SINGLE PATH SINGLE WEB SINGLE-FOLD INTERFOLDER AND METHODS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A folding apparatus for forming a pattern of single-folded interfolded sheets from a single web of material, the folding apparatus comprising:
- a sheet cutoff system receiving the single web of material configured to form a single stream of alternating first and second sheets;
a sheet overlap system downstream from the sheet cutoff system operable in a single-folded interfolded mode configured to orient the stream of alternating first and second sheets into parallel first and second streams of sheets in an alternating overlap orientation, the first stream of sheets being formed by the first sheets and the second stream of sheets being formed by the second sheets;
first and second counter-rotating folding rolls forming a folding nip therebetween for passage through the folding nip the parallel first and second streams of sheets to produce the single-folded interfolded sheets; and
the sheet cutoff system, sheet overlap system and first and second counter-rotating folding rolls defining a sheet flow path, all sheets passing substantially along the sheet flow path from the sheet cutoff system through the folding nip.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide new and improved folding apparatuses and methods for interfolding a continuous stream of sheets into a single-fold interfolded pattern of sheets while passing all of the sheets substantially along a single sheet path. More particularly, all sheets in the continuous stream of sheets pass through the nips between adjacent components.
10 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A folding apparatus for forming a pattern of single-folded interfolded sheets from a single web of material, the folding apparatus comprising:
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a sheet cutoff system receiving the single web of material configured to form a single stream of alternating first and second sheets; a sheet overlap system downstream from the sheet cutoff system operable in a single-folded interfolded mode configured to orient the stream of alternating first and second sheets into parallel first and second streams of sheets in an alternating overlap orientation, the first stream of sheets being formed by the first sheets and the second stream of sheets being formed by the second sheets; first and second counter-rotating folding rolls forming a folding nip therebetween for passage through the folding nip the parallel first and second streams of sheets to produce the single-folded interfolded sheets; and the sheet cutoff system, sheet overlap system and first and second counter-rotating folding rolls defining a sheet flow path, all sheets passing substantially along the sheet flow path from the sheet cutoff system through the folding nip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of forming a pattern of single-folded sheets from a single web of material, the method comprising
feeding the single web of material to a sheet cutoff system; -
cutting the single web of material with the sheet cutoff system to form a single stream of alternating first and second sheets; feeding the single stream of sheets to a sheet overlap system downstream from the sheet cutoff system; orienting the single stream of sheets into parallel first and second streams of sheets in an alternating overlap orientation using the overlap system; directing the parallel first and second streams through a folding nip formed between first and second counter-rotating folding rolls to produce the single-folded interfolded sheets; and wherein the sheet cutoff system, sheet overlap system and first and second counter-rotating folding rolls define a sheet flow path, all sheets passing substantially along the sheet flow path from the sheet cutoff system through the folding nip. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification