Gripping apparatus for reel material

An apparatus for gripping an elongated material web, advanced out from a reel core and which travels in a downstream direction along a path defined by an axis X, the apparatus comprising:

• a reel support for supporting the reel core of material web for rolling off the reel and for rewinding the web onto the reel core;
• a first web clamp assembly on the path defined by the X axis, the first web clamp assembly for clamping the web;
• a cutting device for cutting the web traveling in the path defined by the X axis, the cutting device being located upstream the first clamp assembly and downstream the reel support;
• a second web clamp assembly for clamping the web, the second web clamp assembly being located between the cutting device and the reel support;
• a cross slide mounting the first web clamp assembly for movement along the X axis and a Y axis;
• biasing means for biasing the cross slide along the X axis and positioning the first web clamp assembly to a first position when initially clamping the web;
• and
• a second clamp assembly sensor associated with the second clamp assembly for activating the second web clamp assembly to grip the web and hold the web for cutting, whereby the web being rewound on the reel core prior to cutting and after it has been clamped by the first web clamp assembly and the rewinding for placing the web under a predetermined tension along the X-axis.