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US 2003/0125180 A1Published application
Apparatus and method for folding products
OwnerGerald K. Sosallainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention includes a web folding apparatus that adheres the web to a belt. A gripping mechanism periodically grips the web from the belt. The action of the gripping ends the travel of the web on the belt and creates a first fold. The gripping mechanism releases the web to create a second fold. Consequently, a continuous web is folded into a zig-zag, continuous fold.
Claims31
A folding apparatus for creating a stack of web material, comprising:
- a first belt to which a web is releasably adhered, the first belt moving the web to a first side of the stack;
- a first pair of pulleys;
- a second belt on the first pair of pulleys;
- a gripper on the second belt, the gripper periodically gripping the web and moving the web to a second side of the stack.
1 more element
A folding apparatus for folding a web into a stack of web material, comprising:
- a first folding unit including a first pulley, a second pulley and a first belt supported by the first pulley and the second pulley, the smooth belt including a smooth surface releasably supporting the web and moving the web to a first fold of the stack;
- and
- a second folding unit including a third pulley, a fourth pulley, a second belt supported by the third pulley and the fourth pulley, and a gripping assembly on the second belt, the gripping assembly periodically gripping the web and moving the web to a second fold of the stack.
A method of folding a wet web, comprising:
- releasably adhering the wet web to a belt;
- moving a first portion of the wet web to one side of a stack;
- gripping a second portion of the wet web off the belt;
- and
- moving the second portion of the wet web to a second side of the stack.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.