Abstract: A mechanism for offsetting or overlapping successive sheets of material in an interfolding machine includes a bed roll rotating at a first speed and a retard roll rotating at a slower, second speed and positioned adjacent the bed roll. As successive sheets are transferred from the bed roll to the retard roll, the sheets are engaged by a nip roller assembly positioned adjacent the retard roll and forming a nip through which the sheets pass. The retard roller forms a deflection or bubble in the individual sheet passing through the nip, which enables a successive sheet to be positioned beneath the previous sheet, thereby forming the overlap of the successive sheet with the previous sheet.

Abstract: A packaging system for packaging a compressible article, such as a stack of interfolded paper towels, includes a sleeve supply arrangement for supplying a packaging sleeve to a loading area, a reciprocating article supply arrangement for selectively positioning a compressed article in the loading area, and a sleeve advancing arrangement for advancing the formed sleeve onto the compressed article at the loading area. After a sleeve is advanced onto the compressed article, the article supply arrangement is moved away from the loading area. A movable stripper engages the article and the sleeve during movement away from the loading area, to strip the article and the sleeve from the article supply arrangement. As the article and the sleeve are removed from the article supply arrangement, the article undergoes decompression and establishes contact with the sleeve to maintain the article and the sleeve in frictional engagement, to form a pack.

Abstract: A folding machine includes a first folding roll with a series of the gripper assemblies and a series of tucker assemblies uniformly and alternately spaced to interact with a series of gripper and tucker assemblies of an adjacent second folding roll. The series of alternately spaced gripper and tucker assemblies interact to grip, carry, and release material in a manner so as to generate a folded stack of material, such as sheet material. Each of the gripper assemblies generally includes a rotatable blade, a shaft configured to rotate the blade, a spacer disposed between the blade and the shaft, and a bolt coupling the blade and the spacer to the shaft. A housing is configured with seals to retain lubricated bearings to provide rotation of the shaft of the gripper assembly and to prevent contamination of the bearings.

Abstract: An interfolding machine includes an assembly for and method of separating overlapped sheets of material at a desired sheet count. The assembly includes a vacuum assembly with a manifold having a plurality of vacuum inlet ports coupled to a valve body having a plurality of chambers. A spool is contained within the valve body and includes a plurality of ports to provide a plurality of respective vacuum paths to a rotating count roll. The spool also includes a plurality of inlet openings in its outer surface. Each opening in the spool communicates a respective set of count roll vacuum ports with a respective interior chamber of the valve body. A control valve selectively releases the vacuum pressure in the vacuum chambers to atmosphere. The selective application of vacuum pressure to the holes in the count roll creates a fold that separates the sheets to form separate stacks of sheets at the discharge of the interfolding machine.

Abstract: A folding machine includes a first folding roll with a series of the gripper assemblies and a series of tucker assemblies uniformly and alternately spaced to interact with a series of gripper and tucker assemblies of an adjacent second folding roll. The series of alternately spaced gripper and tucker assemblies interact to grip, carry, and release a sheet material in a manner so as to generate an interfolded stack of sheet material. The folding machine further includes a phase adjustment assembly configured adjust the location of the fold in the sheet material, to locate the fold in a proper position on the sheet relative to the leading end of the successive sheet. The phase adjustment assembly generally includes a first helical gear that moves along an axial direction, and an input device configured to cause the axial movement of the first gear so as to cause a change in phasing and a change in location of the fold in the sheet material.

Abstract: A wrapping apparatus for wrapping a continuous elongated article, such as a continuous stack of interfolded paper towels, includes a web supply section that supplies a pair of continuous webs of wrapping material, and a wrapping section for applying the continuous pair of webs about the article. The web supply section includes a pair of web supply stations for each web of wrapping material, and a source of wrapping material, such as a supply roll, is located at each web supply station. The web supply section includes a splicing mechanism for each pair of web supply stations, for splicing together the trailing end of a web from an exhausted supply roll of wrapping material with the leading end of a web from a fresh supply roll of wrapping material, to provide a continuous web of wrapping material to the wrapping section. The web supply section includes a festoon-type web storage mechanism in which the web downstream of the splicing mechanism is trained about a series of rollers in a serpentine path.

Abstract: A discharge and transfer apparatus for adjacent separated, objects, such as logs of interfolded sheets discharged from an interfolder, and for supplying the logs of sheets sequentially to downstream processing equipment, such as a packaging or wrapping mechanism for applying packaging or wrapping material about each log of sheets. The discharge and transfer apparatus includes an advancing mechanism for moving the logs of sheets in a forward direction at a location downstream of the discharge area of the interfolder, and a guide mechanism, such as a series of curved guide rails, which are operable to position the logs such that the logs are moved in a generally vertical direction toward a transfer area by operation of the advancement mechanism.

Abstract: A continuous wrapping apparatus includes a web supply section that supplies a pair of continuous webs, and a wrapping section for applying the webs about the article. The web supply section includes a pair of web supply stations for each web, and a supply roll is located at each web supply station. Each web supply station includes a splicing mechanism for splicing together the trailing end of a web from an exhausted roll with the leading end of a web from a fresh roll. A storage mechanism is located downstream of each splicing mechanism, and includes rollers that are movable toward and away from each other to continuously supply the web during the splicing operation, which maintains the web ends stationary. The webs are applied to the elongated article such that side areas of the webs overlap each other, and adhesive is applied between the overlapping areas of the webs.

Abstract: A discharge and transfer system for receiving interfolded sheets from a folding mechanism. The system includes a guide arrangement for receiving the interfolded sheets in a vertical direction from the discharge of the folding mechanism, and for guiding the interfolded sheets to a substantially horizontal direction of movement onto a discharge table. The sheets are moved along the discharge table by a belt arrangement. When the endmost group of sheets attains a predetermined position on the discharge table, a clamping mechanism engages the endmost group of sheets toward an end of the endmost group of sheets. The clamping mechanism includes a first clamping member which moves into the endmost group of sheets at a location outwardly of the separation between the endmost group of sheets and the next adjacent group of sheets, and further includes a second clamping member which moves toward the first clamping member to clamp a portion of the endmost group of sheets therebetween.

Abstract: A system for forming a discontinuity in a stack of interfolded sheets formed by a pair of folding rolls acting on a stream of overlapping sheets supplied from a pair of feed rolls. At a desired sheet count, the feed rolls and folding rolls are operated to eliminate the overlap between a downstream sheet and an upstream sheet by operating the feed rolls and the folding rolls at a differential rate of speed, which results in advancement of the downstream sheet relative to the upstream sheet. The feed rolls are slowed upon discharge of the downstream sheet, to slow advancement of the upstream sheet while the downstream sheet is moved downstream by the folding rolls. The separation between the downstream and upstream sheets forms a discontinuity in the stack to divide the stack into groups of sheets.