Apparatus for deflecting or inverting moving webs

Abstract

A slat roller wherein the translation of slats permits a non-normal angle of incidence of a moving web to the longitudinal axis of the roller. The non-normal angle of incidence and the translation of the slats permit the axial movement of the web when the web is in contact with slats of the roller. One or more of the slat rollers may be employed in a system for inverting a moving web of indefinite length material.

1 . A slat roller for controlling the movement of moving web of indefinite length material, comprising: 
 a rotatable roller body having a longitudinal axis,    a plurality of slats mounted on a circumference of the roller body in such a fashion that the slats may translate from a first position in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis when the slats are in contact with the moving web, and    a slat repositioning device for moving the slats towards the first position when the slats are not in contact with the moving web, the translation of slats permitting a non-normal angle of incidence of the web to the longitudinal axis.    
     
     
         2 . A system for inverting a moving web of indefinite length material, comprising: 
 employing at least one slat roller of  claim 1 .    
     
     
         3 . A system for inverting a moving web of indefinite length material, comprising: 
 a first slat roller of  claim 1  and a second slat roller of  claim 1;     one or more rollers for conveying the moving web between the first slat roller and the second slat roller, such that    when the moving web, starting in a first orientation, is directed around the first slat roller, the one or more rollers and the second slat roller, it emerges in a second orientation which is inverted from the first orientation.    
     
     
         4 . The system for inverting a moving web of indefinite length material according to  claim 3  wherein the first and the second slat rollers are rotatably mounted with their longitudinal axes generally perpendicular to each other.  
     
     
         5 . The system for inverting a moving web of indefinite length material according to  claim 3  wherein each of the first and the second slat roller further comprises a stationary cam for moving the slats towards the first position when the roller is turned passively by contact with the moving web.