Flying web splice apparatus and method

A method of splicing a first web of material to a second web of moving material, comprising the steps of:

• moving the second web of moving material through a first path;
• passing the first web of material at least partially around a rotatable roll;
• moving the first web of material partly through a second path to a position adjacent to the first path;
• changing the second path to define a third path intersecting with the first path;
• accelerating the first web of material through the third path to bring the first web of material into contact with the second web of moving material;
• drawing the first and second webs of material through a rotatable pressure-bonding mechanism;
• actuating the rotatable pressure-bonding mechanism to bond the first and second webs of material together;
• driving the rotatable roll while actuating the rotatable pressure-bonding mechanism;
• transferring slack in the first web by driving the rotatable roll, the rotatable roll transferring slack of the first web from upstream of the rotatable roll to a part of the first web between the rotatable roll and the pressure-bonding mechanism;
• reducing tension of the first web between the rotatable roll and the pressure-bonding mechanism by transferring slack in the first web;
• and
• holding the first web of material against a movable surface while the first web of material is accelerated.

A method of splicing a first web of material to a second web of moving material in a web splicer, comprising the steps of:

• providing a web path through the splicer through which the first web of material is movable;
• passing the first web of material at least partially around a rotatable roll;
• passing the first web of material partly through the web path;
• moving an end of the first web of material toward the second web of material to change the web path taken by the first web through the splicer;
• accelerating the first web of material to a speed of the second web of moving material;
• passing the first and second webs of material through a rotatable pressure-bonding mechanism;
• actuating the rotatable pressure-bonding mechanism to bond the first and second webs of material together;
• driving the rotatable roll while actuating the rotatable pressure-bonding mechanism;
• transferring slack in the first web by driving the rotatable roll, the rotatable roll transferring slack of the first web from upstream of the rotatable roll to a part of the first web between the rotatable roll and the pressure-bonding mechanism;
• reducing tension of the first web, between the rotatable roll and the pressure-bonding mechanism by transferring slack in the first web;
• and
• holding the first web against a surface while the first web is accelerated.

A flying web splicer for splicing a first web of material to a second web of moving material, comprising:

• first and second web paths through which the first web of material is movable;
• a first actuator movable to divert the first web of material from the first web path to the second web path in intersecting relationship with the second web of moving material;
• and
• a rotatable pressure-bonding mechanism through which the first and second webs are movable to bond the first web to the second web;
• a rotatable roll located upstream of the rotatable pressure-bonding mechanism and about which the first web is movable, the rotatable roll powered to transfer slack in the first web from upstream of the rotatable roll to a location between the rotatable roll and the rotatable pressure-bonding mechanism;
• and
• a movable surface against which the first web is held while the first and second webs are being bonded by the rotatable pressure-bonding mechanism.