Web guide and method

A guide for controlling web material in laterally separate paths from a web supply to a machine for producing packing blanks, comprising:

• a frame extending transversely to a feed direction of the web;
• at least one pair of laterally separated guide rails running in parallel in said feed direction, each guide rail comprising an upper and a lower flexible strip, respectively, the strips defining a guided passage from an entrance end to an exit end of the guide rail;
• the guide rails being laterally displaceable on the frame;
• the exit end of each guide rail connectable to the machine for producing packing blanks, and
• each laterally separated path of web material being associated with a line up means, upstream of the guide rail entrance ends, for aligning the web material with the guided passage, wherein,
• the line up means comprises a capstan, supported on the frame and freely rotating about an axis extending transversely to the feed direction, and
• a circumference of the capstan is defined through horizontal bars parallel with the axis of rotation, and the cord length between adjacent bars of the capstan corresponding to the distance between the fold lines of a fan fold web material.