Sheet splicer

Sheet splicing apparatus, comprising:

• a first sheet roll from which a first web of material is being unrolled and conveyed;
• a second sheet roll from which a second web of material can be unrolled so as to have a leading edge portion thereof spliced to a trailing edge portion of said first web of material when said first web of material disposed upon said first sheet roll is about to be depleted;
• a first roll disposed within the vicinity of said first sheet roll;
• a second roll disposed within the vicinity of said second sheet roll;
• roller means cyclically movable between said vicinity of said first and second sheet rolls for cyclically cooperating with said first and second rolls in defining a first nip through which said trailing edge portion of said first web of material can be conveyed upon nearing depletion thereof, and a second nip through which a trailing edge portion of said second web of material can be conveyed upon nearing depletion thereof;
• adhesive means provided upon said leading edge portion of said second web of material for permitting said leading edge portion of said second web of material to be secured to said trailing edge portion of said first web of material whereby said first and second webs of material can be spliced together;
• and
• cyclically movable conveyor belt means for transporting said leading edge portion of said second web of material from within the vicinity of said second sheet roll into said first nip defined between said roller means and said first roll disposed within said vicinity of said first sheet roll whereby said leading edge portion of said second web of material is spliced to said trailing edge portion of said first web of material within said nip defined between said roller means and said first roll by said adhesive means provided upon said leading edge portion of said second web of material, and for transporting a leading edge portion, having adhesive means thereon, of a third web of material disposed upon a third sheet roll, which has replaced said first sheet roll upon said depletion thereof, from within the vicinity previously containing said first sheet roll into said second nip defined between said roller means and said second roll disposed within said vicinity of said second sheet roll whereby said leading edge portion of said third web of material is spliced to said trailing edge portion of said second web of material within said nip defined between said roller means and said second roll by said adhesive means provided upon said leading edge portion of said third web of material.

A sheet splicing system, comprising:

• support means;
• means rotatably mounting a first sheet roll, from which a first web of material is being unrolled, upon one end of said support means;
• means rotatably mounting a second sheet roll, from which a second web of material can be unrolled so as to have a leading edge portion thereof spliced to a trailing edge portion of said first web of material when said first web of material disposed upon said first sheet roll is about to be depleted, upon a second end of said support means;
• a first roll disposed within the vicinity of said first sheet roll;
• a second roll disposed within the vicinity of said second sheet roll;
• roller means cyclically reciprocable between said vicinities of said first and second sheet rolls for cyclically cooperating with said first and second rolls in defining a first nip through which said trailing edge portion of said first web of material can be conveyed upon nearing depletion thereof, and a second nip through which a trailing edge portion of said second web of material can be conveyed upon nearing depletion thereof;
• adhesive means provided upon said leading edge portion of said second web of material for permitting said leading edge portion of said second web of material to be secured to said trailing edge portion of said first web of material whereby said first and second webs of material can be spliced together;
• a third sheet roll, to be mounted upon said one end of said support means for replacing said first sheet roll when said first sheet roll in depleted, from which a third web of material can be unrolled so as to have a leading edge portion thereof which can be spliced to said trailing edge portion of said second web of material when said second web of material disposed upon said second sheet roll is about to be depleted;
• adhesive means provided upon said leading edge portion of said third web of material for permitting said leading edge portion of said third web of material to be secured to said trailing edge portion of said second web of material whereby said second and third webs of material can be spliced together;
• and
• cyclically reversible conveyor belt means for transporting said leading edge portion of said second web of material from within the vicinity of said second sheet roll into said first nip defined between said roller means and said first roll disposed within said vicinity of said first sheet roll whereby said leading edge portion of said second web of material is spliced to said trailing edge portion of said first web of material within said nip defined between aaid roller means and said first roll by said adhesive means provided upon said leading edge portion of said second web of material, and for transporting said leading edge portion of said third web of material from within the vicinity of said one end of said support means into said second nip defined between said roller means and said second roll disposed within said vicinity of said second sheet roll whereby said leading edge portion of said third web of material is spliced to said trailing edge portion of said second web of material within said second nip defined between said roller means and said second roll by said adhesive means provided upon said leading edge portion of said third web of material.