Lawrence Paper Company

Other

Alan M Hill

William R Meeks

Michael D Cain

Clodualdo C Maningat

Sukh Bassi

Li Nie

Donald D Cain

Charles L Van Ness

Improved compositions for coating paper stock, methods of forming such compositions, and methods of coating paper stock with those compositions are provided. The compositions comprise an aqueous dispersion including therein from about 20-45% by weight filler (e.g., a starch such as wheat starch) and from about 6-18% by weight wheat gluten. Preferably, the gluten is initially modified with a reducing agent so that the average molecular weight of the gluten is less than about 1,000 kDa. The compositions have a viscosity of up to about 2000 cP and a solids content of from about 25-57% by weight, thus making them suitable for high speed coating of paper stock. The finished, coated stock may be conventionally printed to achieve high gloss end products. The compositions are preferably water soluble, thereby greatly facilitating repulping of the coated stock.

Protein/starch paper coating compositions and method of use thereof

A processing station ( ) for high speed printing, handling and die cutting of blanks or blanks ( ) is provided which includes a clamshell-type die cutter ( ), as well as a feeding device ( ) including a transfer mechanism ( ) and pickup member ( ). The station ( ) may also include a printing assembly ( ) and a cut blank removal assembly ( ). In operation, individual blanks ( ) from a stack ( ) are successively fed by the transfer mechanism ( ) and are picked up by the member ( ); the blanks are delivered to the die cutter ( ) when the latter is open and after die cutting the removal assembly ( ) is employed to lift the cut blank ( ) from the cutter ( ) and shift the blank ( ) to a slide plate ( ). A pusher bar ( ) then operates to move the cut blank ( ) to an outfeed conveyer ( ). The station ( ) is capable of handling relatively thick corrugated blanks ( ) at high speed and without constant operator attendance.

High speed feeding apparatus for clamshell die cutter

A box blank forming apparatus includes at least one printing assembly, a slotting assembly, and a feeding and conveying mechanism for feeding blanks through the apparatus. The printing assembly includes a rotatable printing cylinder, and the slotting assembly includes a rotatable blade. The feeding and conveying mechanism brings the blanks into contact with the printing cylinder and the slotter blade to complete printing and slotting operations on the blanks in the formation of boxes. An interrupter is provided in association with the printing assembly for removing the blanks from contact with the printing cylinder, and similar structure can also be provided with the slotting assembly for removing the blanks from contact with the slotter blade. A controller is provided for controlling operation of the interrupter of the printing assembly. The controller actuates the interrupter to bring each blank into contact with the printing cylinder only while a single impression is made on the blank, and to remove each blank from contact with the printing cylinder before and after the single impression is made. Thus, it is possible to use a single printing cylinder of fixed circumference to print on blanks of variable length, even when the blanks are longer than the printing cylinder circumference. The controller may be used to also actuate the interrupter structure of the slotter wheel assembly to bring each blanks into contact with the slotting blade only while a single slotting operation is carried out by the slotting blade, and to remove each blank from contact with the slotting blade before and after the single slotting operation is made. This allows the slotter wheel assembly to also accommodate box blanks of various sizes.

Box-blank printer/slotting apparatus

A system and method for controlling the registration of a multi-unit printing press for corrugated board materials permits the use of AC motors for driving the printing press. A master AC motor drives a master printing unit, and a master AC driving device is electrically coupled to the master AC motor for controlling the speed of the master AC motor. A master pulse generating device produces output pulses relating to the rotary motion of the master printing unit. A follower AC motor drives a follower printing unit, and a follower AC driving device electrically coupled to the follower AC motor controls the speed of the follower AC motor relative to the master AC motor. A follower pulse generating device produces output pulses relating to the rotary motion of the follower printing unit. A controller is configured to receive the output pulses from the master and follower pulse generating devices, process the master and follower output pulses to produce control commands based on said output pulses, and transmit the control commands to the follower AC driving device so that the speed of the follower AC motor is adjusted relative to the master AC motor as required to maintain synchronized operation between the master and follower AC motors. This configuration maintains precise registration of the multi-unit printing press over the entire range of speeds of the multi-unit printing press and when the multi-unit printing press is temporarily in a non-running state.

