Method for transporting and folding articles
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorYoichiro Yamamoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for folding articles advancing in a machine direction including a rotatable roll having a roll surface, at least one protrusion that defines an outermost surface of the roll and at least one pocket that defines an innermost surface of the roll. The apparatus also includes a first and second vacuum conveyor assembly, each comprising two vacuum conveyors. The roll and the vacuum conveyor assemblies are cooperatively configured to fold an article. A method for folding articles by accelerating a portion of the article to create slack in the article, as may be practiced using an apparatus as described.
Claims19
A method for folding an article;
- the method comprising:
- transferring a leading end portion of the article from a first carrier moving at a first speed to a movable surface of a first transfer apparatus moving at the first speed, and slowing the leading end portion to a second speed such that slack is formed in the article;
- transferring a trailing end portion of the article to the moving surface of the first transfer apparatus at the first speed;
- accelerating the leading end portion of the article to a third speed that is greater than the first speed;
- accelerating the trailing end portion of the article to the third speed;
- transferring the article to a rotating folding drum moving at the third speed, the folding drum comprising at least one pocket and at least one protrusion;
- transferring the leading end portion of the article to a movable surface of a second transfer apparatus, and slowing the leading end portion to a fourth speed;
- transferring the leading end portion of the article to a movable surface of a third transfer apparatus, and accelerating the leading end portion to the third speed;
- transferring the leading end portion to the folding drum at the third speed such that the leading end portion and the trailing end portion are arranged in a face-to-face relationship to form a folded article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.