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(11) | EP 3 138 955 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| published in accordance with Art. 153(4) EPC |
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| (54) | ROLL FINISHING MACHINE |
| (57) A roll finishing machine includes: a chest 101 having a concave curved surface; a
chest roll 100 that rotates to convey a washed object 2 that has been loaded while
pressing the washed object against the concave curved surface, and to discharge the
washed object from an outlet end 101b of the concave curved surface; and a suction
peeling device that peels the washed object 2 off the rotating roll, wherein the suction
peeling device includes: a suction surface 110 having a plurality of openings 111;
an exhaust unit that causes air to be sucked from the plurality of openings 111; and
a ventilated delivery belt 106 that travels on the suction surface 110 and conveys
the washed object 2 that has been peeled off; and the suction surface 110 has a vertical
surface 110a which is a planar part facing to a roll surface of the chest roll 100
at a position in the vicinity of the outlet end 101b of the concave curved surface,
the position being located in a direction of an extension of the concave curved surface
from the outlet end 101b. |
TECHNICAL FIELD
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Industrial roll finishing machines are known as apparatuses of press-drying textile goods after washing. For example, in a chest roll finishing machine, roll-finishing is performed by pressing a rotating roll against a heated chest and passing laundry therebetween. In order to prevent the laundry to be wound and stuck onto the roll at the time of discharging the laundry from the roll finishing machine, a guide tape is used to take the laundry off the roll. However, because both the laundry and the guide tape pass through the roll, the laundry is pressed against the guide tape all the time, leaving a trace of the guide tape on the laundry. This leads to a disadvantage of reducing a finish quality.
[0003] Thus, roll finishing machines using no guide tape have been proposed (see PTL1, for example). A roll finishing machine described in PTL1 is configured to include a plurality of heating devices having a curved surface, wherein a box that has a convex curved surface having a large number of small holes formed therein is arranged between the heating devices; a ventilated belt travels on the curved surface; and air in the box is exhausted by an exhaust device. Laundry sticking to the roll is peeled off by means of a suction force of evacuation, and the laundry peeled off is delivered by the belt to a heating device which is located on a downstream side.
CITATION LIST
PATENT LITERATURE
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
TECHNICAL PROBLEM
[0005] In this configuration, however, since the surface provided with the number of small holes and having a convex curved shape is arranged to face to the cylindrical roll, a distance between the laundry and the surface provided with the number of small holes becomes rapidly larger with the rotation of the roll. As a result, there is a problem of reducing the suction force applied to the laundry.
SOLUTION TO PROBLEM
[0006] A roll finishing machine according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: a heating device having a concave curved surface; a rotating roll that rotates to convey a washed object loaded from an inlet end of the concave curved surface while pressing the washed object against the concave curved surface, and to discharge the washed object from an outlet end of the concave curved surface; and a suction peeling device that peels the washed object, which is discharged from the outlet end of the concave curved surface, off the rotating roll, wherein: the suction peeling device comprises: a suction surface having a plurality of openings for sucking and peeling the washed object off the rotating roll; an exhaust unit that causes air to be sucked from the plurality of openings; and a ventilated conveying belt that travels on the suction surface and conveys the washed object peeled off the rotating roll; and the suction surface has a planar part facing to a roll surface of the rotating roll at a position in the vicinity of the outlet end of the concave curved surface, the position being located in a direction of an extension of the concave curved surface from the outlet end.
[0007] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the roll finishing machine according to the first aspect, it is preferable that the suction surface has a convex curved part that extends away from the roll surface, the convex curved part being contiguous to an end of the planar part in a direction in which the washed object is conveyed; and the planar part of the suction surface extends substantially in a vertical direction.
[0008] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the roll finishing machine according to the second aspect further comprises: a heating roll that is rotatable; a traveling belt that is wound around a part of a circumferential surface of the heating roll and travels following the rotation of the heating roll, the traveling belt pressing the washed object that has been peeled off the rotating roll against the heating roll while the washed object is held between the traveling belt and the heating roll; a scraper that scrapes a stuck object sticking to the surface of the rotating roll; an operation unit that outputs a deactivation command and an activation command for the exhaust unit, in response to an operation by an operator; and a control unit that deactivates an operation of the exhaust unit in accordance with the deactivation command from the operation unit and activates the operation of the exhaust unit in accordance with the activation command from the operation unit, wherein: when the operation unit outputs the activation command, the suction peeling device peels the washed object off the rotating roll to convey the washed object to the heating roll; when the operation unit outputs the deactivation command, the scraper scrapes the stuck object sticking to the rotating roll; and the stuck object is a wax cloth loaded from the inlet end of the concave curved surface.
[0009] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the the roll finishing machine according to the third aspect, it is preferable that the scraper is movable between a first position at which the scraper is in contact with the roll surface of the rotating roll and a second position at which the scraper is separated from the roll surface; and the control unit moves the scraper to the first position in response to the deactivation command and moves the scraper to the second position in response to the activation command.
[0010] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the roll finishing machine according to the first aspect, it is preferable to further comprise: a finishing process unit in a subsequent stage, the finishing process unit performing a finishing process on the washed object peeled off by the suction peeling device, wherein: the conveying belt conveys the washed object peeled off by the suction peeling device to the finishing process unit in the subsequent stage.
