US3746271A

US3746271A - Winding process and device for one or more strips of flexible material

Info

Publication number: US3746271A
Application number: US00187294A
Authority: US
Inventors: S Frankel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-10-07
Filing date: 1971-10-07
Publication date: 1973-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 1990-07-17

Abstract

A process and apparatus is disclosed for winding a continuous web (which may be freshly cut into separate strips or ribbons) into a series of packages containing a predetermined length of web or ribbon under any desired tensioning conditions without interrupting the tensioning or flow of the web or ribbons when the material is cut so that a filled core can be removed and a new core started. The tension on the web or ribbons is regulated by fluid pressure applied to guide rolls which are movable to a position for propulsion to a winding core by one or the other of a pair of rotating drums. Before cutting the web or ribbons to complete a wound package and start a new package, the web or ribbons passing over one of the drums are moved so that said web or ribbons touch both said drums; the web or ribbon being cut while crossing from one drum to the other and the new free end of the web or ribbon being attached to the drum with which it just has come into contact to pass to a new empty core associated with this drum.

Description

United States Patent Frankel July 17, 1973 WINDING PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR ONE OR MORE STRIPS or FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Sydney Frankel, 3 l 8 Briarcliffe Road, West Englewood, NJ. 07666 Filed: Oct. 7, 1971 Appl. No.2 187,294

[76] Inventor:

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1942 Thiersch .r 242/56.4 10/1967 Rockstrom 242/56 A 2/1952 Christman 242/74 X 9/1951 Link 242/74 X Primary ExaminerGe0rge F. Mautz Assistant ExaminerEdward J. McCarthy Attorney-Green & Durr [57] ABSTRACT A process and apparatus is disclosed for winding a continuous web (which may be freshly cut into separate strips or ribbons) into a series of packages containing a predetermined length of web or ribbon under any desired tensioning conditions without interrupting the tensioning or flow of the web or ribbons when the material is cut so that a filled core can be removed and a new core started. The tension on the web or ribbons is regulated by fluid pressure applied to guide rolls which are movable to a position for propulsion to a winding core by one or the other of a pair of rotating drums Before cutting the web or ribbons to complete a wound package and start a new package, the web or ribbons passing over one of the drums are moved so that said web or ribbons touch both said drums; the web or ribbon being out while crossing from one drum to the other and the new free end of the web or ribbon being attached to the drum with which it just has come into contact to pass to a new empty core associated with this drum.

1] Claims, 11 Drawing Figures Patented July 17, 1973 3,746,271

6 Sheets-Sheet 1 TENSION LENGTH WOUND FIG.2

INVENTOR Sydney Fronke'l ATTORNEYS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 LEW L 9 l I INVENTOR Sydney Frankel y QM ATTORNEYS Patented July 17, 1973 FIG.3

' Patented July 17, 1973 3,746,271

6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sydney Frankel hea ATTORNEYS Patented July 17, 1973 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 M/VE/VTOR Sydney Frankel ATTORNEYS Patented July 17, 1973 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 mdI INVENTOR A v WY Sydney Frankel ATTORNEYS Patented July 17, 1973 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Em W v0 W e n d i ATTORNEYS WINDING PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR ONE OR MORE STRIPS F FLEXIBLE MATERIAL This invention relates to a process and device for continuously winding one or more webs, tapes, or ribbons.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an improved process and apparatus for continuously winding single webs of strip material or a plurality of freshly trimmed slit tapes or ribbons onto cores, bobbins, or similar holders to provide wound bodies containing substantially equal lengths of the webs, tapes or ribbons. I

Among other objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus and process for continuously winding two or more freshly slit tapes or ribbons, which is adapted for automatic operation. 7

Among other objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus and process for continuously winding two or more freshly slit tapes while controlling the tension on the tapes throughout the winding cycle.

These and other objects are attained by feeding a single web or tape on each one of a pluarlity of tapes, after slitting and/or trimming, over separate pairs of tensioning guide rollers and into contact with one or the other of a pair of rotating shells which transport the tape to a frictionally rotated core or bobbin on which the tape is collected. With a plurality of freshly slit tapes or ribbons, alternate tapes are fed to opposite rotating shells. When one set of cores is filled, means are provided for moving the'guide rollers so that the tapes can be cut, and after cutting, the tape previously transported by a first of the pair of rotating shelles is transferred into contact with the second of the pair of rotating shells (and vice versa) whereupon an empty core or bobbin has already been positioned for collecting the tape.

