Winding machine with support cylinders

A winding machine, comprising:

• two support cylinders extending over a width of the machine and defining an upwardly widening upper wedge-section gap opening upwardly at a bed formed by said cylinders and on which a roll wound from a web of material rests, said web being partially looped about one of said support cylinders, said support cylinders further defining an upwardly converging lower wedge-section gap communicating with said upper gap;
• an air box received in said lower wedge-section gap and having flanks sealingly engaging said support cylinders, said air box having a chamber, a compressed air supply line connected to said chamber for supplying compressed air thereto, and an upwardly open air exit slot extending over said machine width for pressurizing said upper gap and relieving force with which said roll rests on said cylinders;
• a tear-off blade received in said air box and raisable through said slot out of said air box into a cutting position at said cylinder bed for cutting said web upon completion of said roll, thereby allowing removal of said roll from said bed, said blade being fully retractable into said air box through said slot;
• a support in said air box carrying said blade and raisable and lowerable in said air box;
• and
• actuating means in said air box operatively connected to said support for selectively displacing said support to retract said blade and displace said blade into said cutting position.