US2766811A - Apparatus for connecting webs of sheet material - Google Patents

Description

Oct 1956 E. R. ARMELIN ET AL APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING WEBS 0F SHEET MATERIAL Filed Oct. 27, 1953 5 Shets-Sheet l Oct. 16, 1956 E. R. ARMELIN ETAL APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING WEBS OF SHEET MATERIAL Filed 001:. 27, 1953 3 Sheets-Shet 2 1956 E. R. ARMELIN ET AL APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING WEBS OF SHEET MATERIAL Filed Oct. 27, l953 s Sheets-Sheet a United States Patent APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING WEBS 0F SHEET MATERIAL Edouard R, Armelin, Ealing, and Arthur F. G. Plasliett, Pinner, England, assignors to Societe a Responsabilite Limitee dite: Societe dEtudes de Machines Speciales, Paris, France Application October 27, 1953, Serial No. 388,506

Claims priority, application Great Britain October 30, 1952 6 Claims. (Cl. 154-423) This invention relates to apparatus for connecting a fresh web of' sheet material, such as paper, to another such web while printing and/ or other operations are being performed on the latter web. a

In printing or other machines in which printing and/ or other operations are performed continuously upon a travelling web of paper, cardboard, fabric or other flexible sheet material,- and the web is supplied to the machine from a roll of the sheet material, it is often necessary or desirable, shortly before one roll, or so muchof it as can be used, has been consumed, to supply the web from a fresh roll without interrupting the operation of the machine. For this purpose it is known to provide apparatus for connecting the end portion of: the expiring web to the leading portion of the fresh web, for example, by means of an adhesive strip.

An obiect of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus of the latter kind.

This invention provides an apparatus for connecting the leading portion of afresh web of sheet material to the end portion of a web, being fed to a machine acting on the web, and about to be completely exhausted The apparatus comprises a loop accumulating device, means for feeding the exhausted web into said device faster than it is. fed into said machine and for arresting such faster feed, a frame, supporting means on said frame for supporting the leading and end portions of the webs: in overlapping relation, 21 pair of reciprocable guillotine cutting knives mounted on said frame one on each side of the plane of-- the supported overlapping portions of the webs and extending parallel with the said plane and with each other and mounted for movement to meet each other for cutting said overlapping portions along a line extending transversely of the webs, thereby severing waste extremities from said webs while leaving the cut edges of these webs in abutting relation to each other. It includes at least one movable retracting member mounted on said frame and adapted for. withdrawing a thus severed waste extremity from the abutting cut edge portion of the webs,

a reciprocable presser pad-mounted on saidframe on one side of the plane of said overlapping portions and extendiiig parallel with said plane and mounted for movement up to the abutting. edge portions of the webs, said presser pad being adapt'edto hold an adhesive strip and to apply the same along said abutting edge portions, and driving mechanism for operating in succession saidfeed arresting means, said cutting knives, said movable retracting member and said presser pad, thereby connecting the fresh web to the expiring web by means of an adhesive strip.

The reciprocatable guillotine cutting device takes the form of a knife mountedfor reciprocation towards and away from the cuttin position, and preferably :a pair of cooperating knives mounted for reciprocation towards and away from each other.

For applying the strip of adhesive material there is used a presser pad mounted for reciprocation towards and away from the webs and having a flat surface upon which 2,766,811 Patented Oct. 16, 1956 ice the strip can be mounted with its adhesive surface outermost. Preferably a pair of such pads is provided, which pads are mounted for reciprocation towards and away from each otherso as to apply two strips simultaneously, one on each side of the abutting cut edge portions of the webs.

The presser pads are mounted for reciprocation towards and away from the webs, and have fiat surfaces between which the abutting cut edge portions of the webs are pressed during the application of the adhesive strip or strips. Preferably each pad carries an adhesive strip so as to apply two strips simultaneously one on each side of the abutting cut edge portions of the webs. However, if desired, only one pad may carry an adhesive strip to be applied to one side of the'webs. In this case the other pad, which carries no strip, serves to support the webs duringthe application of the strip. In order to trim on end portionsof the strips extending beyond the width of the united webs, the presser pads may be provided with means to sever the said end portions at the end of their stroke when applying the adhesive strips to the webs. I When the severed waste portion to be retracted is the leading-portion of ;a fresh web, the retracting means may be a movable holding device for holding the said leading portion beyondthe cutting region-,- and the web holding device is movable by the operation of the said driving mechanism so as to retract the severed waste portion after the cutting. operation. When the severed waste portion to be retracted is the end portion ofaused web, the retracting means may comprise atensioning device, for example, a spring-loaded tensioning roller, applying tension to the web in advance of the cutting position and adapted on the release of such tension, when the web is cut, to' retract the said end port-ion.

