Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
A method for processing sheet material comprising: inserting the sheet material into a gap between two parallel rotating calender rollers, each of said rollers having a raised pattern formed on the surface thereof by opposed elements thereon; forming an embossed pattern on said sheet by pulling said inserted sheet material through said gap by the rotation of said calender rollers, said embossed pattern corresponding to an initial overlap in said gap between said opposed elements on said calender rollers; and varying the extent of overlap between said opposed elements on said raised pattern from said initial overlap while forming said embossing pattern by initially aligning and driving said rollers at identical speeds to produce said initial overlap and thereafter varying the extent of overlap between said opposed elements from said initial overlap by temporarily varying the speed of one of said calender rollers in relation to the speed of the other calender rollers from said identical speed for a time to allow a change in overlap and subsequently readjusting said speed to the initial identical speed to maintain said charge in overlap to thereby produce a varied embossing pattern on said sheet material.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
193 words
A method for processing sheet material comprising: inserting the sheet material into a gap between two parallel rotating calender rollers, each of said rollers having a raised pattern formed on the surface thereof by opposed elements thereon; forming an embossed pattern on said sheet by pulling said inserted sheet material through said gap by the rotation of said calender rollers, said embossed pattern corresponding to an initial overlap in said gap between said opposed elements on said calender rollers; and varying the extent of overlap between said opposed elements on said raised pattern from said initial overlap while forming said embossing pattern by initially aligning and driving said rollers at identical speeds to produce said initial overlap and thereafter varying the extent of overlap between said opposed elements from said initial overlap by temporarily varying the speed of one of said calender rollers in relation to the speed of the other calender rollers from said identical speed for a time to allow a change in overlap and subsequently readjusting said speed to the initial identical speed to maintain said charge in overlap to thereby produce a varied embossing pattern on said sheet material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the extent of overlap between said opposing elements is varied by axially shifting at least one of said calender rollers with respect to the other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method as set forth in claim 1, further including the steps of: rotating said calender rollers at a synchronous speed with a drive system including an adjustable gear mechanism; and cyclically adjusting said gear mechanism to shift the speed of one calender roller with respect to the other calender roller to thereby produce a constant phase shift in said initial overlap of opposing elements of said raised pattern.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said process produces a stiffening of the sheet material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said process produces a thermal bonding of the sheet material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sheet material is a fiber matting.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
163 words
A method of strengthening and/or thermally bonding and/or stamping a fiber sheet at discrete sites, with two spaced rotatable calender rollers, the fiber sheet being guided through a space between the two rollers, the calender rollers of a type having raised discrete sites forming a surface pattern thereon, each calender roller being initially driven at a synchronous speed, so that a degree of coverage between oppositely disposed pairs of raised sites, such degree of coverage determining stamping areas, is adjustable to different values between a minimum and a maximum value, said method comprising: varying the degree of coverage between opposite disposed pairs of raised sites from a first to a second value by briefly changing the number of revolutions of one of the two calender rollers, from the initial synchronous speed of the other calender roller and thereafter resetting said one calender roller to the initial synchronous speed, so that the raised sites subsequently constantly meet with each other with said second coverage.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
163 words
A method of strengthening and/or thermally bonding and/or stamping a fiber sheet at discrete sites, with two spaced rotatable calender rollers, the fiber sheet being guided through a space between the two rollers, the calender rollers of a type having raised discrete sites forming a surface pattern thereon, each calender roller being initially driven at a synchronous speed, so that a degree of coverage between oppositely disposed pairs of raised sites, such degree of coverage determining stamping areas, is adjustable to different values between a minimum and a maximum value, said method comprising: varying the degree of coverage between opposite disposed pairs of raised sites from a first to a second value by briefly changing the number of revolutions of one of the two calender rollers, from the initial synchronous speed of the other calender roller and thereafter resetting said one calender roller to the initial synchronous speed, so that the raised sites subsequently constantly meet with each other with said second coverage.