US 7,344,104 B2
Unwind apparatus
Frank Stephen Hada, Appleton, Wis. (US); James Leo Baggot, Menasha, Wis. (US); Brian James Gingras, Appleton, Wis. (US); and Vivek Karandikar, Neenah, Wis. (US)
Assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, Wis. (US)
Filed on Apr. 08, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/102,014.
Prior Publication US 2006/0226275 A1, Oct. 12, 2006
Int. Cl. B65H 23/06 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 242—420.2  [242/535.4; 242/541.3] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for winding a sheet material into a roll, said apparatus comprising:
a core shaft around which the sheet material is wound into a roll, a drive roller, a drive nip roller nipped against the drive roller, a brake roller, a brake nip roller nipped against the brake roller and an endless belt having an endless belt path which partially wraps the roll;
said endless belt configured to travel between the drive nip roller and the drive roller and to rotate about the drive roller;
said endless belt further configured to travel between the brake nip roller and the brake roller and to rotate about the brake roller; and
wherein the drive roller advances the endless belt while the brake roller retards the endless belt so as to create a lower tension in the portion of the endless belt's path between the drive roller and the break roller that wraps the roll and a higher tension in the remaining portion of the endless belt's path between the brake roller and the drive roller that does not wrap the roll.