[0011] A roll finishing machine according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, comprises: a heating device having a concave curved surface; a rotating roll that rotates to convey a washed object loaded from an inlet end of the concave curved surface while pressing the washed object against the concave curved surface, and to discharge the washed object from an outlet end of the concave curved surface; a heating roll that is rotatable; a traveling belt that is wound around a part of a circumferential surface of the heating roll and travels following the rotation of the heating roll, the traveling belt pressing the washed object that has been loaded against the heating roll while the washed object is held between the traveling belt and the heating roll; and a suction peeling device that peels the washed object, which is discharged from the outlet end of the concave curved surface, off the rotating roll, wherein: the suction peeling device comprises: a suction surface having a plurality of openings for sucking and peeling the washed object off the rotating roll; an exhaust unit that causes air to be sucked from the plurality of openings; and a ventilated conveying belt that travels on the suction surface and conveys the washed object peeled off the rotating roll to a washed object inlet of the heating roll.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION
[0012] According to the present invention, an improvement in performance of a calender roll finishing machine can be achieved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0013]
[Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a view illustrating one embodiment of a roll finishing machine according to the present invention.
[Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a suction peeling device.
[Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a part of a suction box 103a.
[Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a view illustrating a suction surface 110.
[Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a view illustrating a scraper 102.
[Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a block view illustrating a control for loading a wax cloth.
[Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a view illustrating a height dimension L1 of a vertical surface 110a.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is one embodiment of a roll finishing machine according to the present invention. Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a general configuration of the roll finishing machine 1. The roll finishing machine 1 includes a chest roll finishing unit 10, a calender roll finishing unit 20 that is provided in a stage subsequent to the chest roll finishing unit 10, and a loading unit 30 for loading laundry (hereinafter referred to as washed objects) into the chest roll finishing unit 10.
[0015] The loading unit 30 is provided with a loading belt 301 which is wound around a roller 300. The roller 300 is driven to rotate by a motor (not illustrated) so that the loading belt 301 is driven to travel in a direction denoted by an arrow. When a washed object 2 is placed on the loading belt 301, the washed object 2 is conveyed by the loading belt 301 in the right direction in the figure and loaded into the chest roll finishing unit 10.
[0016] The chest roll finishing unit 10 includes a chest roll 100, a chest 101, and a scraper 102. The roll finishing machine 1 further includes a suction peeling device having a suction box 103a, an exhaust device 104, a duct 104a, and a delivery belt 106. The chest 101 is also referred to as a heating device. The chest 101 has a semi-cylindrical concave surface made of metal and has a space through which heating oil or vapor pass.
[0017] The chest 101 illustrated in Fig. 1 is a so-called flexible chest wherein a plate-like concave curved surface deforms so as to conform to a shape of the surface of the chest roll 100 by the chest roll 100 pressing against the concave curved surface. The concave curved surface after the deformation has the similar shape to that of a generally lower half part of the cylindrical chest roll 100. An inlet side end 101a and an outlet side end 101b of the chest 101 are substantially at the same level as a horizontal plane passing through the center of a shaft of the chest roll 100. Although this embodiment describes a case where the chest 101 is a flexible chest as an example, the chest 101 is not limited to the flexible chest.
[0018] The chest roll 100 is driven to rotate by a motor (not illustrated) in a direction denoted by an arrow. Furthermore, the chest roll 100 can be moved in upward and downward directions by an air cylinder (not illustrated) or the like. The chest roll 100 is pressed against the chest 101 when the apparatus is in use, while the chest roll 100 is moved in the upward direction when the apparatus is at rest.
[0019] The washed object 2 after dewatering is conveyed by the loading belt 301 and loaded between the chest roll 100 and the chest 101. With the rotation of the chest roll 100, the washed object 2 moves from the inlet side end 101a to the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101 while being sandwiched between the chest roll 100 and the chest 101. In this way, the washed object 2 slides while being pressed by the chest roll 100 against the chest 101 having a high temperature, so that drying and crease smoothing (ironing) processes are performed.
[0020] Generally, a felt layer 100a is provided on the surface of the chest roll 100. With the rotation of the chest roll 100, the felt layer 100a slides and abuts to the concave surface of the chest 101. In this manner, instead of the washed object 2, a wax cloth is periodically loaded into the chest roll finishing unit 10 in order to prevent a reduction in smoothness of the sliding movement of the chest roll 100 with respect to the chest 101.
[0021] The chest roll finishing unit 10 is provided, on its inlet side, with the scraper 102 and a scraper drive unit 105 for moving the scraper 102. The chest roll finishing unit 10 is further provided, on its outlet side, with the suction box 103a for peeling the washed object 2 off the chest roll 100. As described above, a large number of openings for sucking air are formed in the suction box 103a. Air in the suction box 103a is exhausted by the exhaust device 104. The exhaust device 104, which is provided on the top of a housing 10a of the chest roll finishing unit 10, is connected to the suction box 103a by the duct 104a.
[0022] The delivery belt 106 is wound around the suction box 103a. As described hereinafter, the delivery belt 106 has a plurality of through holes formed over the whole surface thereof and travels on a suction surface of the suction box 103a. The delivery belt 106 is driven to travel in a direction denoted by an arrow, by means of a roller 107 rotated by a motor (not illustrated). The delivery belt 106 extends to the inside of the calender roll finishing unit 20 and also acts as a conveying belt that conveys the washed object 2 peeled off the chest roll 100 to the calender roll finishing unit 20 in the subsequent stage.
