Web splicer

Web splicing apparatus of the type having a splicer head for splicing the leading edge of a ready web to a second web and wherein the carriage includes a frame characterized in that the splicer head has a pair of opposing carriage assemblies movably mounted to the frame for movement along parallel tracks between advanced positions adjacent to the front of the splicer head and retracted positions, each carriage assembly comprising an idler roller for receiving web from a web roll mounted on the splicer, a nip bar positioned parallel to the idler roller, means for swingably mounting the nip bar to the carriage so that the bar is swingable between a ready position wherein the bar is located downstream from the corresponding idler roller and a web preparation position at the front of the splicer head when the opposite nip bar carriage is in its retracted position and nip bar actuating means for shifting the bar from its ready position toward the nip bar on the opposite carriage, a knife carriage assembly movably mounted to the frame, said knife carriage assembly being movable parallel to the nip bar carriages between an advanced position and a retracted position, knife means supported by the knife carriage assembly and movable between a retracted position wherein the knife means is positioned between and just forwardly of said ready nip bars and an advanced position wherein the knife means intercepts one of said nip bars when that bar is in its splicing position, means mounted on the knife carriage assembly for momentarily urging the knife means from its retracted to its advanced position, and means for controlling the movements of said carriages, nip bars and knife means between their various operative positions.