The present disclosure relates to systems and methods related to the suppression of invasive plant species by laying down a fabric over beds of such invasive plants. A watercraft with a fabric laying mechanism is provided with the mechanism automatically guiding the fabric from a fabric stockpile to a frame that spreads the fabric prior to the fabric being laid over the underwater plant bed. The watercraft may be provided with a device for dispensing material over the fabric that has been laid down to weigh down or hold down the fabric. Preferably, the fabric is biodegradable and the material is natural to the area. In one implementation, the fabric (e.g jute burlap) is coarsely woven from natural plant fibers.

An apparatus is provided for handling overlay sheet material on a cutting apparatus including a conveyor for moving work material in a longitudinal direction and a support for positioning a tensioner frame adjacent the conveyor. A tensioner frame, attached to the support, has a nip wheel and a drive for rotating the nip wheel with a tangential speed in excess of the longitudinal conveyor speed attached to the tensioner frame. The nip wheel engages the overlay sheet material applying a tension thereto in the same longitudinal direction as the conveyor.

A sheet conveyor includes: a holder that detachably holds a sheet roll; a conveyance roller that conveys, by rotation, a sheet pulled out from the sheet roll; a first motor that rotates the conveyance roller; a second motor that rotates the sheet roll along with the conveyance of the sheet; a tension estimator that estimates tension of the sheet conveyed by the rotation of the conveyance roller; a measuring device that measures a physical quantity related to rotary motion of the conveyance roller; and a controller. The controller estimates acceleration torque of the second motor required for rotating the sheet roll depending on acceleration of the conveyance roller, based on rotation acceleration of the conveyance roller specified by the physical quantity measured by the measuring device, and calculates a feedforward control input for the second motor based on the acceleration torque estimated.

A sheet conveyor includes: a holder that detachably holds a sheet roll; a rotation measuring device that measures a rotation amount of the sheet roll; a conveyance roller that conveys a sheet pulled out from the sheet roll held by the holder; a tensioner that is provided between the holder and the conveyance roller and that contacts with the sheet pulled out from the sheet roll toward the conveyance roller; a position detector that detects a position of the tensioner; a motor that generates driving force for rotating the conveyance roller; and a controller that controls the motor. The controller estimates a diameter of the sheet roll based on a conveyance amount of the sheet caused by rotation of the conveyance roller, a rotation amount of the sheet roll measured by the rotation measuring device, and a position of the tensioner detected by the position detector.

A winding device (10) for winding a web (92) onto a reel (90) has a drive shaft (20), a gear (30), a clutch shaft (63), an energy storage means (50), a clutch (60) and an output shaft (80). The gear (30) is configured, as a positive-engagement gear, to transmit a rotary movement of the drive shaft (20) to a first clutch shaft element (61) assigned to the clutch shaft (63). The clutch shaft (63) is connected via the clutch (60) with the output shaft (80) in order, selectively, to enable or prevent a transmission of torque between the clutch shaft (63) and the output shaft (80). The gear (30) has, without the energy storage means (50) having effect, a first predetermined transmission ratio (i_0) between the drive shaft (20) and the clutch shaft (63), and the energy storage means (50) is configured to store and release rotational energy and to vary the transmission ratio.

The present application relates to rolled good feeding device and method. Material feeding devices and methods are provided for conveying material from material rolls. The material roll may be adjusted in the longitudinal direction during the feeding process by a rectifying frame to aid in maintaining alignment during the unrolling. Tension of the unrolled material may be monitored and unrolling speeds of the feeding device can be adjusted to maintain tension of the material within a range for that material. Aspects also contemplate elements to feed multiple rolled materials simultaneously for subsequent processing in combination as layered materials.

The present invention relates to a machine for producing multi-layer cardboard or paper, or a machine for either printing or converting, starting from a reel of paper, cardboard or other material. In general, the invention can be applied to machines wherein a reel of different materials is unwound and which requires a contrast system to regulate the tensioning of the ribbon. In particular, the invention relates to a system for braking said reel. In particular, the invention relates to a braking system (2) for a support member (1) of a reel (B), for example, a reel of paper in a machine for producing cardboard or corrugated cardboard, wherein said braking system (2) comprises a motor-generator device (8) and a mechanical brake device (9) arranged coaxially.

A sheet supplying apparatus, which is capable of winding a sheet tightly, includes a driving unit configured to cause a roll including a wound consecutive sheet to rotate in a first direction for feeding the sheet or a second direction opposite to the first direction, a sensor that detects a leading end portion of the sheet separated from an outer circumferential surface of the roll, and a contact body that presses the outer circumferential surface. Before the sheet is fed, in a state in which the contact body presses the outer circumferential surface, the driving unit causes the roll to continuously rotate in the second direction until a detection cycle of the leading end portion by the sensor is less than a predetermined value.

A sheet supplying apparatus, which is capable of winding a sheet tightly, includes a driving unit configured to cause a roll including a wound consecutive sheet to rotate in a first direction for feeding the sheet or a second direction opposite to the first direction, a sensor that detects a leading end portion of the sheet separated from an outer circumferential surface of the roll, and a contact body that presses the outer circumferential surface. Before the sheet is fed, in a state in which the contact body presses the outer circumferential surface, the driving unit causes the roll to continuously rotate in the second direction until a detection cycle of the leading end portion by the sensor is less than a predetermined value.

A sheet interleaver is provided for a slicing machine that includes a slicing plane for slicing an elongated food product and a sheet of web material beneath the elongated product. The interleaver includes a supply of web material, a drawing station, and a feed station. A tensioning station is disposed between the supply of web material and the drawing station to maintain the tension of the web material at a pre-determined tension. A web accumulation station is between the drawing station and the feed station to provide a slackened length of web material within an acceptable range of slack between the drawing station and the feed station. The supply of web material is disposed on a spool which rotates about a cylindrical shaft. The cylindrical shaft has a braking mechanism which protrudes from the shaft to generate a frictional force against the spool.