Method of perforating a nonlinear line of weakness

A method for perforating a web with a perforating apparatus, the method comprising:

• rotating a cylinder about a longitudinal cylinder axis, wherein the cylinder comprises at least one anvil;
• operatively engaging a moveable support with the cylinder;
• positioning a blade disposed on the support so as to cooperate in contacting relationship with the anvil, wherein at least one of the blade and the anvil defines a linear shape and wherein at least one of the blade and the anvil defines a non-linear shape, wherein at least one of the blade and the anvil comprises a plurality of teeth, wherein adjacent teeth are separated by a recessed portion, wherein each of the plurality of teeth has a tooth length and each recessed portion has a recessed portion length, and wherein each tooth length and each recessed portion length are non-uniform;
• feeding a web between the cylinder and the support;
• and
• perforating the web as the anvil cooperates in contacting relationship with the blade, wherein the web comprises perforated portions and non-perforated portions, and wherein the perforated portions and the non-perforated portions are uniform.

A method for making non-linear perforations, the method comprising:

• rotating a cylinder about a longitudinal cylinder axis, wherein the cylinder comprises at least one anvil, wherein at least a portion of the anvil is shaped in a non-linear path of a desired perforation on a web;
• operatively engaging a moveable support with the cylinder;
• positioning a blade disposed on the moveable support, wherein the blade comprises linear portions, the blade having a plurality of teeth such that the teeth cooperate in contacting relationship with the anvil, each tooth having a tooth length, and each tooth being separated from an adjacent tooth by a recessed portion defining a recessed portion length, wherein each tooth length and each recessed portion length are uniform;
• wherein each tooth length is individually predetermined such that its projected contacting relationship onto the anvil delimits a length of the anvil equal to a desired length of a perforation in the web, and each recessed portion length is individually predetermined such that its projected relationship with respect to the anvil delimits a length of the anvil equal to a desired length of a non-perforated portion of the web;
• feeding the web between the cylinder and the support as the teeth of the blade cooperate in contacting relationship with the anvil;
• and
• perforating the web with one or more perforation lengths and one or more non-perforation lengths in the non-linear path, wherein the web comprises a plurality of perforated portions and a plurality of non-perforated portions, and wherein the plurality of perforated portions and the plurality of non-perforated portions are non-uniform.