Roller used in device for pharmaceutical pouch packaging

Abstract

A method of forming a roller for a winding mechanism includes: (a) providing a digitized design for a roller having a plurality of overlying layers; (b) subdividing the digitized design into a plurality of thin strata stacked in the axial dimension; (c) forming a first thin layer of polymeric material on a substrate corresponding to one of the thin strata; (d) fixing the first thin layer of material; (e) forming a subsequent thin layer of material on the first thin layer of material; (f) fixing the subsequent thin layer of material; and (g) repeating steps (e) and (f) to form a roller in a single operation.

Description

ROLLER USED IN DEVICE FOR P ACEUTICAL POUCH PACKAGINGFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to packaging systems and, more particularly, to components of packaging systems with conveyors driven by rollers.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Automatic dispensing machines are utilized by retail and high volume pharmacies and by pharmacies of hospitals, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to automatically provide medicaments and nutriceuticals required to fulfill patient prescription and / or non-prescription orders. Such automatic dispensing machines are computer controlled and can automatically dispense loose, bulk form medicaments from on-board storage units, such as cassettes, into package forms suitable for patients.

[0003] Increasingly, medicaments are desired to be delivered to the patient packaged in what is known as a "compliance" or "multi-dose" package. A compliance package is a type of packaging in which a patient’s medicaments are grouped in a package or packages by administration time and arranged in a sequence in which each package of medicaments is to be taken by the patient at a single time. Each medicament represents a separate dosage unit and each package may contain one or more medicaments based on the patient’s prescription regimen. The medicaments in the compliance package are taken by the patient in the sequence, first-to-last, in which medicaments are provided in the compliance package at the designated administration times (e.g., breakfast, lunch, dinner, bedtime). In an alternative arrangement, the patient may be given separate strips for separate times of administration for a given length of time (i.e., one strip contains all packages for administration at breakfast for one month’s time, one strip contains all packages for administration a lunch for month’s time, etc.), so that the patient will take the appropriate package from the appropriate strip at the appropriate administration time, moving from strip to strip through the day and then starting over again the next day.

[0004] The compliance package represents an important improvement over conventional containers such as vials and bottles which include a 30, 60, or 90 day count of medicaments. With conventional medicament containers, the responsibility for following the physician's1ARMprescription order lies with the patient who mu ect and access the required medicament from the containers at the correct time of day. This may be difficult for some patients because the containers may look alike and because the patient must remember the sequence in which the medicaments are to be taken; in addition, the patient may not have a good system to keep track of all doses taken and may not recall if a particular dose of medicament has been taken at the appropriate time. In contrast, compliance packaging allows the pharmacy to help the patient follow the physician’s prescription orders by placing the medicaments in the proper groups and sequence for the patient. In short, compliance packaging encourages the patient to comply with the doctor's prescription order, potentially resulting in improved health outcomes.

[0005] Pouch packages (which can be produced by automatic dispensing machines) can represent a type of compliance packaging. This is because the individual pouch packages can be grouped and loaded by the pharmacy and arranged serially in a pouch package strip (also referred to as a "web" or "vine"). Each individual pouch package can contain each required medicament to be taken at a particular time and the pouch packages collectively can be arranged in the strip in the sequence one-after-the-other in which the medicaments are to be taken by the patient. Pouch packages are not limited to multi-dose compliance packaging and can also be utilized for "unit dose" packaging in which all or a certain number of packaged medicaments are alike, each holding a single dose of medication.

[0006] Strips of pouches are often provided in a coiled or spooled form, with the strip including medications for a single patient, for a location, or for patients in a particular floor, department, ward or other area of a hospital or other health facility. The coiled or spooled strip may be included in a surrounding carton, box or the like to facilitate dispensing (e.g., uncoiling) of the strip by the patient or caretaker. Devices exist that can create coiled or spooled strips from longer strips of pouches (see, e.g., U.S Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 484,605, filed February 13, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in full).

