Web guiding system, particularly turning bar system for superposing slit paper webs received from a web-fed rotary printing machine

Web guiding system for guiding two moving web portions (32, 33) arriving adjacent each other into superposed position in which the relative position of the superposed web portions with respect to each other is freely selectable, having

• two hollow turning bar means (1, 2) transversely spaced with respect to the plane of the arriving web portion,
• said hollow turning bar means being formed with spaced radially aligned apertures (a, b) positioned parallel to and radially spaced with respect to the plane of one of the arriving web portions;
• guide means (29, 30, 31;
• 45, 46) for guiding said web portions (32, 33) towards said two hollow turning bar means (1, 2) to place said web portions, in operation of the system, selectively in a path in which said one of the web portions is partly wrapped or looped about said turning bar means, and
• wherein said radially aligned apertures (a, b) are located in a plane facing said one partly wrapped or looped web portion;
• means (26, 27, 28;
• 58) for introducing pressurized air into the turning bar means (1, 2) to float said one web portion on the surface of the turning bar means about which it is being partly wrapped or looped by forming an air cushion between said turning bar means and the respective web portion;
• and
• means for positioning the turning bar means (1, 2) selectively in a first turning position or a second turning position rotated 90.degree. with respect to said first turning position;
• and
• comprising
• means for ensuring presence of the air cushion between the turning bar means and said one web portion regardless of the turning position of the turning bar means,
• wherein said guide means (29, 30, 31:
• 45, 46) includes a web portion supply cylinder or roller means (29) and web portion guide roller means (30, 31) for selectively controlling the path of travel of said one web portion with respect to the level of the turning bar means about which said one web portion is first passed, and the direction of the looping path about said first-passed or looped-about turning bar means.