GB2288364A - Flexible web material - Google Patents

Abstract

A web 11 or 66 of flexible material (eg paper, plastics, metal foil or fabric) comprises multiple superposed layers of the same material united longitudinally at their edges, either folded about fold line or lines 15 from a single piece of material or formed from a number of separate lengths 61, 71 and 81 joined along their edges 65, 75 eg adhesively. The web can be opened out to form a flat web of a width substantially equal to the sum of the widths of the individual layers (figures 2 to 6). The multiple layer web may be formed into a roll 19, 69. A process, such as coating and drying, may be applied to one or both of the two outward facing layers while the web is folded. This allows processing apparatus of a given effective width to be used for the processing of a web of material having a much greater effective width. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: "Flexible Web Material" Description of Invention This invention relates to material in the form of a flexible web.

The invention has been devised primarily in relation to the processing of a web of paper and/or plastics film material but may also be applied to webs of other flexible materials, including metal foils, woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics and composite fabrics comprising two or more layers of any such materials.

The processing may comprise the provision of a coating on a surface of the web, or the securement of a further web of material to the surface of the web in order to provide a web of laminated material. For example, a plastics film could be adhesively secured to the surface of a web of paper to provide a laminated plastics/paper material. Yet further for example, the processing could comprise printing on a surface of the web.

Machinery for such processing of a web of material is designed to accommodate a web of up to a predetermined width and a web of greater than such predetermined maximum width will not be able to be passed through the machinery. It has been necessary to provide machinery capable of processing the greatest width of web likely to be encountered, which can be expensive if provision has to be made for large widths of web.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide for the processing of increased width of web in a manner which does not require the provision of processing machinery of increased width.

According to one aspect of the invention, we provide a method of carrying out a process on a surface of a flexible web of material, wherein the web is in a folded condition so that said surface is presented on opposite outwardly facing sides of the folded web, and said process is carried out on at least one of said opposite sides of the folded web.

Preferably the method comprises folding the web about a line extending lengthwise of the web, and the process is carried out on the web in the course of passage of the web lengthwise through a processing apparatus. Whilst the fold line would normally be disposed centrally of the width of the web, other arrangements are possible. For example, if the process is to be applied asymmetrically to less than the full width of the unfolded web, the fold line could be off-set from the centre line. Further in some circumstances it may be desired to fold opposite lateral marginal portions of the web inwardly about respective fold lines spaced inwardly from the lateral margins of the unfolded web. The edges of the inwardly folded marginal portions may meet on the centre line of the web, or they may be spaced apart so as to leave an exposed portion of the opposite face of the web between them, or the inwardly folded marginal portions may overlap one another, as may for example be required where the overlapping edges are to be joined together subsequently so that the processed web can be formed into a flattened tube.

The process preferably is carried out on both of said opposite sides of the folded web, so that all or substantially all of said surface is subjected to the process.

The carrying out of the process on the two oppositely facing sides of the folded web may be carried out simultaneously or substantially simultaneously with one another for example at a single work station, or separately at separate work stations in the processing apparatus.

In either case, the processing apparatus requires only to be capable of dealing with the width of the folded web and thus may be only half the width of the unfolded web if the web is folded in two.

However, the method as defined above is not restricted to the processing of a web of material which has been folded to only a double thickness.

Other arrangements are possible, and according to a further aspect of the invention, the web may be folded to multiple thicknesses before the application of the process so that the process is not, at least initially, applied across the entire surface which is presented by one face of the unfolded web, but only to those part of that surface which are exposed in the folded condition. In some cases, the web may be folded so as to expose only those parts of the surface which require to be subjected to the process. In other cases, the web may then be re-folded in such a manner as to enable the unprocessed part or parts of said surface to be subjected to the same, or a different, process in a subsequent processing operation.

Thus, in this way the processing apparatus may be able to handle a web of material three or four times wider than its nominal capacity.

Further, in accordance with a more general aspect of the invention, there is provided a web of flexible material comprising multiple superposed layers of the same material united longitudinally at their edges in such a way that the multiple-layer web can be opened out to form a flat web having a width substantially equal to the sum of the widths of the individual layers and which affords two opposed continuous faces each comprising longitudinally extending portions formed by the respective constituent layers, said multiple-layer web being formed into a roll.

The layers may, as described above, be formed integrally with one another from a single piece of web material folded onto itself so that the layers are integrally joined at their mutual longitudinal edges.

