Pleated filter preparation system
A pleated filter preparation system is provided for accurately counting pleats along a continuous sheet of pleated filter material and cutting the sheet into filter strips to be formed into filters. The pleated filter preparation system includes a pleat driver having multiple drive gears that engage with the pleats of the pleated filter material to move the pleated filter material through the system. A pleat counter counts peaks and valleys of each pleat comprising the pleated filter material so as to identify a target pleat to be cut. The pleat counter clamps and stretches the target pleat to distinguish the target pleat among the other pleats. A punch cut station cuts the target pleat to form a filter strip having a desired number of pleats. A pleat compressor compresses the filter strips to a predetermined size and then ejects the filter strips into a suitable container or bin.
1. An apparatus for moving a pleated filter material through a filter preparation system, comprising:
a pleat height index;
one or more drive gears coupled with the pleat height index;
peripheral teeth comprising the one or more drive gears; and
a drive motor that turns the one or more drive gears.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more drive gears receive the pleated filter material by way of a feed entrance that guides the pleated filter material from a pay-out.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pay-out comprises one or more rolls of pleated filter material having different pleat heights.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the feed entrance includes side rails that optimally guide different widths of the pleated filter material to the one or more drive gears.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pleat height index comprises a vertically oriented disc having the one or more drive gears disposed around the periphery of the disc.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the disc is coupled with an index motor in mechanical communication with an axle that rotate the pleat height index so as to change the vertical positions of the one or more drive gears with respect to the pleated filter material.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more drive gears is free to rotate with respect to the pleat height index.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral teeth comprise each of the one or more drive gears are configured to engage with a pleat height comprising the pleated filter material so as to conduct the pleated filter material through the filter preparation system.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the peripheral teeth comprising any one of the one or more driver gears are configured to engage with a filter material having a pleat height of 5/16″.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the peripheral teeth comprising any one of the one or more driver gears are configured to engage with a filter material having a pleat height of 7/16″.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the peripheral teeth comprising any one of the one or more driver gears are configured to engage with a filter material having a pleat height of ⅝″.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the peripheral teeth comprising any one of the one or more driver gears are configured to engage with a filter material having a pleat height of ⅞″.
13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the peripheral teeth comprising any one of the one or more driver gears are configured to engage with a filter material having a pleat height of 1¼″.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the peripheral teeth comprising any one of the one or more driver gears are configured to engage with a filter material having a metric pleat height.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more drive gears includes a pulley portion that receives a drive belt that is driven by a drive motor.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the drive motor turns all of the one or more drive gears simultaneously.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the drive belt is coupled with a tensioner that maintains an optimal belt tension during operation of the drive gears.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pleat height index includes an engagement driver that moves the pleat height index vertically to engage and disengage a bottom-most of the one or more drive gears from the pleated filter material.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the engagement driver comprises a linear servo.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the engagement driver is configured to enable engaging an appropriately sized drive gear with pleated filter materials having different pleat heights.