Web printing and feed machine and method

1. A web handling system for receipt, printing, and payout of web to an intermittent form, fill, and seal machine having a dwell period and a payout period, the web handling system comprising:

an infeed web brake, an outfeed web brake, and a web feed path defined by the web handling system, at least a portion of the web feed path extending downstream from the infeed web brake to the outfeed web brake, the infeed web brake when actuated preventing feed of web into the web handling system, the outfeed brake when actuated preventing pay out of web from the web handling system;

a printer located on the web feed path between the infeed web brake and the outfeed web brake, the printer configured to print on a web surface while the surface is stationary on the web path;

an accumulator located on the web feed path between the infeed web brake and the outfeed web brake and downstream from the printer;

the accumulator comprising an accumulator roll extending across the web feed path, the web feed path looping around the accumulator roll, the accumulator roll movable between a home position and a dwell position for accumulating web and movable from the dwell position the home position for paying out web; and

means operable during the dwell period of the form, fill, and seal machine to move the accumulator roll from the home position to the dwell position while the infeed web brake is not actuated and the outfeed web brake is actuated for feed of unprinted web into the web handling system and to the printer for printing, said means operable during the payout period of the form, fill, and seal machine to move the accumulator roll from the dwell position to the home position while the infeed web brake is actuated and the outfeed web brake is not actuated for payout of printed web from the web handling system to the form, fill, and seal machine.

2. The web handling system of claim 1 wherein web looping around the accumulator roll defines a web loop and said means is operable to move the accumulator roll from the dwell position towards the home position while the outfeed brake is actuated to space the accumulator roll from the web loop before paying out web from the web handling system.

3. The web handling system of claim 2 wherein said means is operable to move the accumulator roll towards the home position at the same speed as the web loop during pay out of web from the web handling system so that the accumulator roll does not impede movement of the web loop during web pay out for essentially tension-free pay out of web to the form, fill, and seal machine.

4. The web handling system of claim 3 in combination with an intermittent form, fill and seal machine, the machine comprising means for pulling web from the web handling system during the payout period of the form, fill, and seal machine.

5. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein the means for pulling web does not comprise nip rolls.

6. The web handling system of claim 1 wherein said means is operable to move accumulator roll from the dwell position towards the home position at a speed at least equal to the speed of the web loop during pay out of web from the web handling system wherein the accumulator roll does not impede movement of the web loop during web pay out from the accumulator for delivery of essentially tension-free web to the form, fill, and seal machine.

7. The web handling system of claim 6 in combination with an intermittent form, fill and seal machine, the machine comprising means for pulling web from the web handling system during the payout period of the machine.

8. The combination recited in claim 7 wherein the means for pulling web does not comprise nip rolls.

9. The web handling system of claim 1 wherein the printer is operable to print on the web while the infeed web brake is actuated and the accumulator roll is at the dwell position.

10. The web handling system of claim 1 wherein the printer is a rotary printer.

11. The web handling system of claim 1 wherein the printer comprises first and second printers located on the web path, the second printer spaced downstream from the first printer, each printer configured to print on a stationary surface.

12. The web handling system of claim 11 wherein the dwell position of the accumulator roll represents a final dwell position, and the accumulator roll moves from the home position and dwells at an intermediate dwell position while moving from the home position to the final dwell position; and

the first and second printers are configured to print on the web while the accumulator roll is at the intermediate and final dwell positions.

13. The web handling system of claim 12 wherein said means is operable to move the accumulator roll from each of the home position to the intermediate dwell position and from the intermediate dwell position to the final dwell position a distance that moves a web surface printed by the first printer into registration with the second printer, whereby the second printer overprints the printing of the first printer.

14. The web handling system of claim 13 comprising means for adjusting the print registration.

15. A web handling system for payout of essentially tension-free printed web to a device that pulls in web at an input speed during an intake portion of a machine cycle and dwells web for a remaining dwell portion of the machine cycle, the web handling system comprising:

an infeed web brake, an outfeed web brake, and a web feed path defined by the web handling system, at least a portion of the web feed path extending downstream from the infeed web brake to the outfeed web brake, the infeed web brake when actuated preventing feed of web into the web handling system, the outfeed brake when actuated preventing pay out of web from the web handling system;

a printer located on the web feed path between the infeed web brake and the outfeed web brake for printing on the web;

an accumulator located on the web feed path downstream from the printer and between the infeed web brake and the outfeed web brake;

the accumulator comprising an accumulator roll extending across the web feed path, and drive means for moving the accumulator roll, said drive means operable to move the accumulator roll between a home position and a dwell position for accumulating web, and said drive means operable to move the accumulator roll from the dwell position to the home position for paying out web, said drive means comprising a drive that moves the accumulator roll independently of the tension in the web;

the web feed path looping around the accumulator roll, the web looping around the accumulator roll defining a web loop that moves towards the home position during movement of the accumulator roll towards the home position during pay out of web;

the drive means operable to move the accumulator roll from the home position to the dwell position while the infeed web brake is not actuated and the outfeed web brake is actuated for receipt of unprinted web into the web handling system and to the printer for printing, and the drive means operable to move the accumulator roll from the dwell position to the home position while the infeed web brake is actuated and the outfeed web brake is not actuated for payout of printed web from the web handling system and to the machine;

the drive moving the accumulator roll towards the home position at the same speed as the web loop during pay out of web from the web handling system, wherein the accumulator roll does not resist movement of the web loop towards the home position so that the machine pulls in essentially stress-free web from the web handling system.

16. The web handling system of claim 15 wherein the drive means is operable to move the accumulator roll from the dwell position towards the home position while the outfeed brake is actuated to space the accumulator roll from the web loop before pay out of web from the web handling system.

17. The web handling system of claim 15 wherein the web loop moves at half the speed of the web being discharged from the web handling system.

18. The web handling system of claim 15 wherein the accumulator roll is stationary at the dwell position while the printer prints on the web.

19. The web handling system of claim 15 wherein the printer comprises first and second printers located on the web path, the second printer spaced downstream from the first printer, each printer configured to print on a stationary surface.

20. The web handling system of claim 19 wherein the dwell position of the accumulator roll represents a final dwell position, and the drive means is operable to dwell the accumulator roll at an intermediate dwell position when moving the accumulator roll from the home position to the final dwell position; and

the first and second printers both print on the web while the accumulator roll is at the intermediate dwell position and the first and second printers both print on the web while the accumulator roll is at the final dwell position.

21. The web handling system of claim 20 wherein the drive means is operable to move the accumulator roll from each of the home position to the intermediate dwell position and the intermediate dwell position to the final dwell position a distance that moves web from the first printer into registration with the second printer, whereby the second printer overprints the printing of the first printer.

22. The web handling system of claim 21 comprising means for adjusting the print registration.