Methods and apparatus provide for sourcing a glass web, the glass web having a length and a width transverse to the length; continuously moving the glass web from the source to a destination in a transport direction along the length of the glass web; and cutting the glass web at a cutting zone into at least first and second glass ribbons as the glass web is moved from the source to the destination, the first glass ribbon having a first width and the second glass ribbon having a second width, where the first and second widths are not equal.

The machine comprises an unwinding section (3) for unwinding parent reels (Ba, Bb) of web material (Na, Nb), and at least one unwinding station (15). A winding device (41, 53) is arranged in the unwinding station, and a longitudinal strip (S) of web material is fed to it and a respective spool (B) of web material is formed in it. A control unit (70) is also provided, configured to control the winding speed of the longitudinal strip (S) in the winding station (15), so as to perform an acceleration cycle to accelerate the winding of the longitudinal strip (S), comprising at least one step of gradually increasing the feeding speed (Vp) of the longitudinal strip (S), wherein the feeding speed is linked to the diameter of the spool (B).

A sensing device is for sensing an outer surface of a roll of material. An infrared (IR) laser source is configured to direct IR laser radiation to the outer surface of the roll of material. A single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detector is configured to receive reflected IR laser radiation from the outer surface of the roll of material. A controller is coupled to the IR laser source and the SPAD detector to determine a distance to the outer surface of the roll of material based upon a time-of-flight of the IR laser radiation.

An adjusting method for a printing apparatus includes a head configured onto perform printing on a medium, a winding shaft configured to wind thereon the transported medium, a shaft adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a position of the winding shaft, and a notification part configured to provide a notification, the method including a printing step for printing a scale onto the medium, a transporting step for transporting the scale to the winding shaft, an image-capturing step for image-capturing the scale, which is transported to the winding shaft, at two different locations of the medium in a direction along an axis of the winding shaft, a notification step for providing to the notification part a notification about a result based on a captured image of the scale, and an adjustment step for adjusting a position of the winding shaft in accordance with a result notified to the notification part.

An adjusting method for a printing apparatus includes a head configured onto perform printing on a medium, a winding shaft configured to wind thereon the transported medium, a shaft adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a position of the winding shaft, and a notification part configured to provide a notification, the method including a printing step for printing a scale onto the medium, a transporting step for transporting the scale to the winding shaft, an image-capturing step for image-capturing the scale, which is transported to the winding shaft, at two different locations of the medium in a direction along an axis of the winding shaft, a notification step for providing to the notification part a notification about a result based on a captured image of the scale, and an adjustment step for adjusting a position of the winding shaft in accordance with a result notified to the notification part.

A method includes, a first step of starting rotation of a rotating axle, which is configured to detachably support a web, in a direction in which the web is wounded onto the rotating axle, a second step of detecting a tension applied to the web after the first step, a third step of performing open loop control on torque applied to the rotating axle until the tension greater than a designated value is detected with the second step, and a fourth step of performing feedback control on the torque applied to the rotating axle based on the detection value of the tension applied to the web after the tension greater than the designated value is detected with the second step.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a roll motor which applies torque for rotating a roll body to the roll body, a storage portion which stores output measured value, which is measurement result of output value to the roll motor for rotating the roll body, and a roll control portion which corrects the output measured values stored in the storage portion to correction value in accordance with stop time of the roll motor, and controls the roll motor based on the corrected output measured values.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a feeding portion that performs a feeding operation, which feeds a medium to a downstream side, and a reverse feeding operation, which feeds the medium to an upstream side, and a wind-up portion that performs a wind-up operation, which winds up a medium fed to the downstream side by the feeding operation, and a unwinding operation that unwinds the wound up medium, in which the wind-up portion performs the unwinding operation prior to the reverse feeding operation.

An apparatus (un-interleaver) for unwinding a roll of material interleaved with another material, and for separating the materials, includes a first platform, a second platform, a tension-sensor, an edge-sensor, and a controller. The controller monitors signals generated by the tension-sensor and the edge-sensor, and in response to the signals: a) causes the speed at which the second platform rotates to change to maintain a predetermined tension in the second material as the second material travels from the first platform toward the second platform, and b) causes the second platform to move relative to the first platform to align the edge of the second material traveling toward the roll of second material with the edge of the second material in the roll.

A conveying device includes a sheet conveyor configured to convey a medium in a conveyance direction of the medium, a sheet winder including a winding roller and a winding motor, and circuitry to control the sheet conveyor and the sheet winder. The circuitry is configured to convey the medium intermittently while repeating: causing the sheet conveyor and the sheet winder to convey the loosened medium by a predetermined conveyance amount; rotating the winding motor in a normal direction by a predetermined torque according to an outer winding diameter of the medium to apply a predetermined tension force to the medium; and rotating the winding motor in a reverse direction to loosen the medium by a predetermined slack amount. The circuitry is configured to determine the predetermined tension force according to the width of the medium intersecting with the conveyance direction of the medium.