Apparatus for automatically connecting the sheet material of one roll to

Abstract

An apparatus for uninterruptedly feeding sheet material sequentially from a plurality of rolls. A first roll from which the sheet material is continuously unwound is displaced away from a feed position by swinging a frame, carrying the first roll and a second roll to replace the first roll, around a predetermined axis while the second roll is moved to the feed position. With the second roll at the feed position, the web which continues to travel from the first roll is pressed against the second roll which is then rotated while maintained in engagement with the web, this operation being brought about by a combined pressing and driving structure which presses the web of the first roll against the second roll and which rotates the second roll simultaneously with the travel of the sheet material from the first roll. Then the web which continues to issue from the first roll is attached to the outermost layer of the second roll so that unwinding of the latter starts, and a cutter is then operated to cut across the web issuing from the first roll so as to terminate the feeding from the latter while continuing the feed without interruption from the second roll.