Method and apparatus for preparing transfer tape constructs for paper web turn-up processes

Abstract

A cover-flap transfer tape construct and associated applicators for paper web turn-up are disclosed. A zone-coated substrate carried on a linered web includes a top-side central web-grabbing adhesive band bounded by uncoated edge zones, and underside edge mounting adhesive bands separated by an uncoated middle zone. An applicator forms an out-of-plane raised profile across a central portion of the tape while maintaining planar side bands, using cooperating forming members (convex crest and complementary cavity) and manual or motorized feed. The formed length is cut to yield a discrete tape construct with the raised profile over the central adhesive and side bands aligned with mounting adhesives. The tape construct promotes reliable interception and transfer of a moving paper web during turn-up.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of preparing a transfer tape construct for turning a paper web onto a web spool in a turn up process, the method comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a roll of prepared carrier paper including a zone-coated transfer tape substrate and a release layer on one or both of a top surface and a bottom surface of the zone-coated transfer tape substrate;   b. threading a length of the prepared carrier paper into an applicator device having a first forming member with a raised profile portion and a second forming member with a complementary hollow profile portion, and positioning the length of the prepared carrier paper over the raised profile portion and under the complementary hollow profile portion;   c. advancing the length of the prepared carrier paper through the applicator device while the first forming member and the second forming member define a forming gap that shapes the length of the prepared carrier paper into a raised profile across a central portion of the length of the prepared carrier paper while maintaining side bands of the length of the prepared carrier paper substantially planar; and   d. cutting the length of the prepared carrier paper to obtain the transfer tape construct having the raised profile and the side bands.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the zone-coated transfer tape substrate comprises on the top surface a longitudinal first adhesive zone bounded laterally by uncoated edge zones, and on the bottom surface a longitudinal second adhesive edge zone and a longitudinal third adhesive edge zone separated by an uncoated middle zone. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a first release layer on the top surface and a second release layer on the bottom surface of the zone-coated transfer tape substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first release layer has a higher release value than the second release layer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first forming member comprises a convex crest having a tapered crown height that decreases gradually from a front side to a back side of the applicator device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the second forming member comprises a concave cavity complementary to the convex crest. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein advancing the length of the prepared carrier paper comprises driving narrow feed rollers that contact only the side bands to push the length of the prepared carrier paper through the applicator device outwards while forming the raised profile across the central portion of the length of the prepared carrier paper. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cutting the length of the prepared carrier paper is performed by a cutting blade traversing transversely across the length of the prepared carrier paper. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the applicator device includes a push-button to activate the cutting blade. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the applicator device includes a motor-actuated plunger that actuates the cutting blade. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the raised profile portion and the complementary hollow profile portion are removably replaceable cartridges. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the raised profile portion comprises a triangular crest shape. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the raised profile portion comprises one of: a rectangular crest shape and a square crest shape. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the raised profile portion comprises a rounded crest shape having a radius from about 5 mm to about 50 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the raised profile occupies a central portion of the transfer tape construct and the side bands flank the raised profile with lateral symmetry about a longitudinal centerline. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein advancing the length comprises manual pull using a grab bar located at an exit of the applicator device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the applicator device comprises a unified platform carrying the first forming member and a pivoting handle carrying the second forming member. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the applicator device further comprises a roll holder mounted on the unified platform to hold the roll of the prepared carrier paper. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting step produces a discrete transfer tape construct having a length selected to be equal to or less than an intended spool shell width. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first forming member and the second forming member are secured together during forming by magnetic fasteners. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting of the length of the prepared carrier paper is performed automatically at a target length of the prepared carrier paper, wherein the target length is set by a detented rotary knob operatively coupled to a grab handle of the applicator device. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first forming member and the second forming member are secured together during forming by bayonet fasteners. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising registration marks along the length of the prepared carrier paper to determine a desired dimension of the transfer tape construct before cutting the length of the prepared carrier paper. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the raised profile of the transfer tape construct comprises the longitudinal first adhesive zone on its top surface, and the side bands of the transfer tape construct comprise the longitudinal second adhesive edge zone and the longitudinal third adhesive edge zone, respectively. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising mounting the transfer tape construct onto an empty web spool by affixing the longitudinal second adhesive edge zone and the longitudinal third adhesive edge zone onto a shell of the empty web spool. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein mounting the transfer tape construct onto the empty web spool includes pressing the longitudinal second adhesive edge zone and the longitudinal third adhesive edge zone onto the shell with respective press members of the applicator device. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the respective press members are operated by a motor. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein mounting the transfer tape construct onto the empty web spool includes pressing the longitudinal second adhesive edge zone and the longitudinal third adhesive edge zone onto the shell manually with fingers. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each uncoated edge zone has a width from about 1 mm to about 10 mm. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the longitudinal first adhesive zone has a width from about 10 mm to about 40 mm. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the longitudinal second adhesive edge zone and the longitudinal third adhesive edge zone has a width from about 1 mm to about 10 mm. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a ratio of a width of each uncoated edge zone to a width of the longitudinal first adhesive zone is from about 0.1 to about 0.5. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a combined width of the uncoated edge zones is approximately equal to a width of the longitudinal first adhesive zone. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the zone-coated transfer tape substrate comprises a calendered paper having a basis weight from about 80 g/m 2  to about 180 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the zone-coated transfer tape substrate comprises a biaxially oriented polymer film having a thickness from about 25 μm to about 75 μm. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first forming member comprises a convex crest having a constant crown height from a front side to a back side of the applicator device. 
     
