Web aligning device

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING LATERAL ALIGNMENT OF A MOVING WEB, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A FIRST ROLLER ASSEMBLY FOR ENGAGING THE WEB AND GUIDING IT FROM A FIRST PATH INTO A SECOND PATH SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THAT OF SAID FIRST PATH, SAID FIRST ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE WEB ENGAGING ROLLER MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE CENTER LINE OF SAID WEB IN SAID FIRST PATH IN RESPONSE TO ANY ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF SAID WEB IN SAID SECOND PATH FOR EQUALIZING THE TENSION IN THE EDGES OF SAID WEB; A ROTATABLE STEERING ROLLER FOR ENGAGING SAID WEB IN SAID SECOND PATH AND GUIDING IT INTO A THIRD PATH SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SECOND PATH, SAID STEERING ROLLER HAVING A ROTATIONAL AXIS AND BEING MOVABLE ABOUT AN AXIS, SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID ROTATIONAL AXIS, IN RESPONSE TO ANY ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF SAID WEB IN SAID SECOND PATH; A ROTATABLE IDLER ROLLER FOR ENGAGING SAID WEB LEAVING SAID STEERING ROLLER AND GUIDING IT INTO AN OUTGOING PATH SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THAT OF SAID THIRD PATH; AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID STEERING ROLLER AND SAID IDLER ROLLER FOR MOVEMENT AS A UNIT ABOUT AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PEREPNDICULAR TO THE ROTAIONAL AXIS OF SAID STEERING ROLLER IN RESPONSE TO ANY CHANGE IN PATH LENGTH OF SAID WEB BETWEEN SAID FIRST ROLLER ASSEMBLY AND SAID STEERING ROLLERS, WHEREBY CHANGES IN THE LATERAL ALIGNMENT OF THE WEB ARE CORRECTED.