Apparatus for forming stacks of panels in zig-zag formation

Abstract

Apparatus for stacking panels of a running web in zig-zag formation by folding the web along transversely extending weakened fold lines has a vertically movable table which supports successive growing stacks at a stacking station and has a concave or convex upper side serving to impart to the panels above it a concavo-convex shape. The fold lines between the panels of the growing stack are pushed downwardly and thereby caused to assume an arcuate shape by a set of rotary folding fingers and by a conveyor which cooperates with a suction chamber and pulls the adjacent fold lines of the growing stack downwardly toward the upper side of the table. The concavo-convex panels of the growing stack are stiffer than plane panels and ensure that the growing stacks resemble parallelepipeds with neighboring sides disposed at right angles to each other and without sagging of panels between the corresponding fold lines.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.