[0007] As such, it may be desirable to provide improved devices and techniques for producing a strip of pouches in the form of a coiled package that can be dispensed to one or more patients at the proper time and dosage. ist seiBRIEF DESCRIPT! OF THE FIGURES

[0008] FIG.1 is a front view of a cutting and winding machine according to embodiments of the invention positioned adjacent an inspection machine.

[0009] FIG.2 is a partial front perspective view of the cutting and winding machine of FIG. 1.

[0010] FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial front view of the cutting and winding machine of FIG. 1 with front wall removed to show the upper and lower rollers.

[0011] FIG. 4 is an enlarged front perspective view of the upper and lower rollers of FIG. 3.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a roller for the cutting and winding machine of FIG. 1 according to embodiments of the invention.

[0013] FIG. 6 is an end view of the roller of FIG. 5.

[0014] FIG. 7 is an end section view of the roller of FIG. 5.

[0015] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a roller for the cutting and winding machine ofFIG. 1 according to alternative embodiments of the invention.

[0016] FIG. 9 is an end section view of the roller of FIG. 8.

[0017] FIG. 10 is an end view of a roller for the cutting and winding machine of FIG. 1 according to further embodiments of the invention.

[0018] FIG. 11 is a front view of a roller for the cutting and winding machine of FIG. 1 according to still further embodiments of the invention.

[0019] FIG. 12 is an end view of the roller of FIG. 11.

[0020] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a roller for the cutting and winding machine ofFIG. 1 according to still further embodiments of the invention.

[0021] FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the roller of FIG. 13.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The present invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure3[ON (will be thorough and complete, and will fully c y the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.[000231 Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0024] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and / or clarity.

[0025] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, phrases such as "between X and Y" and "between about X and Y" should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as "between about X and Y" mean "between about X and about Y." As used herein, phrases such as "from about X to Y" mean "from about X to about Y."

[0026] It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "on", "attached" to, "connected" to, "coupled" with, "contacting", etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, "directly on", "directly attached" to, "directly connected" to, "directly coupled" with or "directly contacting" another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed "adjacent" another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.4:onve

[0027] Spatially relative terms, such as ler”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper”, “lateral”, “left”, “right” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature’s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the descriptors of relative spatial relationships used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0028] It will also be understood that, as used herein, the terms “example,” “exemplary,” and derivatives thereof are intended to refer to non-limiting examples and / or variants embodiments discussed herein, and are not intended to indicate preference for one or more embodiments discussed herein compared to one or more other embodiments.

[0029] Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-4 show a cutting and winding machine, designated broadly at 10, that can receive a long strip of pouches filled with medicaments, cut the strip to appropriate segments (e.g., by patient, care facility, etc.), and roll the segments into coils for subsequent packaging and use. The machine 10 includes an overall housing 12 with a horizontal platform 14 and a side wall 16. A horizontally disposed upper roller 18 is mounted on one side (i.e., the front side) of the side wall 16 just above the upstream end of the platform 14 to form a nip N with a lower roller 19 that is mounted just below the platform 14. A motor (not shown) is mounted on the opposite side (i.e., the rear side) of the side wall 16 for driving the lower roller 19. Both a cutting station 20 and a taping station 21 are mounted on the side wall 16 just downstream of the roller 18. A tape supply roll 22 that feeds tape to the taping station 21 is mounted on the side wall 16 well above and forwardly of the cutting and taping stations 20, 21. Each of the rollers 18, 19, the cutting station 20, the taping station 21 and the tape supply roll 22 extend through holes in the side wall 16 so that they can be accessed from a position in front of the side wall 16.

[0030] A winding mechanism 30 is mounted on the side wall 16 adjacent the platform 14 downstream of the cutting and taping stations 20, 21. The winding mechanism 30 is configured to receive the strip of pouches and roll them into a coiled form that can be supplied to a patient5> “uncfor use. Details of one exemplary winding me sm are discussed in co-assigned U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 484,605, fded February 13, 2023, supra.

