Surface rewinder with center assist and belt and winding drum forming a winding nest

A method comprising:

• rotating a winding drum about a center axis of the winding drum and directing a web material around the winding drum;
• positioning a continuous loop in a spaced apart relationship relative to the winding drum to form a nip between a surface of the continuous loop facing the winding drum and the winding drum;
• inserting a core and directing the web material through the nip between the surface of the continuous loop facing the winding drum and the winding drum;
• and
• operating the continuous loop and the winding drum in a manner to wind the web material about the core to form a log of wound web material including by changing a speed of the belt relative to a speed of the winding drum during winding of the web material about the core.

A method of winding a web material around a core to form a log of wound web material comprising:

• providing a winding drum and a continuous loop in a spaced apart relationship relative to the winding drum to form a winding nest;
• rotating the winding drum about its center axis;
• moving the continuous loop in a direction tangent to its surface;
• feeding a web material toward the winding nest;
• directing a core toward the winding nest, the core for winding the web thereabout;
• rotating a log in the winding nest by placing the log in contact with the rotating winding drum and the moving continuous loop;
• and
• changing the speed of the continuous loop relative to the speed of the rotating winding drum as a log is being wound.