Web cutting apparatus and method

(19)

(11)

EP 1 044 915 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	05.06.2002 Bulletin 2002/23

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	18.10.2000 Bulletin 2000/42

(21)	Application number: 00302774.5

(22)	Date of filing: 31.03.2000

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: B65H 35/00, B65H 20/32

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30)

Priority:

16.04.1999 GB 9908825
28.07.1999 GB 9917572

(71)	Applicant: XEIKON NV
	2640 Mortsel (BE)

(72)	Inventors:
	Billet, Patrick 1700 Dilbeek (BE) Horemans, Nick 2200 Herentals (BE)

(74)	Representative: Gambell, Derek et al
	D Gambell & Co, Melbury House, 34 Southborough Road Bickley, Kent BR1 2EB Bickley, Kent BR1 2EB (GB)

(54)	Web cutting apparatus and method

(57) A web cutting apparatus comprises an upstream web drive (18) for continuously feeding a web (16) to be cut into a web buffer (24). A downstream web drive (38) intermittently feeds the web (16) from the web buffer (24) to a cutting station (44). Measuring devices (36, 38) measure the length of the web (16) fed into and from the web buffer (24), and the length (L_b) of web in the buffer is calculated therefrom. A control device (28) responsive to information received from this calculation controls operation of the downstream web drive (38) and of the cutting station (44). Accurate cutting of the web is thereby possible irrespective of any variations in the speed of the web arriving at the cutting apparatus.

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