Abstract: Registration and inspection systems and methods for use on a winder are disclosed. The systems and methods include scanning a region proximate a winding module with one or more sensors to determine a product defect. The product defect is then associated with a winding process parameter, such as percent roll build information or the identity of the particular sensor to first detect the defect. The winding process parameter is used to classify the defect into one or more defect profiles. The defect profiles can be based at least in part on segmenting the roll build of a web onto a winding module into a plurality of inspection windows and segmenting a plurality of sensors into a plurality of inspection sensor segments.

Abstract: A production managing method for production of motion picture photo film is provided. At first, film web is slitted to produce continuous photo film having a predetermined width. Production managing information is written to an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag, and includes a roll number and slitting number, which are related to the film web and the continuous photo film. The continuous photo film is cut to produce motion picture photo film. The production managing information is stored in association with the motion picture photo film. The motion picture photo film is checked. If the motion picture photo film has a defect, the production managing information may be referred to for detecting a portion of the film web or the continuous photo film from which the defect derives. Other motion picture photo films with a defect will be traced.

Abstract: A sheet winding apparatus or a heat transfer recording sheet providing apparatus including the sheet winding apparatus, the sheet winding apparatus formed of a plurality of sheet winding devices arranged in multiple steps in a vertical direction. Each of the sheet winding devices includes (1) a plurality of holding/rotating devices, (2) a sticking apparatus for sticking adhesive around a number of outer peripheral portions of an unused roll shaft held by one of the holding/rotating devices, arranged in the direction of the unused roll shaft, and (3) a press roll that presses a sheet against an outer periphery of a roll shaft held by the holding/rotating device during the entire time that the sheet is wound around the roll shaft.

Abstract: A printing unit in a gravure printing portion prints a plurality of end marks on a web having a base film and a hot melt ink layer. The end marks printed on the web are dried by a drying apparatus. A sheet obtained from the web is wound around a roll shaft in a roll form by a sheet winding apparatus to form a sheet roll. The roll shaft is supplied from a roll shaft supplying apparatus to the sheet winding apparatus, and the sheet roll formed by the sheet winding apparatus is discharged from a discharging apparatus. The discharge apparatus includes a plurality of cradles in the vertical direction, a carry-out conveyor beside the cradles, a guide rail beside the cradles on the opposite side to the conveyor and arranged vertically, and receiving arms horizontally mounted on the rail and corresponding to the cradles. The arms move up and down on the rail and extend or contract horizontally from the cradles.

Abstract: A tape loading apparatus and method comprising a supply conveyor for automatically transporting empty cassettes from a reel magazine to a plurality of independently operating loading modules wherein each module comprises at least one support hub for rotatably supporting at least one reel of use tape and a loading station designed to engage individual cassettes. Pancakes are mounted on the support hub of each module by a manipulating unit which automatically removes the out of tape pancakes from the single hubs and replaces them with new pancakes which fill individual cassettes with a predetermined amount of use tape. The manipulating unit guides the tape through a predetermined path using search and setup devices which find and thread the end of the use tape.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a tape loading module for loading use tape into cassettes which includes a chassis having a front face plate upon which a miniature vacuum chamber and counter wheel combination, a leader extractor pin, two movable tape support blocks and a leader positioning assembly are mounted. The juxtaposition of these particular components, their particular configurations and their modes of operation permit the construction of a tape loading module which is significantly reduced in size from previous loading modules.