Continuous web handling and winding apparatus

Claim 3

An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said starting means comprises elongate conveyor means carried at one end thereof by said guide means and being contractable in response to movement of said guide means between said selective positions to position itself around the selected one of said mandrels for receiving a newly created leading end of the web from said guide means and directing it between said conveyor means and said one mandrel around said one mandrel to start the winding of the web around said one mandrel.

Claim 4

An apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said conveyor means comprises a plurality of elongate endless conveyor belt-supporting segments successively interconnected for pivoting movement relative to each other and to said guide means, and endless conveyor belt trained around said successively interconnected, pivotal, supporting segments, and drive means responsive to movement of said guide means between said selective positions for pivoting said supporting segments relative to each other and to said guide means to contract said conveyor belt around said one mandrel.

Claim 5

An apparatus, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said plurality of conveyor-belt-supporting segments comprise a plurality of pairs of spaced-apart, elongate, interconnected supporting links, said plurality of pairs of supporting links being successively interconnected for pivoting movement relative to each other and to said guide means, and a pulley rotatably mounted between each of said pairs of supporting links, and wherein said endless conveyor belt is trained around said pulleys.

Claim 6

An apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said drive means comprises drive sprocket means operatively connected to said guide means for selective rotation thereby in opposite first and second directions in accordance with movement of said guide means between said selective positions, separate sprocket means rigidly carried by each of said pairs of supporting members, and drive chain means interconnecting each of said sprocket means for pivoting said plurality of successively interconnected pairs of supporting links relative to each other and to said guide means in response to rotation of Said drive sprocket upon movement of said guide means between said selective positions to contract said conveyor belt around said one mandrel.

Claim 7

An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises an elongate guide arm pivotally mounted at one end thereof adjacent said severing means in the longitudinal path of travel of the web, said guide arm being selectively pivotal to one position for guiding a newly created leading end of the web from said severing means toward one of said mandrels and being selectively pivotal to another position for guiding another newly created leading end of the web from said severing means toward another of said mandrels, and means for pivoting said guide arm between said selective positions. 7. An apparatus for selectively feeding, guiding, starting and winding a continuous web at a plurality of winding stations, said apparatus comprising means for selectively feeding the web along a longitudinal path of travel, means disposed adjacent the path of travel of the web for severing the web to create a new leading end of the web, a pair of spaced-apart mandrels for receiving and winding the web thereon and defining winding stations, an elongate guide arm pivotally mounted at one end thereof adjacent said severing means in the longitudinal path of travel of the web, said guide arm being selectively pivotal between a first and second position for selectively guiding the newly created leading end of the web from said severing means toward a selected one of said mandrels, means for pivoting said guide arm between said first and second positions, and, elongate conveyor means carried at one end thereof by the end of said guide arm remote from said severing means and being contractable in response to movement of said guide arm between said first and second positions around the selected one of said mandrels for receiving the newly created leading end of the web from said guide arm and directing it between said conveyor means and said one mandrel around said one mandrel to start the winding of the web around said one mandrel.

Claim 8

An apparatus, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said conveyor means comprises a plurality of elongate endless conveyor-belt-supporting segments successively interconnected for pivoting movement relative to each other and to said guide arm, an endless conveyor belt trained around said successively interconnected, pivotal supporting segments, drive sprocket means operatively connected to said guide arm for selective rotation thereby in opposite first and second directions in accordance with movement of said guide means between said first and second positions, separate sprocket means rigidly carried by each of said conveyor-belt-supporting segments, and drive chain means interconnecting each of said sprocket means for pivoting said plurality of successively interconnected conveyor-belt-supportinng segments relative to each other and said guide means in response to rotation of said drive sprocket upon movement of said guide means between said first and second positions to selectively contract said conveyor belt around said one mandrel.