Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kenneth Allen Pigsley

James Leo Baggot

Steven James Wojcik

Dennis Marvin Jobs

Robert James Seymour

John Hanson

Thomas Gerard Shannon

Douglas C Thomas

Mike Daniels

Jeffrey Greiner

Christine Ann Armstrong

Mark R Verburgt

Edward Marksman

Randy LeValley

Joel Banda, Jr

Preston O'Connor

Robert Lewis Clarke

Charles Herbert Goerg

David Robert Gruber

Randall James LeValley

Matt Storm

Steve Weiland

E Kent Isom

Jr Joel Banda

Coreless tissue rolls can be produced without having to use an adhesive to form a hollow center. Instead, moisture can be used to promote light hydrogen bonding between the layers of the tissue web that line the hollow center. The hydrogen bonding provides sufficient structure to maintain the shape of the hollow center without rendering the tissue web surrounding the passageway unusable. Passageways can also be formed in accordance with the present disclosure that are substantially circular so that the rolls will easily spin on a spindle. In an alternative embodiment, moisture is not used in constructing the wound tissue roll.

Coreless tissue rolls and method of making the same

A winder for winding a web to produce a rolled product is provided. The winder includes a web transport apparatus that is used for conveying the web. Also included in one exemplary embodiment is a plurality of independent winding modules. The winding modules are independently positioned to independently engage the web as the web is conveyed by the web transport apparatus. The winding modules may be configured to wind the web to form a rolled product by center winding, surface winding, and combinations of center and surface winding. The winding modules are structurally and operationally independent of one another where if one module is disabled, another may still operate to produce the rolled product without shutting down the winder.

Center/surface rewinder and winder

A method of machine control can include providing at least a system master signal, selectively synchronizing at least sub-system master signal to the system master signal based on the value of the system master signal, and carrying out at least one operation based on the value of the other master signal. For example, a machine controller may provide a system virtual master signal and synchronize one or more module virtual master signals to the system virtual master based on the system virtual master count value. One or more components of the module may operate based on the count value of the module virtual master signal. The use of an asynchronous control method may advantageously increase the flexibility of the machine. Because the operation of the components of the machine may depend on respective virtual master signals, a machine using asynchronous control methods may advantageously continue operating one component or module in the event of a fault involving other components. Additionally, component operation can be redefined while other components of the machine continue to run.

Asynchronous control of machine motion

A method for directly forming and finishing a web product is provided. The method includes forming a web on a forming apparatus, continuously transferring the formed web to a conveyor, performing a converting step on the web as the web is continuously supported and advanced on the conveyor, and finishing the web into a product substantially ready for packaging. A system for performing the method is also provided.

Methods and system for manufacturing and finishing web products at high speed without reeling and unwinding

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.

System and method for simultaneously unwinding multiple rolls of material

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.

System and method for unwinding tissue webs

Growing community of inventors

Greenville, WI, United States of America

Kenneth Allen Pigsley