Feedroll stripper

Abstract

A feedroll assembly transports input material to a downstream process element. Strippers are located adjacent to rollers in the feedroll assembly to prevent material from wrapping around a roller and accumulating inside the feedroll assembly. A roller may move relative to another roller in the feedroll assembly based on a thickness of the input material. The stripper moves with or in accordance with the roller to maintain a fixed relationship or distance between the roller and the stripper. The roller and stripper may be coupled to a chassis and move together in a fixed relationship.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A feedroll assembly including a housing, the feedroll assembly comprising:
 a first roller rotatably coupled to the housing;   a second roller rotatably coupled to a chassis, the chassis being slidably coupled to the housing and translatable relative to the first roller; and   a stripper coupled to the chassis, such that a surface of the stripper is adjacent to a surface of the second roller.   
     
     
         2 . The feedroll assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second roller is movable independently of the first roller via a translation of the chassis. 
     
     
         3 . The feedroll assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the second roller is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein when the second roller is in the first position the second roller is proximate to the first roller, and wherein when the second roller is in the second position the second roller is spaced apart from the first roller. 
     
     
         4 . The feedroll assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the stripper is configured to be secured in a static relationship relative to the second roller. 
     
     
         5 . The feedroll assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the chassis comprises a frame portion, and
 wherein the stripper is fixedly coupled to the frame portion of the chassis.   
     
     
         6 . The feedroll assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a guide slot disposed in the housing, wherein the chassis is slidably coupled to the housing via the guide slot and configured to translate along the guide slot.   
     
     
         7 . The feedroll assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the guide slot is arcuate. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a feedroll assembly, the feedroll assembly comprising:
 a first roller coupled to a housing of the feedroll assembly; 
 a movable roller assembly slidably coupled to the housing and translatable relative to the first roller, the movable roller assembly comprising a chassis, a second roller coupled to the chassis, and a stripper coupled to the chassis, such that a surface of the stripper is adjacent to a surface of the second roller; 
   an actuator configured to adjust a position of the movable roller assembly; and   a motor configured to adjust rotation of the first roller and the second roller.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the second roller is movable independently of the first roller via a translation of the movable roller assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the movable roller assembly is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein when the movable roller assembly is in the first position the second roller is proximate to the first roller, and wherein when the movable roller assembly is in the second position the second roller is spaced apart from the first roller. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the stripper is configured to be secured in a static relationship relative to the second roller. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the chassis comprises a frame portion, and
 wherein the stripper is fixedly coupled to the frame portion of the chassis.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a guide slot disposed in the housing of the feedroll assembly, wherein the movable roller assembly is slidably coupled to the housing via the guide slot and configured to translate along the guide slot.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the guide slot is arcuate. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a first process element upstream of the feedroll assembly and a second process element downstream of the feedroll assembly,   wherein a material is input into the feedroll assembly from the first process element, and   wherein the material is output from the feedroll assembly to the second process element.   
     
     
         16 . A method of operating a feedroll assembly, the feedroll assembly comprising a housing, a first roller rotatably coupled to the housing, a support structure slidably coupled to the housing and moveable relative to the first roller, a second roller rotatably coupled to the support structure, and a stripper coupled to the support structure, such that the second roller and the stripper move together with movement of the support structure, the method comprising:
 receiving, at an input of the housing, a production media;   moving the support structure based on a size of the production media, wherein the movement of the support structure is relative to and independent from the first roller; and   rotating the first roller, the second roller, or the first roller and the second roller such that the production media advances through the feedroll assembly.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second roller is movable independently of the first roller via the movement of the support structure. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the production media is received from an upstream process element. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 outputting the production media to a downstream process element.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 changing a rotational speed of the first roller or the second roller based on the size of the production media;   adjusting the movement of the support structure based on the size of the production media; or   a combination thereof,   wherein the rotational speed, the movement, or the rotational speed and the movement determine a feed rate of the production media into the downstream process element.