SINGLE-FOLD INTERFOLDING MACHINE WITH ABILITY TO PRODUCE OFF-FOLDED TOWEL OR TISSUE PRODUCTS
First Claim
1. A method for using an apparatus, including a pair of counter-rotating folding rolls having respective peripheries thereof defining a nip between the rolls and having cooperating grippers and tuckers alternately circumferentially spaced around peripheries of the rolls at the full panel width with the rolls being operatively connected for counter-rotation in a timed relationship to one another such that the grippers from each roll interface cooperatively with respective tuckers from the other roll at the nip, to form a stack of interfolded sheets of porous material including a trailing panel having a full panel width joined along a fold line to a leading panel having a partial panel width that is less than the full panel width, where the sheets define a trailing edge of the trailing panel and the sheet and a leading edge of the leading panel and the sheet spaced from the fold line by the full panel width and the partial panel width respectively, the method comprising:
- positioning the leading edges of the sheets both upstream and downstream from the nip with vacuum applied through corresponding vacuum ports disposed in the periphery of the first and second folding rolls at a circumferential distance equal to the partial panel length ahead of each gripper and tucker in the direction of rotation.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided, for forming a stack of interfolded sheets of porous material including a leading panel having a partial-panel width joined along a fold line to a trailing panel having a full-panel width, by controlling the position of leading edges of the sheets both upstream and downstream from the nip between the interfolding rolls of the folding machine with vacuum applied through corresponding vacuum ports disposed in the periphery of the folding rolls at circumferential distances equal to the partial panel length ahead of each gripper and tucker in the direction of rotation. Sufficient suction is applied to hold both the leading edge of the leading panel of a given sheet and an underlying portion of the trailing panel of the immediately preceding sheet against the periphery of one of the other of the rolls downstream from the nip.
21 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for using an apparatus, including a pair of counter-rotating folding rolls having respective peripheries thereof defining a nip between the rolls and having cooperating grippers and tuckers alternately circumferentially spaced around peripheries of the rolls at the full panel width with the rolls being operatively connected for counter-rotation in a timed relationship to one another such that the grippers from each roll interface cooperatively with respective tuckers from the other roll at the nip, to form a stack of interfolded sheets of porous material including a trailing panel having a full panel width joined along a fold line to a leading panel having a partial panel width that is less than the full panel width, where the sheets define a trailing edge of the trailing panel and the sheet and a leading edge of the leading panel and the sheet spaced from the fold line by the full panel width and the partial panel width respectively, the method comprising:
positioning the leading edges of the sheets both upstream and downstream from the nip with vacuum applied through corresponding vacuum ports disposed in the periphery of the first and second folding rolls at a circumferential distance equal to the partial panel length ahead of each gripper and tucker in the direction of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for forming a stack of interfolded sheets of porous material including a trailing panel having a full panel width joined along a fold line to a leading panel having a partial panel width that is less than the full panel width, where the sheets define a trailing edge of the trailing panel and a leading edge of the leading panel spaced from the fold line by the full panel width and the partial panel width respectively, the apparatus comprising:
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a pair of counter-rotating folding rolls having respective peripheries thereof defining a nip between the rolls and having cooperating grippers and tuckers alternately circumferentially spaced around the peripheries of the rolls at the full panel width with the rolls being operatively connected for counter-rotation in a timed relationship to one another such that the grippers from each roll interface cooperatively with respective tuckers from the other roll at the nip; and a control arrangement configured and operatively connected for positioning the leading edges of the sheets both upstream and downstream from the nip with vacuum applied through corresponding vacuum ports disposed in the periphery of the first and second folding rolls at a circumferential distance equal to the partial panel length ahead of each gripper and tucker in the direction of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for interfolding sheets of porous material fed alternately from two sheet streams to form a stack of interfolded sheets each having a leading panel and a trailing panel joined to one another along a fold line with the sheets being folded such that the trailing panel defines a full panel width and the leading panel has a partial panel width that is less than the full panel width, the apparatus comprising:
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first and second folding rolls each having vacuum ports and a control arrangement for selectively controlling application of vacuum to the vacuum ports; the first and second folding rolls defining respective peripheries thereof and being mounted for rotation about respective substantially parallel first and second roll axes to form a nip between the rolls for passage therethrough of the sheets along a sheet path extending through the nip; each of the first and second folding rolls having at least one gripper and at least one tucker alternately circumferentially spaced at a circumferential distance from one another substantially equal to the full panel width, with the rolls being operatively connected for counter-rotation in a timed relationship to one another such that the grippers from each roll interface cooperatively with respective tuckers from the other roll at the nip; the vacuum ports being disposed in the periphery of the first and second folding rolls at a circumferential distance equal to the partial panel length ahead of each gripper and tucker in the direction of rotation; the control arrangement being configured and operatively connected for selectively applying vacuum to, and removing vacuum from, the vacuum ports in such a manner that the leading edge of the leading panel of each sheet is first held directly against the periphery of one or the other of the rolls by a vacuum port disposed ahead of a gripper as the leading edge of the leading panel approaches the nip and is then held by a vacuum port disposed ahead of a tucker of the other roll of the one or the other rolls against a radially outer surface of an underlying trailing panel of an immediately preceding sheet resting on the periphery of the other roll as the leading edge of the leading panel approaches and then passes through the nip; the control arrangement applying sufficient vacuum for holding the leading edges of the sheets directly against the periphery of one or the other of the folding rolls upstream from the nip, and then transferring the leading edge to the other of the one or the other folding rolls substantially as corresponding vacuum ports in the first and second folding rolls pass through the nip in substantial juxtaposition to one another, by the process of; (a) removing vacuum from the one or the other of the folding rolls to release the leading edge from the periphery of the one or the other of the folding rolls, substantially as corresponding vacuum ports in the first and second folding rolls pass through the nip in substantial juxtaposition to one another; and
