Patent ID: 7874337

Claim:
An apparatus for laying a material sheet on a plurality of cylindrical bodies including first and second cylindrical bodies, comprising: a unit for applying a material web to the cylindrical bodies; and a conveyor disposed to advance the cylindrical bodies in a longitudinal direction thereof, to, past and away from said unit, the conveyor comprising: a first section comprising a plurality of wheels for rotating and advancing said cylindrical bodies, said first section being disposed to displace the cylindrical bodies in their longitudinal direction and connect the first cylindrical body of said plurality of cylindrical bodies with an end of the second cylindrical body of said plurality of cylindrical bodies which precedes the first cylindrical body; a second section comprising a plurality of wheels for rotating and advancing said cylindrical bodies, said second section being connected to said first section and operating independent of said first section, and being disposed to positively rotate the cylindrical bodies about their longitudinal axis and displace the cylindrical bodies in the direction of their longitudinal axis during said applying of the material web, with a desired spacing between edges of the applied material web; and a first plurality of drive pulleys formed on a first side of the first and second sections and a second plurality of drive pulleys formed on a second side of the first and second sections, the plurality of wheels of said first and second sections comprising: a first plurality of wheels formed on the first side and being rotated by a first plurality of driving belts formed around the first plurality of drive pulleys; and a second plurality of wheels formed on the second side and being rotated by a second plurality of driving belts formed around the second plurality of drive pulleys, wherein said first section displaces the bodies ahead of the unit for applying the material web to connect the first cylindrical body to the end of the second cylindrical body and permits slipping of the bodies after the connection of the first cylindrical body to the end of the second cylindrical body, wherein said first and second plurality of wheels are disposed on a side of the bodies, the wheels being obliquely inclinable in relation to the longitudinal axis of the bodies for rotation and driving thereof towards, past and away from the unit for applying the material web, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a plurality of trailing wheels which are provided above and along the bodies at the unit for applying the material web for urging the bodies against said plurality of wheels.