However, in accordance with a further aspect of the invention the layers may be formed as separate layers of said web material which are joined together, for example adhesively, on lines corresponding to the lines of folding in the arrangements described above to form a single web in a pseudo-folded condition.

In either case, the web may comprise two, three, or more layers of the web material.

It will be understood that such pseudo-folded multiple-layer material can be subjected to a process, after the layers have been joined together, in exactly the manner described above in relation to a truly folded web. However, in accordance with a further aspect of the invention, any required process can be applied to the appropriate face of each individual layer before the layers are joined together.

Subsequent to the carrying out of said process, the web may be unfolded prior to being taken to where it is to be stored or utilised, but preferably it may be taken in the still folded condition to where it is to be stored or utilised.

If the web is to be reeled for storage, it may be reeled in the folded, or preferably the unfolded, condition.

According to another aspect of the invention, we provide apparatus for carrying out a process on a surface of a web of flexible material, comprising means for receiving the web in a folded condition, and means for carrying out the process on opposite outwardly facing surfaces of the folded web.

The apparatus may comprise means for receiving the web in a flat or substantially flat unfolded condition, and means for folding the web to deliver it in said folded condition in the apparatus.

The means for carrying out the process on said oppositely outwardly facing surfaces of the folded web may comprise a single station for carrying out the process simultaneously or substantially simultaneously on said opposite surfaces, or it may comprise separate stations for carrying out the process on each of said surfaces respectively.

The apparatus may comprise means for storing the processed web, e.g.

means for reeling the web. Means for unfolding the web may be provided before the storage means.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 is a diagram showing a typical form of processing in accordance with the invention; FIGURES 2 to 6A illustrate various ways in which the web may be folded during processing in accordance with the invention; and FIGURE 7 is a diagram showing a further form of processing in accordance with the invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a reel of flexible material, e.g. paper or any of the materials previously mentioned, is indicated generally at 10. A web 11 of the material is drawn from the reel in the direction of arrow A, towards a processing apparatus indicated diagrammatically at 12.

Before entering the apparatus 12, the web 11 is folded by a suitable apparatus of a per se known kind (not shown) such that one edge 13 of the web registers with the other edge 14 thereof. The web is thus folded about a fold line 15 which extends lengthwise of the web midway between the edges 13, 14 of the unfolded web, such fold line 15 then constituting an edge of the folded web 16.

Thus the web 11 is reduced to half its unfolded width.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the apparatus 12, performs a process, e.g.

the application of a coating or any of the other processes previously mentioned, across the full width of the opposite exposed faces of the folded web 16 thereby effectively performing the process across the full width of one face of the entire web 11. For this purpose, rolls 17,18 are shown diagrammatically in the apparatus 12 for carrying out such process simultaneously above and beneath the folded web 16. It will be appreciated that the apparatus 12 only requires to be of a width sufficient to accommodate half the total width of the unfolded web 11.

If appropriate the rolls 17,18 could be arranged at longitudinally spaced stations instead of at a common station, and if required the folded web could be inverted during transition between such spaced stations so that both rolls are on the same side of the folded web.

As illustrated, the folded web 16 is taken from the apparatus 12 and delivered to a reel 19 for storage purposes, still in the folded condition, to provide a product which comprises a roll of a double-thickness folded web having an effective width twice that of the axial dimension of the roll.

If required, however, the web could be unfolded after emerging from the apparatus 12 and stored, or led to further apparatus, in the unfolded condition.

The process applied by the diagrammatically illustrated rolls 17,18 may take numerous forms, and the nature of the process applied is not an essential feature of this invention. However, by way of example the process may comprise any conventional form of printing, the application of any form of coating, such as a coating of colour-former material or receptor material as employed in the manufacture of carbonless copy paper, or the application of a film or laminate.

The process may be continuous or discontinuous in nature and may be confined to only certain areas of the surface.

Further treatment stations may be provided downstream of the apparatus 12, for example for the drying of a previously applied coating or the application of one or more further coatings to the previously applied coating, or the application of one or more coatings to the opposite face following re-folding of the web to expose such face.

Such further treatment stations may accordingly include a station at which the web is unfolded back to the flat condition and then re-folded in the opposite sense so as to expose the face of the web to which the proceeding processes have not been applied. The newly folded and exposed surface may then be subjected to one or more processes in the same manner as previously described in order to apply the same, or a different, process.

