Apparatus for splicing a replacement web to a moving web

Apparatus for splicing a replacement web into a moving web comprising:

• (a) guide and means for guiding said moving web along a predetermined path;
• (b) cutter means for severing a portion of said replacement web to establish the leading edge thereof;
• (c) a splicing station positioned in said path for splicing said leading edge to said moving web while the latter is moving;
• (d) said splicing station being constructed and arranged to establish a lap joint between the leading edge of said replacement web and said moving web;
• (e) said splicing station comprising a delivery device that includes a strip of tape having pressure-sensitive adhesive on one surface, means for positioning said strip in a direction perpendicular to the direction of said moving web, means for moving said replacement web in a direction perpendicular to the direction of said strip and into engagement with the adhesive surface of the strip in such a way that the leading edge of the replacement web covers about half of the width of the strip and is adhered there to, and means for hereafter moving said strip and the replacement web adhered there to relative to said moving web until the surface of said strip not covered by said replacement web engages the moving web which is thereby adhered to the strip;
• (f) said strip being spooled on a reel and having a leading edge, and wherein said means for positioning said strip includes a rotatable drawing-out roller, means for displacing said roller from a first terminal position transversely to the direction of said moving web to a second terminal position and into engagement with said one surface at the leading edge of said strip, means for rotating said roller in said second terminal position to thereby releasably attach the same to said leading edge of said strip, means for displacing said roller towards its first terminal position thereby unspooling said strip and positioning the same transversely to the direction of said moving web, means engaged with said other surface of said strip for releasably holding the same, means to disengage said roller from said strip, and means to sever the strip from its spool to establish a trailing edge of the strip.

Apparatus for splicing a replacement web to a moving web comprising:

• (a) guide means for guiding said moving web along a predetermined path;
• (b) cutter means for severing a portion of said replacement web to establish the leading edge thereof;
• (c) a splicing station positioned in said path for splicing said leading edge to said moving web while the latter is moving;
• (d) a replacement reel on which said replacement web is spooled for storing said replacement web which has a free end to which a leader is attached;
• said leader having pressure-sensitive adhesive for releasably engaging the web to prevent unspooling thereof and terminating in a tip that projects from the web when the layer is basically engaged the web;
• (e) a leader-tip-nipping mechanism for selectively gripping said leader and unspooling a length of replacement web from said replacement reel into a closed loop;
• (f) a web drawing out mechanism cooperable with said loop for capturing said replacement web upstream of said loop;
• (g) a supplementary delivery mechanism for unspooling said web from said reel and severing said web down stream of its capture from separating said loop from the remainder of said replacement web and filling the leading edge thereof;
• and
• (h) said leader-tip-nipping mechanism including means for rotating said reel;
• a movable arm having actuatable jaws;
• means for moving said arm until said jaws are positioned to intercept said tip as the reel is rotated;
• and means for actuating said jaws after said tip is intercepted for capturing said tip in said jaws.

Apparatus comprising:

• (a) a pair of reels separably mounted for rotation on a frame;
• (b) a separate web spooled on each reel;
• (c) a guide mechanism associated with each reel for guiding the web thereon along an L-shaped path having a leg that terminates in a grip roller whose axis is perpendicular to the path, the guide mechanism being constructed and arranged so that the leg of one path is aligned with the leg of the other path, and grip rollers are adjacent to each other and parallel;
• (d) means for moving one web along one L-shaped path and over the grip roller thereon;
• (e) a tape delivery device having a tape reel having tape spool thereon, said tape having pressuresensitive adhesive on one surface thereof, the axis of said tape reel being perpendicular to the axis of the grip rollers;
• (f) said delivery device including means for selectively unspooling tape from said tape reel such that one surface of said tape faces upwardly and the other surface faces downwardly and into engagement with the gripper roller on the other L-shaped path, means for releasably retaining said tape to the last mentioned grip roller, means for severing the other web to define a leading edge, and means for pressing the undersurface of said other web onto said tape such that the leading edge of said other tape covers about half of the width of the tape thereby attaching the same to the other web and leaving about half the width uncovered;
• and
• (g) means for moving the grip rollers relative to each other so that the uncovered half of the tape and the one web are sandwiched between the grip rollers whereby the other web is spliced to the one web and moves therewith.

Apparatus comprising:

• (a) a reel mounted on a frame;
• (b) a web spooled on said reel and having a free end;
• (c) a leader attached to the free end of said web;
• (d) pressure-sensitive adhesive means on the leader form releasably attaching said leader to said web to prevent unspooling of the web on the reel;
• (e) a leader tip nipping mechanism mounted on said frame and having a movable arm on which actuatable jaws are mounted;
• (f) means for moving said arm to a position on which said jaws intercept said leader when said reel is rotated;
• (g) means for actuating said jaws to grip said leader when it is intercepted by said jaw;
• (h) means for unspooling said web from said reel after the leader is gripped by said jaws to form an open loop;
• and
• (i) means for moving said arm to a position at which the adhesive means on said leader is squeezed between the leader and the web to form a closed loop.