Patent ID: 7380743

Claim:
A module for supporting and driving a wound foil matter, the module being entirely located outside a machine which uses the foil matter, the module comprising: a bearing structure, a plurality of reel stands arranged in and supported by the bearing structure, each reel stand being operable to support at least one reel; at least one drive device for the reels and each reel being mounted freely rotatably on its respective reel stand; and at least one additional member for processing the foil matter, and wherein the bearing structure includes walls, the at least one drive device being laterally adjustable between the walls of the bearing structure, each of the at least one drive device comprising a belt operable for rotating the reel on the reel stand and an associated drive member controlled by an electric motor for driving the belt to rotate the reel, the at least one drive member comprising a plurality of the drive members in a plurality of adjacent drive devices and the drive members being controlled by the electric motor; and an advancing shaft connecting the drive members in the plurality of adjacent drive devices.