[0023] The calender roll finishing unit 20 is provided, on its inlet side, with a holding belt 201 so that the holding belt 201 is in contact with the delivery belt 106. The washed object 2 placed on the delivery belt 106 is conveyed toward an inlet of a first calender roll 202, while being clamped between the delivery belt 106 and the holding belt 201. The first calender roll 202 is provided with a conveying belt 204 which is wound in the surrounding of the first calender roll 202. The first calender roll 202 is driven to rotate by a motor (not illustrated) in a direction denoted by an arrow. With the rotation of the first calender roll 202, the conveying belt 204 is driven to travel in a direction denoted by an arrow, by means of a frictional force between the first calender roll 202 and the conveying belt 204.
[0024] The washed object 2 loaded onto the first calender roll 202 by the delivery belt 106 is transferred to the outlet side of the first calender roll 202 while being clamped between the first calender roll 202 and the conveying belt 204. On the outlet side of the first calender roll 202, the delivery belt 204 extends to the inlet side of a second calender roll 203. The washed object 2 discharged from the first calender roll 202 is conveyed to an inlet of the second calender roll 203 by the conveying belt 204 and loaded onto the second calender roll 203.
[0025] The second calender roll 203 is provided with a conveying belt 205 which is wound in the surrounding of the second calender roll 203. The second calender roll 203 is driven to rotate by a motor (not illustrated) in a direction denoted by an arrow. With the rotation of the second calender roll 203, the conveying belt 205 is driven to travel in a direction denoted by an arrow, by means of a frictional force between the second calender roll 203 and the conveying belt 205. The washed object 2 loaded onto the second calender roll 203 by the conveying belt 204 is transferred to the outlet side of the second calender roll 203, while being clamped between the second calender roll 203 and the conveying belt 205. On the outlet side of the second calender roll 203, the conveying belt 205 extends to a discharge port 206 of the calender roll finishing unit 20. The washed object 2 discharged from the second calender roll 203 is conveyed to the discharge port 206 by the conveying belt 205.
[0026] The first and second calender rolls 202, 203 are also referred to as heating cylinders. For example, the roll is supplied with heating vapor in the inside in order to heat the roll. The washed object 2 loaded into the calender roll finishing unit 20 passes through the first and second calender rolls 202, 203 while being clamped between the first and second calender rolls 202, 203 and the conveying belts 204, 205, respectively, so that a finish drying process is performed.
[0027] Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the chest roll finishing unit 10 including the suction box 103a. Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a part of the suction box 103a. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the suction box 103a forms a box having a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape. The length of the suction box 103a in the depth direction of the sheet of paper is substantially equal to the axial length of the chest roll 100.
[0028] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the duct 104a is connected to a side surface of the suction box 103a, and the exhaust device 104 evacuates air in the suction box 103a through the duct 104a. A part facing to the chest roll 100 is provided with a suction surface 110 having a plurality of openings 111 formed therein. The suction surface 110 consists of a planar surface 110a that extends generally in a vertical direction (hereinafter referred to as a vertical surface) and a convex curved surface 110b that connects with the top end of the vertical surface 110a. In Fig. 3, a connecting part between the vertical surface 110a and the curved surface 110b is denoted by a dashed line 1110. However, in practice, the vertical surface 110a and the curved surface 110b are seamlessly made of a single plate member.
[0029] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the delivery belt 106 slides to travel on the suction surface 110, conveying the washed object 2 discharged from the chest roll finishing unit 10 to the calender roll finishing unit 20 in the subsequent stage. In Fig. 3, the delivery belt 106 is denoted by a dashed double-dotted line. The delivery belt 106 has a plurality of through holes 106a formed over the whole surface thereof. When the delivery belt 106 travels on the suction surface 110 and a through hole 106a of the delivery belt 106 and an opening 111 of the suction surface 110 overlap each other, then outside air is sucked into the suction box 103a as denoted by arrows A.
[0030] As described above, the felt layer 100a is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the chest roll 100, and the felt layer 100a slides and abuts to the concave curved surface of the chest 101. In Fig. 2, for the purpose of clarity, the chest roll 100 and the chest 101 are illustrated with a gap therebetween. When the chest roll 100 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the washed object 2 sandwiched between the chest roll 100 and the chest 101 moves to the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101, following the rotation of the chest roll 100.
[0031] The washed object 2 which rotates with the chest roll 100 is pressed against the felt layer 100a of the chest roll 100 throughout the rotational movement. Thus, even after leaving the chest 101 from the outlet side end 101b, the washed object 2 will rotate while still sticking to the felt layer 100a of the chest roll 100, as denoted by a dashed double-dotted line. However, in this embodiment, the suction peeling device peels the washed object 2 off the chest roll 100.
[0032] As described above, as the delivery belt 106 slides to travel on the suction surface 110 of the suction box 103a, air is sucked into the suction box 103a when the through hole 106a overlaps the opening 111 of the suction surface 110. At the same time, the washed object 2 is also sucked in a direction A toward the suction surface, together with air. Consequently, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the washed object 2 sticking to the felt layer 100a of the chest roll 100 is peeled off by means of a suction force and attracted onto the delivery belt 106 which travels on the suction surface 110 as denoted by a solid line. With the travel of the delivery belt 106, the washed object 2 is conveyed toward the calender roll finishing unit 20 in the subsequent stage.
