Web slack box having a plurality of sections

An improved slack box for accumulating web material comprising:

• a vertical web storage chamber;
• a plurality of dividing means for dividing said storage chamber into a top section, at least one middle section, and a bottom section, each of said dividing means being movable from an inoperative position wherein web material is free to pass from said middle section to said bottom section and from said top section to said middle section, to an operative position separating two sections and preventing web material from one of the two sections from passing to the other of the two sections;
• means for sensing the amount of web material in the bottom section and for generating a signal when the sensed amount falls below a predetermined amount;
• means responsive to said signal for momentarily moving said dividing means from said operative positions to said inoperative positions, said movement starting with the lowermost dividing means and progressing sequentially to the uppermost dividing means;
• and
• return means for moving said dividing means from said inoperative positions to said operative positions to prevent web material in the section above each of said dividing means to pass into the section below each of said dividing means.

An improved slack box for accumulating a web material comprising:

• a housing having a back, a front, two sides, a top, and a bottom;
• a vertical web storage chamber within said housing;
• a plurality of spaced apart, groups of parallel openings in the back of said housing;
• a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted on said housing parallel to and above each of said groups of openings;
• a plurality of elements extending through said openings into said housing for dividing said storage chamber into vertical sections, said elements being movable from normal operative positions in which the elements divide said storage area into said vertical sections and prevent web material in one vertical section to pass into a vertical section below to inoperative positions in which the web material in said one section is free to pass into said section below;
• lost motion means for mounting said elements on said shafts so as to allow limited movement of said elements independent of movement of said shafts;
• first means for rotating each of said shafts, said means, upon actuation, moving said elements from normal operative to inoperative positions;
• second means operative after the actuation of said first means for rotating each of said shafts to move said elements from inoperative to operative positions;
• means for sensing the amount of web material in a given section and for generating a signal when the amount reaches a predetermined quantity;
• and
• means responsive to said signal for sequentially actuating each of said first rotating means, said means actuating the lowermost of said first rotating means first, the actuating of subsequent first rotating means being in timed relation to the operation of said second rotating means.