Zig zag folder with perforator and zig zag folded web having perforations
AssigneeC.G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc.
InventorsRichard D. Bretting, Tad T. Butterworth, Andrew Kell Balduc, Kraig John Trogan, James Andrew Walsh, Greg M. Kauppila
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for forming zig-zag folded logs of web material is provided. The apparatus and method allows for forming logs having different sheet lengths on a same machine. Logs of web material having weakened regions at different locations between folds in the zig-zag folded web are also provided.
Claims24
A folding apparatus for separating a web of material into lengths of web material and for zig-zag folding the lengths of web material to form logs, each log having a continuous zig-zag folded web of material formed from the length of web material, the continuous zig-zag folded web of material having a lead end and a trailing end, a plurality of interconnected panels including a lead panel, a trailing panel, and a plurality of intermediate panels, adjacent panels being interconnected by a fold, the lead end of the continuous zig-zag folded web of material being provided by the lead panel, the trailing end of the continuous zig-zag folded web of material being provided by the trailing panel, each log having a plurality of delimited interconnected sheets, adjacent ones of the plurality of delimited interconnected sheets being delimited by a weakened region formed in the continuous zig-zag folded web of material between the lead end and the trailing end, the apparatus comprising:
- a sheet delimiting apparatus for receiving the web of material and creating weakened regions in the web of material to delimit adjacent sheets from one another, the sheet delimiting apparatus being adjustable to adjust a spacing between adjacent weakened regions to adjust a length of sheets formed in the web of material:
- a folding arrangement for forming folds for zig-zag folding the web of material into a plurality of interconnected panels with adjacent panels being connected by a fold therebetween:
- a weakened region breaker for breaking the web of material at selected ones of the weakened regions to separate lengths of web material from the web of material, each length of web material having a predetermined number of sheets;
- wherein after passing through the folding arrangement and the weakened region breaker, each length of web material has a lead panel, a trailing panel and a plurality of intermediate panels to form each length of web material into a continuous zig-zag folded web of material.
A method of forming a log of continuous zig-zag folded web of material comprising:
- forming, using a sheet delimiting apparatus, first weakened regions in the web of material, the first weakened regions being formed at a first spacing to define sheets of a first sheet length;
- zig-zag folding, with a folding arrangement, the web of material into a plurality of interconnected panels, adjacent panels being connected by a fold therebetween;
- breaking, with a weakened region breaker, the web of material at selected ones of the first weakened regions forming a first plurality of separate lengths of web material from the web of material, each length of web material of the first plurality of separate lengths of web material having a plurality of sheets of the first sheet length;
- wherein the plurality of interconnected panels of each of the first plurality of separate lengths of web material including a lead panel, a trailing panel and a plurality of intermediate panels to form each length of web into a continuous zig-zag folded web of material, the lead panel having a first panel width measured between the lead end and a first fold, the trailing panel having a second panel width measured between the trailing end and a last fold, each intermediate adjacent panel having a third panel width measured between adjacent folds, the first, second and third panel widths are substantially equal;
- and
- wherein forming the first weakened regions in each first length of web material includes forming a first offset weakened region between the leading panel and the last panel, the first offset weakened region being located between and offset from a first adjacent pair of folds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.