said stationary support structure to maintain said sensing head at preset position laterally of said path of web travel.

Claim 9

A web sensing and guiding apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said web guide roller is supported for movement in a plane of motion transverse to the plane of the exiting web, said sensor positioning means defines a pivot axis transverse to said plane of motion and substantially aligned with the exiting plane of the web at said sensing location.

Claim 10

A web sensing and guiding apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said web position sensor has its sensing head positioned adjacent the periphery of said web guide roller to sense the lateral position of the web as it exits from the roller.

Claim 11

A web sensing and guiding apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said web position sensor has its sensing head positioned adjacent the periphery of said web guide roller to sense the lateral position of the web as it exits from the roller.

Claim 12

A web sensing and guiding apparatus according to claim 6 including a stationary guide bar mounted on said stationary support structure and extending crosswise of said path of travel, and means mounting said longitudinal guide bar for adjustment along said stationary guide bar.

Claim 13

In a web position sensing and guiding apparatus including an exiting web guide roller extending transverse to a travelling web, a stationary support structure, means including a movable frame mounting said exiting web guide roller for movement in a plane of motion in which the exiting web guide roller is disposed generally tangent to a curved path about an effective pivot center, said exiting web guide roller in the mid-position thereof extending perpendicular to the desired path of web travel and being arranged to have the travelling web extend partially therearound and exit therefrom in an exiting plane transverse to said plane of motion, a web position sensor having a sensor head and operative to sense lateral deviation of a selected longitudinal characteristic relative to the sensing head, and power means operated by the web position sensor for moving said movable frame and said exiting web guide roller in a direction to correct deviation of the web edge from said preselected lateral position, the improvement comprising: at least one crosswise guide bar mounted on said movable frame for movement therewith and extending parallel to said exiting web guide roller, a sensor carriage mounted on said crosswise guide bar for sliding movement therealong, means mounting said web position sensor on said sensor carriage with said sensing head arranged to sense the lateral position of the web at a sensing location in said exiting plane of the web, a longitudinal sensor guide bar mounted on said stationary support to extend transverse to the plane of the exiting web and parallel to the plane of motion of said exiting web guide roller, a follower slidably engaging said longitudinal guide bar, and pivot means connecting said follower to said sensor carriage for relative pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to said plane of motion of the exiting web guide roller and substantially aligned with the plane of the exiting web at said sensing location for moving said sensor carriage along the sensor guide bar as the guide frame is moved relative to the stationary support structure to maintain the sensing head at a preset position laterally of the path of web travel.

Claim 14

In a web position sensing and guiding apparatus including an exiting web guide roller extending transverse to a travelling web, a stationary support structure, means including a movable frame mounting said exiting web guide roller for movement in a plane of motion in which the exiting web guide roller is disposed generally tangent to a curved path about an effective pivot center, said exiting web guide roller in the mid-position thereof extending perpendicular to the desired path of web travel and being arranged to have the travelling web extend partially therearound and exit therefrom in an exiting plane transverse to said plane of motion, a web position sensor having a sensor head and operative to sense lateral deviation of a selected longitudinal characteristic relative to the sensing head, and power means operated by the web position sensor for moving said movable frame and said exiting web guide roller in a direction to correct deviation of the web edge from said preselected lateral position, the improvement comprising: at least one crosswise guide bar mounted on said movable frame for movement therewith and extending parallel to said exiting web guide roller, a sensor carriage mounted on said crosswise guide bar for sliding movement therealong, means mounting said web position sensor on said sensor carriage with said sensing head arranged to sense the lateral position of the web at a sensing location in said exiting plane of the web, a longitudinal sensor guide bar mounted on said stationary support to extend transverse to the plane of the exiting web and parallel to the plane of motion of said exiting web guide roller, a follower slidably engaging said longitudinal guide bar, and pivot means connecting said follower to said sensor carriage for relative pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to said plane of motion of the exiting web guide roller and substantially aligned with the plane of the exiting web at said sensing location for moving said sensor carriage along the sensor guide bar as the guide frame is moved relative to the stationary support structure to maintain the sensing head at a preset position laterally of the path of web travel.

Claim 15

A web position sensing and guiding apparatus according to claim 11 including an entrance web guide roller mounted on said movable frame parallel to said exiting web guide roller and generally tangent to said effective pivot center.