Interfolder and Separator Arrangement and Methods of Separating a Stack of Sheets From a Continuously Building Stream of Sheets
AssigneeC. G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc.
InventorJames Andrew Walsh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for separating streams of interfolded sheets into individual stacks of sheets are provided. Separation of the stacks is provided by a plurality of fingers mounted to carriages that are moved into and out of openings the stream of interfolded sheets. The openings may be formed without using the force of gravity. Further, the fingers may be inserted into the openings with a motion that has a larger component in a direction parallel to the stream of interfolded sheets than in a direction perpendicular to the stream of interfolded sheets. Further, the components that separate the stacks also may transport the stacks and directly transfer the stacks to downstream components.
Claims31
A method of separating a stack of sheets from a continuous stream of interfolded sheets, the method including:
- supporting a continuously forming stream of interfolded sheets on a lower carriage;
- inserting first, second, third and fourth count fingers into separate openings of the stream of interfolded sheets upstream of the lower carriage;
- supporting a first upstream sheet forming a first bottom sheet of the continuous stream of interfolded sheets with the third count finger and controlling a first downstream sheet forming a top sheet of the stack with the second count finger;
- increasing the spacing between the third and second count finger to separate the first upstream sheet from the first downstream sheet.
An apparatus for forming stacks of interfolded sheets from a stream of sheets, the apparatus comprising:
- an interfolder arrangement for interfolding the stream of sheets into a continuous stream of interfolded sheets;
- a separator arrangement including a lower carriage, first, second, third and fourth count fingers and a controller,
- the lower carriage being downstream from the interfolder arrangement and selectively supporting the continuous stream of interfolded sheets exiting the interfolder arrangement;
- the first, second, third and fourth count fingers being insertable into first, second, third and fourth openings of the continuous stream of interfolded sheets upstream of the lower carriage;
- the controller being configured to control the motion of the lower carriage, and first, second, third and fourth count fingers into the continuous stream of interfolded sheets, the controller configured to:
- control the third count finger to be inserted into the third opening formed by a first upstream sheet forming a first bottom sheet of the continuous stream of interfolded sheets to support the first bottom sheet of the continuous stream of interfolded sheets upstream of the lower carriage;
- control the second count finger to be inserted into the second opening formed by a first downstream sheet forming a top sheet of the stack to control a top of the stack upstream of the lower carriage;
- and
- control the second count finger, third count finger and lower carriage to increase the spacing between the third and second count finger to separate the first upstream sheet from the first downstream sheet.
A separating and interfolding apparatus comprising:
- a pair of counter rotating folding rolls rotating about axis of rotation;
- at least one count finger pivoting between a retracted state and an extended state about a count finger axis of rotation, the count finger axis of rotation being positioned laterally outward from the axis of rotation of the folding rolls such that the count finger axis of rotation is not positioned between the folding roll axis of rotation.
A separator arrangement for separating stacks of interfolded sheets from a stream of interfolded sheets, the stream of interfolded sheets forming a center line, the separator arrangement comprising:
- a lower carriage, a first carriage, a second carriage, a third carriage, a fourth carriage, and a sixth carriage, the first, third and lower carriage being located on a first side of the center line, the second, fourth and sixth carriage being located on a second side of the center line opposite the first side;
- a first count finger mounted to the first carriage, a second count finger mounted to the second carriage, a third count finger mounted to the third carriage and a fourth count finger mounted to the fourth carriage;
- and
- a controller configured to control the first, second, third, fourth, sixth and lower carriages independently to insert the first, second, third, fourth count fingers, the lower carriage, and the sixth carriage into openings formed in the stream of interfolded sheets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.