Filter forming and joining apparatus

An apparatus for automatically and continuously forming a succession of cylindrical filter elements, each from a pleat block of pleated filter material, each pleat block having first and second ends and a plurality o pleats directed longitudinally along the pleat block between the first and second ends of the pleat block, the apparatus comprising:

• a pleat block isolator that isolates successive individual pleat blocks from other pleat blocks in a succession of pleat blocks in preparation for filter element formation, the pleat block isolator including a planar isolator region with the succession of pleat blocks aligned upon the planar isolator region with the pleats of each individual pleat block oriented perpendicular to a direction of travel of the succession of pleat blocks along the isolator region;
• a compression conveyer adapted to align and compress the pleats in the succession of pleat blocks prior to their entrance to the isolator;
• a filter former that manipulates each isolated pleat block along a forming path into a hollow cylinder shape, the hollow cylinder-shaped isolated pleat block having a first end pleat and a second end pleat positioned adjacent each other, the forming path including a first, planar forming region provided in the same plane as that of the isolator region and having a direction of travel that is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the succession of pleat blocks along the isolator region, with each isolated pleat block smoothly changing direction upon the plane of the isolator and forming regions as each isolated pleat block moves from the pleat block isolator along the forming path, such that the pleats of each isolated pleat block are oriented in the same direction of travel as that of the forming path, the forming path further including a second forming region where the isolated pleat block is manipulated into a hollow cylinder shape after its travel direction is smoothly changed in the planar forming region;
• and
• a filter joiner that bonds together the first end pleat and the second end pleat of each hollow cylinder-shaped isolated pleat block while continuously moving each hollow cylinder-shaped pleat block along the forming path to produce a cylindrical filter element.