Apparatus and method for coupling and driving a reel shaft

A device for rotating a web material roll supported on a reel shaft having a pair of ends, said rotating device comprising:

• a support frame configured to rotatably support the reel shaft and the web material roll supported on the reel shaft;
• a female drive member coupled to one end of the reel shaft and defining a receptacle having a non-circular perimeter;
• a male drive device having a motor and a drive shaft arranged to be rotated by the motor, wherein the drive shaft has a drive end defining a non-circular perimeter which is congruent to the non-circular perimeter of the receptacle defined in the female drive member and wherein the drive end of the drive shaft is engaged in the receptacle of the female drive member to place the drive shaft in driving engagement with the female drive member, and said male drive device also having a telescoping mechanism operable to slidably advance the drive end of the drive shaft into the receptacle so as to allow the motor to positively rotate the web material roll and to slidably withdraw the drive end from the receptacle to disengage the male drive device from the web material roll.