The positions of the pairs of tensioning guide rollers are controlled by fluid pressure (e.g., air) so that tension is dependent on the fluid pressure applied to the holders for the guide rollers and can be gradually increased, decreaed, or maintained constant throughout a winding cycle.

The rotating shells are rotated on stationary drums and the latter have means to apply a vacuum to attract a loose end of freshly cut' tape to the shell, which is more or less porous, or means to apply a puff of air to the loose end of freshly cut tape to transfer it to an empty core or bobbin or to a further rotating shell.

Means can also be provided to spray a spot of adhesive to one or both of the ends of the tapes after cutting so as to adhere the trailing end to the top layer of tape or the bobbin or to adhere the newly formed end to the empty bobbin or core.

At the present time, such cores are usually wound, more or less continuously, on a turret type of device, where the turret is adapted to hold two or three cores and where the turret is rotated when one core is filled to bring and empty core into contact with the ribbon or tape being wound, whereupon the tape is cut, the new end adhered to the new empty core and winding proceeds. In contrast with said turret apparatus where time is lost in overcoming the inertia of the turret, the system of the present invention only changes the direction of the newly cut tape end which is accomplished instantaneously and without loss of speed or change in tension. Thus, the length of tape wound on each core can be controlled within fairly precise limits.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a graph indicating one desirable way of ap plying tension to a wound tape and which is made possible by the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a slitter and winding device made according to the invention but with parts cut away.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the tension roller mounting devices of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the mounting devices of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a detail view illustrating the cutting operatron.

FIG. 7 is a detail view of the winding shell and cutting device with the cutting device in inoperative position.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the winding shell and its supporting cylinder.

FIG. 9 is an end view of the device of FIG. 8 partly in cross-section.

FIG. 10 is a detail view of a bobbin holding device.

FIG. 11 is a detail view of a modified arrangement of winding shells.

It will be understood that the term tape or tapes" as used in the specification and claims includes a ribbon, a web, or a strip, or ribbons, webs, or strips, re spectively.

Considerable amount of study has been done on the tension to be applied to tapes, etc., during winding, to obtain the best type of package. It has been found, for example, that a wound package, in which the tension decreases as the package builds up, as illustrated qualitatively by the graph of FIG. 1, is very satisfactory. This invention is not concerned with the packages or wound bobbins, per se, but the apparatus of the invention makes it possible to obtain packages where the tension applied is that illustrated in FIG. 1.

Although the winding device of the invention is applicable to the continuous winding of a single sheet or tape to provided filled cores containing a precise length of sheet or ribbon, the invention is described in combination with a slitting device for producing a plurality of ribbons.

THE WINDER AND ITS OPERATION In the form of the device of FIGS. 2-3, the sheet 10 to be cut to tapes is fed over guide roller 11, through slitter rollers 12-13; as seen in FIG. 3, the slitter roll 13 has five slitter knives 13-1 to 13-5, which trim the edges of sheet 10' and slit it into four ribbons. The ribbons from slitter 12-13 are fed under roller 14 which may be positively rotated and then over roller 15 which can act as a buffer or braking roller. After passing roller 15, the cut sheet is separated into ribbons 10-1 and 10-3 on the one hand and ribbons 10-2 and 10-4 on the other hand. Ribbon 10-1 passes over the exposed ends of

tension rollers

20,21 and ribbon 10-2 over the exposed ends of

tension rollers

22,23. The third ribbon of FIG. 3 passes over rollers similar to 20,21 and the fourth over rollers similar to 22, 23. Tension roller 20 is resiliently supported at the end of shaft 24 pushing to the left as shown in FIG. 2 and tension roller 21 is resiliently supported at the end of shaft 25 pushing to the right as shown in FIG. 2.

Tension rollers

22 and 23 are similarly supported from

shafts

26 and 27 respectively. The resiliency of the support for shafts 24-27 is obtained through air or other fluid pressure as will be further described below.