[0031] In operation, the cutting and winding machine 10 receives a strip of pouches from a source of same. Typically the strip of pouches is quite lengthy, and includes all of the pouches of several different segments of pouches that are to be separated and rolled by the cutting and winding machine 10. The source may be simply a reel from which the strip of pouches is unwound, or may comprise another piece of pouch processing equipment. As one example, the source may be an inspection device that inspects the contents and / or markings of each pouch in the strip to confirm that the pouch is correctly filled and / or labeled, then feeds the strip of pouches to the cutting and winding machine 10. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a pouch packaging inspection device 100 positioned to feed a long strip of pouches into the machine 10. An exemplary inspection device is the PARATA PERL™ inspection system, available from Parata Systems (Durham, North Carolina).

[0032] The strip of pouches is loaded into the rolling machine 10 by feeding the leading end of the strip into the nip N formed by the upper roller 18 and the lower roller 19. The lower roller 19 is driven by the aforementioned motor and drives the strip toward the winding mechanism 30, which captures the leading edge of the strip and begins to wind the strip into a coil.

[0033] When the portion of the strip that represents the end of a segment reaches the nip N, the lower roller 19 ceases to drive the strip forward. This action is typically controlled by a controller 200 (shown schematically in FIG. 4) associated with the motor that includes information about how the strips are to be separated into segments of strips. The controller 200 may rely on a bar code reader or other scanning device, or may rely on associated equipment (such as the pouch package inspection device 100) to provide this information. When the controller 200 signals that the strip is to be cut, a carriage of the cutting station descends onto the strip and forces it into a blade positioned below the platform 14 to slice the strip, which separates one segment of pouches from the next (the blade is protected by resilient guards that prevent the blade for interfering with the strip prior to the carriage of the cutting station being lowered). Also, at the taping station 21, a strip of adhesive tape (supplied by the tape supply reel 22) is applied to the lagging end of the downstream pouch strip segment. The winding mechanism 30 continues to operate until the entire pouch strip segment has been rolled; this action also causes6 chanithe tape applied to the lagging end of the pouc 3 segment to overlap and adhere to the rolled segment, which prevents the segment from unrolling.

[0034] One potential source of inconsistency of operation for the cutting and rolling device 10 is the upper and lower rollers 18,19. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the rollers 18,19 have a “V-shaped” profile, in that each comprises two axially -distal “rings” with a V-shaped recess or notch between the rings. The notch is present to account for a “bridge” 14a that divides a window 14b in the platform 14 through which the lower roller 19 extends. The pairs of rings of the upper and lower rollers 18, 19 form the aforementioned nip N through which the pouch strip passes. The rollers 18, 19 are typically formed of a foamed polymeric material, such as semiclosed cell foamed ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM).

[0035] In operation, the rollers 18, 19 exert a certain degree of pressure on the strip as they drive the strip through the nip N and along the platform 14. Thus, the rollers 18, 19 should provide sufficient friction or grip on the strip to advance it forward. This friction can be a combination of the compressibility / resilience of the rollers and the surface texture of the rollers. In some instances, the rollers 18, 19 are prone to early failure; they can lose compression over time (particularly when formed of a foamed material), which can result in reduced grip (such that the rollers 18, 19 no longer convey the strip of pouches), at which point the rollers 18, 19 must be replaced.

[0036] Rollers according to embodiments of the present invention can address this tendency toward inconsistent and / or inadequate performance. Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, a roller designated broadly at 40 is shown therein. The roller 40 includes two cylindrical rings 41, 42 that are separated by a circumferential notch 50 with a V-shaped profile. Inasmuch as the rings 41, 42 are mirror images of each other, only the ring 41 will be described below, with the understanding that the description is equally applicable to the ring 42.

