Web changing device

Claim 1

WEB-CHANGING AND UNWINDING APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, TWO PARALLEL WEB ROLL-SUPPORTING SHAFT MEANS; A MAIN SHAFT PARALLEL TO SAID SHAFT MEANS; TWO SUPPORTING MEANS SUPPORTING EACH OF SAID WEB ROLLSUPPORTING SHAFT MEANS FOR INDEPENDENT TURNING MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID MAIN SHAFT BETWEEN A LOADING POSITION FOR RECEIVING A NEW WEB ROLL, A WEB-CHANGING POSITION, AND A WEB-UNWINDING POSITION FOR UNWINDING A WEB ROLL ALONG A PATH SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENTIAL TO A NEW WEB ROLL ON THE RESPECTIVE OTHER SHAFT MEANS IN SAID WEB-CHANGING POSITION, EACH OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF ARM MEANS ONE OF WHICH IS HOLLOW; AND TWO DRIVE MEANS RESPECTIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TWO SHAFT MEANS FOR DRIVING THE SAME INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER, AND BEING OPERABLE TO ROTATE THE RESPECTIVE ASSOCIATED SHAFT MEANS WHEN THE SAME IS IN SAID WEB-CHANGING POSITION UNTIL A NEW WEB ROLL THEREON HAS A PERIPHERAL SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE SPEED OF A WEB UNWOUND FROM THE OTHER SHAFT MEANS IN SAID WEB-UNWINDING POSITION, EACH OF SAID DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING TRANSMISSION MEANS LOCATED IN THE RESPECTIVE HOLLOW ARM MEANS; AND TWO OPERATING MEANS RESPECTIVELY OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR TURNING SAID SHAFT MEANS ABOUT SAID MAIN SHAFT INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER SO THAT ONE SHAFT MEANS CAN BE TURNED FROM SAID LOADING POSITION TO SAID WEB-CHANGING POSITION FOR ATTACHMENT OF A NEW WEB ROLL THEREON TO THE WEB UNWOUND FROM THE OTHER SHAFT MEANS IN SAID WEB-UNWINDING POSITION, AND SO THAT THE OTHER SHAFT MEANS CAN BE MOVED FROM SAID WEB-UNWINDING POSITION TO SAID LOADING POSITION AND THE SHAFT MEANS IN SAID WEB-CHANGING POSITION CAN BE MOVED TO SAID WEBUNWINDING POSITION WHEN THE WEB ROLL ON THE OTHER SHAFT MEANS IS COMPLETELY UNWOUND.