Apparatus for winding paper with static control

An apparatus for winding a web of paper into a roll comprising:

• a rotatably mounted reel spool;
• a drive motor connected to the reel spool for winding a paper web thereon to create a parent roll of increasing diameter;
• an air permeable endless flexible belt having an inside surface and an outside surface supported for rotation around a plurality of support rolls defining a predetermined path of travel, the predetermined path of travel having a winding region including a free span and a pair of support rolls, and a web transport region preceding the winding region, the paper web residing on the outside surface and positioned adjacent to the reel spool engaging the reel spool during winding such that the free span is deflected from the predetermined path of travel by the paper web winding on the reel spool;
• a displacement sensor mounted within the endless flexible belt measuring a deflection of the inside surface from the predetermined path of travel;
• an actuator for positioning the reel spool and the endless flexible belt relative to each other to vary the deflection of the Inside surface;
• a controller connected to the displacement sensor and the actuator for controlling the deflection of the inside surface as the parent roll diameter increases;
• and
• at least one static measurement probe measuring the charge of at least one of the endless flexible belt and the paper web and at least one static induction device for inducing a static charge into at least one of the endless flexible belt and the web based on the measured charge.

A method of winding a web to form a roll comprising the steps of:

• engaging a reel spool against an endless flexible belt creating a nip such that the flexible belt is deflected from a predetermined path of travel, the endless flexible belt having a winding region, and a web transport region;
• rotating the reel spool and the endless flexible belt;
• advancing the web into the nip and directing the web around the reel spool to form a roll of increasing diameter;
• sensing the amount of deflection of the endless flexible belt by the roll as the diameter of the roll increases;
• moving at least one of the reel spool and the endless flexible belt in response to the sensing step to vary the amount of deflection of the endless flexible belt;
• measuring the static charge of at least one of the web and the endless flexible belt;
• and
• inducing a static charge into at least one of the web and the endless flexible belt based on the measured charge.