Claims
- 1. Apparatus for producing stacks of folded web units comprising a frame,
- a collection conveyor horizontally disposed on said frame,
- means operably associated with said collection conveyor for moving the same at a predetermined speed,
- a plurality of cutoff-transverse folding devices successively aligned along said collection conveyor terminating in a discharge end, each said cutoff-transverse folding device including a folding roll having an outer surface,
- means associated with said folding rolls for rotating the same to move said surface at said predetermined speed,
- means for separately, vertically advancing at said predetermined speed a plurality of continuous webs, one into each of said cutoff-transverse folding devices, said cutoff-transverse folding devices providing folded web units,
- means for controlledly transferring said folded web units from each of said cutoff-transverse folding devices to a series of points on said collection conveyor for advancing units thereon in synchronism with the units being delivered successively thereto to develop a series of stacks, each stack having a plurality of units therein,
- said transferring means including belt means for traveling on said folding roll in underlying relation to a web unit on said folding roll whereby said belt means travels at said predetermined speed,
- each said belt means being entrained about an idler roll spaced downstream relative to the path of collection conveyor movement from said folding roll to provide a length of travel generally parallel to said collection conveyor to confine each folded web unit as the same is superposed onto a previously transferred folded web unit,
- said surface of each of said folding rolls, each said belt means and said collection conveyor all being arranged so that at the point of transfer of a folded web unit all of said folding roll surface, belt means, folded unit and collection conveyor are traveling at the same speed and in the same direction whereby a folded web unit traveling with said folding roll changes direction progressively during transfer without any change in speed.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which an accumulator is provided at the discharge end of said collection conveyor for accumulating a number of said stacks into a larger stack.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which means are provided for continuously advancing at the predetermined speed the web units in both the delivery and collection paths, said paths being oriented so that said web units do not abruptly change direction until reaching said accumulator.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said cutoff-folding device includes a vacuum port-equipped folding roll, said transferring means including belt means for traveling on said folding roll in underlying relation to a web unit on said folding roll.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the web units, the surface of the folding rolls, the vacuum ports, the belt means, and the collection conveyor are all traveling at the predetermined speed.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said cutoff-transverse folding devices are so oriented relative to said collection conveyor that the leading edge of a folded web unit is disposed forwardly whereby windage and control problems are considerably diminished at high speed.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Ser. No. 86,158, filed Oct. 8, 1979, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
86158 |
Oct 1979 |
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