The driving mechanism advantageously includes aretatable driving member adapted duringone revolution to operate in succession through driving connections the means for arresting the feed of the end portion of the expiring: web into the loop accumulating device, the cutting device, the retracting means (when operated by the driving mechanism), and the presserpad or pads, and finally to restart the feed of the web having the fresh web connected thereto. The'oomplete cycle of operations can thusbecarried 'out in a very short time during one revolution oftherotatable driving member. The latter merriber may be rotated by means of a crank handle. In this case it is desirable to" provide releasable locking means acting, forexample;. on the crank handle; to prevent further rotation after one-revolution has beenperformed.

In a preferred form of the apparatus two supporting devices for a supply roll and fresh roll of sheet material are arranged one on each side of an upright frame in which are mounted the pairs of cooperating knives and presser pads, a-movable Web holding device :as described labove'for the web from each roll, a web tensioning device .as described above for the web from each roll and the rotatable driving member, and guiding means are providedforguiding the web from each roll upwardly'between the knives and presser pads, andthence to the loop accumulating device;

The rotatable dr-ivingmember may havepivoted thereto one end'of a connecting rod the other end of whichis oper-atively connected to a system of levers and connecting rods adapted to reciprocate the knives and presser pads insuccessiomduring one revolution-of the d'rivingmember. The driving member may also incorporate a cam adapted to operate during one revolution of-the said member a lever movable'to-arrest and restart the feedof the web by the slackloop device at the appropriate times In=order to prevent the lowercut portion of aweb fromretractiug, except under the action of the web tensioning device, the

- frame.

guiding means for each web may include one or more resilient pressure members, for example, transverse rows of bristle brushes, adapted to press the web against a guiding surface. Each web tensioning device is provided with locking means for locking it against operation when the leading portion of a fresh web is in engagement with the tensioning device.

An example of apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus as a whole,

Figure 2 shows in cross-sectional side elevation the upper part of the web connecting apparatus on a larger scale, and

Figure 3 shows in side elevation the lower part of the web connecting apparatus on the same scale as the upper part shown in Figure 2.

- The apparatus consists of a web-connecting apparatus proper, which is indicated generally by A, and a slack loop device indicated generally by B.

The apparatus A has an upright frame having vertical side members 1 and 2 on and between which the various parts of the apparatus are mounted, and which are connected together by tie bars 3. At the lower end of the frame are provided supporting devices 4 and 5 for the rolls 6 and 7 of sheet material. The device 4 is on the front side of the frame, that is the side nearest the printing or other machine, and the device 5 is on the rear side of the frame. Braking means 8 and 9 of known type areprovided to tension the web during its passage from the roll to the slack loop device. Adjusting devices 8a and 9a serve to adjust the braking force, and the rods 8b and 9b hold the braking means against rotation. On the front side of the frame is mounted a guide roller 10 over which'the Web 6a from the roll 6 passes to a springloaded tensioning roller 11 and thence up an inclined table 12. The rollers 10 and 11 are mounted between two brackets one of which is shown at 13, the brackets being connected by a cross bar 14 and pivoted at 15 about the axis of the roller 10. The brackets are tensioned by a spring 16 connected to the bracket 13. The web 7a from the roll 7 is similarly guided over rollers 17 and 18 up the'inclined table'19 on the rear side of the from which the webs pass upwardly through the plane in which the cutting and connecting operations are performed upon them, a guide roller 22 being provided at 'the top of the frame to guide a web passing to the printing or other machine (not shown). It will be understood that during normaloperation a single web from one or other of the rolls passes through the apparatus on its way to the printing or other machine, while the other roll may occupy the other supporting device in readiness for connection to the end portion of the used roll at the appropriate moment.

In order to place the idle roll in readiness for the connecting operation, its leading portion is passed round the guide rollers, along the inclined table, upwardly past the cutting and connecting position, and is impaled on a row of spikes 23 or 24 carried by a horizontal rod described below. The leading portion of the fresh web is thus held in position for connection while the web in operation travels past it.

The cutting device consists of a pair of reciprocating horizontal knives 25 and 26. The knife 26 is mounted at the lower end of a pair of depending arms 27, 28 fixed at their upper ends to a shaft 29 pivoted to the frame. arms 30, 31 fixed to a shaft 32. For applying the adhesive strips there are provided a pair of reciprocating horizontal presser pads 33 and 34, the pad 33 being mounted on arms 35, 36 fixed to a shaft 37 near the centre of the frame below the level of the inclined guide tables, and the pad 34 is similarly mounted on arms 38,

The two inclined tables direct the webs to the centre of the frame between a pair of guide rollers 20, 21

39 fixed to a shaft 40. After the knives 25, 26 have swung into the cutting position and swung back clear of the path of the presser pads 33, 34, the latter swing upwardly towards one another and sandwich the webs be tweenthem to apply the adhesive strips.

Mounted horizontally in the lower part of the frame, as shown in Figure 3, is a rotatable driving shaft 41 on one end of which is fixed a crank handle 42. Upon the shaft 41 is fixed a cam 43 to which is pivoted eccentrically one end of a connecting rod 44. The other end of the connecting rod is pivoted to the outer end of a sector-shaped lever 45 fixed to the shaft 37 to which the arms 35, 36 of the front presser pad 33 are fixed. Also pivoted to the outer end of the sector-shaped lever 45 is a second connecting rod 46 pivoted at its other end to the outer end of a sector-shaped lever 47 fixed to the shaft 29 to which the arms 27, 28 of the rear knife 26 are fixed. Accordingly, upwa'rdmovement of the connecting rod 44 upon rotation of the cam 43 swings the arms 35, 36 of the front presser pad 33 inwardly towards the web-connecting position and also swings the arms 27, 28 of the rear knife 26 outwardly away from the cutting position. In order to impart simultaneous movement to the rear presser pad 34 a similar sectorshaped lever 48 is fixed to the shaft 40 to which the arms 38, 39 of that pad are fixed, and a third connecting rod 49 connects the outer end of that lever 48 to the outer end of the sector-shaped lever 47 fixed to the shaft 29 of the rear knife 26. Simultaneous movement is imparted to the front knife 25 by means of a fourth connecting rod 50 pivoted at one end to the sector-shaped lever 48 actuating the rear presser pad 34, and at the other end to a lever 51 fixed to the shaft 32'to which the arms 30, '31 of the front knife 25 are fixed.

Horizontal rods 52 and 53 mounted one on each side of the vertical path of the webs above the cutting and connecting position'carry the above mentioned rows of spikes 23 and 24 respectively, which spikes are inclined upwardly and towards the path of the webs. 'The rear row of spikes 24 serves for impaling the leading edge of a fresh web, when the'fresh roll is on the rear supporting device. The'horizontal rods 52 and 53 are mounted at their ends on bell-crank levers 54 and 55, respectively,

The knife 25 is similarly mounted on a pair of which enable the rods, after the cutting operation, to be impaled on the spikes out of the web-connecting position as described above. The bell-crank levers 54 and 55 are'connected together by a link 56 so as to move in unison, one of the rows of spikes rocking idly. Toactuate the bell-crank levers 54 and 55, the lever 55 has an abut: ment 57 lying in the path of a projection 58 carried by the knife arm 27. The relative positions of the abutment 57 and projection 58 are such that on the return movement of the knife arm immediately after a cutting operation, the projection 58 trips the abutment 57 to actuate the bell-crank lever 55 and with it the bell-crank lever 54. The bell-crank levers 54 and 55 are urged into their lowermost positions by a spring 59. In'known manner the cutting edge of the knife 25 is slightly inclined relatively to the cutting edge of the knife 26 in scissorfashion, and is urged upwardly by a spring 60 to main- .tain contact with the cutting edge of the knife 26 during the cutting operation. An adjustable stop 61 limits the uppermost position of the edge of the knife 25 so as to prevent it colliding with the opposing knife edge.

