Patent US4987200A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4517042A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4517042A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for decurling laminated stock
Assignee: D&K CUSTOM MACHINE DESIGN Inc CORP OF IL
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Filing: 1984-05-14
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Granted: 1985-05-14
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Expires: 2004-05-14
Abstract
Abstract A laminating machine includes a heated laminating roller (22) and a back-up roller (26) that are driven at different speeds to produce a controlled reduction in the peripheral surface speed of the back-up roller in relation to the peripheral surface speed of the laminating roller through a brake (90) to control curling in the laminated product. The laminating machine also includes pull rollers (100 and 102) that are driven by the back-up roller and are angularly adjustable to control the path of movement of the product along with dewrinkling mechanisms (44) for removing wrinkles from the film as it enters the laminating stations.
Inventors
- 👤 Karl Singer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 16:46
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B38/00; B32B38/18; B32B38/1825; B32B37/00; B32B37/0007; B32B37/0015; B65; B65H; B65H23/00; B65H23/04; B65H23/34; B65H3/00; B65H3/08; B65H3/0808; B65H3/0816; B65H3/0825; B65H3/46; B65H3/48; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/17; Y10T156/1702; Y10T156/1712; Y10T156/1741
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of laminating a flexible film to a discrete article comprising feeding the discrete article along a path to a laminating station between a heated laminating roller and gripping roller, providing a laminating film from a supply into contacting engagement with said laminating roller and between said laminating roller and said gripping roller in said laminating station, driving said laminating roller to draw said film from said supply through said laminating station, and maintaining a controlled driving speed on said gripping roller so that the peripheral speed of the gripping roll is less than the peripheral speed of said laminating roll to decurl said flexible film while the film is being laminated to said discrete article in said laminating station.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of laminating a flexible film to a discrete article comprising feeding the discrete article along a path to a laminating station between a heated laminating roller and gripping roller, providing a laminating film from a supply into contacting engagement with said laminating roller and between said laminating roller and said gripping roller in said laminating station, driving said laminating roller to draw said film from said supply through said laminating station, and maintaining a controlled driving speed on said gripping roller so that the peripheral speed of the gripping roll is less than the peripheral speed of said laminating roll to decurl said flexible film while the film is being laminated to said discrete article in said laminating station.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
78 words
A method as defined in claim 1, in which the discrete article with the laminated flexible film exits from the laminating station along a generally flat plane angularly related to the entrance plane of said discrete article and is gripped along said plane by a pair of cooperating rollers, including the further step of positioning the cooperating rollers to change the angular orientation of the discrete article with the laminated film thereon to further decurl said flexible film.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as defined in claim 2, in which a first of said cooperating rollers has a fixed axis with respect to said flat plane and a second of said cooperating rollers is pivotable about said fixed axis to vary said angular orientation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as defined in claim 1, including the further step of gripping opposite edges of the film as it enters the laminating station to spread the film and remove any wrinkles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method as defined in claim 4, in which each edge of said film is gripped between a pair of rolls having axes of rotation angularly related to the path of said film while the film is suspended between said pairs of rolls.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as defined in claim 3, in which said gripping roller is driven through said laminating roller and one of said cooperating rollers is driven by said gripping roller.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as defined in claim 3, including the further step of resiliently urging the second cooperating roller toward the first cooperating roller.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as defined in claim 1, in which said gripping roller is frictionally driven by said laminating roller and said controlled driving speed is maintained by a brake cooperating with said gripping roller.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of laminating a single layer of flexible film to a discrete article comprising feeding discrete articles along a path to a laminating station having a heated laminating roller and a back-up roller in frictional engagement with each other, feeding the flexible film from a supply around a major portion of said laminating roller, driving said laminating roller to draw said film from said supply and said discrete article from said path between said laminating roller and said back-up roller through said laminating station, and producing a controlled braking force on said back-up roller and reduce its peripheral surface speed relative to the peripheral surface speed of the laminating roller to produce a controlled movement of the discrete article and film through the laminating station thereby controlling curling of the finished laminated article.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of laminating a single layer of flexible film to a discrete article comprising feeding discrete articles along a path to a laminating station having a heated laminating roller and a back-up roller in frictional engagement with each other, feeding the flexible film from a supply around a major portion of said laminating roller, driving said laminating roller to draw said film from said supply and said discrete article from said path between said laminating roller and said back-up roller through said laminating station, and producing a controlled braking force on said back-up roller and reduce its peripheral surface speed relative to the peripheral surface speed of the laminating roller to produce a controlled movement of the discrete article and film through the laminating station thereby controlling curling of the finished laminated article.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as defined in claim 9, and further including a pair of cooperating pull rollers downstream of said laminating and back-up rollers and in which the pull rollers are driven by said back-up roller.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method as defined in claim 10, in which the back-up roller is movable relative to the laminating roller for varying said frictional engagement and separating said back-up roller from said laminating roller to simultaneously interrupt the drive to said back-up roller and said pull rollers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for laminating a flexible film to a sheet comprising means for feeding a sheet along a path to a laminating station having a heated laminating roller and a back-up roller with drive means for driving said rollers and with a film supply spaced from said laminating station for supplying film to said laminating roller, the improvement of connection means for driving said laminating roller from said drive means to produce a predetermined speed on a peripheral surface of said laminating roller and means for driving said back-up roller through said laminating roller at a reduced speed with respect to said peripheral surface to produce a decurling action on said flexible film during the lamination process.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for laminating a flexible film to a sheet comprising means for feeding a sheet along a path to a laminating station having a heated laminating roller and a back-up roller with drive means for driving said rollers and with a film supply spaced from said laminating station for supplying film to said laminating roller, the improvement of connection means for driving said laminating roller from said drive means to produce a predetermined speed on a peripheral surface of said laminating roller and means for driving said back-up roller through said laminating roller at a reduced speed with respect to said peripheral surface to produce a decurling action on said flexible film during the lamination process.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12, in which said means for driving includes brake means cooperating with said back-up roller to maintain said reduced speed.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 13, further including a pair of cooperating rollers spaced from said laminating roller and back-up roller for gripping said article with film adhered thereto, and in which said means for driving includes further means for driving said cooperating rollers from said back-up roller.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 14, in which said means for driving includes means for shifting said back-up roller with respect to said laminating roller to (1) vary friction forces therebetween; and, (2) separate said back-up roller from said laminating roller to simultaneously interrupt the drive to said back-up roller and said cooperating rollers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 14, further including gripping means between said film supply and said laminating roller for gripping opposite edges of said film in a suspended state to stretch said film between opposite edges thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-05-13 | 1988-11-12 | 1989-05-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-05-13 | 1992-11-12 | 1993-05-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-05-13 | 1996-11-12 | 1997-05-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |