Reel-up and method of controlling nip load therein

A reel-up for reeling a paper web onto reeling drums to form paper reels, comprising:

• a support frame including a pair of spaced lower rails for supporting opposite ends of a reeling drum;
• a driven surface winding device defining an outer surface that supports the paper web and is driven to carry the paper web therewith along a predetermined path;
• a pair of spaced-apart primary arms having upper portions configured to receive and support opposite ends of a reeling drum delivered into the primary arms such that a paper-supporting portion of the reeling drum is rotatable about an axis of the reeling drum, the primary arms at lower portions thereof being rotatably journaled on the support frame about a common axis such that pivotal movement of the primary arms carries the reeling drum toward and into contact with the outer surface of the surface winding device at an upper position thereof so that reeling of the paper web onto the reeling drum is initiated, and then carries the reeling drum generally downward along the outer surface to a lower position adjacent the lower rails;
• outer and inner locking arms pivotally mounted on the upper portion of each primary arm so as to be pivotally movable away from and toward each other for respectively opening to receive the reeling drum and closing to grip and retain the reeling drum, each pair of outer and inner locking arms being pivotal about a common gripping unit axis on the respective primary arm so as to form a gripping unit that is pivotable about said gripping unit axis;
• a first actuator coupled with each gripping unit, each first actuator being arranged to pivot one of the locking arms relative to the other for opening and closing the gripping unit;
• and
• a second actuator coupled between each gripping unit and the respective primary arm, each second actuator being arranged to pivot the gripping unit relative to the primary arm about the gripping unit axis so as to control a linear nip load between a paper reel being formed on the reeling drum and the surface winding device as the primary arms carry the reeling drum from the upper position to the lower position along the outer surface of the surface winding device.