Method and apparatus for providing balanced stacks of diapers

Apparatus for orienting diapers and the like comprising a frame, a drum mounted on said frame, means on said frame for rotating said drum, means operably associated with said frame for delivering a series of diapers to the surface of said drum for travel thereon, means for removing said series after traveling on said drum, said drum being equipped with an even-numbered plurality of turning devices for vacuum engagement of said diapers, and said drum being equipped with means for rotating alternate of said turning devices 90 degrees in one direction and the remaining turning devices 90 degrees in the opposite direction whereby adjacent diapers on said removing means are oriented 180 degrees relative to each other to facilitate balanced stacking.

Apparatus for the balanced stacking of diapers and the like comprising a frame, means on said frame for advancing serially a plurality of diapers toward a reorientation station, a drum on said frame constituting said reorientation station, means on said frame for rotating said drum about a predetermined axis, a cam mounted on said frame on one side of said drum and providing a closed path for a cam follower, said closed path having a major portion of its length in orbital relationship to said axis, a vacuumized valve plate on said frame on the other side of said drum and having an arcuate slot therein, said slot also being in orbital relation to said axis and being generally axially aligned with the remaining portion of said path, and an even plurality of diaper turning devices equally circumferentially spaced apart on said drum in radial relation to said axis, means coupling said devices to said cam for rotating alternate of said devices 90 degrees to the right and for rotating the remaining of said devices 90 degrees to the left and for coupling said devices to said arcuate slot for vacuum gripping said diapers during turning thereof.