The slack loop device B is situated in frontof the webconnecting apparatus A between the latter and the print ing or other machine (not shown), and has a curved trough 61 to receive the slack loop of the web passing to the said machine. The web passes from the guide roller 22 at the top of the web-connecting apparatus to a guide roller 62 mounted beneath the trough 61, and thence over a feed roller 63 which feeds the Web into the trough faster than it is Withdrawn therefrom. The web is held areas-11 in feeding engagement with the feed roller 63 by means of a presser roller 64. The web is withdrawn from the trough 61 over a table 65 between a pair of guidewalls 66 by means of feed rollers on the printing or other machme. The presser roller 64 is mounted at its ends on levers 67 for movement out of engagement with the web on the feed roller 63 to arrest the feed of the web into the trough. The presser roller 64 is moved into and out of engagement by mechanism operated from the crank handle 42. This mechanism consists of the cam 43 operated by the crank handle, a rocking lever 68 pivoted between its ends at 69 and having at its lower end a roller 70 running on the cam surface and adjustably connected at its upper end to one end of'a connecting rod 71 connected to a lever 72 actuating the presser roller '64 of the slack loop device. The profile of'the cam 43 is such that at the commencement of the revolution of the crank handle 42 the presser roller 64 disengages the web to arrest the feed of its end portion through the web-connecting apparatus, and that near the end of its revolution, after the adhesive strip-applying pads 33 and 34 have moved away from the webs, the presser roller 64 is moved into engagement with the web to restart its feed into the slack loop device.

The connecting rod 44 is connected to the cam 43 at a position such that in the inoperative position of the cam and crank handle the connecting rod 44 is near the bottom of its stroke, and the knives are close to the cutting position and the pads are nearly at their outermost positions (as shown in Figure 2). Accordingly, at the commencement of the revolution of the cam in clockwise direction the connecting rod 44 will descend to cause the knife arms to move inwardly to perform a cutting operation, and during the ascent of the connecting rod 44 to the top of its stroke it will cause the knives to move outwards to their outermost position and the strip-applying pads inwards to press the adhesive strips on to the cut edge portions of the webs. During its descent from the top of its stroke the connecting rod 44 causes the knives and pads to return to their initial positions.

Immediately after the cutting operation the knife arm 27 carrying the projection 58 actuates the rows of spikes 23 and 24, so that the waste portion of the fresh web impaled on one or other of the rows of spikes is lifted out of the area of adhesion. The waste portion of the used web is moved down out of the area of adhesion under the action of whichever of the spring-loaded web-retracting rollers 11 and 18 the web passes over. The web-retracting roller, for example, the roller 11 moves down due to the rocking movement of the brackets caused by the spring 16 connected to the bracket 13. The extent of this movement is limited by the lower end of the bracket 13 encountering a stop 73.

While the waste portion of the expiring web must be moved clear of the area of adhesion, as described above, it is necessary that the web-retracting roller, over which passes the leading portion of the fresh web, should not similarly retract that portion of the web from the area of adhesion. For this purpose a locking lever 74 is moved to a position in which its outer end bears against the lower end of the bracket 13, as shown in Figure 2, so as to prevent the roller 11 from being-lowered under the action of the spring 16 when the leading portion of a fresh web embraces the roller 11. The lever 74 is fixed to a shaft 75 to which is also fixed a hand lever 76, which is on the outer side of the side member 1 of the frame, as shown in Figure 1. A similar locking lever 77, shaft 78 and hand lever 79 are provided in order to lock the bracket 88 of the pair of brackets between which the rollers 17 and 18 are mounted. As shown in Figure 2, the locking lever 77 is in the inoperative position, as would be the case when the end portion of a used web embraces the roller 18.

It will be understood that, after the cutting operation and before the adhesive strips have been applied, the webs to be joined will be free from tension. In order to hold 5 pawl.

these webs in position during thatinterval a row of bristle brushes 22a is mounted so as to bear against the 'web passinground the guide roller 22 at the top of the -frame, similar rows of bristle brushes 12a and 19a are provided to bear against the web on one or other of the tables 12 and 19, respectively, and further rows of bristle brushes 10a and 17a bear against the web passing over one or other of the guide rollers 10 and 17, respectively. In order to enable the leading portion of a fresh web to be placed in position round the rollers and over the table, the rows of bristle brushes are mounted so -as to be movable away from the surfaces against which they bear. Thus, for example, the brushes 100 are secured to a support 81 fixedto a shaft 82 (see Figure 2),'one end of which extends through the side of the frame and has secured to it a hand lever 83 (see Figure 3'). A spring 84 attached to the hand lever urges the brushes 10a in'to contact with the roller 10 or a web passing over it, and the hand lever can be operated to remove the brushes from contact with the roller.