The apparatus as described above could be used if the process is required to be carried out on part only of the width of the web. For example, if the process is to be carried out on half or less of the total width of the web, one of the rolls 17,18 may perform the process on all or part of one surface of the folded web.

If the web is supplied already in the folded condition, the apparatus need not comprise the folding apparatus.

Whilst in most cases it is expected that the web will be folded as illustrated in Figure 1 about a longitudinal centre-line to bring the opposed lateral edges together, thereby leaving one face of the web wholly exposed and the other face wholly concealed, other arrangements are envisaged, and Figures 2 to 6A illustrate a web folded in various ways for processing in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 shows the folded web 16 of double thickness as previously described, having a longitudinal central fold-line 15 so that the opposed edges 13,14 of the unfolded web are brought into register and one face of the web is wholly exposed in upper and lower portions for processing.

Figure 3 shows an alternative form of folding to produce a doublethickness folded web 26 in which one face of the web is also wholly exposed in upper and lower portions, but in this case the opposed edges 23,24 of the web are brought together on the centre-line of the web by folding marginal portions 21,22 inwardly about spaced fold lines 25,25a into face-to-face relation with a central portion 27 of the web.

In the arrangements of Figures 2 and 3, the total width of the entire web is twice that of the folded web and one face of the entire web is wholly exposed whilst the opposite face is wholly concealed, so that the processing can readily be confined to all or part of the exposed face. However, in the Figure 3 arrangement, the edges 23,24 may be spaced apart so that the opposite face of the web is exposed in a mid-region of the central portion 27. Alternatively, the edges 23,24 may be arranged to overlap somewhat, particularly if it is required that they are to be joined to form a flattened tube.

Figure 4 shows an arrangement in which the total width of the web is less than twice that of the folded web 36, a marginal portion 31 of the web being folded about a fold line 35, which is asymmetrically disposed relative to the longitudinal centre-line of the unfolded web, and into face-to-face relationship with the remaining portion 37 of the web. In this case also, one face of the web is wholly exposed for processing, but part of the opposite face is also exposed, and if such part is not to be subjected to the processing, the apparatus must be so arranged as not to apply the process thereto.

Figure 5 shows an arrangement in which the width of the entire web is three times that of the folded web 46. This is achieved by folding one lateral portion 41 about a fold line 45 into face-to-face relationship with a central portion 47 on one face thereof and by folding an opposite lateral portion 42 about a fold line 45a into face-to-face relationship with the central portion 47 on the opposite face thereof, the edges 43,44 of the web registering with the fold lines 45,45a respectively.

In this case, only the lateral portions of one face of the web are exposed for processing, and such triple thickness material may be passed through the apparatus 12 to apply the process to the exposed faces of one or both of the lateral portions 41,42, but if full processing is required, this can be achieved by subsequently re-folding the web to bring it to the condition shown in Figure 5A, in which the lateral portion 42 overlaps the lateral portion 41, leaving exposed the face of the central portion 47 which is contiguous with the previously processed faces so that it can be subjected to the required process by means of a further machine (not shown).

Figure 6 shows an arrangement in which the width of the entire web is four times that of the folded web 56. This is achieved by firstly folding the web in the manner shown in Figure 3 to bring the opposed edges 53,54 together on the centre-line of the web in face-to-face relation with a central portion of the web, and then folding the central portion onto itself about the centre-line 55, to form four layers, namely the first marginal portion 51, a first part 57a of the central portion, a second part 57b of the central portion and the second marginal portion 52. Alternatively the web may be folded first about the centre-line 55 and then to bring the edges 53,54 to the centre fold-line.

As with the Figure 5 arrangement, only the lateral portions of one face of the web are exposed for processing and such quadruple thickness material may be passed through the apparatus 12 to apply the process to the exposed faces of the marginal portions 51,52. If full-width processing is required, this can then be achieved by re-folding the web about the centre-line 55 to bring it into the condition shown in Figure 6A.

Alternatively, the triple and quadruple thickness material may be first folded to the condition shown in Figures 5A and 6A respectively and then refolded to the condition shown in Figures 5 and 6. It will, however, be appreciated that such re-folding will not be necessary if the process is required to be applied only to the initially exposed faces.

In all cases, the product comprises a multiple thickness folded web having a total width greater than the nominal capacity of processing apparatus.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a similar product is formed by applying the desired process or processes simultaneously to two or more separate webs, bringing the processed webs together in face-to-face relation to form a superimposed multiple-layer condition and joining the layers together at the edges to form a multiple thickness web having a total width greater than the nominal capacity of the processing apparatus.

