Unwinding system, assembly and method for unwinding a tire component from a stock reel

An unwinding system for unwinding a tire component from a stock reel and for outputting said tire component in a transport direction,

• wherein the unwinding system comprises:
• a reel station configured for receiving the stock reel;
• an output conveyor for conveying the tire component in the transport direction;
• and
• a transfer device for transferring a leading end of the tire component from the reel station to said output conveyor,
• wherein the output conveyor extends at least partially above the reel station and comprises a conveying surface extending in a support plane parallel to the transport direction,
• wherein said conveying surface is arranged for receiving the tire component from the transfer device and for supporting said tire component at a first side of the support plane,
• wherein the transfer device comprises a retaining member which is movable along a guide path between a pick-up position at a second side of the support plane, opposite to the first side of the support plane, for picking up the leading end of the tire component from the reel station, and a release position at the first side of the support plane for disposing the leading end of the tire component on the conveying surface of the output conveyor,
• wherein the retaining member comprises a retaining surface for releasably retaining the leading end of the tire component to said retaining member,
• wherein, in the release position, the retaining surface is facing towards the support plane at the first side of said support plane, and
• wherein the retaining surface is offset between the release position and the pick-up position over at least ninety degrees about an inverting axis that is parallel to the support plane and perpendicular to the transport direction,
• wherein the transfer device further comprises an arm that is rotatable around the inverting axis for moving the retaining member along the guide path,
• wherein the retaining member is movable with respect to the arm in an extension direction perpendicular to the inverting axis.