In order to hold the cut edge portions of the webs to be joined in abutting relation preparatory 'to the application of the adhesive strips, two pairs of laterally disposed supporting guides are provided, one pair on each 'side 'of the webs, to enclose loosely the marginal portions of the webs. One of these pairs of guides 85 and 86 is shown in Figure 2, the guide 85 supporting the web which is above the line of the cut and the guide 86 supporting the web which is below that line. These guides take the form of horizontal rods having open slots at their inner ends within which the marginal portions of the webs rest loosely and through which a travelling web can move freely. The rods are horizontally adjustable in a block 87 and can be fixed in the desired positions by means of clamping screws 88 and'89.

'The crank handle 42 has an abutment 90 projecting from its inner side, and a stop pawl 91 pivoted at '92 is mounted in the path of the abutment to stop .further turning of the handle after it has performed one revolution. The pawl 91 is urged into its operative position by a spring 93. In order to release the crank handle 42 the pawl 91 is turned manually by means of thehandle 94 at its lower end into the position shown in broken lines, so that the abutment 90 is free to pass over the A lever 95 is also pivoted at 92 the front arm of which is urged downwardly against a stop 96 by means of a spring 87 connected to the frame of the apparatus. The abutment 90 on the crank handle '42 slides on the upper surface of the rear arm of the lever 95 before the handle is arrested by the pawl 91. Thus, the lever 95 brakes the movement of the crank handle 42 before it encounters the pawl 91, and also serves to hold the crank lever in its lowermost position.

Each of the adhesive strip-applying pads 33 and 34 may be built up of a row of separate pad elements adjustably mounted in a transverse direction on a cross-bar (not shown), the adhesive strip being secured across the surfaces of the pad elements. By adjusting the pad elements at longer or shorter distances apart the length of the pad can be varied to suit webs of different widths.

The adhesive strips are held on the presser pads by means of clamps (not shown) arranged one at each end of the pad beyond the pressing surface thereof so as to clamp waste end portions of the strips. The pad 34 is provided at each end thereof close to the extremities of the pressing surface with a strip-severing member 98 having a serrated edge, and the other pad is provided with correspondingly located grooves (not shown) to receive the severing members. Thus, at the end of the stroke of the presser pads, when applying the adhesive strips to the webs, the severing members on the ,pad 34 co-operate with the grooves on the pad .33 .to trim off the waste portions of the strips extending beyond the side edges ofthe webs.

In order to remove the curl from thick webs there nlay be provided de-curling means of known type hassociation with each guide roller and 17. Thus, in the case of the roller 10 de-curling bars 99 and 100 are fixed on brackets pivotally mounted about the shaft of the roller. The upper bar 99 or the lower bar 100 .is moved to bear against the upper or lower surface of the free portion of the Web between the rollers 10 and V 11, depending on the direction of the curl to be removed.

be supposed that the web passing to the printing or other machine is being drawn from the roll 7, and that a fresh roll 6 has been placed in position in readiness for use when required. Before or during the feeding of the web 7a from the roll 7 the leading portion ofthe fresh web 6a is passed over the rollers 10 and 11, table 12 and roller and through the guides 85 and 86, and

is impaled on the row of spikes 23. The brushes 10a and 12a are set to bear against the Web 6a. The hand levers 76 and 79 are set as shown in the drawings so that the web-retracting roller 11 is locked and the webretracting roller 18 unlocked. An adhesive strip is placed on each of the pads 33 and 34. When so much of the roll 7 has been consumed as to make it necessary to connect the leading portion of web 6a to the end portion of web 7a, the handle 94 is operated to release the crank handle 42 from the pawl 91, and the crank handle is given one revolution. During this revolution the web 7a is arrested, the webs are cut, the waste portion of the fresh web 6a is lifted clear of the area of adhesion by the spikes 23, the waste end portion of the web 7a is pulled down clear of the said area by the roller 18, the pads33 and 34 apply the adhesive strips one oneach side of the abutting cut edges of the webs .7a and 6a, and the feed of the web 7a is restarted.

