Web guide apparatus

Claim 1

In an apparatus for guiding a traveling web of material along a preselected path of travel including at least one web guide roller in running engagement with the web, means mounting said roller for shifting movement relative to a stationary support in a direction crosswise of the path of web travel, and means responsive to deviation of the web from the desired path of web travel for shifting the roller in a direction to correct the path of web travel, the improvement wherein said roller mounting means includes a first arm means swingably mounted on said stationary support for movement about a first arc center, second arm means swingably mounted on said first arm means for movement relative thereto about a second arc center spaced from said first arc center, roller attaching means pivotally mounting one end of said roller on said second arm means for pivotal movement relative thereto about a third pivot axis spaced from said second arc center, said roller shifting means including control means for simultaneously moving said first arm means relative to said stationary support through a first angle while moving said second arm means relative to said first arm means through a second angle correlated with said first angle such that the resultant path of movement of said third pivot axis relative to the stationary support has a flatter curvature than the path defined by said second arc center as said first arm means moves through said first angle about said first arc center.

Claim 10

An apparatus for guiding a traveling web during advance in one direction along a preselected path relative to a stationary support comprising, a pair of main support arms and means for swingably mounting said arms on said stationary support for movement relative thereto about first pivot axes adjacent opposite sides of the web, an auxiliary support arm swingably mounted on each main support arm for movement relative thereto about a second pivot axis spaced from the pivot axis of its main support arm, at least one web guide roller extending between said auxiliary support arms and means mounting opposite ends of said roller on said auxiliary support arms for swinging movement relative thereto about third pivot axes each spaced from a respective one of said second pivot axes, means responsive to deviation of said web from said web from said preselected path of web travel for shifting said roller in a direction to correct the path of web travel, said last-mentioned means including control means for simultaneously moving said main support arms relative to said stationary support through a first angle while moving said auxiliary support arms relative to its respective main support arm through a second angle greater than said first angle such that the resultant paths of movement of said third pivot axes relative to said stationary support have a flatter curvature than the paths defined by said second pivot axes as said main support arms move through said first angle about said first arc centers thereof.

Claim 11

An apparatus for guiding a traveling web during advance in one direction along a preselected path relative to a stationary support comprising, a pair of main support arms and means for swingably mounting said arms on said stationary support for movement relative thereto about first pivot axes adjacent opposite sides of the web, an auxiliary support arm swingably mounted on each main support arm for movement relative thereto about a second pivot axis spaced from the pivot axis of its main support arm, at least one web guide roller extending between said auxiliary support arms and means mounting opposite ends of said roller on said auxiliary support arms for swinging movement relative thereto about third pivot axes each spaced from a respective one of said second pivot axes, means responsive to deviation of said web from said web from said preselected path of web travel for shifting said roller in a direction to correct the path of web travel, said last-mentioned means including control means for simultaneously moving said main support arms relative to said stationary support through a first angle while moving said auxiliary support arms relative to its respective main support arm through a second angle greater than said first angle such that the resultant paths of movement of said third pivot axes relative to said stationary support have a flatter curvature than the paths defined by said second pivot axes as said main support arms move through said first angle about said first arc centers thereof.

Claim 18

An apparatus for guiding a traveling web along a preselected path relative to a stationary support comprising, at least one web guide roller and first and second arm assemblies for supporting opposite ends of said roller, each arm assembly including a main support arm swingably mounted on said stationary support for movement relative to the stationary support about a first pivot axis and an auxiliary arm swingably mounted on the main arm for movement relative thereto about a second pivot axis spaced from the first pivot axis, a roller mounting bracket pivotally mounted on each auxiliary support arm for swinging movement relative thereto about a third pivot axis spaced from the second pivot axis of the respective auxiliary arm, means on the roller mounting brackets rotatably supporting the end of the roller thereon with the roller extending between the arm assemblies, means responsive to deviation of said web from said preselected path of web travel for shifting said roller in a direction to correct the path of web travel, said last-mentioned means including control means responsive to movement of said main support arms in one angular direction through a first angle relative to said stationary support for moving said auxiliary support arms relative to the respective main arm in the relatively opposite angular direction through a second angle greater than said first angle, said second angle being correlated with said first angle such that the resultant motion of said third pivot point produced by swinging of said main arm relative to said stationary support through said first angle and swinging of said auxiliary arm relative to said main arm through said second angle has a flatter curvature than the path defined by said second pivot axis during swinging of said main arm through said first angle.

Claim 19

An apparatus for guiding a traveling web along a preselected path relative to a stationary support comprising, at least one web guide roller and first and second arm assemblies for supporting opposite ends of said roller, each arm assembly including a main support arm swingably mounted on said stationary support for movement relative to the stationary support about a first pivot axis and an auxiliary arm swingably mounted on the main arm for movement relative thereto about a second pivot axis spaced from the first pivot axis, a roller mounting bracket pivotally mounted on each auxiliary support arm for swinging movement relative thereto about a third pivot axis spaced from the second pivot axis of the respective auxiliary arm, means on the roller mounting brackets rotatably supporting the end of the roller thereon with the roller extending between the arm assemblies, means responsive to deviation of said web from said preselected path of web travel for shifting said roller in a direction to correct the path of web travel, said last-mentioned means including control means responsive to movement of said main support arms in one angular direction through a first angle relative to said stationary support for moving said auxiliary support arms relative to the respective main arm in the relatively opposite angular direction through a second angle greater than said first angle, said second angle being correlated with said first angle such that the resultant motion of said third pivot point produced by swinging of said main arm relative to said stationary support through said first angle and swinging of said auxiliary arm relative to said main arm through said second angle has a flatter curvature than the path defined by said second pivot axis during swinging of said main arm through said first angle.