Web widening apparatus

A web widening apparatus comprising:

• a widening tool having:
• a shaft;
• a plurality of widening plates in contact with a travelling web to be widened, arranged in parallel to one another around said shaft, the widening plates comprising a first group and a second group of widening plates which can rotate around the shaft and move in an axial direction of the shaft, said second group of widening plates being separated from and facing said first group of widening plates in the axial direction of the shaft;
• and guide means for moving the first and second groups of widening plates in the axial direction of the shaft so that the interval between the widening plates of the first and second groups in the axial direction of the shaft expands gradually along with the rotation of the widening plates and then narrows;
• and
• a pair of cross guiders which can nip both side end portions of the travelling web and face each other in a width direction of the web.