[0033] As illustrated in Fig. 1, the holding belt 201 becomes in close contact with the delivery belt 106 on the way from the chest roll finishing unit 10 to the calender roll finishing unit 20, and thereafter the holding belt 201 travels with the delivery belt 106. The washed object 2 therefore moves toward the calender roll finishing unit 20 while being sandwiched between the delivery belt 106 and the holding belt 201.
[0034] As described above, the suction peeling device in the roll finishing machine 1 in this embodiment is configured to peel the washed object 2 sticking to the chest roll 100 by means of the suction force. In order to effectively perform the peeling by means of the suction force, it is preferable to adopt the following configurations.
(Description of suction surface 110)
[0035] First, the suction surface 110 of the suction box 103a will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In Fig. 4, a dashed dotted line 100j denotes a horizontal plane passing through the center of the shaft of the chest roll 100. As described above, when the chest roll 100 is pressed against the concave curved surface of the chest 101, the shape of the concave curved surface deforms so as to conform to the outer circumferential surface of the chest roll 100. The top end position of the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101 after the deformation is set to be substantially at the same level as the horizontal plane 100j. In the example illustrated in Fig. 4, the top end position of the outlet side end 101b is slightly above the horizontal plane 100j. Furthermore, the lower end of the vertical surface 110a is arranged above and near the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101.
[0036] A vertical (y-direction) dimension y1 between the lower end of the vertical surface 110a and the outlet side end 101b is preferably as small as possible in terms of sucking the washed object 2. Furthermore, the lower end of the vertical surface 110a is positioned above and near the outlet side end 101b so as to leave a space that allows the delivery belt 106 to travel. Moreover, a dimension of a clearance between the vertical surface 110a and the chest roll 100 (i.e., a clearance dimension in x direction) is generally the same as a dimension x1 from the inner circumferential surface of the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101 to the outer circumferential surface of the chest roll (at a position where the outer circumferential surface and the horizontal plane 100j intersect each other). More specifically, because the washed object 2 has a thickness dimension of approximately x1 when leaving the chest 101 from the outlet side end 101b, the clearance dimension x1 between the vertical surface 110a and the chest roll 100 is set to x1+δ, wherein δ > 0 and δ is set in consideration of the thickness of the delivery belt 106 traveling on the vertical surface 110a and the clearance between the delivery belt 106 and the washed object 2.
[0037] For a vertical (y-direction) dimension L1 of the vertical surface 110a, a larger dimension L1 is preferable in consideration of the suction effect on the washed object 2. However, the higher the position on the vertical surface 110a in the vertical direction (y-direction), the larger the distance between the vertical surface 110a and the surface of the chest roll 100. In other words, simply increasing the y-direction dimension of the vertical surface 110a does not provide a correspondingly improved suction effect. Furthermore, as the y-direction dimension of the vertical surface 110a and thus the area of the suction surface become larger, the total area of the openings 111 increases, which may disadvantageously result in a decrease in the suction force.
[0038] Thus, one way of specifying the vertical direction (y-direction) dimension of the vertical surface 110a is to "set a dimension Δx illustrated in Fig. 4 to the largest value within a range where an amount of decrease in the suction force is acceptable". For example, the dimension L1 is set so that the dimension Δx is approximately 20 to 50% of the clearance dimension x1 between the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101 and the chest roll 100.
[0039] It will here be assumed that a diameter of the chest roll 100 is D [mm] and the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101 is at the same level as the horizontal plane 100j passing through the center of the shaft of the chest roll 100, as in Fig. 7. In this case, the height dimension L1 [mm] of the vertical surface 110a is expressed by the following equation (1):
[0040] Assuming that the diameter D of the chest roll 100 = 1200 [mm], x1 = 10 [mm], and Δx/x1 is 20 to 50% (i.e., Δx = 2 to 5 [mm]), then L1 = 49 to 77 [mm]. For example, for L = 100 [mm], L1 is on the order of (1/2)L to (2/3)L. A y-direction dimension L2 of the curved surface 110b is on the order of (1/3)L to (1/2)L, so that the curved surface 110b has a sufficient area for the delivery belt 106 to travel thereon.
(Description of scraper 102)
[0041] Next, the scraper 102 which is provided on the loading side of the chest roll finishing unit 10 will be described. Generally in a chest roll finishing machine (an apparatus corresponding to the chest roll finishing unit 10 in this embodiment), it is necessary to periodically pass a wax cloth through the chest roll finishing machine in order to enhance a smoothness of the sliding movement of the chest roll 100 with respect to the chest 101. In other words, as in the case of roll-finishing of the washed object 2, a wax cloth is loaded into the chest roll finishing unit 10 and passed from the inlet side end 101a to the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101.
[0042] When a single chest roll finishing machine is used or a plurality of chest roll finishing machines are used and arranged in series, the wax cloth may be discharged from the outlet side of the chest roll finishing machine with no problems. However, when the calender roll finishing unit 20 is provided in a stage subsequent to the chest roll finishing unit 10 as in the roll finishing machine in this embodiment, the wax cloth discharged from the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101 is loaded by the delivery belt 106 into the calender roll finishing unit 20 in a subsequent stage, so that the wax cloth passes through the calender roll finishing unit 20 as well.
