Belt-shaped member supplying method and apparatus

An apparatus for supplying a belt-shaped member, comprising a cutting table for holding a long material paid out of a winding roll, a cutter unit for cutting the long material on the cutting table, sensor means for detecting extending directions of cut edges of the material cut by the cutter unit, front end grasping means for holding a front end portion of the long material to pay out a predetermined length of the long material, rear end grasping means for holding a rear end portion of a belt-shaped member obtained by cutting off the long material and transferring the belt-shaped member to a predetermined position in cooperation with the front end grasping means, plate-shaped transfer means for receiving the belt-shaped member from the front and rear end grasping means and supplying the belt-shaped member, while holding it at a predetermined position, to a winding drum, and tensioning means provided on at least one of said front and rear end grasping means for applying tensile force to the belt-shaped member Supported by the front and rear end grasping means, and said cutting table comprising a forward table arranged on a forward side of a transfer direction of the belt-shaped member and a rearward table movable toward and away from the forward table, said forward and rearward tables being rotatable in unison about their respective pivoted positions which are at centers of their widths and the former pivoted position being at a rear edge of the forward table and the latter pivoted position being at a front edge of the rearward table which has retracted from the forward table.