A method for managing the continuous feeding of an elongate element wound on reels to a station for building a tire, wherein the elongate element is continuously supplied from an unwinding device of successive reels. When the terminal end of the elongate element wound on a first reel leaves said first reel, the method provides for: the first reel to be moved away from the unwinding device on a first movable carriage; a second reel, successive to the first reel, and mounted on a second movable carriage, to be positioned in place of the first reel; and the terminal end of the elongate element previously wound on the first reel, to be joined to the starting end of the elongate element wound on the second reel.

A tension-inducing shaft system includes a shaft, two shaft caps, and a biasing mechanism. A bore extends through the shaft between two ends of the shaft. The shaft caps are positioned on the two ends of the shaft. Each shaft cap includes a collar having a size that is larger than the bore, a keyed end, and an anchor. The biasing mechanism is arranged inside the bore and is coupled to the anchors of the shaft caps so that the biasing mechanism exerts inward forces on the shaft cap. The keyed ends of the shaft caps can be coupled to a housing so that the shaft caps do not rotate with respect to the housing. The shaft is configured to rotate with respect to the shaft caps such that, when the keyed ends are coupled to the housing, the shaft is capable of rotating with respect to the housing.

A core plug for supporting a roll of sheet product with respect to a sheet product dispenser is provided. The core plug may include a shell and a support. The shell may be positioned about a longitudinal axis of the core plug and configured to be at least partially inserted into a central opening of the roll of sheet product. The support may be movably attached to the shell and configured to engage a support feature of the sheet product dispenser such that the roll of sheet product is rotatably supported with respect to the sheet product dispenser. The support may be positioned at least partially within the shell, and at least a portion of the support may be configured to translate relative to the shell in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the core plug.

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.

In one example, a holder for a media roll includes a first support to support a first end of the roll, a second support to support a second end of the roll, and a shifter to change the distance between the first support and the first end of the roll without changing the distance between the second support and the second end of the roll.

There is disclosed a driver including an elongate shaft and at least one drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a housing which has an orifice for receiving the elongate shaft, and a drive wheel which is located at least partially within the housing. The drive wheel has a bore with a cross-section shaped so that the internal surface of the bore contacts the circumference of elongate shaft when the elongate shaft is inserted into the bore. The bore has at least two fulcrum surfaces so that the drive wheel is pivotable about the elongate shaft. The housing is slideable relative to the elongate shaft.

A reel carrier that includes a pallet having a platform bound by a frame and a shaft. The carrier includes a reel that is supported on the shaft. The reel includes a round drum rotatable about the shaft, wherein the rotation may be in a forward and/or a reverse or backward rotational direction. The carrier also includes a motor operably coupled to cause rotation of the drum and may be further operably coupled to cause deployment and/or retraction of one or more wheels included with the pallet, wherein the motor also controls locomotion of the one or more wheels.

A tape dispenser having a handle, a base plate disposed at an end of the handle, a rotatable tape mount engaged on the base plate, a nose member disposed on the base plate, a cylinder rotatably engaged on the nose member near a cutter and a guide element is provided. The guide member is slidingly engaged on the base plate. The guide element is adjustable between a loading position which is slid rearwardly to provide space between a tape engaging end of the guide element and the nose member and a loaded position where the end of the guide element is located adjacent the nose member. A tape core support assembly can include a shaft secured to the frame and an axle assembly disposed about at least a portion of the shaft. The axle assembly includes a hub having an outer surface and at least three arcuate arms extending outwardly from the hub outer surface. An outer periphery of the arms forms a theoretical or actual cylinder configured to receive the tape core. The rotatable tape core support can include a stationary axle, a spring inclusive bushing mounted to said axle, and a rotatable tape mount. The rotatable tape mount can include a housing that receives the bushing such that the spring engages a surface of the housing to control rotation of the tape mount.

A dispensing system includes a roll comprising a keyed end, a dispenser comprising a housing for receiving the roll, and a mount comprising a roll holder to support the keyed end and a roll support to support an opposing end. The roll holder comprises a frame, a clutch plate, a spindle, and a biasing unit, the clutch plate being disposed adjacent the spindle, and the spindle receives the keyed end and is rotatably coupled to the frame to permit rotation of the roll and the clutch plate about the dispensing axis. The spindle comprises a clutch surface and translates along the dispensing axis, and the biasing unit biases the spindle along the dispensing axis away from the frame. Mounting the keyed end of the roll onto the mount pushes the spindle towards the frame to increase a normal force between the clutch plate and the clutch surface.

A reel carrier that includes a pallet having a platform bound by a frame and a shaft. The carrier includes a reel that is supported on the shaft. The reel includes a round drum rotatable about the shaft, wherein the rotation may be in a forward and/or a reverse or backward rotational direction. The carrier also includes a motor operably coupled to cause rotation of the drum and may be further operably coupled to cause deployment and/or retraction of one or more wheels included with the pallet, wherein the motor also controls locomotion of the one or more wheels.