Most machinery for coating webs is provided with a plurality of work stations at which succeeding coatings can be applied to a single web as it is passed through the machine. In accordance with this aspect of the invention , such a machine is adapted to apply one or more required processes to two or more separate webs which are brought together after said processes have been applied to the individual webs to form a product virtually identical with the folded products as illustrated in Figures 2 to 6A.

This may be achieved by the apparatus as illustrated in Figure 7 which shows three supply reels 60,70,80 of flexible material, such as paper or any of the other materials previously mentioned, from which respective webs 61,71,81 of the material are drawn through processing apparatus which comprises three work stations 62,72,82. The webs are all of the same width and comprise the same material. All three work stations of the apparatus perform the same process, for example the application of a coating across the full width of one face of the respective web 61,71,81. However, as previously described, the process need not necessarily be applied over the entire area of the face concerned.

Further work stations (not shown) may be provided for drying the coatings and/or the application of one or more further coatings or other processes to the same, or to the opposite faces, of each web as compared with that coated at work stations 62,72,82.

In the illustrated embodiment, work station 62 includes a processing roller 63 which acts on the uppermost face of the uppermost web 61, and the work station 82 likewise includes a processing roller 83 which acts on the uppermost face of the lowermost web 81. However, the work station 72 includes a processing roller 63 which acts on the underside of the intermediate web 71.

After the webs 61,71,81 have passed through the respective work stations, they are brought together in face-to-face relationship and pass through a joining station 64 at which the uppermost and intermediate webs 61,71 are joined together, for example adhesively, along one edge to form a joint 65, and the intermediate and lowermost webs 71,81 are similarly joined along the opposed edge to form a joint 75.

At this stage, the composite web 66 is functionally equivalent to the triple thickness web 46 as shown in Figure 5, one contiguous face of the pseudofolded web thus formed being coated across the entire width of the triple-width web, i.e. the upper face of the upper web 61, the lower face of the intermediate 71 and the upper face of the lower web 81.

The triple-thickness pseudo-folded web 66 is then delivered to a storage reel 69, from which it can be withdrawn when required for use and "unfolded" to its full width, which is three times that of each individual web.

Whilst the required processes may be applied to the webs 61,71,81 as described above before the joints 65,75 are formed, it will be understood that the joints may be formed before the required processes are applied to the webs, the pseudo-folded web being applied to a machine with one or more work stations for applying the coating as previously described in relation to the arrangement shown in Figure 1.

Figure 7 illustrates, by way of example the way in which a triplethickness web can be formed, but it will be understood that double and quadruple thickness webs may be formed in an analogous manner.

It will also be understood that under some circumstances it may be desirable to combine the features of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 with those of thr apparatus shown in Figure 7. Thus, the webs 61 and 71, or 71 and 81, may be formed by folding a single web of double width in the manner shown in Figure 1, to which the remaining web is subsequently joined in the manner shown in Figure 7.

It can be seen that in all its various forms the invention makes it possible to produce a roll of flexible web material which by virtue of the "folding" of the web material is of substantially greater width than the nominal handling capacity of the machinery employed. In the case where separate webs are employed, as illustrated in Figure 7, it is also possible to increase the through-put of apparatus having multiple work stations, because work stations which would be idle in the production of a single width web are usefully employed to produce a multiple-width web.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (38)

CLAIMS:

1. A web of flexible material comprising multiple superposed layers of the same material united longitudinally at their edges in such a way that the multiple-layer web can be opened out to form a flat web which has a width substantially equal to the sum of the widths of the individual layers and which affords two opposed continuous faces each comprising longitudinally extending portions formed by the respective constituent layers, said multiple-layer web being formed into a roll.

2. A web according to Claim 1 wherein said layers are formed integrally with one another from a single piece of web material folded onto itself along the edges at which the layers are united.

3. A web according to Claim 1 wherein said layers are formed as separate lengths of said web material which are joined together along the edges at which the layers are united.

4. A web according to Claim 3 wherein the layers are joined together adhesively.

5. A web according to Claim 2 wherein said two opposed continuous faces each comprise longitudinally extending portions formed by the respective constituent layers and at least one of said opposed faces has been subjected to a process applied to the individual layers with the web material is in a folded condition.

