Apparatus and method for producing a bellows

A device for producing a bellows from a filter medium, comprising:

• an embossing device embossing fold lines into a flat filter medium that runs through the embossing device, producing an embossed flat unfolded filter medium having embossed fold lines for later folding into a folded filter medium;
• wherein the embossed fold lines delimit the flat unfolded filter medium into a plurality of connected adjacent unfolded filter medium sections, the adjacent unfolded filter medium sections joined together at the embossed fold line, the unfolded filter medium sections each being delimited by two adjacent embossed fold lines;
• an adhesive application device positioned in a direction of conveyance of the filter medium after the embossing device, the adhesive application device applying adhesive onto the unfolded filter medium sections of the flat embossed filter medium;
• and
• a folding device positioned in a direction of conveyance of the filter medium after the adhesive application device, the folding device folding on the embossed fold lines, in a zig-zag manner, the flat embossed filter medium onto which the adhesive was applied into the folded filter medium;
• wherein the folding device includes
• a plurality of spaced apart adjacent supporting elements that are arranged on a conveying device to travel in the direction of conveyance of the filter medium with the filter medium, the adjacent supporting elements spaced apart to be received against and deflect embossed fold lines of unfolded filter medium, forming immediately adjacent folds in the filter medium, the adjacent supporting elements spaced apart at a distance corresponding to spacing between immediately adjacent folds of the filter medium;
• wherein the plurality of adjacent supporting elements, moving in the direction of conveyance of the filter medium, are moved automatically into or out of a folding space of the folding device;
• wherein the adjacent supporting elements are designed such, and are movable into the folding space such, that adjacent folded sections of the folded filter medium are each contacted and supported by a respective one of the plurality of adjacent supporting elements, and
• wherein the folding device is designed such as to move the adjacent supporting elements that have been moved into the folding space in a direction of conveyance of the filter medium along with the folded filter medium.