' 1f the adhesive strips, applied one on each side of the joined :webs, are in exact superimposition with their longitudinal edges in register a sudden thickening will be formed, which may adversely aifect the passage of the joined webs through'the printing or other machine.

In ordertoreduce this disadvantage one of the presser pads 33 and 34 may be mounted so that in the operative position it is slightly, say 3 millimetres, higher than the other pad, and in consequence the longitudinal edges example, the strips may be narrower in width than the pads, and the strip on one pad placed higher up on its pad than the strip on the other pad.

The adhesive strips may be of known kind having a permanently tacky adhesive coating on one side. If desired, however, the adhesive surface may be of the kind requiring wetting or heating to render it tacky.

What we claim is:

1. An automatic apparatus for splicing the leading portion of a fresh web of sheet material to the end portion of a web being fed to a machine and nearing exhaustion, which apparatus comprises a loop accumulating device, means for feeding the exhausted web into said accumulating device faster than it is fed into said machine and for arresting such faster feed, a frame, supporting mean's onsaid frame for supporting the leading andend por tions of the webs in overlapping relation, a pair. of

reciprocable guillotine cutting knives mounted on said frame one on each side of the plane of the supported overlapping portions of the ,webs and extending parallel with the said plane and with each other and-mounted for movement to 'meet each other. for cutting said overlapping portions along a line extending transversely of the webs,-whereby waste'extremities are severed :from

said webs while leaving the cut edges of these webs in V abutting relation -to each other, at least one movable retracting member mounted-onsaid frame and adapted for withdrawing fa thus severed waste extremity from the abutting cut edge portion of the webs, at least one reciprocable presser pad mounted on said frame on one side of the plane of said overlapping'portions and extending parallel with said plane and mounted for movement up to the abutting cut edge portions of' the webs, said presser pad being adapted to receive and hold an adhesive strip and to apply the same along said abutting edge portions, and a driving mechanism for operating 'in succession said feed arresting means, said cutting knives, -said movable retracting member and said presser pad, whereby, the fresh web is spliced to the exhausted web by means of an adhesive strip. a

2 An automatic apparatus for splicing the leading portion of a fresh web of sheet material to the end'portion of a Web being fed to a machine acting and nearing exhaustion, which apparatus comprises'a loop accumulating device, means for feeding the exhausted web into said device faster than it is fed into said machine and for arresting such faster feed, a frame, supporting means on said frame for supporting the leading and end portions ofthe webs in overlapping relation, a pair of reciprocable guillotine cutting knives mounted on said frame one on each side of the plane of the supported overlapping portions of the Webs and extending parallel ;with said plane and with each other and mounted for movementto meet each other for cutting said overlapping portions along a line extending transversely of the webs, whereby severing waste extremities are severed from said webswhile leaving the cut edges of these webs in abutting relation to each other, a movable holding member on'said frame adapted to hold the leading portion of the fresh web beyond the line of cut and .to withdraw the same as a severed waste extremity from the abutting cut edge portions of the webs, a tensioning member yieldingly mounted on said frame for applying tension to the end portion of the expiring web in the rear of the line of cut, said member upon release of the tension as the web is cut yieldably moving to withdraw said end portion asa severed waste portion from the abutting cut edge portions of the webs, a pair of reciprocable presser pads mounted on 'said frame one on each side of the plane of said overlapping portions and extending parallel with said plane and with each other and mounted for movement to meet each other at the abutting cut. edge portions of the webs, each pad being adapted to'h'old an adhesive strip and to apply the same along said abutting edge portions, and a driving mechanism for operating in succession said feed arresting means, said cutting knives, said movable holding member and said presser pads, whereby the fresh web is spliced to the exhausted web by means of two adhesive strips.

