David W Gruber

US Patent:

6355139, Mar 12, 2002

Filed:

Feb 28, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/514136

Inventors:

James Leo Baggot - Menasha WI
Michael Earl Daniels - Neenah WI
David Robert Gruber - Neenah WI
Paul Kerner Pauling - Appleton WI
James D. Ba Dour, Jr. - Green Bay WI
Larry E. Birnbaum - Green Bay WI
Rudolph S. Fortuna - Green Bay WI

Assignee:

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

International Classification:

D21H 2500

US Classification:

162109, 162118, 162120, 162283, 242540, 242545, 2425451, 242551, 242554, 2425551, 2425557, 242559, 242564

Abstract:

A high bulk tissue web is made by depositing an aqueous suspension of papermaking fibers onto a forming fabric to form a web, drying the web, winding the dried web to form a plurality of large diameter parent rolls wound on a core, and transporting the parent rolls to an unwind stand having torque transmitting clamping means for engaging opposite end surfaces of the parent rolls. A backing plate is connected to and rotatable with an unwind shaft connected to an electric drive. An inflatable bladder is mounted on the backing plate. The clamping means engage a first parent roll by inflating the bladder such that the opposite end surfaces of the roll are sandwiched between the side clamping mechanisms for partially unwinding the first parent roll using a variable speed drive operably associated with the clamping means. The torque transmitting clamping means engage a second parent roll, and a leading end portion of the web on the second parent roll is joined to a trailing end portion of the partially unwound first parent roll to form a joined web without glue. In one aspect, the leading end portion of the web on the second parent roll is transported with a thread-up conveyor.

US Patent:

6440268, Aug 27, 2002

Filed:

Feb 28, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/514734

Inventors:

James Leo Baggot - Menasha WI
Michael Earl Daniels - Neenah WI
David Robert Gruber - Neenah WI
Paul Kerner Pauling - Appleton WI
James D. Ba Dour, Jr. - Green Bay WI
Larry E. Birnbaum - Green Bay WI
Rudolph S. Fortuna - Green Bay WI

Assignee:

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

International Classification:

D21F 500

US Classification:

162118, 162109, 162120, 162283, 242540, 242548, 242551, 242554, 2425551, 2425557, 242559, 242564

Abstract:

A partially unwound roll is moved for splicing with a subsequent parent roll, and the united web is rewound. The torque transmitting means include side clamping mechanisms engaging only the end surfaces of the parent rolls. In one aspect, an automated off-line apparatus and method splice tissue webs from different parent rolls in a finishing unit, and substantially continuous impacts on each web during unwinding splice the webs together. In one aspect, an apparatus and method are disclosed for the production of a soft, high bulk uncreped throughdried tissue web by depositing an aqueous suspension of papermaking fibers onto an endless forming fabric to form a web and through drying the web to final dryness without any significant differential compression to form a dried web having a bulk value of about 15 to 25 cubic centimeters per gram or greater, an MD Stiffness Factor of 50 to 100 kilograms, a machine direction stretch of 15 to 25 percent, and a substantially uniform density. A torque transfer device for unwinding a tissue roll includes a frame having a pair of arms spaced apart to accommodate the width of the roll, each arm having a side clamping mechanism mounted thereon to engage one of the opposite end surfaces of the tissue roll. The side clamping mechanism includes a backing plate connected to and rotatable with an unwind shaft connected to an electric drive, an inflatable bladder mounted on the backing plate, and means for inflating the bladder such that the opposite end surfaces of the roll are sandwiched between the side clamping mechanisms.

US Patent:

6722606, Apr 20, 2004

Filed:

Dec 18, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/023477

Inventors:

John R. Hanson - Appleton WI
Robert J. Seymour - Appleton WI
Mike E. Daniels - Neenah WI
James Baggot - Menasha WI
Randy LeValley - Neenah WI
Edward Marksman - Menasha WI
Preston OConnor - Appleton WI
Kenneth Pigsley - Greenville WI
Douglas C. Thomas - Appleton WI
Jeffrey Greiner - Kaukauna WI
David Gruber - Appleton WI
Matt Storm - Appleton WI
Steve Weiland - Appleton WI

Assignee:

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

International Classification:

B65H 1916

US Classification:

2425593, 2425546

Abstract:

A system and process for unwinding rolls of material is disclosed. The system is particularly well suited for unwinding soft, high-bulk tissue webs. In one embodiment, the system includes the combination of a center unwind device and a surface unwind device to unwind the roll of material in a primary unwind location. Once the roll of material is partially unwound, the roll is then moved to a secondary unwind location while a new roll of material is moved into the primary unwind location. In this manner, multiple rolls of material can be continuously unwound without substantial downtime. The system of the present invention can be used to unwind a single roll of material or can be designed to unroll multiple rolls of material simultaneously.

