Methods and system for manufacturing and finishing web products at high speed without reeling and unwinding

A method for manufacturing and finishing a rolled paper web product without requiring a parent roll reeling step and an unwinding step, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) depositing an aqueous suspension of papermaking fibers onto an endless forming fabric to form a wet web;
• b) transferring the wet web to a dryer for drying the wet web;
• c) creping the dried web from the dryer to obtain a creped web;
• d) continuously advancing and transferring the creped web from the dryer to a first conveyor, the first conveyor being positioned downstream from the dryer and configured to run across pick-up means disposed proximate the dryer for picking up the web;
• e) receiving the creped web on the first conveyor by the pick-up means;
• f) guiding and continuously supporting the web between the first conveyor and a second conveyor;
• g) transversely spreading the web;
• h) processing the web at a processing station;
• i) transversely perforating the web with a perforator disposed downstream of the processing station such that the web defines a substantially lateral perforation;
• j) severing the web along the lateral perforation on the web with a severing device disposed proximate the perforator;
• and
• k) winding the web and a core into the rolled paper web product.

A web manufacturing system for directly forming and finishing a web product, the web manufacturing system comprising:

• a web forming apparatus for forming and drying the web product;
• transfer means for transferring the formed and dried web product from the web forming apparatus;
• a conveyance system positioned downstream from the transfer means, the conveyance system configured to continuously receive at a standard web processing speed the formed and dried web product from the transfer means for transferring;
• a converting station for finishing the web as the web continuously advances on the conveyance system at the standard web processing speed;
• a winding element for winding the web into the web product;
• and
• means for continuously supporting the web from after the step of transferring the web to the conveyance system to the step of winding the web into the web product.

A method for manufacturing and finishing an uncreped through-air dried web product from an aqueous suspension of fibers forming an endless wet web on a forming fabric, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) transferring the dried web from the dryer to a conveyor, the dryer and the conveyor configured to cooperate at substantially a single operating speed;
• b) continuously advancing the web on the conveyor, the conveyor configured to substantially support the web during a converting process;
• c) converting the web in the converting process;
• d) perforating the web with a perforator;
• and
• e) severing the perforated web with a severing device disposed proximate the perforator to form a finished web product.