From

tension rollers

21 and 23 respectively, the two sets of ribbons pass directly to the nearest one of the

rotating shells

31 and 32, during the normal winding operation. In FIG. 2, however, the ribbons are shown after

rollers

22,23. have been moved to the right and rollers 20. and 21 have been moved to the left to prepare the ribbons for cutting. FIG. 11 shows the feed of the ribbons during a normal winding operation. The ribbons pass from the surface of the rotating

shell

31 or 32 onto a bobbin or

core

40,41 which can be rotated by frictional engagement of the outermost layer of ribbon with the shell.

Once the tnesion rollers 20-23 have been moved to the cutting position shown in FIG. 2, the cutting mechanism 110, showing in FIG. 6, to be further described below, is moved into place and operated to cut all the ribbons simultaneously, whereupon the trailing cut end continues on the

same shell

31 or 32 to the finished bobbin whereas the new cut end is sucked onto the alternate shell andbegins to be wound on an empty bobbin directly opposite the filled bobbin. The shafts of the

tensioning guide roller

20,21 remain in substantially the same position until the new bobbin is substantially filled, whereupon the positions are again reversed to prepare the ribbons for cutting.

The bobbin holders 4245 are especially constructed to release the filled bobbins and to pick up an empty bobbin from the

feed bins

50,51,52 or 53.

THE TENSIONING ROLLERS 22-1. When the machine is built for winding two or more ribbons, there are four sets of rollers supported from four movable beams 54-57. The position of the various tensioning rollers 20-23, however, is not completely determined by the position of its supporting beam; roller 21, for example, is mounted at the end of a pair of

shafts

58,59 which are slidably mounted in

brackets

60,61,62,62' on beam 54. Clamped to the

shafts

58,59 between said

brackets

60,61 and 62,62 is a cross bar 63 to which, in turn, is secured the end of piston 64. Piston 64 slides in air pressure cylinder 65. Thus, the pressure of roller 21 against the tape and the tension on the tape can be regulated by the fluid pressure applied to cylinder 65. All of the other rollers 20-23 are mounted similarly to that described for roller 21. The outer surface of each of rollers 20-23 is that of a prolate spheriod, i.e., convex outwardly, which serves to maintain the tapes centered on the rollers. The axial length of said rollers 20-23 is less than the width of ribbon being guided and the mountings of the rollers provide a clearance of about one-eighth inch, for example, so that rolles at the same level (

rollers

20 and 22 and

rollers

21 and 23, for example) can pass one another when the beams holding the same are moved in the direction of

shafts

58,59.

Beams

57 and 55 hold the

upper rollers

20 and 22 respectively, and beams 54 and 56 hold the

lower rollers

21 and 23, respectively. The position of

beams

56 and 57 is controlled by fluid pressure cylinder and the position of

beams

54 and 55 is detennined by fluid pressure cylinder 80. Thus, when the pistons 71 and 72 of fluid pressure cylinder 70 are drawn completely into the cylinders, the rollers 22 move from their position over shell 32 to a position over shell 31 and the rollers 20 move from a position over shell 31 to a position over shell 32. Simultaneously, when the piston 81 and 82 of cylinder are forced out of the cylinder, the roller 23 moves from a position over shell 32 to a position over shell 31 and roller 20 moves from a position over shell 31 to a position over shell 32. Thus, the pistons of

cylinders

70 and 80 are operated simultaneously, but in opposite directions, to move the tension rollers from the winding position as shown in FIG. 11 to the cutting position, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6.

THE ROTATING SHELLS The rotating drum or shell 31 is mounted on stationary cylinder 85 which is held at the

end axles

86,87 by any suitable means. The shell comprises five spaced annuli 88-92 providing four spaces therebetween, corresponding to the four ribbons which have been produce by slitting. In the apparatus shown, only four ribbons are produced and only two alternate ribbons are wound by the shell at any one time. A perforated plate 93 surrounds the five annuli and provides the ribbon contacting surface. A sprocket 94 is provided at one end of the shell and the shell is slightly and rotatably spaced from the stationary cylinder 85 by

