Apparatus and method for varying speed of sheet material articles in a trimmer

Abstract

A trimmer is provided. The trimmer includes an infeed for transporting a sheet material article at a first speed, a trimming station transporter for decelerating the sheet material article for trimming by a trimmer, and a decelerator between the infeed and the trimming station transporter. The decelerator forms a deceleration nip for transferring the sheet material article from the infeed to the trimming station transporter. A method of operating a trimmer is also provided.

1 . A trimmer comprising:
 an infeed for transporting a sheet material article at a first speed;   a trimming station transporter for decelerating the sheet material article for trimming by a trimmer; and   a decelerator between the infeed and the trimming station transporter, the decelerator forming a deceleration nip for decelerating and transferring the sheet material article from the infeed to the trimming station transporter, the deceleration nip having a surface speed equal to the first speed when the deceleration nip receives the sheet material article.   
     
     
         2 . The trimmer as recited in  claim 1  wherein the deceleration nip receives the sheet material article from the infeed at the first speed and decelerates the sheet material article with the trimming station transporter. 
     
     
         3 . The trimmer as recited in  claim 1  wherein the decelerator includes a first decelerator section contacting a first side of the sheet material article and a second decelerator section contacting a second side of the sheet material article. 
     
     
         4 . The trimmer as recited in  claim 3  wherein the first decelerator section is movable away from the second decelerator section such that the first decelerator section does not contact the first side of the sheet material article. 
     
     
         5 . The trimmer as recited in  claim 4  wherein the decelerator includes an actuator moving the first decelerator section away from the second decelerator section after the sheet material article is released from the decelerator nip. 
     
     
         6 . The trimmer as recited in  claim 3  wherein the first decelerator section includes at least one belt or at least one roller contacting the first side of the sheet material article. 
     
     
         7 . A trimmer comprising:
 an infeed for transporting a sheet material article at a first speed;   a trimming station transporter for decelerating the sheet material article for trimming by a trimmer; and   a decelerator between the infeed and the trimming station transporter, the decelerator forming a deceleration nip for transferring the sheet material article from the infeed to the trimming station transporter,   wherein the infeed includes a pair of forwarding belts for releasing the sheet material article to the decelerator.   
     
     
         8 . The trimmer as recited in  claim 1  wherein the trimming station transporter includes a first transport conveyor for contacting a first side of the sheet material article and a second transport conveyor for contacting a second side of the sheet material article, the first transport conveyor and the second transport conveyor decelerating the sheet material article for trimming. 
     
     
         9 . The trimmer as recited in  claim 1  wherein the decelerator contacts both sides of the sheet material article before the sheet material article is released from the infeed and contacts both sides of the sheet material article after the sheet material article has been received by the trimmer station. 
     
     
         10 . The trimmer as recited in  claim 9  wherein a surface speed of the decelerator is equal to a surface speed of the infeed while both the decelerator and the infeed contact the sheet material article and the surface speed of the decelerator is equal to a surface speed of the trimming station transporter while both the decelerator and the trimming station transporter contact the sheet material article. 
     
     
         11 . A method of operating a trimmer comprising:
 transporting a sheet material article at an infeed at a first speed;   receiving the sheet material article from the infeed at a deceleration nip, a surface speed of the deceleration nip being equal to the first speed as the deceleration nip receives the sheet material article from the infeed; and   decelerating the sheet material using the deceleration nip and passing the sheet material article to a trimming station transporter.   
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 11  further comprising receiving the sheet material article from the deceleration nip at a trimming station transporter, a surface speed of the trimming station transporter being equal to the surface speed of the deceleration nip as the trimming station transporter receives the sheet material article from the deceleration nip. 
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein the trimming station transporter includes a first conveyor for contacting a first side of the sheet material article and a second conveyor for contacting a second side of the sheet material article. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 13  wherein the deceleration nip is formed by a first decelerator section contacting the first side of the sheet material article and a second decelerator section contacting the second side of the sheet material article, the first decelerator section and the second decelerator section transporting the sheet material article together with the first transport conveyor and second transporter conveyor after the infeed releases the sheet material article. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein the receiving the sheet material article from the infeed at a deceleration nip includes moving the first decelerator section toward the second decelerator section to contact the first side of the sheet material article. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 12  wherein a surface speed of the deceleration nip is varied during sequential cycles, each cycle including accelerating the deceleration nip to match the first speed of the infeed and decelerating the deceleration nip to slow down a corresponding sheet material article for trimming. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16  wherein the surface speed of the trimming station transporter is equal to the surface speed of the deceleration nip throughout each cycle. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 11  further comprising opening the deceleration nip after the decelerating step before a following sheet material article enters the deceleration nip, the deceleration nip have a surface speed greater than a surface speed of the following sheet material article as the following sheet material article enters the deceleration nip. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 18  further comprising increasing surface speed of the deceleration nip after the opening step. 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 19  further comprising closing the deceleration nip when the surface speed of the deceleration nip equals the surface speed of the following sheet material article.