[0037] The ring 41 includes an internal body 43 and an outer surface 44. In the illustrated embodiment, the body 43 is formed of a three-dimensional skeletal framework or latticework 49 that includes a plurality of beams 45 or other members that are separated by interstices 46. As a result of the skeletal framework 49, the ring 41 is compressible to a far greater degree than would be the case if the ring 41 were solid. In addition, the skeletal framework allows for structural integrity while reducing volume. Although one type of skeletal framework is shown herein, those of skill in this art will appreciate that skeletal frameworks of7 h stri]other configurations may also be used. In som bodiments, the framework structure enables the roller 40 to be produced with the same outer profile while reducing the material required to produce the volume of the functional shape by 65 to 85 percent (70 - 80% in some embodiments) while maintaining the desired structural integrity and flexibility. Put differently, the beams 45 comprise between about 15 and 35 percent of the total volume of the ring 41, and the interstices 46 comprise between about 65 and 85 percent of the total volume of the ring 41.

[0038] The outer surface 44 includes a series of axial protrusions 47 that extend between the axial edges of the outer surface 44. In the illustrated embodiment, the protrusions 47 have a generally semi cylindrical profile, although other shapes (e.g., a square or rectangular profile) may also be used. The protrusions 47 are spaced generally equidistant from each other about the circumference of the outer surface 44 (e.g., about every 15 degrees).

[0039] The circumferential notch 50 may also comprise an internal skeletal framework. In some embodiments, the outer surface of the circumferential notch 50 lacks protrusions.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, the roller 40 is formed of a polymeric material. Exemplary polymeric materials include silicon-based polymers, elastomeric polyurethane, and alloys and blends of such polymeric materials. In some embodiments, the roller 40 may be formed via a 3-D printing process, although in other embodiments the roller 40 may be formed via other manufacturing processes. As used herein, a 3-D printing process (also known as additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping) indicates a process that includes the following steps:(a) providing a digitized design for a roller;(b) subdividing the digitized design into a plurality of thin strata stacked in the axial dimension, each thin stratum corresponding to a respective overlying layer having a unique geometry from the other overlying layers;(c) forming a first thin layer of polymeric material on a substrate, the first thin layer corresponding to one of the thin strata;(d) fixing the first thin layer of material;(e) forming a subsequent thin layer of material on the first thin layer of material, the subsequent thin layer of material corresponding to one of the thin strata;(f) fixing the subsequent thin layer of material; and(g) repeating steps (e) and (f) to form a roller in a single operation.8 e eml

[0041] The roller 40 is employed in a machine like the cutting and rolling machine 10 described above; more specifically, to replace each of the upper and lower rollers 18, 19 in the machine 10. The protrusions 47 of each of the rollers 40 can provide additional grip on a strip of pouches as it is conveyed along the platform 14. In addition, the skeletal framework 49 of the body 43 of each of the rings 41, 42 can provide a desirable combination of compressibility and stiffness. Because the roller 40 may be formed of a polymeric material that is stiffer than prior materials, the roller 40 may be less prone to long-term creep, and therefore may provide longer life within the machine 10.

[0042] In some embodiments, the rollers 40 may be mounted in the machine 10 so that, as the rollers come together, the protrusions 47 of one roller 40 are offset from the protrusions 47 of the other roller 40, such that the protrusions 47 “intermesh” in the manner of gear teeth. Such an arrangement may provide a desirable level of grip along a longer section of the strip of pouches.

[0043] Also, in the roller 40, the framework 49 of beams 45 and interstices 46 may be arranged to impart specific properties to specific portions of the rollers 40. For example, the framework 49 may be arranged so that the distal portions of the rings 41, 42 (i.e., the portions of the rings 41, 42 that are farthest from the circumferential notch 50) have a different stiffness (e g., a higher stiffness) than the remainder of the rings 41, 42. Such an arrangement may enable the rollers 40 to grip the strip of pouches over a narrower area (i.e., along the outer edges of the strip) while reducing the chance that one of the tablets or other medicaments within a pouch is compressed between the rollers 40. (The presence of the circumferential notch 50 also assists in reducing the likelihood that tablets in a pouch are crushed).

[0044] As another example, the framework 49 may be arranged to provide more compressibility in the radially outward portions of the roller 40, and less compressibility (i.e., greater stiffness) in the radially inward portions. In such an arrangement, the rings 41, 42 of the roller 40 may provide more “give” at the areas of contact with the strip of pouches, and more stiffness adjacent the axle that connects the roller 40 to the drive motor.

