Apparatus for unwinding rolls of web material
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsKevin Benson McNeil, Thomas Timothy Byrne
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for unwinding a vertically oriented roll of web material is disclosed. The roll comprises a lower surface, an upper surface and a circumferential surface. The apparatus comprises: at least one drive element adapted to rotate the vertically oriented roll, a sensor adapted to measure a tension of the web, and a controller adapted to adjust a speed of the web according to the tension of the web. The method comprises steps of rotating the roll, determining a desired web tension, and adjusting the speed of the roll according to the desired web tension.
Claims20
An apparatus for unwinding a vertically oriented roll of web material, the roll comprising a lower surface, an upper surface and a circumferential surface, comprising:
- a) at least one drive element adapted to rotate the vertically oriented roll;
- b) a sensor adapted to measure a tension of the web;
- c) a controller adapted to adjust a speed of the web according to the tension of the web.
An apparatus for unwinding a plurality of rolls of web material comprising:
- a) a first drive element adapted to rotate a first vertically oriented roll;
- b) a first sensor adapted to measure the tension of the first web;
- c) a first controller adapted to adjust the speed of the first web according to the tension of the first web;
- d) a second sensor adapted to measure the speed of the first web;
- e) a second drive element adapted to rotate a second vertically oriented roll;
- f) a second controller adapted to adjust the speed of the second web according to the speed of the first web;
- g) a splicing element adapted to move the first web into contact with the second web.
An apparatus for unwinding a roll of web material comprising:
- a) at least one drive element adapted to rotate a vertically oriented roll;
- b) a sensor adapted to detect a speed of the web;
- c) a first controller adapted to adjust a speed of the web according to a desired speed of the web.
An apparatus for concurrently unwinding a plurality of rolls of web material comprising:
- a plurality of unwind stations;
- at least one unwind station comprising:
- a) a drive element adapted to rotate a vertically oriented roll;
- b) a sensor adapted to measure the tension of the web;
- c) a first controller adapted to adjust the speed of the web according to the tension of the web.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.