Accumulating Apparatus For Discrete Paper Or Film Objects And Related Methods

An apparatus for accumulating discrete paper or film objects traveling in a machine direction, comprising:

• a first cam rotatable about a first axis of rotation;
• a second cam disposed in confronting relationship with said first cam and rotatable about a second axis of rotation generally parallel to said first axis of rotation;
• a first stop oriented transverse to said first axis of rotation and rotatable thereabout;
• and
• a second stop oriented transverse to said second axis of rotation and rotatable thereabout, wherein:
• said first and second cams have a first common angular position defining a first gap between them, and a second common angular position defining a second gap between them,
• said first gap is wider than said second gap and is configured to receive the objects there between, and said second gap is effective to nip the objects there between to move the objects in the machine direction, and
• said first and second stops are configured to prevent movement of the objects in the machine direction when the objects are received in said first gap.

An automatic converting apparatus having a first end associated with feeding of a roll of paper in a machine direction, a portion configured to process the roll of paper into discrete paper objects, and a second end associated with feeding of envelopes toward the discrete objects, the converting apparatus further comprising:

• an accumulating apparatus for accumulating the discrete objects traveling in the machine direction, said accumulating apparatus including
• (a) first and second accumulator elements disposed in confronting relationship with one another, said first accumulator element being rotatable about a first axis of rotation and having a first angular position defining a first gap relative to said second accumulator element for receiving the discrete objects there between, and a second angular position defining a second gap relative to said second accumulator element for nipping and moving the discrete objects in the machine direction, said second gap being smaller than said first gap;
• and
• (b) a stop oriented transverse to said first axis of rotation and rotatable thereabout, said stop being configured to prevent movement of the discrete objects in the machine direction when said first accumulator element is in said first angular position.

A method for accumulating discrete paper or film objects traveling in a machine direction, the method comprising:

• defining a first gap between first and second accumulator elements to receive the objects there between, the first gap being associated with a first angular position of the first accumulator element;
• rotating the first accumulator element to define a second gap between the accumulator elements associated with a second angular position of the first accumulator element, the second gap being smaller than the first gap, wherein engagement of the objects with surfaces defining the second gap is effective to move the objects in the machine direction;
• and
• blocking movement of the objects traveling in the machine direction when the objects are received in the first gap.

A method for accumulating a plurality of paper or film objects, the method comprising:

• moving a first one of the objects in a machine direction into a space defined between a pair of rotatable accumulator elements in a non-rotating angular position;
• moving a second one of the objects toward a position above or below the first object to thereby form a stack of the objects;
• supporting the stack of objects with an apparatus downstream from the accumulator elements and operable to move the stack in the machine direction at a first speed;
• and
• accelerating rotation of the accumulator elements from the non-rotating position to a transfer position in which the stack of the objects is moving substantially at the first speed of the apparatus downstream and the stack of the objects is transferred away from engagement with the accumulator elements and into engagement with the apparatus downstream thereof.