Method of and apparatus for delivering webs of photosensitive material to a printer

摘要

Rolls of webs of photosensitive paper are accumulated into a stack on the upper reach of a belt conveyor which slopes upwardly and has a prop for the lowermost roll of the stack. The topmost roll of the stack is transferred to an unwinding station by an inflatable mandrel which is mounted on a pivotable lever and is movable by the lever between a horizontal position at the unwinding station and an inclined position in which it extends into and can be inflated in the interior of the core of the topmost roll of the stack. A catcher locates the leader of the web on the roll at the unwinding station and delivers the leader into the nip of two transporting rollers which advance the leader into a printer. When the supply of web on the core at the unwinding station is exhausted, the empty core is separated from the mandrel by a stripping device and the mandrel is ready to remove the next topmost roll from the upper reach of the conveyor. Such topmost roll is advanced to an optimum level for engagement of its core by the mandrel not later when the lever is pivoted again to tilt the mandrel and to thus move it into the core of the topmost roll.