Web-slitting apparatus with driven pinch and windup rollers for varying web tension

An apparatus for subdividing a flexible paper web into at least two strips and winding same up into individual rolls, the apparatus comprising:

• a supply roll on which the flexible web is wound;
• at least two takeup rolls on which the web is also wound;
• respective drives each including
• a support movable generally radially of a main axis,
• a pair of heads movable on the support toward and away from each other along and rotatable about a takeup axis generally parallel to the main axis, each takeup roll being engaged between a respective one of the pairs of the heads,
• means for rotating the heads at respective individually variable and different speeds about the respective takeup axes and thereby pulling the web from the supply roll;
• means between the supply and takeup rolls for longitudinally slitting the web into at least two individual strips of different widths and for feeding each of the strips to a respective one of the takeup rolls to be wound up on same;
• a pair of pinch rollers one of which is freewheeling between the slitting means and the takeup rolls and engaging the individual strips without slip;
• drive means for rotating the other pinch roller at a predetermined speed;
• and
• brake means connected to the supply roll for resisting rotation of the supply roll and thereby tensioning the web upstream of the pinch rollers such that the tension in the web upstream of the pinch rollers is substantially greater than the tension in the strips downstream of the pinch rollers.