Patent ID: 7204401

Claim:
A web material feeding apparatus, comprising: a feeding path along which a web material extending from a roll is guided lengthwise, a feeding roller for drawing out and feeding the web material along said feeding path, a suction plate having a flat suction surface arranged to suck the web material planarly being provided on said feeding path, for sucking and thereby exerting braking force on the web material which is drawn out by said feeding roller and traveling, meandering detection means provided at a downstream side of said suction plate on said feeding path, for detecting deviation of the web material with respect to a width direction of the web material, meandering correction means including a guide sleeve provided adjacent to the suction plate to guide the web material in traveling and arranged to be shiftable with the suction plate in the direction parallel to the width of the web material, and shifting means for shifting the guide sleeve in the axial direction thereof for correcting the deviation of the web material by shifting said suction plate in the direction across said feeding path, when the deviation is detected by said meandering detection means, wherein said guide sleeve is mounted on a guide shaft, said guide shaft including a first end with a feed screw disposed thereon for selectively imparting a shift in an axial direction to said guide sleeve, and a gear pulley operatively connected to said feed screw and in engagement with said guide sleeve for cooperating with said feed screw to impart the shift in the axial direction to said guide sleeve.