A web loader includes a web holder configured to hold a web, a traction member configured to hold the web holder and travel along a loading path of the web, a drive rotation body configured to drive the traction member to travel, and a limiter configured to limit a drive force applied to the drive rotation body.

Winding apparatuses for winding sheet material and related methods are disclosed herein. The winding apparatuses can include a set of winding drive rollers. Each drive roller of the winding drive rollers can have drive wheels spaced apart along the respective drive roller with a winding zone between the winding drive rollers. The winding apparatus can also include a feed system positioned before the set of the winding drive rollers for moving sheet material along a travel path in a machine direction into the winding zone.

Provided is a medium supply device including a spindle that supports a medium having a roll shape, a supplying portion that supplies the medium supported by the spindle toward outside, a plurality of support rollers that support the medium in positions between the spindle and the supplying portion, a moving roller that, in a contact position between the support rollers, is capable of coming into contact with a bridging medium extending across the support rollers in a state where a load is applied to the bridging medium and that is capable of moving from the contact position to a non-contact position of non-contact with the bridging medium, and a moving mechanism configured to move the moving roller from the contact position to the non-contact position.

A web loader includes a web holder configured to hold a web, a traction member configured to hold the web holder and travel along a loading path of the web, a drive rotation body configured to drive the traction member to travel, and a limiter configured to limit a drive force applied to the drive rotation body.

A web printing system has a loading tool to aid in the loading of new wide format web media. The loading tool is pivotable between a first position for loading a leading edge portion of the web onto the loading tool and a second position wherein an end portion of the loading tool extends above a print surface when in use. The end portion of the loading tool includes a beam element protruding from the loading tool in its pivoting direction towards the print surface, wherein in the second position the beam element is positioned with respect to the turn element, such that an S-shaped curve is formed in a web held on the loading tool. The curvature in the web significantly enhances the friction exerted by the beam element on the web, thereby stably holding the web in place.

The present invention relates to a converting machine, i.e., a machine for winding or unwinding a strip of material on coils, particularly configured to process a delicate material.

In particular, the invention is directed to a machine (1) for converting coils of a material into smaller coils, comprising a loading unit (2) for automatically loading a strip (N) of material into the machine (1), an accumulation unit (3) of the strip (N) being processed, and a winding unit (4) of the strip (N) on a winding shaft (5, 5) to form respective coils (B), characterized in that the loading unit (2) comprises an accompanying system (6) for the strip (N) from the loading unit (2) to the winding unit (4), said accompanying system (6) consisting of a double chain (7), comprising a first chain (7a) and a second chain (7b) and an accompanying bar (9) driven by said first and second chains (7a, 7b), wherein the double chain (7) develops in a loop along a path (P) and wherein the accompanying bar (9) is movable along the loop-shaped path (P) and is configured to drive the strip (N) from the loading unit (2) to the winding unit (4) and then, after releasing the strip (N), to return to the starting point in the loading unit (2).

The present invention relates to a converting machine, i.e., a machine for winding or unwinding a strip of material on coils, particularly configured to process a delicate material.

In particular, the invention is directed to a machine (1) for converting coils of a material into smaller coils, wherein the strip (N) is moved along a path (P), comprising a loading unit (2) of a strip (N) of material into the machine (1), an accumulation unit (3) of the strip (N) being processed, and a winding unit (4) of the strip (N) on a winding shaft (5, 5) to form respective coils (B), said units being positioned along said path (P), characterized in that the accumulation unit (3) comprises: a first movable supporting structure (20) for a first series of movable rollers (21) and a second movable supporting structure (20) for a second series of movable rollers (21), wherein each series of movable rollers (21, 21) comprises a plurality of rollers aligned vertically in a plane parallel to a first and second straight path stretch (Pv1, Pv2), said first and second straight path stretches (Pv1, Pv2) being connected by a third upper path stretch (Ps), to form as a whole a substantially -shaped path stretch (P), which encloses said movable supporting structures (20, 20) underneath, and wherein said first and second movable supporting structures (20, 20) slide in opposite directions away from each other between a retracted position, in which the movable rollers (21, 21) are not in contact with the strip (N), and a plurality of extended positions, in which the movable rollers (21, 21) are in contact with the strip (N); a first series of fixed rollers (19) and a second series of fixed rollers (19), facing the first and second series of movable rollers (21, 21), respectively, but staggered vertically with respect thereto, each series of fixed rollers (19, 19) comprising a plurality of vertically aligned rollers, respectively, on a plane parallel to said first (Pv1) and second (Pv2) stretches of path (P) and facing one side of said path stretches (Pv1, Pv2) opposite to said first and second series of movable rollers (21, 21), i.e., on the outside of the -shaped path stretch (P) so that said path stretches (Pv1, Pv2) are placed between said fixed rollers (19, 19) and said movable rollers (21, 21).

Winding apparatuses for winding sheet material and related methods are disclosed herein. The winding apparatuses can include a set of winding drive rollers. Each drive roller of the winding drive rollers can have drive wheels spaced apart along the respective drive roller with a winding zone between the winding drive rollers. The winding apparatus can also include a feed system positioned before the set of the winding drive rollers for moving sheet material along a travel path in a machine direction into the winding zone.

A web printing system has a loading tool to aid in the loading of new wide format web media. The loading tool is pivotable between a first position for loading a leading edge portion of the web onto the loading tool and a second position wherein an end portion of the loading tool extends above a print surface when in use. The end portion of the loading tool includes a beam element protruding from the loading tool in its pivoting direction towards the print surface, wherein in the second position the beam element is positioned with respect to the turn element, such that an S-shaped curve is formed in a web held on the loading tool. The curvature in the web significantly enhances the friction exerted by the beam element on the web, thereby stably holding the web in place.

Provided is a medium supply device including a spindle that supports a medium having a roll shape, a supplying portion that supplies the medium supported by the spindle toward outside, a plurality of support rollers that support the medium in positions between the spindle and the supplying portion, a moving roller that, in a contact position between the support rollers, is capable of coming into contact with a bridging medium extending across the support rollers in a state where a load is applied to the bridging medium and that is capable of moving from the contact position to a non-contact position of non-contact with the bridging medium, and a moving mechanism configured to move the moving roller from the contact position to the non-contact position.