Various apparatus embodiments include first, second, third and fourth shafts, and further include a first movable shaft having a first movable axis that is movable between a first axis position and a second axis position, and a second movable shaft having a second movable axis that is movable between a third axis position and fourth axis position. At least one linkage connects the first movable shaft to the second movable shaft. A motor linkage connects the at least one linkage to at least one motor for providing simultaneous movement of the first and second movable shafts.

The machine (1) comprises: an unwinding section (3) for unwinding parent reels (Ba, Bb) of web material (N; S); at least one winding station (15) comprising a winding device (25) and further comprising: guide members for guiding the strip (S) of web material, configured to form at least a loop of web material between a guide roller (43) and a log (B); and a cutting device (61) for transversally cutting the strip (S) of web material in an intermediate position between the log (B) and the guide roller (43), thus generating a tail edge, remaining on the log (B) being formed, and a leading edge, remaining fastened to the guide roller (43).

A packaging machine comprises a conveying device for advancing a web along a web advancement path at least to a tube forming station where the web is formed into a tube and for advancing the tube along a tube advancement path, a tube forming and sealing device configured to form and to longitudinally seal the tube, a tensioning device upstream of the tube forming station and configured to control the tension of the tube and a control unit configured to control packaging machine operation. The tensioning device comprises a main drive roller rotatable around a main rotation axis and a main drive motor configured to actuate rotation of the main drive roller around the main rotation axis. The control unit is configured to control the main drive motor such that angular speed and/or angular acceleration of the main drive roller is cyclically varied to control the tension of the tube.

An apparatus for the preparation of comestible-containing sandwich products comprises a sandwich product assembly station and corresponding means for the fabrication and assembly of a sandwich product in the vertical direction. The apparatus includes an extruder nozzle, wafer trays and corresponding components for the location of wafers on opposite sides of the extruded product, an indexing wheel for receiving the assembled sandwich product, and sandwich transporting means for moving the sandwich to a wrapping assembly and from there to a discharge end, wherein all of the components of the apparatus are mounted in cantilevered fashion on a vertical support or base member. Each element is powered individually by a servo motor or actuator and controlled by a controller allowing the variability of throughput for each station.

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are described for forming individual packages in a food packaging machine (100) comprising a plurality of sub-systems. One or more local variable values (142) are received, which indicate measurements by the food packaging machine (100) of one or more physical parameters for a local sub-system (120). One or more remote variable values (204) are received, which indicate measurements by the food packaging machine (100) of one or more physical parameters for one or remote sub-systems. One or more control parameter values are determined for the local sub-system (120) of the food packaging machine (100), by processing the remote variable values (204) and the local variable values (142) using a reinforcement learning model (206) and a local control model (210). One or more control parameters of the local sub-system (120) are adjusted in accordance with the determined control parameter values. The formation of individual packages (122) by the food packaging machine (100) is controlled in accordance with the adjusted one or more control parameters.

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are described for controlling web tensioning in a food packaging machine comprising a plurality of sub-systems. One or more local variable value are received, which indicate measurements by the food packaging machine of one or more physical parameters for a web tensioning sub-system. One or more remote variable values are received, which indicate measurements by the food packaging machine of one or more physical parameters for one or remote sub-systems. One or more control parameter values are determined for the web tensioning sub-system, by processing the remote and the local variable values using a reinforcement learning model and a local control model. One or more control parameters of the web tensioning sub-system are adjusted in accordance with the determined control parameter values.

A packaging machine which unwinds a bottom film web from a supply roll and conveys it intermittently or continuously along the packaging machine and in a forming station, forms into the bottom film web packaging cavities, which are then filled with a product to be packaged. In a sealing station, a top film web is sealed to the bottom film web, wherein the bottom and top film web are respectively unwound from a supply roll and the bottom and top film web are respectively tensioned by means of a dancer roll. The supply roll is driven by means of a motor, the parameters of which, in particular rotation speed and/or torque, can be set on the basis of the parameters of the respective supply roll.

In order to provide, to a roll-to-roll printing apparatus which seamlessly performs printing on a base material using a roll-to-roll method, performance for finely controlling the tension of the base material, the roll-to-roll printing apparatus includes a drive roll (74) that supplies a base material (B) to a plate cylinder, a drive roll actuator that rotates the drive roll (74), a dancer actuator (84) that changes a path line length of the base material (B) to vary the tension of the base material (B), a tension detection device (78) that detects the tension of the base material (B), and a tension control device (80) that controls the drive roll actuator and the dancer actuator (84) in accordance with a result of the detection by the tension detection device (78) to compensate for a variation in the tension of the base material (B). When compensating for the variation in the tension of the base material (B), the tension control device (80) uses the drive roll actuator to perform relatively rough control, while using the dancer actuator (84) to perform relatively fine control.

In order to provide, to a roll-to-roll printing apparatus which seamlessly performs printing on a base material using a roll-to-roll method, performance for finely controlling the tension of the base material, the roll-to-roll printing apparatus includes a drive roll (74) that supplies a base material (B) to a plate cylinder, a drive roll actuator that rotates the drive roll (74), a dancer actuator (84) that changes a path line length of the base material (B) to vary the tension of the base material (B), a tension detection device (78) that detects the tension of the base material (B), and a tension control device (80) that controls the drive roll actuator and the dancer actuator (84) in accordance with a result of the detection by the tension detection device (78) to compensate for a variation in the tension of the base material (B). When compensating for the variation in the tension of the base material (B), the tension control device (80) uses the drive roll actuator to perform relatively rough control, while using the dancer actuator (84) to perform relatively fine control.

Technology enabling correctly detecting that paper has been delivered from a paper roll to the trailing end A printer has an inkjet head; a roll paper support; a delivery motor configured to rotate the roll paper supported by the roll paper support; a guide member configured to guide roll paper conveyed from the paper roll; and a detection switch disposed to a position where it detects the conveyed roll paper when the delivery point on the circumference of the paper roll moves to the part of the circumference of the roll on the same side of an imaginary line as the guide member; the delivery point being from which the conveyed roil paper separates from the roil when the paper roll turns; and the imaginary line being tangent to the guide member and passing through the center of the roll.