[0045] Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, another embodiment of a roller, designated broadly at 140, is illustrated therein. The roller 140 has rings 141, 142 and a circumferential notch 150 similar to those of the roller 40. However, each of the rings 141, 142 has an outersurface 144 that includes protrusions 147 that i dually do not extend the full axial width of the rings 141, 142; instead, the protrusions 147 are arranged in “rows and columns” on the outer surface 144. In the illustrated embodiment, the protrusions 147 are generally pyramidal in shape; however, other shapes may also be used, including cones (see the protrusions 247 of the roller 240 shown in FIG. 10), square and rectangular prisms, semi-spheres, semi-ovoids, and the like. The framework 149 of the roller 140 has a lower number of beams 145 per unit area (and correspondingly a higher number of interstices 146) than the framework 49 illustrated in FIGS. 5-7.

[0046] FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate another roller 340 that has a framework 349 that has a higher density of beams 345 per unit area than those of the framework 49 (although the beams 345 individually may be narrower and therefore less rigid).

[0047] Those of skill in this art will appreciate that rollers having other configurations may also be employed. In particular, the protrusions may vary in shape, size, arrangement, and density, and the framework may be varied in the number, shape and arrangement of beams and interstices.

[0048] As one example of a different roller configuration, a roller 440 is illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14. The roller 440 is similar to the roller 40 of FIGS. 5-7, but has an internal core 460 (in the form of a hollow sleeve) at least partially embedded in the bodies of the rings 441, 442 that is formed of a different material. More specifically, the core 460 is solid and is formed of a material that is more rigid than the material of the of the rings 441, 442 and the notch 450. As such, the core 460 may be better able to address the performance demands of being mounted on and rotating with an axle connected to a motor. The rings 441, 442 may be formed of a less rigid material with more compressibility or “give” to provide grip to the strips of pouches being conveyed through the cutting and winding machine 10.

[0049] In addition, as seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, a magnet 470 is fixed (e.g., via an adhesive) to one end of the core 460. The magnet 470 can help to keep the core 450, and in turn the entire roller 440, seated on the axle.

[0050] In one embodiment, the core 460 is formed of a relatively rigid polyurethane material, and the remainder of the roller 440 is formed of an elastomeric polyurethane. Either component may be formed by 3-D printing, although in some embodiments the core 460 may be formed via injection molding.10 indivi

[0051] Those of skill in this art will ap ite that the machine 10 and its components may take different forms. For example, the manner in which the strip is fed to the winding mechanism 30 may differ, as may the manner in which a rolled pouch strip segment is processed to prevent unrolling (e.g., a liquid or paste adhesive may be applied to the lagging end of the strip rather than tape, or a band may be wrapped around the rolled pouch segment). Collection of the rolled pouch strip segments may also differ; for example, a conveyor may be present to convey the rolled pouch strip segment to another location for collection.

[0052] In addition, those of skill in this art will appreciate that the rollers 40, 140, 340, 440 may be employed in other machines. For example, while one or more rollers 40, 140, 340, 440 may be employed in the pouch packaging inspection machine 10 shown in FIG. 1, other machines that employ rollers that convey strip-type materials may also be suitable for use with rollers as described above.

[0053] The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.11 precis

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method of forming a roller for a conveying device, comprising the steps of:(a) providing a digitized design for a roller having a plurality of overlying layers, the roller comprising a plurality of geometric features that vary in area along an axial dimension of the roller, the roller including a body having a framework comprising a plurality of beams and a plurality of interstices;(b) subdividing the digitized design into a plurality of thin strata stacked in the axial dimension, each thin stratum corresponding to a respective overlying layer having a unique geometry from the other overlying layers;(c) forming a first thin layer of polymeric material on a substrate corresponding to one of the thin strata;(d) fixing the first thin layer of material;(e) forming a subsequent thin layer of material on the first thin layer of material, the subsequent thin layer of material corresponding to one of the thin strata;(f) fixing the subsequent thin layer of material; and(g) repeating steps (e) and (f) to form a roller in a single operation.

