Patent ID: 6851593

Claim:
A system for controlling a strain of a web material traveling along a path, the web material having a length between a first position along the path and a second position along the path, wherein the web material moves from the first position toward the second position, the system comprising an input device for indicating a target strain range; a loading device positioned along the path upstream of the first position and engaging the web material for applying a first tension force to the web; a feed device positioned along the path downstream of the loading device and engaging the web material for applying a second tension to the web by adjusting the speed of the web at the first position relative to the speed of the web at the second position in response to a speed control signal; a first force sensor sensing the first tension force applied to the web material along the path upstream of the first position and a second force sensor sensing the second tension force applied to the web material along the path downstream of the first position; a first speed sensor sensing a first speed of the web material at the first position along the path and a second speed sensor sensing a second speed of the web material at the second position along the path; and a control system for providing the speed control signal to the feed device as a function of the target strain range as indicated by the input device, the first tension force sensed by the first force sensor, the second tension force sensed by the second tension sensor, the first speed sensed by the first speed sensor and the second speed sensed by second speed sensor.