Patent ID: 7380746

Claim:
A method of accumulating and discharging a web comprising, a. providing a web to an accumulator; b. providing a first set of rotatably mounted web rolls comprising at least one subset of rolls linked together and adapted to pivot; c. providing a second set of rotatably mounted web rolls comprising at least one subset of rolls linked together and adapted to pivot; d. pivoting the subsets of the first set and the subsets of the second set from a generally horizontal alignment to a generally vertical alignment; e. moving the second set of rolls past the first set of rolls to define a thread condition; f. passing the web between the first set of rolls and the second set of rolls; g. moving the second set of rolls past the first set of rolls to engage the web; h. pivoting the subsets of the first set and the subsets of the second set from the generally vertical alignment to the generally horizontal alignment to define a run condition; i. moving the web alternatively between subsets of the first set and subsets of the second set; and j. moving the second set of rolls away from the first set of rolls to accumulate the web and moving the second set of rolls towards the first set of rolls to discharge the web.