Apparatus for expanding a laminating interlayer

Claim 1

An apparatus for expanding a laminating interlayer which comprises: feeding means for feeding a continuous web of laminating interlayer material from a supply thereof; heating means associated with said feeding means for heating said web to a temperature whereat it is pliable, said heating means and said feeding means being stationary; a movable platform adjacent to said last two mentioned means; controllable means for moving said movable platform in a direction perpendicular to the path of travel of said web being fed from said feeding means; cooling cone means both for applying a stretching force to and for cooling said web, said cooling cone means having a slant height greater than the width of said web whereby a different radius of curvature may be developed in said web depending upon the location along the slant height of said cooling cone means over which said web passes; structure means for rotatably mounting said cooling cone means on said movable platform; edge position sensing means secured to said platform for sensing the location of one edge of said web at a position located between said feeding means and said cooling cone means, said edge position sensing means developing a signal indicative of the location of said edge with respect thereto; and means responsive to the signal of said edge position sensing means for operating said controllable means to adjust said movable platform to keep said edge of said web located in a particular position with respect to said edge position sensing means and thereby with a particular location along the slant height of said cooling cone means.

Claim 2

An apparatus for expanding a laminating interlayer which comprises: feeding means for feeding a continuous web of laminating interlayer material from a supply thereof; heating means associated with said feeding means for heating said web to a temperature whereat it is pliable, said heating means and said feeding means being stationary; a movable platform adjacent to said last two mentioned means; controllable means for moving said movable platform in a direction perpendicular to the path of travel of said web being fed from said feeding means; cooling cone means both for applying a stretching force to and for cooling said web, said cooling cone means having a slant height greater than the width of said web whereby a different radius of curvature may be developed in said web depending upon the location along the slant height of said cooling cone means over which said web passes; structure means for rotatably mounting said cooling cone means on said movable platform; edge position sensing means secured to said platform for sensing the location of one edge of said web at a position located between said feeding means and said cooling cone means, said edge position sensing means developing a signal indicative of the location of said edge with respect thereto; and means responsive to the signal of said edge position sensing means for operating said controllable means to adjust said movable platform to keep said edge of said web located in a particular position with respect to said edge position sensing means and thereby with a particular location along the slant height of said cooling cone means.

Claim 6

An apparatus for expanding a laminating interlayer which comprises: a drum; first structure means for rotatably mounting said drum at a fixed location; a motor rotatably driving said drum to draw over a major portion of its surface a continuous web of laminating interlayer material from a supply thereof; heating means for supplying a heating fluid internally of said drum to heat said web as it passes over said surface of said drum to a temperature whereat said material of said web is pliable; a platform; second structure means for movably mounting said platform adjacent said drum, said platform being movable in a direction perpendicular to a path of travel of said web leaving said feeding drum after being heated; a hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder and a piston, said piston being connected to said platform, said cylinder positioning said platform by moving said piston in accordance with the application of hydraulic pressure thereto; a cooling cone having a slant height greater than the width of said web; third structure means for rotatably mounting said cooling cone on said platform; a motor rotatably driving said cooling cone so that said cone applies a stretching force to said web as said web moves from said drum to said cone; cooling means for supplying a cooling fluid internally of said cooling cone to cool said web as it passes over the surfAce of said cooling cone; an edge position sensing device developing a signal indicative of the location of an edge of said web with respect thereto; fourth structure means for mounting said edge position sensing device on said platform at a location where said web passes thereby as it moves from said drum to said cooling cone; and hydraulic means controlled by said signal from said edge position sensing device for supplying hydraulic fluid to said hydraulic cylinder, whereby said platform is moved to keep said edge of said web located in a particular position with said edge position sensing device and thereby with a particular location along the slant height of said cooling cone.

Claim 7

An apparatus for expanding a laminating interlayer which comprises: a drum; first structure means for rotatably mounting said drum at a fixed location; a motor rotatably driving said drum to draw over a major portion of its surface a continuous web of laminating interlayer material from a supply thereof; heating means for supplying a heating fluid internally of said drum to heat said web as it passes over said surface of said drum to a temperature whereat said material of said web is pliable; a platform; second structure means for movably mounting said platform adjacent said drum, said platform being movable in a direction perpendicular to a path of travel of said web leaving said feeding drum after being heated; a hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder and a piston, said piston being connected to said platform, said cylinder positioning said platform by moving said piston in accordance with the application of hydraulic pressure thereto; a cooling cone having a slant height greater than the width of said web; third structure means for rotatably mounting said cooling cone on said platform; a motor rotatably driving said cooling cone so that said cone applies a stretching force to said web as said web moves from said drum to said cone; cooling means for supplying a cooling fluid internally of said cooling cone to cool said web as it passes over the surfAce of said cooling cone; an edge position sensing device developing a signal indicative of the location of an edge of said web with respect thereto; fourth structure means for mounting said edge position sensing device on said platform at a location where said web passes thereby as it moves from said drum to said cooling cone; and hydraulic means controlled by said signal from said edge position sensing device for supplying hydraulic fluid to said hydraulic cylinder, whereby said platform is moved to keep said edge of said web located in a particular position with said edge position sensing device and thereby with a particular location along the slant height of said cooling cone.