Method and apparatus to continuously separate cut pieces from flexible material

Abstract

A fully addressable vacuum/positive pressure roller may select and remove pattern pieces that have been severed or cut from a web or sheet of flexible material even though the pattern pieces are still embedded within the web, both being supported on a common surface. Vacuum rollers may be disposed along the path of an advancing web with the rollers being oriented such that each roller's axis of rotation is both orthogonal to the advance direction of the web and orthogonal to the surface normal of the web so that the web travels around at least a portion of the arc of each roller. The vacuum roller for conveying the web or sheet type material includes an external surface having a plurality of apertures there through. A plurality of addressable valves are in corresponding fluid communication with the plurality of apertures. By controlling the state of each of the plurality of valves, the user may selectively address each valve independently in order to achieve a desired state of each of the valves at all times and/or positions during operation.

1 . An endless surface in circuitous motion system comprising: 
 an outer surface having a plurality of apertures configured in the surface;    a corresponding plurality of valves wherein each aperture has a valve in fluid communication therewith, and further wherein each valve is in fluid communication with at least one of a vacuum source and a positive pressure source; and    a valve control system connected to each valve, wherein, each individual valve may be independently switched by the valve control system between being in a state of switched closed, and switched to vacuum or switched to positive pressure without reference to the state of any other valve.    
   
   
       2 . An endless surface in circuitous motion system as described in  claim 1 , wherein each valve is in fluid communication with both a vacuum source and a positive pressure source, and wherein each valve may be independently switched by the valve control system between being in a state of switched closed, switched to vacuum, and switched to positive pressure.  
   
   
       3 . An endless surface in circuitous motion system as described in  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface is the outer surface of a rotating roller.  
   
   
       4 . An endless surface in circuitous motion system as described in  claim 1 , wherein the electronic control system is either a dedicated computer or a programmable logic controller.  
   
   
       5 . An endless surface in circuitous motion system as described in  claim 3 , wherein the vacuum source is a vacuum manifold inside the rotating inside the rotating roller.  
   
   
       6 . An endless surface in circuitous motion system as described in  claim 3 , wherein the positive pressure source is a positive pressure manifold inside rotating roller.  
   
   
       7 . An endless surface in circuitous motion system as described in  claim 1 , wherein the valve control system is remote from the endless surface.  
   
   
       8 . An endless surface in circuitous motion system as described in  claim 1 , wherein the valve control system is embedded in the endless surface.  
   
   
       9 . A method of separating pieces of flexible material cut from a web comprising the steps of: 
 providing a vacuum roller comprising an outer surface and a plurality of apertures configured in the surface, a corresponding plurality of valves wherein each aperture has a valve in fluid communication therewith, and further wherein each valve is in further communication with a vacuum source;    providing a valve control system connected to each valve, wherein each individual valve may be independently switched by the valve control system between being in a state of switched closed and switched to vacuum without reference to the state of any other valve;    Moving the web across the vacuum roller or moving the vacuum roller across the web, wherein the roller is disposed across the direction of relative motion of the web and vacuum roller; and    selectively controlling the valves in the vacuum roller to attract or not attract portions of the web to the surface of the roller.    
   
   
       10 . A method as described in  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 providing a positive pressure source also in fluid connection with each valve, wherein each valve may also alternatively be switched to a state of switched to positive pressure.    
   
   
       11 . A method as described in  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 providing a plurality of vacuum rollers disposed across the direction of relative motion of the web and vacuum roller, and    moving the web across the plurality of rollers or moving the rollers across the web, and selectively controlling the valves in the plurality of rollers to attract or not attract portions of the web to the respective surfaces of the respective rollers.    
   
   
       12 . A method as described in  claim 9 , wherein the apertures are generally uniformly disposed over the surface of the roller.  
   
   
       13 . An endless surface in circuitous motion system as described in  claim 1 , wherein the apertures are generally uniformly disposed over the surface of the roller.