A drive gear assembly for a roll that is detachably supported in a machine body, the assembly comprising a drive gear mounted for a rotation about a stationary axis in the machine body, a driven gear mounted on an end portion of the roller, and a bearing formed in the machine body for supporting said end portion in an operative position in which the drive gear meshes with the driven gear, the assembly further comprising by a safety cover that is pivotally supported on the machine body to be movable between an active position in which it covers at least a part of the periphery of the driven gear, except a portion where the drive gear meshes with the driven gear, and an open position in which it permits an insertion of the end portion of the roll into the bearing, the cover being elastically biased into the open position and having an engagement surface arranged to be engaged by at least one of the roll and the driven gear for holding the cover in the active position as long as the roll is in the operative position.

A safety chuck mounted to equipment that process web material is provided. The safety chuck is provided with a die spring connecting a moveable jaw with a spindle, said spring urging the moveable jaw into a fully closed position. A number of magnets mounted on a mounting flange will engage the moveable jaw, overcoming the spring's force and holding the moveable jaw in a fully open position. Rotation of the spindle releases the magnets allowing the spring to force the moveable jaw back into a fully closed position.

There is provided a printer including, in a sheet holding section configured to hold roll paper formed by rolling a printing target sheet, a pair of pressing sections configured to hold the roll paper from both side ends, and a holding section provided in each of the pressing section. The holding section is displaceable to a first position where the holding section projects to a side opposed to a side end portion of the roll paper and a second position where the holding section does not project. The holding section enters a cylindrical portion in a rolling center of the roll paper in the first position to hold the roll paper.

A capstan includes a lift motor, a flexible lifting member, and a tether assembly. The lift motor is operatively connected to a shaft. The flexible lifting member includes a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to the shaft. The flexible lifting member connects a lift assembly to the lift motor via the shaft. The tether assembly includes a switch arranged between a portion of the flexible lifting member and a portion of the capstan. The second end is connected to the tether assembly. The switch acts as a safety in case of a broken flexible lifting member and allows for an automated unloading cycle.

A process for improving the convertability of parent rolls of convolutely wound web materials is disclosed.

A pouch roll replacement system comprises a transport part, a replacement chucking part, an unwinder chucking part, a measuring part, and a control part. The transport part transports a replacement pouch roll and is capable of adjusting the central axis height of the replacement pouch roll The replacement chucking part is provided to chuck the replacement pouch roll transported through the transport part and has a predetermined chucking height The unwinder chucking part accommodates a traveling pouch roll and the measuring part measures the distance to the replacement pouch roll seated on the transport part before transporting the replacement pouch roll to the replacement chucking part. The control part controls the transport part so that the central axis height of the replacement pouch roll seated on the transport part is adjusted based on the measurement information of the measuring part and the chucking height of the replacement chucking part.

Proposed are a freight replacement apparatus and a freight replacement method. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the freight replacement apparatus includes an automated loading part configured to load thereon a first freight and to move to a designated position, a transporting part configured to load thereon a second freight different from the first freight and to transfer the second freight, a buffer part disposed between the automated loading part and the transporting part, and a replacement part configured to replace the first freight and the second freight together with the buffer part. Therefore, damage to freight may be prevented, and a replacement speed between different freights may be increased.

Disclosed is a reel support device including a separation member that separates a reel from a floor surface as the reel rolls and a support member that supports the reel at a separated position so that the reel is rotatable about its center.

A web roll handling and loading system and methods employ hubs positioned on opposing sides of a roll of web material wound on a hollow tubular core. Hub faces have an annular shape configured to be seated in respective ends of the hollow tubular core. The hubs are pivotably supported for pivoting between an operational position and a deflected position. The roll of web material is loaded on the hubs by lifting it from beneath the hubs to deflect the hub faces arcuately upward, then lowering the roll to allow the hub faces to pivot downward and become seated in the ends of the hollow tubular core. Alternatively, the roll is loaded into a pick-up tool by lowering the pick-up tool downward to the roll so the hubs deflect arcuately upward, then raising the tool so the hubs pivot downward and become seated in the hollow tubular core.

A method of grounding a dispenser. A low impedance path is connected to elements internal to the dispenser. The low impedance path is also connected to a surface contact spring which is adapted to contact an external mounting surface when the dispenser is affixed thereto. Static electrical charge accumulated on the elements is discharged through the low impedance path and the surface contact spring to the external mounting surface.