[0043] As described above, in the calender roll finishing unit 20, the conveying belts 204, 205 are wound around in the outer circumferences of the first and second calender rolls 202, 203 and driven to travel by means of a frictional force between the conveying belts 204, 205 and the first and second calender rolls 202, 203, respectively. Therefore, if the wax cloth is loaded from the chest roll finishing unit 10 into the calender roll finishing unit 20 and passes through the first and second calender rolls 202, 203, deposition of the wax causes a decrease in the frictional force between the first and second calender rolls 202, 203 and the conveying belts 204, 205, which may represent a disadvantage for the travel of the conveying belts 204, 205.
[0044] Thus, in this embodiment, by providing the scraper 102 on the loading side of the calender roll finishing unit 20 and controlling the scraper 102 and the suction peeling device in a way described below, the wax cloth which has passed through the chest roll finishing unit 10 can be picked up without passing through the calender roll finishing unit 20.
[0045] Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the inlet side of the chest roll finishing unit 10 provided with the scraper 102. The scraper 102 is driven by the scraper drive unit 105 in right and left directions in the figure. When the scraper 102 is moved to the chest roll 100 side by the scraper drive unit 105, the tip of the scraper 102 is in contact with the surface of the chest roll 100 (the surface of the felt layer 100a) as illustrated in Fig. 5. This position will be referred to as a contact position. On the other hand, when the scraper 102 is moved from the state (contact position) illustrated in Fig. 5 to the left side by the scraper drive unit 105, the tip of the scraper 102 moves away from the chest roll 100. This position will be referred to as a retracted position. In this way, the scraper drive unit 105 can cause the scraper 102 to slide between the contact position and the retracted position.
[0046] Fig. 6 is a block view for illustrating an operation for loading a wax cloth. A control unit 50 and an operation unit 40 are provided in the roll finishing machine 1, although not illustrated in Fig. 1. The operation unit 40 is provided with an operating button 401 for instructing activation and deactivation of the apparatus, an operating button 402 for instructing an operation for loading the wax cloth, and the like. When an operator operates the operation unit 40, an operating command is inputted to the control unit 50. The control unit 50 controls the operation of the roll finishing machine 1 in accordance with the operating command. An indication unit (indication lamps 403, 404) of the operation unit 40 indicates states of the roll finishing machine 1. Although the indication unit is here indication lamps 403, 404, the indication unit may be liquid crystal display devices, for example.
[0047] Before a wax cloth is loaded into the chest roll finishing unit 10, the operator operates the operating button 402 of the operation unit 40. By the operator operating the operating button 402, a command of loading the wax cloth is inputted from the operation unit 40 to the control unit 50. Once the command of loading the wax cloth is inputted, the control unit 50 deactivates the exhaust device 104 and moves the scraper 102 from the retracted position B1 to the contact position B2 by controlling the scraper drive unit 105. After deactivating the exhaust device 104 and moving the scraper 102 to the contact position B2, the control unit 50 provides an indication representing that the wax cloth loading is permitted (an illumination of the indication lamp 404) in the indication unit of the operation unit 40. When the operator operates the operating button 402 once again during the illumination of the indication lamp 404, the command of loading the wax cloth is released so that the indication lamp 404 is turned off.
[0048] After checking the indication indicating that the loading of the wax cloth is permitted (the illumination of the indication lamp 404), the operator loads the wax cloth into the chest roll finishing unit 10. The wax cloth 3 loaded moves from the inlet side end 101a toward the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101, following the rotation of the chest roll 100. Since the wax cloth 3 is pressed against the felt layer 100a while being held between the chest roll 100 and the chest 101, the wax cloth 3 is pulled out from the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101 while sticking to the felt layer 100a, as in the case of the washed object 2.
[0049] In the case of loading the washed object 2, the exhaust device 104 is engaged in action. The washed object 2 is therefore peeled off the chest roll 100 by means of a suction action of the suction box 103a and then conveyed by the delivery belt 106 to the calender roll finishing unit 20 in a subsequent stage. By contrast, when the wax cloth 3 is loaded, the exhaust device 104 is deactivated. The wax cloth 3 sticking to the chest roll 100 is therefore not sucked by the suction box 103a and continues to stick to the chest roll 100.
[0050] The wax cloth 3 still sticking to the chest roll 100 returns to the inlet side of the chest roll finishing unit 10, following the rotation of the chest roll 100. In this case, since the tip of the scraper 102 is in contact with the surface of the chest roll 100 (the felt layer 100a) as illustrated in Fig. 5, the wax cloth 3 is scraped off the chest roll 100. After removing the wax cloth 3 which has been scraped off, the operator operates the operating button 402 of the operation unit 40 (see Fig. 6) once again to release the command of loading the wax cloth. In response to the release of the command of loading the wax cloth, the control unit 50 activates the exhaust device 104 and moves the scraper 102 from the contact position to the retracted position by controlling the scraper drive unit 105. Thereafter, the control unit 50 turns the indication lamp 404 off. After checking that the indication lamp 404 is turned off, the operator starts loading of the washed object 2 once again.
[0051] The scraper 102 may be in the contact state all the time. However, if the scraper 102 is in the contact state all the time, the felt layer 100a of the chest roll 100 is disadvantageously scratched by the scraper 102. Considering the above, in the above-described embodiment, the scraper 102 is slid from the contact position B2 to the retracted position B1 when the scraper is not in use. However, it may also be contemplated that the scraper 102 is driven to swing between the contact position and the retracted position.