     
         37 . An apparatus for preparing a transfer tape construct for turning a paper web onto a web spool in a turn-up process, the apparatus comprising:
 a roll of prepared carrier paper including a zone-coated transfer tape substrate and a release layer on one or both of a top surface and a bottom surface of the zone-coated transfer tape substrate;   an applicator package having a first forming member with a raised-profile portion and a second forming member with a complementary hollow-profile portion, the first forming member and the second forming member being positionable to define a forming gap configured to shape a length of the prepared carrier paper into an out-of-plane raised profile across a central portion of the length while maintaining laterally spaced side bands of the length substantially planar;   a feed assembly, configured to advance the length of the prepared carrier paper through the forming gap; and   a cutter configured to traverse transversely across the length to cut the length and thereby provide a discrete transfer tape construct having the out-of-plane raised profile and the laterally spaced side bands.   
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the zone-coated transfer tape substrate comprises, on the top surface, a longitudinal first adhesive zone bounded laterally by uncoated edge zones, and, on the bottom surface, a longitudinal second adhesive edge zone and a longitudinal third adhesive edge zone separated by an uncoated middle zone. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , further comprising a first release layer on the top surface and a second release layer on the bottom surface of the zone-coated transfer tape substrate. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the first forming member comprises a convex crest having a tapered crown height that decreases from a front side to a back side of the applicator package. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the second forming member comprises a concave cavity complementary to the convex crest. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the feed assembly comprises narrow feed rollers positioned to contact only the laterally spaced side bands so as to advance the length through the applicator package while the central portion is formed into the out-of-plane raised profile. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the cutter comprises a cutting blade configured to traverse transversely across the length. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 43 , further comprising a push-button actuator operatively coupled to the cutting blade. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the raised-profile portion and the complementary hollow-profile portion are removably replaceable cartridges. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the forming gap and the feed assembly are configured such that the raised profile occupies a central portion of the transfer tape construct, and the laterally spaced side bands flank the raised profile with lateral symmetry about a longitudinal centerline. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 37 , wherein the apparatus comprises a unified platform carrying the first forming member and a pivoting handle carrying the second forming member. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 47 , further comprising a roll holder mounted on the unified platform and configured to support the roll of the prepared carrier paper for a straight feed path into the forming gap. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein a combined width of the uncoated edge zones is approximately equal to a width of the longitudinal first adhesive zone. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein a width of the uncoated middle zone is approximately equal to the width of the longitudinal first adhesive zone.