Splicer control

Apparatus for controlling a splicer machine which splices a web from a running roll to a web from a reserve roll in response to a splice initiate signal, said splicer machine including a festoon for storing an amount of the web from the running roll as web is drawn from the running roll by a web consuming machine, comprising:

• means for initially maintaining the amount of web stored in the festoon constant,
• means for reducing linearly the speed of the running roll from a speed V at a rate R1,
• means for controlling the rate at which the web stored in said festoon is drawn from said festoon as the speed of said running roll decreases,
• means for generating a splice initiate signal when the rate at which the web drawn from said festoon is a preselected fraction of the speed V, and
• means for increasing linearly the speed of the web from the reserve roll at a rate R2 up to the speed V.

A method of controlling a splicer machine which splices a web from a running roll to a web from a reserve roll in response to a splice initiate signal, said splicer machine including storing means for storing an amount of web from the running roll as web is drawn from the running roll by a web consuming machine, comprising:

• initially maintaining the amount of web stored in said storing means at a constant value,
• reducing the speed of the web from the running roll from a speed V at a rate R1 which varies in proportion to the square of said speed V,
• controlling the rate at which the web is drawn from said storing means as the speed of said running roll decreases,
• generating a splice initiate signal when the running roll has reached substantially zero speed, actuating thereby the splicer machine to splice the webs from the running and reserve rolls, and
• increasing the speed of the web from the reserve roll at a rate R2 up to the speed V.

Apparatus for controlling a splicer machine which splices a web from a running roll to a web from a reserve roll, said splicer machine including a festoon for storing an amount of web from the running roll, comprising:

• means for reducing the speed at which web is drawn from the running roll linearly at a rate R1 from an initial speed V in response to a splice command signal, said rate R1 being constant and independent of said initial speed V.
• means for generating a web speed signal indicative of whether the speed at which web is drawn from said running roll has reached substantially zero speed,
• means for generating a splice initiate signal in response to said web speed signal, actuating thereby the splicer machine to splice the web from the running roll to the web from the reserve roll, and
• means for increasing the speed at which web is drawn from the reserve roll at a rate R2 up to the initial speed V.

A method of controlling a splicer machine which splices a web from a running roll to a web from a reserve roll in response to a splice initiate signal, said splicer machine including storing means for storing an amount of web from the running roll as web is drawn from the running roll by a web consuming machine, comprising:

• initially maintaining the amount of web stored in said storing means at a constant value,
• reducing the speed of the web from the running roll linearly from a speed V at a rate R1, said rate R1 being constant and independent of said speed V,
• controlling the rate at which the web is drawn from said storing means as the speed of said running roll decreases,
• generating a splice initiate signal when the running roll has reached substantially zero speed, actuating thereby the splicer machine to splice the webs from the running and reserve rolls, and
• increasing the speed of the web from the reserve roll at a rate R2 up to the speed V.

A method of controlling a splicer machine which splices a web from a running roll to a web from a reserve roll in response to a splice initiate signal, said splicer machine including storing means for storing an amount of web from the running roll as web is drawn from the running roll by a web consuming machine, comprising:

• reducing linearly the speed of the web from the running roll from a speed V at a rate R1,
• generating a web loss signal indicative of the amount of web drawn from said storing means as the speed of said running roll decreases,
• generating a splice initiate signal when said web loss signal is a preselected fraction of the speed of the web being drawn from said storing means, actuating thereby the splicer machine to splice the webs from the running and reserve rolls, and
• increasing linearly the speed of the web from the reserve roll at a linear rate R2 up to the speed V.