Abstract: An interfolding 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 of material in a manner so as to generate an interfolded stack of sheets. Each tucker assembly includes an outwardly biased tucker element that is operable to self-center in a slot formed in the folding roll. The tucker assembly further includes a roller mounted by a pin to the tucker element such that the tucker element rolls along a surface defined by the slot. Another embodiment of the tucker assembly includes a pivot spring and bumper to self-center the tucker element in the slot.

Abstract: An interfolding machine includes a rotating roll with a series of ports configured to apply a vacuum pressure for holding and releasing sheet or web material. The interfolding machine further includes a valve assembly to regulate the vacuum pressure communicated to a surface of the rotating roll for holding the sheet or web material. The valve assembly generally includes an outer slug and an inner slug coupled by a pilot ring. A spool is mounted to the inner slug. The spool includes an opening to receive a draw of fluid through the outer and inner slugs. A cover defines a cavity with the spool in communication with the opening to the spool and a port in the cover. The outer slug and the inner slug define an intake region through which suction is supplied to the roll ports during a portion of the rotation of the roll. The outer slug and the inner slug are rotatably adjustable relative to the spool and to one another to regulate the length and position of the intake region.

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 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 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 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.

Abstract: A system for forming a discontinuity or interruption in a stack of interfolded sheets, which are formed by a pair of folding rolls acting on a stream of overlapping sheets supplied to a nip area defined between the folding rolls. The stream of overlapping sheets is supplied to the folding rolls from a pair of feed rolls located upstream of the folding rolls. Normally, the feed rolls are operated at a surface speed substantially the same as the surface speed of the folding rolls, to feed the overlapping sheets to the folding rolls. When a desired sheet count has been attained, the feed rolls and the folding rolls are operated so as to eliminate the overlapping relationship between a downstream sheet and an upstream sheet in the stream of overlapping sheets.

Abstract: A system and method for creating a discontinuity in a stack of interfolded sheets in which folding rolls cooperate to interfold staggered sheets supplied in two streams of sheets, each of which is severed from a web of material. When a desired sheet count is attained, a sheet in one of the streams of sheets is folded onto itself so as to create a discontinuity in one of the streams of sheets. The folded sheet is formed by maintaining a leading portion of the sheet in engagement with a separating one roll while maintaining a trailing portion of the sheet in engagement with another roll, with the two rolls being positioned to form a nip therebetween and rotating in opposite directions.