Abstract: Disclosed is a winder having: a drum about which a web passes in use; a cutter which severs the web as it passes around the drum into segments; a suction facility which draws air through a suction portion of the drum such that, when severed, the trailing web segment is carried by the suction portion to a release position; a loader which, for each segment, receives a core at a starting position whereat the core is rotated by contact with said drum and whereat the core receives the leading edge of said trailing segment, without fold-over, from said drum when the trailing segment reaches the take-up position; a guide which receives the core after the segment has started to wind thereupon; and a transfer mechanism which receives the core from the guide and supports same in driven contact with the drum as the segment is wound the Disclosed is a winder having: a drum about which a web passes in use; a cutter which severs the web as it passes around the drum into segments; a suction facility which draws air through

Abstract: An extruder assembly has a gear box drivable by a motor, an output shaft having a main portion extending through the gear box and rotatable by operation of the motor and gear box, and an extruder housing located forwardly of the gear box. The output shaft has a further portion extending forwardly from the main portion and passing into the extruder housing and having a screw configuration therein for feeding plastic material through the housing when the output shaft is rotated. The main portion of the output shaft is axially slidable in the gear box, and the forwardly extending portion has a diameter not greater than the diameter of the main portion whereby the output shaft can be withdrawn from the housing and the gear box by rearward movement therethrough. A retainer is operable to retain the output shaft in an operative position for rotation to feed plastic material through the housing and also to permit the output shaft to be withdrawn by rearward movement when desired.