System and method for controlling AC motor driven multi-unit printing

A method for recovery of printing ink wastes is provided which greatly minimizes pollution problems attendant to the disposal of ink wastes, while permitting formulation of usable ink products from the wastes. The method involves first creating a flowable stream of material including the ink wastes, and directing this stream to a hydroheater (16) along with incoming steam. In the hydroheater (16), the ink wastes are subjected to elevated temperatures and pressures, and intense shear, creating a homogeneous, flowable output. This output may then be dried and powdered, and the powder may be reconstituted as a black ink suitable for commercial printing operations. If desired, the hydroheater (16) output may be treated in a filter press (252) to obtain a filter cake (258), and this cake (258) may be subsequently subdivided and treated with ink carriers to form a processing ink. In a preferred embodiment, dilute printer washup material containing up to 5% by weight residual ink therein may be directly processed in the hydroheater (16); this eliminates the need for preliminary chemical treatment and sludge formation.

Method of recovery of printing ink wastes

Box blank-forming apparatus (60) is provided which includes a feeder assembly (62) and a scoring/slotting assembly (64) each provided with adjustment structure (62a, 64a) to facilitate makeready adjustment of the apparatus (60) between production runs. The feeder assembly (62) preferably includes a reciprocal pusher element (170) operable to successively engage sheets (30) to be formed into box blanks (36). The element (170) is supported by a pair of elongated, threaded, axially rotatable, fore and aft translatable positioning screws (146, 148), so that upon rotation of the screws (146, 148), a reference position of the pusher element (170) may be varied. Adjustment of the assembly (64) is accomplished by means of compensators (292, 294) which are respectively coupled to associated slotter wheel and scoring wheel shafts (288, 286). Operation of the slotter wheel shaft compensator (294) serves to adjust the circumferential positions of the fixed slotter knives (358), whereas operation of the scoring shaft compensator (292) varies the position of the adjustable knives (360) through the medium of transfer gears (384). Servo-sensors (438-442, 446-448 and 270) are used to continuously monitor the lateral and circumferential positions of the scoring/slotting stations (296-304) and a reference position of the pusher element (172), so that precise makeready adjustments can be accomplished.

Reciprocating sheet feeder apparatus for box blank fabrication equipment

Adjustable slotter wheel retrofit apparatus for box blank making machines

Box blank-forming apparatus (60) is provided which includes a feeder assembly (62) and a scoring/slotting assembly (64) each provided with adjustment structure (62a, 64a) to facilitate makeready adjustment of the apparatus (60) between production runs. The feeder assembly (62) includes a reciprocal pusher element (170) operable to successively engage sheets (30) to be formed into box blanks (36). The element (170) is supported by a pair of elongated, threaded, axially rotatable, fore and aft translatable positioning screws (146, 148), so that upon rotation of the screws (146, 148), a reference position of the pusher element (170) may be varied. This variance is monitored by a servo-sensor (270) for automated control.

Adjustable slotter wheel and sheet feeder retrofit apparatus for box

A method for recovery of printing ink wastes is provided which greatly minimizes pollution problems attendant to the disposal of ink wastes, while permitting formulation of usable ink products from the wastes. The method involves first creating a flowable stream of material including the ink wastes, and directing this stream to a hydroheater (16) along with incoming steam. In the hydroheater (16), the ink wastes are subjected to elevated temperatures and pressures, and intense shear, creating a homogeneous, flowable output. This output may then be dried and powdered, and the powder may be reconstituted as a black ink suitable for commercial printing operations. If desired, the hydroheater (16) output may be treated in a filter press (252) to obtain a filter cake (258), and this cake (258) may be subsequently subdivided and treated with ink carriers to form a processing ink.

Growing community of inventors

Topeka, KS, United States of America

Alan M Hill