3. An automatic apparatus for splicing the leading portion of a fresh web of sheet material to the end portion of a web being fed to a machine and nearing exhaustion,'which apparatus comprises a loop accumulating device, means for feeding the exhausted web into said device faster than it is fed into said machine. andfor arresting such faster feed, an upright frame, two supports on said frame for a rolled up web of sheet material being used and a rolled up fresh web, supporting means on said frame for supporting the leading and end portions of the webs vertically in overlapping relation, a pair of reciprocable guillotine cutting knives mounted on said frame one on each side of the plane of the supported'overlapping portions of the webs and extending parallel with the said plane and with each other and mounted for movement to meet each other for cutting said overlapping portions alonga line extending transversely of 'the webs, whereby waste extremities are severed from said webs while leaving the cut edges of these webs in abutting relation to each other, at least one movable retracting member mounted on said frame and adapted for withdrawing a thus severed waste extremity from the abutting cut edge portion of the webs, a pair of reciprocable presser pads mounted on said frame one on each side of the plane of said overlapping portions and extending parallel with said plane and with each other and mounted for movement to meet each other at the abutting out edge portions of the webs, each pad being adapted to hold an adhesive strip and to apply the same along said abutting edge portions, guiding means for guiding a web from each roll up to the aforesaid supporting means, and a driving mechanism for operating in succession said feed arresting means, said cutting knives, said movable retracting member and said presser pads, whereby the fresh web is connected to the exhausted web by means of two adhesive strips.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein each guiding means for guiding a web from its roll up to the said supporting means comprises at least one guiding surface and resilient pressure members adapted to press said web against said guiding surface.

5. An automatic apparatus for joining the leading portion of a fresh web of sheet material to the end portion of a web being fed to a machine and nearing exhaustion, which apparatus comprises a loop accumulating device, means for feeding the exhausted web into said device faster than it is fed into said machine and for arresting such faster feed, an upright frame, supporting means on said frame for supporting the leading and end portions of the webs vertically in overlapping relation, a pair of reciprocable guillotine cutting knives mounted on said frame one on each side of the plane of the supported overlapping portions of the webs and extending parallel with the said plane and with each other and mounted for movement to meet each other for cutting said overlapping portions along a line extending transversely of the webs, whereby waste extremities from said webs are severed while leaving the cut edges of these webs in abutting relation to each other, a movable holding member on said frame adapted to hold the leading portion of the fresh web beyond the line of cut and to withdraw the same as a severed waste extremity fiom the abutting cut edge portions of the webs, a tensioning member yieldingly mounted on said frame for applying tension to the end portion of the exhausted web in the rear of the line of cut, said member upon release of the tension as the web is cut yieldably moving to withdraw said end portion as a severed waste portion from the abutting cut edge portions of the webs, a pair of reciprocable presser pads mounted on said frame one on each side of the plane of said overlapping portions and extending parallel with said plane and with each other and mounted for movement to meet each other at the abutting cut edge portions of the webs, each pad being adapted to receive and hold an adhesive strip and to apply the same along said abutting edge portions, and driving mechanism for operating in succession said feed arresting means, said cutting knives, said movable holding member and said presser pads, whereby the fresh web is joined to the exhausted web by means of two adhesive strips.

6. An automatic apparatus for connecting the leading portion of a fresh web of sheet material to the end portion of a Web being fed to a machine and nearing exhaustion, which apparatus comprises a loop accumulating device, means for feeding the exhausted web into said device faster than it is fed into said machine and for arresting such faster feed, an upright frame, supporting means on said frame for supporting the leading and end portions of the webs vertically in overlapping relation, a pair of reciprocable guillotine cutting knives mounted on said frame one 'on each side of the plane of the supported overlapping portions of the Webs and extending parallel with said plane and with each other and mounted for movement to meet each other for cutting said overlapping portions along a line extending transversely of the webs, whereby waste extremities are severed from said webs while leaving the cut edges of these webs in abutting relation to each other, a movable holding member on said frame adapted to hold the leading portion of the fresh web beyond the line of cut and to withdraw the same as a severed waste extremity from the abutting cut edge portions of the webs, a tensioning member yieldingly mounted on said frame for applying tension to the end portion of the exhausted web in the rear of the line of cut, said member upon release of the tension as the web is cut yieldably moving to withdraw said end portion as a severed waste portion from the abutting cut edge portions of the Webs, a pair of reciprocable presser pads mounted on said frame one on each side of the plane of said overlapping portions and extending parallel with said plane and with each other and mounted for movement to meet each other at the abutting cut edge portions of the webs, each pad being adapted to receive and hold an adhesive strip and to apply the same along the said abutting edge portions, and a rotatable driving member mounted on said frame and having driving connections with said feed arresting means, said cutting knives, said movable holding member and said presser pads, the said driving member being adapted during one revolution to operate in succession through said driving connections the last said arresting means, knives, holding member and presser pads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,606,136 Garrett et al. Aug. 5, 1952

Images