Method and apparatus for supplying strip material

A winding support stand for supporting a package structure during winding of a strip into the package structure at a supply location, during transportation of the package structure from the supply location to an end use location and during unwinding of the package support structure for supply of the strip to an end use machine at the end use location, the stand comprising:

• a stand base;
• an elongate cylindrical core mounted on the stand base for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the member for receiving thereon the strip to form the package structure and for unwinding of package structure to supply the strip;
• the stand base including first and second end support arms each for supporting a respective end of the core;
• first and second rails each connected to a bottom of a respective arm and each extending across the stand base from said one side of the core to the opposed side underneath the core for resting upon a floor surface;
• each arm being cantilevered from the respective rail;
• the rails being arranged to converge toward one another from a wider side of the stand base at the bottom of the arms to a narrow side of the stand base as the arms extend across underneath the core;
• and the stand base being shaped by the arrangement of the arms and the rails to allow nesting of one stand base with another stand base by insertion of the rails at the narrower side between the rails at the wider side to a position in which the core of one stand base is parallel to and along side the core of the next adjacent stand base.

A method for supplying a strip to an end use machine at an end use location comprising:

• forwarding the strip from a supply thereof at a supply location;
• providing at the supply location a winding support stand having an elongate support core mounted on the stand for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the core;
• causing a rotation of the core about the axis while effecting a traversing movement of the strip back and forth along the core so as to effect winding of the strip onto the core to form a package of the strip;
• effecting transportation of the package structure from the supply location to the end use location;
• causing unwinding of the package structure at the end use location so as to supply the strip to the end use machine;
• providing at the end use location an end use machine;
• at the end use location locating the package structure at a position remote from the end use machine;
• and transporting the strip from the package structure to the end use machine through a transportation duct;
• and providing in the duct an air flow therethrough tending to carry the strip on a layer of air within the duct.