[0052] As described above, the roll finishing machine 1 in this embodiment according to the present invention includes: the chest 101 as a heating device having a concave curved surface; the chest roll 100 which is a rotating roll that rotates to convey a washed object 2 loaded from the inlet side end 101a of the concave curved surface while pressing and abutting the washed object 2 against the concave curved surface, and discharge the washed object 2 from the outlet side end 101b of the concave curved surface; and the suction peeling device (103a, 104, 104a, 106) that peels the washed object 2, which is discharged from the outlet side end 101b of the concave curved surface, off the chest roll 100. Furthermore, the suction peeling device (103a, 104, 104a, 106) has: the suction surface 110 having a plurality of openings 111, the suction surface 110 sucking and peeling the washed object 2 off the chest roll 100; the exhaust device 104 that causes air to be sucked from the plurality of openings 111; and the ventilated conveying belt 106 that travels the suction surface 110 and conveys the washed object 2 peeled off the chest roll 100. The suction surface 110 has the vertical surface 110a as a planar part facing to the roll surface of the chest roll 100 at a position in the vicinity of the outlet side end 101b of the concave curved surface, the position being located in a direction of an extension of the concave curved surface from the outlet side end 101b.
[0053] Since the vertical surface 110a is a planar part facing to the roll surface of the chest roll 100 at a position in a direction of an extension of the concave curved surface from the outlet side end 101b, contrary to a conventional curved surface, an increase in a distance between the washed object 2 and the suction surface 110 can be reduced after the washed object 2 leaves the chest 101 from the outlet side end 101b. As a result, a deterioration in the suction effect of the suction peeling device can be reduced so that the washed object 2 can be reliably peeled off the chest roll 100.
[0054] The above-described embodiment has described a case where the planar part of the suction surface 110 is the vertical surface. This configuration is employed because the direction of the extension of the concave curved surface from the outlet side end 101b generally corresponds to the vertical plane direction if the outlet side end 101b of the chest 101 is in the vicinity of the horizontal plane 100j passing through the center of the shaft of the chest roll as illustrated in Fig. 4. In such a case, the planar part is preferably the vertical surface which extends in the vertical plane direction. For example, if the outlet side end 101b is spaced below the horizontal plane 100j in Fig. 4, the direction of the extension of the concave curved surface from the outlet side end 101b is slightly inclined to the right side in the figure from the vertical direction. In such a case, the planar part may be a planar surface extending in the inclined direction or may be a vertical surface.
[0055] Furthermore, the suction surface 110 has a convex curved surface 110b that extends away from the roll surface, the convex curved surface 110b being contiguous to the end of the vertical surface 110a which is the planar part in a direction in which the washed object 2 is conveyed. The vertical surface 110a of the suction surface 110 is configured to extend generally in a vertical direction. With this configuration, the washed object 2 peeled off the roll surface can be effectively placed on the delivery belt 106.
[0056] The roll finishing machine further includes: the calender roll 202 as a heating roll that is rotatable; the conveying belt 204 as a traveling belt that is wound around a part of a circumferential surface of the calender roll 202 and travels following the rotation of the calender roll 202, the conveying belt 204 pressing the washed object 2 that has been peeled off the chest roll 100 against the calender roll 202 while the washed object 2 is held between the conveying belt 204 and the calender roll 202; the scraper 102 that scrapes a stuck object sticking to the surface of the chest roll 100; the operation unit 40 that outputs a deactivation command and an activation command for the exhaust device 104, in accordance with the operator's operation; and the control unit 50 that deactivates an operation of the exhaust device104 in accordance with the deactivation command from the operation unit 40 and activates the operation of the exhaust device 104 in accordance with the activation command from the operation unit, wherein: when the operation unit 40 outputs the activation command, the washed object 2 is peeled off the chest roll 100 by the suction peeling device and conveyed to the calender roll 202; and when the operation unit 40 outputs the deactivation command, the scraper 102 scrapes the stuck object sticking to the chest roll 100, the stuck object being a wax cloth 3 loaded from the inlet end of the concave curved surface.
[0057] In loading the wax cloth 3 into the roll finishing machine 1, the suction by the exhaust device 104 is deactivated in response to the deactivation command outputted from the operation unit 40 to the control unit 50 in response to the operator's operation. The wax cloth 3 remains stuck to the chest roll 100 and moves toward the inlet side end 101a, following the rotation of the chest roll 100. Then, the wax cloth 3 moving toward the inlet side end 101a is scraped off by the scraper 102. As a result, it can be prevented that the wax cloth 3 passes through the calender roll finishing unit 20 in a subsequent stage.
[0058] Furthermore, the scraper 102 may be movable between the contact position B2, which is a first position at which the scraper 102 is in contact with the roll surface of the chest roll 100, and the retracted position B1, which is a second position at which the scraper 102 is separated from the roll surface, wherein: the scraper 102 may be moved to the contact position B2 in response to the deactivation command and moved to the retracted position B1 in response to the activation command. In this way, the scraper 102 is in contact with the chest roll 100 only when the wax cloth 3 is loaded into the roll finishing machine 1, which can mitigate the scratching of the roll surface by the scraper 102.
