Patent ID: 7011026

Claim:
A method for selectively engaging and disengaging at least one of a first and a second cylinder with a web which is being conducted between said first cylinder and said second cylinder including: conveying said web in a web conveyance direction at a web conveyance speed; rotating each of said first and second cylinders in said web conveyance direction at a cylinder jacket surface speed equal to said web conveyance speed; supporting at least one of said first and second cylinders for movement, with respect to said web, along a setting track; moving said at least one of said first and second cylinders along said setting track during said selective engagement and disengagement of said at least one cylinder with said web; providing at least one of said first cylinder and said second cylinder, in its near contact area with said web, with a movement component relative to said web conveying direction during said selective engagement and disengagement; applying a rotational movement to said at least one cylinder in said near contact area with said web and forming a resultant actual rotational speed of said at least one cylinder; selecting a direction of said rotational movement for compensating for a relative tangential speed difference between said web and said jacket surface speed of said at least one cylinder; changing said resultant actual speed of said at least one of said first and second cylinders simultaneously with said selective engagement and disengagement; and changing an actual speed of the other of said first and second cylinders simultaneously with said selective engagement and disengagement.