ball bearings

95 and 96 so that the shell can be driven by means of a chain (not shown) driving sprocket 94. Segmental portions of the openings 97 between annuli such as 89 and 90 are closed off by partitions 98 which are held against the outer layer 93 by springs 99 held on the support 100. In the arrangement of FIG. 9, for example, a vacuum is applied to the segments between 913-] and 98-2 by

tubes

101 and 102, and air pressure may be applied to tube 103. Thus, the new free end of a tape which has just been cut, is attracted to and held on shell 93 by the vacuum applied between 98-1 and 98-2 and then the tape end is blown onto the bobbin when it reaches the area between positions 98-2 and 98-3. The new free end preferably is sprayed with a spot of adhesive by the

means

104 or 105, just before it passes over the area controlled by pipe 103, so that once it is blown onto the new bobbin, it adheres thereto.

THE CUTTING MEANS After the position of the tension rollers 20-23 have been changed from normal winding position to the cutting position shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the cutting means 110, which is normally held in a retractable position at the side of the machine, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, is moved into position between the drums or shells 31-32 as shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, the cutter comprises an end plate 111 for holding its guiding shaft 112, which is journalled to slide in

bearings

113 and 114, and operating shaft 115 and a pair of

blades

116 and 117 which are pivotally mounted adjacent their ends, as shown at 128 (FIG. 6).

The positioning and retracting of the cutting means is controlled by fluid cylinder 118. When the shaft 119 of cylinder 118 pushes the cutting device to a position between the drums or shells 31-32, the end plate 111 contains a projection 120 thereon which is adapted to interfit with a hole in the support plate 121 held by bracket 122 and the small rods 123,124 fixed to the end of the blades enter into the opening 125 of blade operating device 126. The blade operating device 126 is controlled by a fluid cylinder 127 (not completely shown) and it can be seen from FIG. 6, that when device 126 is suddenly pulled downwardly, the blades move outwardly crossing the path of the ribbons which, in the cutting positions (crossing from one drum to the other) are spaced from the surface of the drums or shells, as shown in FIG. 6. Immediately after cutting, the new free end of ribbon -2, as shown in FIG. 6, will be attracted to shell 32 by the vacuum applied at that time to the sector adjacent the cut edge and similarly the new free end of ribbon 10-1 will be retained on drum or shell 31.

THE CORE OR BOBBIN HOLDERS The core or bobbin holder 130 at the end of arm 42, for example, is pivotally mounted on a shaft 141 adapted to pivot between a position where the holder 130 receives an empty bobbin from one of the supply bins 51 and the position wherein said core is in contact with shell 31. The bobbin holders for

arms

43,45 are similarly constructed so that only one such holder will be described. However, it will be noted that

arms

44 and 45 are constructed to have their cores contact drums 31 and 32, respectively at an area spaced considerably from the areas where the cores of

arms

42 and 43 contact said drums. Arms 13] and 132 of the holder 130, contains bearings and holding means 133, 134 at their respective ends for holding bobbin 40. The

arms

131, 132 are opened to release a filled bobbin by releasing the pressure on knob 135 against the two bell crank levers 136,137. When knob 135 is withdrawn by releasing the pressure on piston 139 of cylinder 140, the spring 138 spreads the

holders

133, 134 sufficiently to release a full bobbin. When the am 42 is then moved to the end of supply bin 51 and the pressure of knob 135 reapplied, the bell crank levers close the holding means onto. an empty core or bottom, and the arm is thus prepared for the next winding operation.

The winding obtained by contact of the core with the surface of the

drums

31 or 32 is known as surface winding." However, center winding, wherein the

cores

40,41 are positively driven by a gear, belt, or chain drive, can also be employed with this apparatus. The tension can be additionally controlled in center winding by overdriving the core.

WINDING RIBBONS WHICH ARE DIFFERENT ON ONE SIDE THAN ON THE OTHER (ORIENTED ROLLS) When it is necessary that all wound packages have the same side of the ribbon facing outwardly, as when said ribbons are coated on one side with an adhesive or a decorative layer, the apparatus of FIG. 11 is employed. The apparatus of FIG. 11 is similar to the apparatus of FIG. 2 except that a third winding shell 31" is 6 the angular spacing of the vacuum chambers within shells 31 is greater so that the transfer can be made between drum 31' and 31".