US Patent:

6733608, May 11, 2004

Filed:

Mar 30, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/049908

Inventors:

James Leo Baggot - Menasha WI
Michael Earl Daniels - Neenah WI
Ronald Frederick Gropp - St. Catherines, CA
David Robert Gruber - Aiken SC
Paul Kerner Pauling - Appleton WI
James Monroe Perkins - Appleton WI
James B. Ba Dour, Jr. - Green Bay WI
Larry E. Birnbaum - Green Bay WI
Rudolph S. Fortuna - Green Bay WI

Assignee:

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

International Classification:

B65H 1918

US Classification:

156157, 156209, 156285, 156504, 162118, 162283, 2425553, 242556

Abstract:

A method for processing high bulk tissue webs is disclosed for forming a wet web, drying the web, winding the dried web to form a plurality of parent rolls, unwinding the parent rolls by transmitting torque through the roll center and/or ends, moving the partially unwound roll to effect splicing with a subsequent parent roll, and rewinding the thus united web. In particular embodiments, the torque transmitting means comprise side clamping mechanisms that engage only the end surfaces of the parent rolls. In other embodiments, an automated off-line method for splicing tissue webs from different parent rolls utilizes a finishing unit that substantially continuously impacts each web during unwinding to splice the webs together. In one aspect, a method of making and processing high bulk tissue webs is disclosed for the production of a soft, high bulk uncreped throughdried tissue web by depositing an aqueous suspension of paper-making fibers onto an endless forming fabric to form a web and drying the web by throughdrying to final dryness without any significant differential compression to form a dried web having a bulk value of about 15 to 25 cubic centimeters per gram or greater, an MD Stiffness Factor of 50 to 100 kilograms, a machine direction stretch of 15 to 25 percent, and a substantially uniform density.

US Patent:

60304960, Feb 29, 2000

Filed:

Apr 16, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/845098

Inventors:

James Leo Baggot - Menasha WI
Michael Earl Daniels - Neenah WI
David Robert Gruber - Neenah WI
Paul Kerner Pauling - Appleton WI
James D. Ba Dour - Green Bay WI
Larry E. Birnbaum - Green Bay WI
Rudolph S. Fortuna - Green Bay WI

Assignee:

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

International Classification:

B31C 1100
D21F 500

US Classification:

162111

Abstract:

A method of making a tissue web is disclosed for forming a wet web, drying the web, winding the dried web to form a plurality of parent rolls, unwinding the parent rolls using center drive unwind means, moving the partially unwound roll to effect splicing with a subsequent parent roll, and rewinding the thus united web. In one aspect, a method of making a tissue web is disclosed for the production of a soft, high bulk uncreped throughdried tissue web by depositing an aqueous suspension of papermaking fibers onto an endless forming fabric to form a web and drying the web by throughdrying to final dryness without any significant differential compression to form a dried web having a bulk value of about 15 to 25 cubic centimeters per gram or greater, an MD Stiffness Factor of 50 to 100 kilograms, a machine direction stretch of 15 to 25 cubic percent, and a substantially uniform density.

US Patent:

59063335, May 25, 1999

Filed:

Apr 16, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/838278

Inventors:

Rudolph S. Fortuna - Green Bay WI
Larry E. Birnbaum - Green Bay WI
James D. Ba Dour - Green Bay WI
Paul K. Pauling - Appleton WI
James L. Baggot - Menasha WI
David R. Gruber - Aiken SC
Michael E. Daniels - Neenah WI

Assignee:

Paper Converting Machine Company - Green Bay WI

International Classification:

B65H 1912
B65H 1916

US Classification:

2425545

Abstract:

A center driven unwind system including a pair of horizontally spaced-apart side frames defining the beginning of a path of travel of the web being unwound from a parent roll for processing by a rewinder, a U-shaped arm structure pivotally mounted adjacent the U-shape base on each side frame with each arm of the U-shape adjacent the arm free end being equipped with a retractable chuck for insertion into a parent roll core, a variable speed drive operably associated with each chuck and adapted to develop an increasing rotational speed characteristic in the chuck as a parent roll carried by the chuck is unwound, a core table positioned adjacent the frame and adapted to receive from the U-shaped arm structure a partially unwound parent roll, the core table being equipped with a cradle for rotatably supporting the partially unwound roll after the chucks have been retracted therefrom, sensors provided on the U-shaped arm structure for positioning the chucks for introduction into the core of a parent roll to be subsequently unwound, and a thread-up conveyor adjacent the core table for conducting a leading edge portion of a web from the parent roll to be subsequently unwound toward the tail end portion of a web from the partially unwound parent roll for simultaneous introduction into a rewinder.

US Patent:

57799652, Jul 14, 1998

Filed:

Sep 3, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/708239

Inventors:

Paul Douglas Beuther - Neenah WI
Tammy Lynn Baum - Fremont WI
Anthony Mark Gambaro - Conway AK
David Robert Gruber - Neenah WI
Jeffrey Dean Lindsay - Appleton WI

Assignee:

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

International Classification:

B29C 4322

US Classification:

264280

Abstract:

The crispness or clarity of embossed tissue is improved by embossing the tissue twice in two successive embossing nips formed between a rigid engraved embossing roll and a resilient backing roll. The hardness of the resilient backing roll in the first embossing nip is less than the hardness of the resilient backing roll in the second embossing nip. This form of double nip embossing is particularly effective for embossing tissue webs having high bulk and resiliency, such as soft uncreped throughdried tissues, which cannot be satisfactorily embossed by conventional methods.