Apparatus for, and method of, manufacture of a folded-substrate article

An apparatus for manufacturing an article, comprising:

• a guide track that defines a path along which two or more elements to be bonded together to form the article travel during manufacture, the two or more elements comprising a resilient element;
• one or more feeders positioned along the guide track, the one or more feeders for introducing the two or more elements to the guide track to form a combination of elements;
• and,
• a compression frame positioned along at least a portion of a length of the guide track, the compression frame compressing the resilient element as the resilient element travels along the path defined by the guide track;
• wherein the compression frame comprises at least one bearing surface that, in use, applies a compression force on the elements moving along the guide track,
• wherein the bearing surface is being arranged relative to track rails of the guide track such that a distance between the bearing surface and the track rails decreases in a direction of travel of the elements along the bearing surface,
• wherein the bearing surface is configured such that the distance between the bearing surface and the track rails reduces at a first rate along a first portion of a length of the bearing surface in the direction of travel, and then reduces at a second rate along a second portion of the length of the bearing surface in the direction of travel, the second rate being less than the first rate.