Patent ID: 7156339

Claim:
An apparatus for winding at least one web on a winding roll, comprising at least a first roll, a second roll and a third roll parallel to one another and to said winding roll, said winding roll and said first, second and third rolls each having an axis and said apparatus having a nominal winding position in which: said first and second rolls and said winding roll are each in contact with said third roll; there is no contact between said first roll and said second roll, between said first roll and said winding roll and between said second roll and said winding roll; a first angle defined between a first half-plane delimited by the axis of said third roll and comprising the axis of said first roll and a second half-plane delimited by the axis of said third roll and comprising the axis of said second roll is smaller than 180°; a second angle defined between a third half-plane delimited by the axis of said third roll and comprising the axis of said winding roll and a fourth half-plane delimited by the axis of said third roll and comprising an intersection line is greater than 90°, said intersection line being defined as the intersection between the bisector plane of said first angle and the plane comprising the axis of said first roll and the axis of said second roll; wherein, in said nominal winding position, said at least one of said first, second and third rolls has driving means comprising a belt and pulleys system and a driving torque is applied to at least one of said first, second and third rolls as to rotate in the direction of said web in order to compensate for the rolling resistance of said apparatus, and wherein said first, second and third rolls are free to move along a direction not perpendicular to said third half-plane.