Configurable single transfer insert placement method and apparatus

A method for configuring a configurable cutting and transfer apparatus, the method comprising:

• providing a cutter mechanism having a rotating knife, configured to cut an incoming web of material into a plurality of discrete articles;
• and
• providing a transfer mechanism operable with the cutter mechanism to transfer and rotate the plurality of discrete articles from at least a web receiving location to an article placement location, wherein providing the transfer mechanism comprises:
• providing a drive shaft having a carriage plate mounted thereto, the drive shaft and carriage plate rotatable about a transfer axis, wherein the carriage plate is formed as a ring having a continuous flat radially directed surface about a circumference thereof, the continuous flat surface having a plurality of mounting holes formed therein;
• and
• mounting a plurality of carriage units to the mounting holes of carriage plate to form a segmented puck wheel, the plurality of carriage units rotatable with the carriage plate to travel along a transfer path about the transfer axis from at least the web receiving location to the pad placement location, with each of the plurality of carriage units including a puck operable to provide a rotating and re-pitching of the articles between the web receiving location and the pad placement location;
• providing a barrel cam stationarily situated about the transfer axis and positioned on aside of the carriage plate opposite the segmented puck wheel, the barrel cam having a spincam race therein around a circumference thereof;
• wherein a construction of the carriage plate and the plurality of carriage units enables mounting of the plurality of carriage units in a plurality of arrangements and in various numbers on the carriage plate, so as to provide a configurable cutting and transfer apparatus, and wherein the carriage plate includes a plurality of mounting holes arranged on the carriage plate, wherein the arrangement of mounting holes is such that the carriage plate may receive a varying number of different carriage units thereon at differing locations and at different spacings.

A configurable cutting and transfer apparatus comprising:

• a cutter mechanism having a rotating knife configured to cut an incoming web of material into a plurality of discrete articles;
• and
• a transfer mechanism operable with the cutter mechanism to transfer and rotate the plurality of discrete articles from at least a web receiving location to an article placement location, the transfer mechanism comprising:
• a drive shaft rotatable about a transfer axis;
• a carriage plate mounted to the drive shaft so as to rotate therewith about the transfer axis;
• and
• a segmented puck wheel comprising a plurality of carriage units securable to, and repositionable on, the carriage plate so as to rotate therewith to travel along a transfer path about the transfer axis from at least the web receiving location to the pad placement location, each of the plurality of carriage units including a puck that is selectively operable to provide a rotating and re-pitching of the articles between the web receiving location and the pad placement location;
• a face cam plate stationarily situated about the transfer axis and positioned on a side of the segmented puck wheel opposite the carriage plate, the face cam plate having a pitch cam race therein on a side of the face cam plate facing the segmented puck wheel;
• and
• a barrel cam stationarily situated about the transfer axis and positioned on aside of the carriage plate opposite the segmented puck wheel, the barrel cam having a spincam race therein around a circumference thereof.