METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING AND HANDLING STACKS OF WEB MATERIAL

摘要

A method for developing and handling stacks of superposed, rectangular webs, the steps of developing said stacks at a predetermined speed and advancing said stacks along a first linear path at speeds which are at least equal to said predetermined speed with the long dimension of each rectangular web in a stack parallel with said first linear path, sequentially removing at least some of said stacks from said first linear path to transfer said removed stacks sequentially into a second linear path angularly related to said first linear path while maintaining the long dimension of each rectangular web in a stack parallel to said first linear path to provide a sequence of spaced apart stacks in said second linear path, the improvement characterized by sequentially retarding each stack in said second linear path to reduce the spacing between successive stacks, and thereafter advancing said sequence of stacks in said second linear path at a second speed less than said predetermined speed whereby said stacks can be handled for packaging in equipment subject to a speed limitation while being developed in equipment not subject to said speed limitation.