It will be understood that the applications of vacuum and of pressure within the drums of

shells

31,31, 31 and 32" is only required during the transfer period. Once winding on a new bobbin is initiated, it proceeds without requiring any further special conditions within the shells.

Since opposing pressures are applied to tensioning

rollers

20 and 21, for example, the tension applied to the ribbon passing between these rollers is a function of the air pressure applied to the holders for the rollers and does not vary from the regulated amount even when the position of said

rollers

20 and 21 is being changed preparatory to cutting the ribbons. Thus, it is possible to accurately regulate the tension as the package builds up, to correspond to that illustrated by FIG. 1 or to any other desired pattern.

Although the device has been shown for the cutting and winding of four tapes, it can be made for winding as few as one or two tapes and as many as it takes as it is conveniently practical to cut from one width of material.

I claim:

1. A winding device for winding one or more tapes on winding cores under predetermined regulated tension comprising a pair of feed rollers adapted to restrain unlimited movement of the tape,

a pair of tension rollers positioned to receive the tape from the feed rollers,

said pair of tension rollers being supported one above the other, the support means for the upper roller extending from one horizontal direction and the support for the lower roller of the pair extending from the opposite direction, whereby each roller has an outer unencumbered surface over which the tape is passed,

fluid cylinder means for elastically urging at least one of each of the tension roller supports in the direction of the unencumbered surface, a pair of horizontally spaced rotating drums, positioned to receive tape from the tension rollers means for moving the supports for the tension rollers to thereby move the tension rollers from a position adjacent the periphery of one of said pair of rotating drums to a position adjacent the periphery of the other rotating drum, and

means for winding said tape adjacent a peripheral part of each of said drums.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a sec ond pair of tension rollers mounted similarly to said first pair of tension rollers but the upper one of said second pair having its unencumbered surface facing in the opposite direction to that of the corresponding upper roller of the first pair and the lower roller of the second pair also having its unencumbered surface fac ing in the opposite direction of that of the correspond ing lower roller of the first pair,

means to move said first and second pairs of rollers past one another so that each pair of tension rollers is alternately above one or the other of the rotating drums, and

means for-simultaneously feeding a first tape to the first set of rollers and a second tape to the second set of rollers. I

3. The device as claimed in claim 2 comprising a pair of longitudinal, pivotally mounted cutting means adapted to be moved to a position between the pair of drums, each of said pair of tension rollers having a winding position wherein the rollers of said pair are above that drum on which the tape therefrom is being wound and having a cutting position in which the rollers of said pair are above the roller on which the tape is not being wound whereby the tapes cross in the region between the drums, said cutting means being adapted to simultaneously cut the tapes adjacent where said tapes cross one another.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said pair of horizontally spaced rotating drums comprises a stationary inner cylindrical support and a rotatable outer shell, said rotatable outer shell having means to rotate it on the stationary inner cylindrical support, said stationary inner cylindrical support comprising a porous cylindrical wall,

sealing means between arcuate portions of the porous wall of the inner. support whereby vacuum may be selectively applied to an arcuate portion thereof.

5. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said pairs of horizontally spaced rotating drums comprises a stationary inner cylindrical support and a rotatable outer shell, said rotatable outer shell having means to rotate it upon the stationary inner cylindrical support, said stationary inner cylindrical support comprising a porous cylindrical wall and an inner series of spaced annuli, said annuli defining separate paths for each of the number of tapes being wound,

sealing means between arcuate portions of the porous wall of the inner cylindrical support whereby vacuum may be selectively applied to arcuate portions thereof.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4 comprising additionalsealing means between other arcuate portions of the wall of said inner support and means for feeding fluid pressure to said arcute portion to blow a tape end from the shell.

7. The device as claimed in claim 5 comprising additional sealing means between other arcuate portions of said adjacent annuli and means for feeding fluid pressure to said arcuate portions to blow a tape end from the shell.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 comprising a third rotating drum adapted to receive tape from one of the other rotating drums, means for holding winding cores against said third rotating drum whereby all of the wound bodies have corresponding surfaces of the tape facing outwardly.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 comprising means adjacent said drums to deposit a spot of adhesive on the freshly cut end of a tape while on said drum.

