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.

Unwinder of a thin ply product wound on a roll, comprising a first roll-holder assembly equipped with a first unwinding rod for a respective roll, on which the roll is adapted to be supported, and which has an axis of rotation transversal to the direction of movement of the ply unwound from the roll, a second roll-holder assembly equipped with a second unwinding rod of a respective roll, on which the roll is adapted to be supported, said second rod being parallel to said first unwinding rod of the first roll-holder assembly, said second roll-holder assembly facing said first roll-holder assembly in an unwinding zone, a ply splicing assembly placed above said first and second facing roll-holder assemblies, a ply accumulation unit to allow automatic switching between a roll being unwound in one said roll-holder assembly and a spare roll provided in the other roll-holder assembly, a system for the lateral movement of each of said unwinding rods with respect to said unwinding zone, from said unwinding zone to a loading zone wherein said rolls are outside said winding zone to facilitate loading the rolls into the respective roll-holder assemblies, wherein said splicing assembly can be moved from a working position above the two said roll-holder assemblies in said unwinding zone, to a working position above an extracted roll assembly in the loading zone, to allow preparation for splicing of the leading edge of the ply wound on the spare roll.

A sheet product dispenser for dispensing sheet product from a roll of sheet product is provided. An example sheet product dispenser includes a housing defining an interior space for receiving a first roll of sheet product therein, a mandrel positioned within the interior space, and a spindle positioned over at least a portion of the mandrel and configured to support the first roll of sheet product for rotation about the mandrel. The spindle comprises a base portion and a nose portion configured to translate relative to one another along a longitudinal axis of the mandrel. At least a portion of the spindle is configured to translate relative to the mandrel from a first configuration to a second configuration to cause a remainder of the first roll of sheet product to deform and enable movement of a dispensing door to enable access to a second roll of sheet product.

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.

Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for supplying, staging, and/or handling, and/or for replacing rolls (12, 20) with flat material and/or film material wound thereonto and serving as packaging material (22) for packaging piece goods, bundles, or the like sets of articles. Depleted rolls (20) are removed from at least one installation position (EB1, EB2) of a packaging machine (14), and new rolls (12) are mounted into the particular installation position (EB1, EB2), with new rolls (12) being staged to the packaging machine (14) in a specified feeder device. Each of the installation positions (EB1, EB2) of the packaging machine (14) includes at least one rotatable receiving mandrel (70) for the rotatable reception and holding of the rolls (12). The at least one receiving mandrel (70) is shiftable in its axial direction upon removing a depleted roll (20) and/or upon mounting of a new roll (12).

A web material dispenser for housing two or more rolls is provided. The web material dispenser includes a housing having a fixed housing portion provided with a first roll support assembly coupled thereto for supporting a first roll of web material. The housing further has a movable housing portion, movable between a closed position and an open position, provided with a second roll support assembly coupled thereto for supporting a second roll of web material. The fixed and movable housing portions defining a housing chamber therebetween when the movable portion is in the closed position, for at least partially enclosing the two or more rolls of web material within the housing chamber. The movable portion is moved to the open position for providing access to the two or more rolls and allowing replacement of at least one of the first and second rolls.

A sheet product dispenser for dispensing sheet product from a roll of sheet product is provided. An example sheet product dispenser includes a housing defining an interior space for receiving a first roll of sheet product therein, a mandrel positioned within the interior space, and a spindle positioned over at least a portion of the mandrel and configured to support the first roll of sheet product for rotation about the mandrel. The spindle comprises a base portion and a nose portion configured to translate relative to one another along a longitudinal axis of the mandrel. At least a portion of the spindle is configured to translate relative to the mandrel from a first configuration to a second configuration to cause a remainder of the first roll of sheet product to deform and enable movement of a dispensing door to enable access to a second roll of sheet product.

Spindles and cover assemblies for dispensing sheet product are provided, such as for use with coreless sheet product rolls. The spindle may include a hollow cylindrical body, which may have an elongated channel in a sidewall; a rod which extends partially out of the body; and a spring disposed within the body in biasing contact with the rod, wherein the rod may include a flexible tab matingly engaged within the channel, permitting the rod to translate within the hollow cylindrical body without falling out. In some other cases, the hollow cylindrical body may have an end with an opening bounded by an inward facing ledge, and the rod may include a radial ledge, such that the rod can translate within the body but cannot fall out due to interference between the inward facing ledge and the radial ledge. In some other cases, the spindle includes a friction hub disposed about and rotatable around the hollow cylindrical body between ends of the body.

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.

According to an aspect of the invention, a roll medium feeding shaft to be inserted into a through hole of a roll medium formed by winding a long recording medium is provided. The roll medium feeding shaft includes a holding member configured to be inserted into the through hole and to be rotated about a rotary axis together with the roll medium, a support part provided to one end of the roll medium feeding shaft and configured to support the holding member in a vertical direction when placed on a horizontal surface, and a shaft provided inside the holding member.