6. A web according to Claim 3 wherein said two opposed continuous faces each comprise longitudinally extending portions formed by the respective constituent layers and at least one of said opposed faces has been subjected to a process applied to the individual layers before said layers are joined together.

7. A web according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 comprising two of said layers united at one edge.

8. A web according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 comprising three of said layers, the two layers which are outermost being united with the layer which is innermost at respective opposite edges of said innermost layer.

9. A web according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 comprising four of said layers, the two layers which are innermost being united with one another at one edge, and the two layers which are outermost being united with a respective one of the innermost layers at the edges thereof opposite that at which the innermost layers are united with one another.

10. A method of manufacturing a web as claimed in Claim 1 comprising the steps of folding a single piece of web material onto itself to form said superposed layers and forming said folded multiple-layer web into said roll.

11. A method according to Claim 10 wherein at least one of the two opposed continuous faces of the web which each comprise longitudinally extending portions defined by the respective constituent layers are subjected to a process which is applied to the individual layers whilst the material is in a folded condition and before it is formed into said roll.

12. A method of manufacturing a web as claimed in Claim 1 comprising the steps of joining together separate lengths of web material to form said superposed layers and forming said multiple-layer web into said roll.

13. A method according to Claim 12 wherein at least one face of some or all of said lengths of web material has been subjected to a process applied to the individual layers before the layers are joined together.

14. A method of carrying out a process on a surface of a flexible web of material, wherein the web is in a folded condition so that said surface is presented on opposite outwardly facing sides of the folded web, and said process is carried out on at least one of said opposite sides of the folded web.

15. A method according to Claim 14 comprising folding the web about a line extending lengthwise of the web and carrying out said process on the folded web in the course of passage of the web lengthwise through a processing apparatus.

16. A method according to Claim 14 or Claim 15 wherein the process is carried out on both of said opposite sides of the folded web, so that all, or substantially all, of the surfaces presented by said opposite sides is subjected to the process.

17. A method according to Claim 16 wherein said process is carried out simultaneously, or substantially simultaneously, on said opposite sides of the fold web.

18. A method according to Claim 16 wherein the process is carried out on said opposite sides of the folded web separately at separate positions.

19. A method according to any one of Claims 14 to 18 wherein the web is folded along one longitudinal line so that the folded web comprises two layers.

20. A method according to any one of Claims 14 to 18 wherein the web is folded along two or more longitudinal lines so that the folded web comprises three or more layers.

21. A method according to Claim 20 wherein the process is carried out on the exposed faces of the two of said layers which are outermost.

22. A method according to Claim 21 wherein after said process is carried out on the exposed faces of the two outermost layers, the web is re-folded so as to expose a face of one or more of the inner layers, which face is contiguous with the faces on which the process have previously been carried out, and the process is then carried out on such newly exposed face.

23 A method according to any one of Claims 14 to 22 wherein subsequent to the carrying out of said process, the web is unfolded.

24. A method according to any one of Claims 14 to 23 wherein after processing the web is formed into a reel for storage.

25. Apparatus for carrying out a process on a surface of a web of flexible material, comprising means for receiving the web in a folded condition so that said surface is presented on opposite outwardly facing sides of the folded web, and means for carrying out the process on said opposite outwardly facing surfaces of the folded web.

26. Apparatus according to Claim 25 comprising means for receiving the web of material in a flat, or substantially flat, unfolded condition, and means for folding the web to delivery it in said folded condition to said means for carrying out said process.

27. Apparatus according to Claim 25 or Claim 26 wherein the means for carrying out the process comprises a single station for carrying out the process simultaneously, or substantially simultaneously, on said opposite surfaces.

28. Apparatus according to Claim 25 or Claim 26 wherein the means for carrying out the process comprises separate stations for carrying out the process on said opposite surfaces.

29. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 25 to 28 wherein the apparatus further comprises means for storing the processed web.

30. Apparatus according to Claim 29 wherein said means for storing the processed comprises means for forming the web into a reel.

31. Apparatus according to Claim 29 or Claim 30 further comprising means for unfolding the web before it is fed to said storage means.

32. A web of flexible material as claimed in Claim 1 and folded substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in any one of Figures 2,3,4,5,5A,6 and 6A of the accompanying drawings.

33. A method of making a web as claimed in Claim 10 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

34. A method of making a web as claimed in Claim 12 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

35. A method of carrying out a process as claimed in Claim 14 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

36. Apparatus according to Claim 23 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

37. Apparatus for carrying out the method as claimed in Claim 12 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

38. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.