10. A method of continuously winding uniform, finite lengths of tapes, ribbons and similar flexible strip materials onto a series of separate cores comprising passing the tape over at least one roller adapted to frictionally restrict movement of the tape, thereafter passing the tape over at least two rotatable tensioning means while applying fluid pressure in opposite directions to said tensioning means, thence passing said tape to a first of two rotating drums and winding the tape on a core associated with said first of said rotating drums, moving said rotatable tensioning means from a position adja cent the first drum to a position where it contacts the second drum and crosses over to the second drum when the core being wound is substantially filled, cutting the tape while passing between the two drums, attracting the new free end of the tape to said second drum and beginning the winding of an empty core which is associated with said second drum.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein two or more strips are simultaneously fed to a corresponding number of pairs of rotatable tensioning means, alternate strips being simultaneouslypassed over the first and second rotating drums respectively.

Claims

1. A winding device for winding one or more tapes on winding cores under predetermined regulated tension comprising a pair of feed rollers adapted to restrain unlimited movement of the tape, a pair of tension rollers positioned to receive the tape from the feed rollers, said pair of tension rollers being supported one above the other, the support means for the upper rolLer extending from one horizontal direction and the support for the lower roller of the pair extending from the opposite direction, whereby each roller has an outer unencumbered surface over which the tape is passed, fluid cylinder means for elastically urging at least one of each of the tension roller supports in the direction of the unencumbered surface, a pair of horizontally spaced rotating drums, positioned to receive tape from the tension rollers means for moving the supports for the tension rollers to thereby move the tension rollers from a position adjacent the periphery of one of said pair of rotating drums to a position adjacent the periphery of the other rotating drum, and means for winding said tape adjacent a peripheral part of each of said drums.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a second pair of tension rollers mounted similarly to said first pair of tension rollers but the upper one of said second pair having its unencumbered surface facing in the opposite direction to that of the corresponding upper roller of the first pair and the lower roller of the second pair also having its unencumbered surface facing in the opposite direction of that of the corresponding lower roller of the first pair, means to move said first and second pairs of rollers past one another so that each pair of tension rollers is alternately above one or the other of the rotating drums, and means for simultaneously feeding a first tape to the first set of rollers and a second tape to the second set of rollers.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said pair of horizontally spaced rotating drums comprises a stationary inner cylindrical support and a rotatable outer shell, said rotatable outer shell having means to rotate it on the stationary inner cylindrical support, said stationary inner cylindrical support comprising a porous cylindrical wall, sealing means between arcuate portions of the porous wall of the inner support whereby vacuum may be selectively applied to an arcuate portion thereof.

5. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said pairs of horizontally spaced rotating drums comprises a stationary inner cylindrical support and a rotatable outer shell, said rotatable outer shell having means to rotate it upon the stationary inner cylindrical support, said stationary inner cylindrical support comprising a porous cylindrical wall and an inner series of spaced annuli, said annuli defining separate paths for each of the number of tapes being wound, sealing means between arcuate portions of the porous wall of the inner cylindrical support whereby vacuum may be selectively applied to arcuate portions thereof.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4 comprising additional sealing means between other arcuate portions of the wall of said inner support and means for feeding fluid pressure to said arcute portion to blow a tape end from the shell.

10. A method of continuously winding uniform, finite lengths of tapes, ribbons and similar flexible strip materials onto a series of separate cores comprising passing the tape over at least one roller adapted to frictionally restrict movement of the tape, thereafter passing the tape over at least two rotatable tensioning means while applying fluid pressure in opposite directions to said tensioning means, thence passing said tape to a first of two rotating drums and winding the tape on a core associated with said first of said rotating drums, moving said rotatable tensioning means from a position adjacent the first drum to a position where it contacts the second drum and crosses over to the second drum when the core being wound is substantially filled, cutting the tape while passing between the two drums, attracting the new free end of the tape to said second drum and beginning the winding of an empty core which is associated with said second drum.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein two or more strips are simultaneously fed to a corresponding number of pairs of rotatable tensioning means, alternate strips being simultaneously passed over the first and second rotating drums respectively.