Apparatus and method for associating cut sheet sections with a moving carrier web

A rotatable vacuum roll for receiving a moving web, for guiding the web, and for transferring pieces cut from the web in timed relationship with a moving carrier web that passes over a portion of the periphery of the roll, said vacuum roll having an axis of rotation and comprising:

• a. a cylindrical shell having a plurality of substantially longitudinally-extending rows of apertures extending therethrough to define an apertured vacuum roll peripheral surface, a pair of axially-spaced end walls secured to the shell and that define shell ends, wherein one end wall is an apertured end wall that includes a plurality of ports that extend through the apertured end wall and that are in fluid communication with respective rows of apertures in the shell;
• and
• a stationary vacuum manifold in surface contact with the apertured end wall, the manifold having at least one elongated slot facing the apertured end wall for applying vacuum to selected groups of adjacent rows of apertures in the shell through respective end wall ports as the roll rotates relative to the manifold to provide a circumferentially-moving vacuum zone on the roll peripheral surface,
• wherein the apertured end wall includes a first group of end wall ports disposed in a first arc to define an arc-shaped series of spaced ports that extend over a first arc length of the end wall, wherein the arc has a radius that diminishes progressively from a first radius at a first end wall port adjacent the shell to a second radius at a second end wall port positioned radially inwardly of and angularly spaced from the first end wall port at a predetermined angle relative to the axis of rotation of the roll, wherein the second radius is smaller than the first radius,
• wherein a first group of ports are adjacent to each other and each port is at a different radius relative to the roll axis,
• including a second group of ports that is angularly spaced from the first group of ports and in which second group the ports are disposed at the same radius relative to the roll axis,
• wherein the manifold includes a first slot defined by a unitary, arc-shaped opening having a radial extent that includes the radii of the first group of ports and the radii of the second group of ports.