A rewinding machine for convolutley winding a web material onto a core to is disclosed. The rewinding machine comprises a first winding drum rotatable at a first peripheral velocity, a second winding drum opposed to the first winding drum and rotatable at a second peripheral velocity, and a core support for gripping opposing ends of the core. The core support grips opposing ends of the core during winding of the web material about the core. The core support has first and second rotatable pins each having corresponding first and second ends capable of insertion into a respective end of the core. The first rotatable pin has a channel that provides fluid communication between a source of positive pressure disposed external to the first rotatable pin and the second end of the first rotatable pin to provide positive pressure to the interior portion of the core.

In order to thread a web material in a converting machine a system is provided, with a first continuous flexible member and a second flexible member. An anchoring element, to which there can be fixed the web material leading edge, may be transferred from one to the other of the two flexible members so as to facilitate the threading operations.

A method and apparatus for the production of coreless paper rolls, including a winding phase on a central spindle of a paper web carried out by a main reel, until the formation of a wound paper roll, a phase of extraction from the wound roll of the spindle by application of a relative axial extraction force between the roll and the spindle, where the winding phase includes a first winding phase of a number of web revolutions on the central spindle performed at a first winding tension that is lower than the next winding tension.

A coreless log of convolutely wound web material is formed by directing the web around an applicator roller that is in contact with a first surface of the web. An additive is transferred from a supply roller to the applicator roller over a first distance of the web and stopped over a second distance of the web. The web is directed around at least one further roller that is in contact with the second surface of the web that is opposite the first surface. The web is then wound around an elongated mandrel. The first distance of the web comprises a first set of windings nearest the center of the log, and the second distance of the web comprises a second set of windings wound around and extending radially outward from the first set of windings. The mandrel may then be removed to form the coreless log.

A rewinding machine winds a web material into a log about a core. The web material to be wound is directed about a rotating winding drum. A continuous loop is spaced from the winding drum and with the winding drum defines a nip through which the core is inserted and through which the web material is directed. A surface of the continuous loop opposite the winding drum across the nip is configured to move in a direction generally opposite of the winding drum for winding the web material about the core. A rider roll defines a winding space with the winding drum and the continuous loop. The rider roll is movable relative to the continuous loop and the winding drum to allow for an increase in a diameter of the log in the winding space during winding of the web material about the core.