2. The method defined in Claim 1, wherein the roller comprises two rings and a circumferential notch positioned between the rings.

3. The method defined in Claim 1, wherein each ring includes a body and an outer surface, and wherein a plurality of protrusions extend radially from the outer surface.

4. The method defined in Claim 3, wherein each of the protrusions extend axially between edges of the outer surface.

5. The method defined in Claim 3, wherein the protrusions are arranged on the outer surface in an array of rows and columns.

6. The method defined in Claim 5. rein the protrusions have a shape selected from the group consisting of: pyramid, cone, rectangular prism, square prism, hemisphere, and hemi-ovoid.

7. The method defined in Claim 1, wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of: silicon; elastomeric polyurethane; and alloys and blends thereof.

8. A roller formed by the method of Claim 1.

9. A machine for cutting and rolling a strip of pharmaceutical pouches, comprising: a housing with a horizontal platform and a vertical side wall; a first roller mounted on a front side of the side wall above the platform; a second roller mounted on the front side of the side wall below the platform, the first and second rollers forming a nip with the platform; and a winding mechanism mounted on the side wall; wherein at least one of the first and second rollers is formed by the method of Claim 1 .

10. The machine defined in Claim 9, further comprising a cutting station mounted adjacent the first roller.

11. The machine defined in Claim 9, further comprising a taping station mounted adjacent the first roller, the taping station including a tape reel mounted to the side wall.

12. The machine defined in Claim 9, in combination with a pouch inspection machine, wherein the pouch inspection machine is configured to feed a strip of pouches into the nip.

13. The machine defined in Claim 9, wherein the roller comprises two rings and a circumferential notch positioned between the rings.

14. The machine defined in Claim 9, wherein each ring includes a body and an outer surface, and wherein a plurality of protrusions extend radially from the outer surface.13, whe15. The machine defined in Claim 14, wherein each of the protrusions extend axially between edges of the outer surface.

16. The machine defined in Claim 14, wherein the protrusions are arranged on the outer surface in an array of rows and columns.

17. The machine defined in Claim 16, wherein the protrusions have a shape selected from the group consisting of: pyramid, cone, rectangular prism, square prism, hemisphere, and hemi-ovoid.

18. The machine defined in Claim 9, wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of: silicon; elastomeric polyurethane; and alloys and blends thereof.

19. A roller for use in a device that includes a nip for the conveyance of a thin strip, the roller comprising: first and second rings and a circumferential notch, the first and second rings sandwiching the circumferential notch, each of the first and second rings comprising a body and an outer surface, wherein the body of each of the first and second rings has a framework comprising a plurality of interconnected beams and a plurality of interstices; and wherein the outer surface of each of the first and second rings has a plurality of protrusions projecting radially outwardly; and wherein the roller is formed of a polymeric material.

20. The roller defined in Claim 19, wherein the framework is configured such that the interstices occupy between 65 and 85 percent of a total volume of the framework.

21. The roller defined in Claim 19, wherein the circumferential notch includes a framework of a plurality of interconnected beams and a plurality of interstices.

22. The roller defined in Claim 19, ein the roller is a first roller in combination with a second roller that is identical to the first roller, and wherein the first roller and the second roller form the nip.

23. The roller defined in Claim 19, wherein each of the protrusions extend axially between edges of the outer surface.

24. The roller defined in Claim 19, wherein the protrusions are arranged on the outer surface in an array of rows and columns.

25. The roller defined in Claim 14, wherein the protrusions have a shape selected from the group consisting of pyramid, cone, rectangular prism, square prism, hemisphere, and hemi-ovoid.

26. The roller defined in Claim 19, wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of: silicon; elastomeric polyurethane; and alloys and blends thereof.

27. The roller defined in Claim 19, further comprising a core at least partially embedded in the first and second rings.

28. The roller defined in Claim 27, wherein the first and second rings comprise a first polymeric material and the core comprises a second polymeric material that is more rigid than the first polymeric material.15 wher

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