Bridgestone Corporation

Yoshiaki Kawahara

Norio Abe

A strip supplying apparatus comprising a stationary frame structure, a movable frame structure movable with respect to the stationary frame structure along the side wall of the stationary frame structure and having a plurality of winding reels rotatable on the movable frame structure about an axis of rotation substantially in parallel with a direction in which the movable frame structure are moved with respect to the stationary frame structure, the winding reels being spaced in an equal pitch to each other, drive unit mounted on the stationary and movable frame structures for driving the movable frame structure to move with respect to the stationary frame structure by the pitch; unwinding unit mounted on the stationary frame for unwinding a strip unwound from each of the winding reels, joining unit mounted on the stationary frame structure for joining the trailing and leading end portions of the strips unwound from two adjacent winding reels, the unwinding and joining unit being held in line with one of the winding reels, detecting unit for detecting the trailing end portion of the strip unwound from the winding reel to produce a signal to drive the movable frame structure to move with respect to the stationary frame structure by the pitch; and tension adjusting unit for adjusting tension of the strip fed from the unwinding unit.

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Kodaira, Japan

Yoshiaki Kawahara