[0059] Furthermore, it may also be contemplated that the washed object 2 peeled off by the suction peeling device is conveyed to the calender roll finishing unit 20, which is a subsequent processing device, and the washed object 2 is then loaded into the calender roll finishing unit 20. In this way, the delivery belt 106 may also be responsible for conveying the washed object 2 from the chest roll 100 to the calender roll 202, which can result in a simplification of the conveying system and a reduction in cost.
[0060] Moreover, in another aspect, the roll finishing machine includes: the chest 101 as a heating device having a concave curved surface; the chest roll 100 which is a rotating roll that rotates to convey a washed object 2 loaded from the inlet side end 101a of the concave curved surface while pressing and abutting the washed object 2 against the concave curved surface, and discharge the washed object 2 from the outlet side end 101b of the concave curved surface; the calender roll 202 as a heating roll that is rotatable; the conveying belt 204 that is wound around a part of a circumferential surface of the calender roll 202 and travels following the rotation of the calender roll 202, the conveying belt 204 pressing the washed object 2 against the calender roll 202 while the washed object 2 is held between the conveying belt 204 and the calender roll 202; and the suction peeling device (103a, 104, 104a, 106) that peels the washed object 2, which is discharged from the outlet end 101b of the concave curved surface, off the chest roll 100. Furthermore, the suction peeling device (103a, 104, 104a, 106) has: the suction surface 110 having a plurality of openings 111, the suction surface 110 sucking and peeling the washed object 2 off the chest roll 100; the exhaust device 104 that causes air to be sucked from the plurality of openings 111; the delivery belt 106 as a ventilated conveying belt that travels on the suction surface 110 and conveys the washed object 2 peeled off the chest roll 100 to a washed object inlet (located directly before a position at which the calender roll 202 and the conveying belt 204 contact each other in Fig. 1) of the calender roll 202.
[0061] Also in this case, since the washed object 2 that has been peeled off by the suction peeling device is conveyed by the delivery belt 106 to the calender roll 202, the delivery belt 106 is also responsible for conveying the washed object 2 from the chest roll 100 to the calender roll 202. As a result, a simplification of the conveying system and a reduction in cost can be achieved.
[0062] Although the chest roll finishing unit 10 having a single chest roll 100 has been described as an example in the above-described embodiment, the chest roll finishing unit 10 may be provided with a plurality of chest rolls 100. However, if there are a plurality of chest rolls 100, a delivery mechanism is required to deliver the washed object 2 between the chest rolls 100. By contrast, if the chest roll 100 having a large diameter greater than 1000 [mm] is used as described above, the single chest roll 100 can perform a roll finishing process comparable to the roll finishing process in the case where the plurality of chest rolls 100 are provided, wherein the above-described delivery mechanism required for the plurality of chest rolls 100 is eliminated. Thus, a simplification of the device configuration and a reduction in an installation area of the chest roll finishing unit 10 can be achieved.
[0063] The embodiments described above may be used alone or in combination. This is because effects of the embodiments may be achieved alone or synergistically. Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above as long as features of the present invention are not impaired.
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST
[0064] 1 ... roll finishing machine, 2 ... washed object, 3 ... wax cloth, 10 ... chest roll finishing unit, 20 ... calender roll finishing unit, 30 ... loading unit, 40 ... operation unit, 50 ... control unit, 100 ... chest roll, 101 ... chest, 102 ... scraper, 103a ... suction box, 104 ... exhaust device, 104a ... duct, 105 ... scraper drive unit, 106 ... delivery belt, 106a ... through hole, 110 ... suction surface, 110a ... vertical surface, 110b ... curved surface, 111 ... opening, 202, 203 ... calender roll, 204, 205 ... conveying belt
a heating device having a concave curved surface;
a rotating roll that rotates to convey a washed object loaded from an inlet end of the concave curved surface while pressing the washed object against the concave curved surface, and to discharge the washed object from an outlet end of the concave curved surface; and
a suction peeling device that peels the washed object, which is discharged from the outlet end of the concave curved surface, off the rotating roll, wherein:
the suction peeling device comprises:
a suction surface having a plurality of openings for sucking and peeling the washed object off the rotating roll;
an exhaust unit that causes air to be sucked from the plurality of openings; and
a ventilated conveying belt that travels on the suction surface and conveys the washed object peeled off the rotating roll; and
the suction surface has a planar part facing to a roll surface of the rotating roll at a position in the vicinity of the outlet end of the concave curved surface, the position being located in a direction of an extension of the concave curved surface from the outlet end.
the suction surface has a convex curved part that extends away from the roll surface, the convex curved part being contiguous to an end of the planar part in a direction in which the washed object is conveyed; and
the planar part of the suction surface extends substantially in a vertical direction.
a heating roll that is rotatable;
a traveling belt that is wound around a part of a circumferential surface of the heating roll and travels following the rotation of the heating roll, the traveling belt pressing the washed object that has been peeled off the rotating roll against the heating roll while the washed object is held between the traveling belt and the heating roll;
a scraper that scrapes a stuck object sticking to the surface of the rotating roll;
an operation unit that outputs a deactivation command and an activation command for the exhaust unit, in response to an operation by an operator; and
a control unit that deactivates an operation of the exhaust unit in accordance with the deactivation command from the operation unit and activates the operation of the exhaust unit in accordance with the activation command from the operation unit, wherein:
when the operation unit outputs the activation command, the suction peeling device peels the washed object off the rotating roll to convey the washed object to the heating roll;
when the operation unit outputs the deactivation command, the scraper scrapes the stuck object sticking to the rotating roll; and
the stuck object is a wax cloth loaded from the inlet end of the concave curved surface.