then(b) supplying sufficient vacuum to the vacuum port in the other of the one or the other folding rolls for holding both the leading edge of the leading panel of a given sheet and an underlying portion of the trailing panel of the immediately previous sheet against the periphery of the other of the one or the other folding rolls downstream from the nip. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for using an apparatus, including a pair of counter-rotating folding rolls having respective peripheries thereof defining an nip between the rolls and having cooperating grippers and tuckers alternately circumferentially spaced around peripheries of the rolls at the full panel width with the rolls being operatively connected for counter-rotation in a timed relationship to one another such that the grippers from each roll interface cooperatively with respective tuckers from the other roll at the nip, to form a stack of interfolded sheets of porous material including a trailing panel having a full panel width joined along a fold line to a leading panel having a partial panel width that is less than the full panel width, where the sheets define a trailing edge of the trailing panel and a leading edge of the leading panel spaced from the fold line by the full panel width and the partial panel width respectively, the method comprising:
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alternately feeding sheets having a total length equal to the sum of the full and partial panel widths from a first and a second sheet stream through a nip in such a manner that successive sheets overlap by the partial panel width; grasping the sheets with the grippers only along the fold line and trailing edges of the sheets; and selectively applying vacuum to, and removing vacuum from, vacuum ports disposed in the periphery of the first and second folding rolls at a circumferential distance equal to the partial panel length ahead of each gripper and tucker in the direction of rotation in such a manner that the leading edge of the leading panel of each sheet is first held directly against the periphery of one or the other of the rolls by a vacuum port disposed ahead of a gripper as the leading edge of the leading panel approaches the nip and is then held by a vacuum port disposed ahead of a tucker of the other roll of the one or the other rolls against a radially outer surface of an underlying trailing panel of an immediately preceding sheet resting on the periphery of the other roll as the leading edge of the leading panel moves away from the nip. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. An apparatus for providing stacks of interfolded sheets having a leading panel and a trailing panel joined at a fold line with the leading and trailing panels both having a full panel width, and alternatively for providing stacks of interfolded sheets of porous material having a leading panel and a trailing panel joined at a fold line with the leading panel having a partial panel width that is less than the full panel width, the sheets further defining a leading edge of the leading panel thereof and a trailing edge of the trailing panel thereof regardless of the width of the leading and trailing panels;
- the apparatus comprising;
first and second folding rolls each having vacuum ports and a control arrangement for selectively controlling application of vacuum to the vacuum ports; the first and second folding rolls defining respective peripheries thereof and being mounted for rotation about respective substantially parallel first and second roll axes to form a nip between the rolls for passage therethrough of the sheets along a sheet path extending through the nip; each of the first and second folding rolls having at least one gripper and at least one tucker alternately circumferentially spaced at a circumferential distance from one another substantially equal to the full panel width, with the rolls being operatively connected for counter-rotation in a timed relationship to one another such that the grippers from each roll interface cooperatively with respective tuckers from the other roll at the nip; the vacuum ports, control arrangement and grippers being selectively configurable and operatively connectable such that when the apparatus is providing interfolded sheets having leading and trailing panels both equal to the full panel width, the control arrangement applies vacuum to vacuum ports located adjacent the tuckers for holding the leading edge of the leading panel against the periphery of the folding rolls upstream from the nip, with the grippers grasping each sheet at the fold line, the trailing edge and the leading edge thereof; and the vacuum ports, control arrangement and grippers being further alternatively selectively configurable and operatively connectable such that when the apparatus is providing interfolded sheets having the trailing panel equal to the full panel width and the leading panel equal to the partial panel width; (a) the grippers grasp the sheets only at the fold line and at a trailing edge of the trailing panel of each sheet; and (b) the control arrangement selectively applies vacuum to, and removes vacuum from, vacuum ports disposed in the periphery of the first and second folding rolls at a circumferential distance equal to the partial panel length ahead of each gripper and tucker in the direction of rotation in such a manner that the leading edge of the leading panel of each sheet is first held directly against the periphery of one or the other of the rolls by a vacuum port disposed ahead of a gripper as the leading edge of the leading panel approaches the nip and is then held by a vacuum port disposed ahead of a tucker of the other roll of the one or the other rolls against a radially outer surface of an underlying trailing panel of an immediately preceding sheet resting on the periphery of the other roll as the leading edge of the leading panel moves away from the nip. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
- the apparatus comprising;
Specification