Automatic Splicing System for Printing Press

In high-speed printing press practice the splicing of an expiring roll of paper to a replacement roll is one of the most delicate operations. Splicing of the web must be performed at all running speeds of the press, leaving the ``butt'' with only a minimum of paper remaining. The success depends to a great extent on accurate timing of the start of the operation as well as the actual splicing. Manual starting and completion of a splice is subject to error of judgment of the operator and is uneconomical. This paper describes an automatic system in which the increase of rotational speed of the roll delivering paper at a constant linear speed is monitored by an electric tachometer. The tachometer accurately gages the diminishing roll diameter and produces the necessary signals for the operation, without contacting the roll with any mechanical device which could cause the web to break or mar the paper surface.