the scraper is movable between a first position at which the scraper is in contact with the roll surface of the rotating roll and a second position at which the scraper is separated from the roll surface; and
the control unit moves the scraper to the first position in response to the deactivation command and moves the scraper to the second position in response to the activation command.
a finishing process unit in a subsequent stage, the finishing process unit performing a finishing process on the washed object peeled off by the suction peeling device, wherein:
the conveying belt conveys the washed object peeled off by the suction peeling device to the finishing process unit in the subsequent stage.
a heating device having a concave curved surface;
a rotating roll that rotates to convey a washed object loaded from an inlet end of the concave curved surface while pressing the washed object against the concave curved surface, and to discharge the washed object from an outlet end of the concave curved surface;
a heating roll that is rotatable;
a traveling belt that is wound around a part of a circumferential surface of the heating roll and travels following the rotation of the heating roll, the traveling belt pressing the washed object that has been loaded against the heating roll while the washed object is held between the traveling belt and the heating roll; and
a suction peeling device that peels the washed object, which is discharged from the outlet end of the concave curved surface, off the rotating roll, wherein:
the suction peeling device comprises:
a suction surface having a plurality of openings for sucking and peeling the washed object off the rotating roll;
an exhaust unit that causes air to be sucked from the plurality of openings; and
a ventilated conveying belt that travels on the suction surface and conveys the washed object peeled off the rotating roll to a washed object inlet of the heating roll.
Amended claims under Art. 19.1 PCT
a heating device having a concave curved surface;
a rotating roll that rotates to convey a washed object loaded from an inlet end of the concave curved surface while pressing the washed object against the concave curved surface, and to discharge the washed object from an outlet end of the concave curved surface; and
a suction peeling device that peels the washed object, which is discharged from the outlet end of the concave curved surface, off the rotating roll, wherein:
the suction peeling device comprises:
a suction surface having a plurality of openings for sucking and peeling the washed object off the rotating roll;
an exhaust unit that causes air to be sucked from the plurality of openings; and
a ventilated conveying belt that travels on the suction surface and conveys the washed object peeled off the rotating roll; and
the suction surface has a planar part facing to a roll surface of the rotating roll at a position in the vicinity of the outlet end of the concave curved surface, the position being located in a direction of an extension of the concave curved surface from the outlet end.
the suction surface has a convex curved part that extends away from the roll surface, the convex curved part being contiguous to an end of the planar part in a direction in which the washed object is conveyed; and
the planar part of the suction surface extends substantially in a vertical direction.
a heating roll that is rotatable;
a traveling belt that is wound around a part of a circumferential surface of the heating roll and travels following the rotation of the heating roll, the traveling belt pressing the washed object that has been peeled off the rotating roll against the heating roll while the washed object is held between the traveling belt and the heating roll;
a scraper that scrapes a stuck object sticking to the surface of the rotating roll;
an operation unit that outputs a deactivation command and an activation command for the exhaust unit, in response to an operation by an operator; and
a control unit that deactivates an operation of the exhaust unit in accordance with the deactivation command from the operation unit and activates the operation of the exhaust unit in accordance with the activation command from the operation unit, wherein:
when the operation unit outputs the activation command, the suction peeling device peels the washed object off the rotating roll to convey the washed object to the heating roll;
when the operation unit outputs the deactivation command, the scraper scrapes the stuck object sticking to the rotating roll; and
the stuck object is a wax cloth loaded from the inlet end of the concave curved surface.
the scraper is movable between a first position at which the scraper is in contact with the roll surface of the rotating roll and a second position at which the scraper is separated from the roll surface; and
the control unit moves the scraper to the first position in response to the deactivation command and moves the scraper to the second position in response to the activation command.
a finishing process unit in a subsequent stage, the finishing process unit performing a finishing process on the washed object peeled off by the suction peeling device, wherein:
the conveying belt conveys the washed object peeled off by the suction peeling device to the finishing process unit in the subsequent stage.
A roll finishing machine, comprising:
a heating device having a concave curved surface;
a rotating roll that rotates to convey a washed object loaded from an inlet end of the concave curved surface while pressing the washed object against the concave curved surface, and to discharge the washed object from an outlet end of the concave curved surface;
a suction peeling device that peels the washed object, which is discharged from the outlet end of the concave curved surface, off the rotating roll;
a heating roll that is disposed in a subsequent stage to the suction peeling device, the washed object peeled off by the suction peeling device being loaded onto the heating roll from a washed object inlet; and
a traveling belt that is wound around a part of a circumferential surface of the heating roll and travels following the rotation of the heating roll, the traveling belt pressing the washed object that has been loaded against the heating roll while the washed object is held between the traveling belt and the heating roll, wherein:
the suction peeling device comprises:
a suction surface having a plurality of openings for sucking and peeling the washed object off the rotating roll;
an exhaust unit that causes air to be sucked from the plurality of openings; and
a ventilated conveying belt that travels on the suction surface and travels between the suction surface and the washed object inlet of the heating roll to convey the washed object peeled off the rotating roll to the washed object inlet of the heating roll.
REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.
Patent documents cited in the description