Apparatus for gluing the tail of a convolutely wound web material thereto

Abstract

An apparatus and method for adhesively bonding the tail of a convolutely wound log to the body is provided. The apparatus comprises a tail identifying system, spray nozzle adhesive application system and tail winding system. The spray nozzle application system comprises a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle having a discharge portion configured to spray a foaming adhesive in a predetermined deposit pattern to form a line of adhesive. The method comprises the steps of: providing a sealing station with a tail identifying and a spray nozzle adhesive application system comprising a plurality of nozzles; spraying the foaming adhesive, each nozzle spraying the foaming adhesive in a predetermined deposit pattern to form a line of adhesive; and reattaching the tail to the body at the line of adhesive. A convolutely wound material having a tail and a body, where the tail is bonded to the body with foaming adhesive, is provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for adhesively bonding a tail of a convolutely wound log of web material to the body of the convolutely wound log of web material, the apparatus comprising:
 a tail identifying system for identifying the presence and position of the tail;   a spray nozzle adhesive application system positioned downstream from the tail identifying system to receive the log from the tail identifying system and comprising a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle having a discharge portion configured to spray a foaming adhesive in a predetermined deposit pattern at a respective spray site on one of the tail or the body to form a line of adhesive on said one of the tail or the body; and   a tail winding system, positioned downstream from the spray nozzle adhesive application system to receive the log from the spray nozzle adhesive application system, the tail winding system being capable of joining the tail with the body at the line of adhesive.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tail identifying system further comprises a tail positioning component capable of circumferentially displacing the tail from the body. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined deposit pattern comprises a shape having an aspect ratio of about 2 or more. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each nozzle is positioned at an angle of from about 45 degrees to about 135 degrees relative to the respective spray site. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each nozzle is positioned from about 4 inches to about 16 inches away from the respective spray site. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nozzles is configured such that there is at least one nozzle per about every 11 inches of width of the convolutely wound log of web material. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each nozzle is positioned generally below the respective spray site and is capable of spraying the foaming adhesive in a generally upward direction. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein each nozzle is positioned from about 1 inch to about 16 inches away from the respective spray site. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is capable bonding the tail to the body at a rate of not less than 20 convolutely wound logs processed/minute. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each nozzle further comprises a body having a liquid inlet and an air inlet port, wherein the liquid inlet port and the air inlet port are diametrically opposed, a spray tip affixed the body, and an air cap disposed in surrounding relation to the spray tip; wherein:
 the spray tip comprises a nose portion and a liquid passageway, the liquid passageway being capable of communicating with the liquid inlet port and having a spray tip discharge orifice formed in the nose portion;   the air inlet port is capable of communicating with a first air chamber defined between the body and the spray tip;   the air chamber is capable of communicating with a plurality of air passageways formed in the spray tip,   the air passageways being disposed in circumferentially surrounding relation to the liquid passageway and capable of communicating with a second air chamber, the second air chamber being defined between the spray tip and the air cap;   the air cap comprises an internal mixing chamber and an opening, the opening being disposed in a surrounding relation to the nose portion such that an air orifice is defined between the nose portion and the opening;   the air orifice is capable of communicating with the second air chamber; and   the air orifice and the spray tip discharge orifice are capable of communicating with the internal mixing chamber simultaneously such that liquid from the spray tip discharge orifice and air from the air orifice meet in the internal mixing chamber and generate the foaming adhesive.   
     
     
         11 . A method for adhesively bonding a tail of a convolutely wound log of web material to the body of the convolutely wound log of web material, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a sealing station with a tail identifying system for identifying the presence and position of the tail;   providing the sealing station with a spray nozzle adhesive application system comprising a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle capable of spraying a foaming adhesive in a predetermined deposit pattern at a respective spray site on one of the tail or the body to form a line of adhesive on said one of the tail or the body;   spraying the foaming adhesive, each nozzle spraying the foaming adhesive in the predetermined deposit pattern at the respective spray site on the one of the tail or the body to form the line of adhesive on the one of the tail or the body; and   reattaching the tail to the body at the line of adhesive.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
 providing a tail positioning component for circumferentially displacing the tail from the body; and   circumferentially displacing the tail from the body.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined deposit pattern comprises a shape having an aspect ratio of about 2 or more. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each nozzle is positioned at an angle of about 45 degrees to about 135 degrees relative to the respective spray site. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each nozzle is positioned from about 4 inches to about 16 inches away from the respective spray site. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of nozzles is provided such that there is at least one nozzle per about every 11 inches of width of the convolutely wound log of web material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , each nozzle is positioned generally beneath the respective spray site and wherein the step of spraying the foaming adhesive further comprises each nozzle spraying the foaming adhesive in a generally upward direction. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each nozzle is positioned from about 1 inch to about 16 inches away from the respective spray site. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the tail is bonded to the body at a rate of not less than 20 convolutely wound logs processed/minute. 
     
     
         20 . A convolutely wound material having a tail and a body, the tail being bonded to the body with a foaming adhesive. 
     
     
         21 . The convolutely wound material of  claim 20 , wherein the tail and body are bonded at a line of adhesive. 
     
     
         22 . The convolutely wound material of  claim 20 , where the convolutely wound material comprises a sanitary tissue product. 
     
     
         23 . The convolutely wound material of  claim 22 , where the sanitary tissue product comprises embossing. 
     
     
         24 . The convolutely wound material of  claim 23 , wherein the convolutely wound material further comprises a peak and a valley, wherein the maximum height distance between the peak and the valley is from about 365 μm to about 1750 μm. 
     
     
         25 . The convolutely wound material of  claim 23 , wherein the convolutely wound material further comprises a peak and a valley, wherein the maximum height distance between the peak and the valley is from about 180 μm to about 780 μm. 
     
     
         26 . The convolutely wound material of  claim 20 , wherein the convolutely wound material comprises a peel strength of about 50 g/11 inch roll to about 400 g/11 inch roll, or alternatively 2.5 g/inch of consumer-sized product unit to about 36.4 g/inch of consumer-sized product unit, at about 5 minutes to about 7 minutes after application of the foaming adhesive.