Apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus comprises supplying arrangement arranged for receiving a reel and transferring said reel towards an operative position of said reel and auxiliary device arranged for removing a core of an empty reel from said operative position and delivering said reel to said operative position; a method for removing a core from a machine comprises, before said removing, unwinding a final portion of web material from said core so as to store an amount of said web material arranged for feeding operative stations of said machine during replacing of said core with a reel of said web material.

1 - 20 . canceled.  
     
     
         21 . Apparatus, comprising supplying arrangement arranged for receiving a reel and transferring said reel towards an operative position of said reel and auxiliary device arranged for removing a core of an empty reel from said operative position and delivering said reel to said operative position  
     
     
         22 . Apparatus according to  claim 21 , and further comprising rolling support device arranged for supporting said reel in said operative position.  
     
     
         23 . Apparatus according to  claim 21 , or  22 , wherein said supplying arrangement is movable between a receiving position, in which said supplying arrangement is turned towards the outside of said apparatus for receiving said reel, and a releasing position, in which said supplying arrangement is turned towards the inside of said apparatus for releasing said reel, and vice versa.  
     
     
         24 . Apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein said supplying arrangement delivers said reel to said auxiliary device.  
     
     
         25 . Apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein said supplying arrangement delivers said reel to intermediate support device from which said reel is collected by said auxiliary device.  
     
     
         26 . Apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein said auxiliary device is movable between a loading position in which said reel is arranged in said operative position, and an unloading position, in which said reel is delivered to removal device, and vice versa.  
     
     
         27 . Apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein said auxiliary device receives said reel during moving from said unloading position to said loading position.  
     
     
         28 . Apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein said supplying arrangement comprises a pair of first arms parallel to each other and cooperating together to support said reel.  
     
     
         29 . Apparatus according to  claim 28 , wherein said first arms comprises first ends pivotable around a horizontal rotation axis and second ends arranged for receiving end pivots of said core.  
     
     
         30 . Apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein said auxiliary device comprises a pair of second arms parallel to each other and cooperating together to support said reel.  
     
     
         31 . Apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein said second arms comprise further first ends pivotable around a further horizontal rotation axis and further second ends arranged for receiving said end pivots.  
     
     
         32 . Apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein said second ends and said further second ends are staggered in axial direction with respect to each other so that said second ends and said further second ends do not interfere with each other during transferring of said reel.  
     
     
         33 . Apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein said second ends and/or said further second ends comprise seat element for housing said end pivots.  
     
     
         34 . Apparatus according to  claim 33 , wherein said seat element is arranged on said second ends and has a concave part that is turned radially towards the outside.  
     
     
         35 . Apparatus according to  claim 33 , wherein said seat element is arranged laterally on said further second ends and has a concave part turned upwards.  
     
     
         36 . Apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein said rotation axis and said further rotation axis are parallel to each other.  
     
     
         37 . Apparatus according to  claim 26 , or  27 , wherein said removal device comprises inclined sliding plane elements arranged for receive said core.  
     
     
         38 . Machine, comprising an indexing device for indexing web material across a plurality of operative stations of said machine, and further comprising an apparatus for supplying a reel of said web material to said machine and for removing a core of an empty reel from said machine according to  claim 21 .  
     
     
         39 . Method for removing a core from a machine, wherein before said removing there is provided unwinding a final portion of web material from said core so as to store an amount of said web material arranged for feeding operative stations of said machine during replacing of said core with a reel of said web material.  
     
     
         40 . Method according to  claim 39 , wherein said unwinding comprises rotating said reel with a speed grater than the advancing speed of said web material across said operative stations.