03.01.24
Zachary J. Giffey, Plymouth, WI; and Scott A. Roehrborn, Sheboygan, WI.
Assigned to Curt G. Joa, Inc., Sheboygan Falls, WI.
Filed: 12/27/19
Issued: 1/16/24
A method for folding discrete absorbent sanitary products, the method comprising: providing a first folding station; providing a second folding station downstream from the first folding station; providing a belt-type inverted main conveyor configured to transport discrete absorbent sanitary products at a constant speed in a machine direction across each of the first and second folding stations, the sanitary products to be folded at the first and second folding stations; providing a sloping compression conveyor between the first folding station and the second folding station, the sloping compression conveyor positioned beneath the inverted main conveyor; the sloping compression conveyor sloping in a downward direction from the first folding station toward the second folding station; conveying, by the inverted main conveyor, an absorbent sanitary product in a pad-down inverted orientation in a machine direction along the inverted main conveyor; performing a first folding of the absorbent sanitary product at the first folding station, the first folding occurring at a first folding location of the absorbent sanitary product located between a leading edge and a midsection of the absorbent sanitary product; the sloping compression conveyor configured to receive the folded absorbent sanitary product from the first folding station and maintain the absorbent sanitary product in a folded state against the inverted main conveyor; performing a second folding of the absorbent sanitary product at the second folding station, the second folding occurring at a second folding location of the absorbent sanitary product located between a midsection and a trailing edge of the absorbent sanitary product; wherein performing each of the first folding and the second folding at the respective folding stations further comprises: engaging the absorbent sanitary product with a first drum and rotating the absorbent sanitary product in a first rotational direction; contacting the absorbent sanitary product with one or more folding fingers traveling in the machine direction, and traveling at a same speed as the inverted main conveyor; engaging the absorbent sanitary product with a rotating member adjacent to the first drum and downstream therefrom in the machine direction, the rotating member rotating in the first rotational direction; and folding the absorbent sanitary product over the one or more folding fingers via rotation of the rotating member in the first rotational direction.
Assigned to Curt G. Joa, Inc., Sheboygan Falls, WI.
Filed: 12/27/19
Issued: 1/16/24
A method for folding discrete absorbent sanitary products, the method comprising: providing a first folding station; providing a second folding station downstream from the first folding station; providing a belt-type inverted main conveyor configured to transport discrete absorbent sanitary products at a constant speed in a machine direction across each of the first and second folding stations, the sanitary products to be folded at the first and second folding stations; providing a sloping compression conveyor between the first folding station and the second folding station, the sloping compression conveyor positioned beneath the inverted main conveyor; the sloping compression conveyor sloping in a downward direction from the first folding station toward the second folding station; conveying, by the inverted main conveyor, an absorbent sanitary product in a pad-down inverted orientation in a machine direction along the inverted main conveyor; performing a first folding of the absorbent sanitary product at the first folding station, the first folding occurring at a first folding location of the absorbent sanitary product located between a leading edge and a midsection of the absorbent sanitary product; the sloping compression conveyor configured to receive the folded absorbent sanitary product from the first folding station and maintain the absorbent sanitary product in a folded state against the inverted main conveyor; performing a second folding of the absorbent sanitary product at the second folding station, the second folding occurring at a second folding location of the absorbent sanitary product located between a midsection and a trailing edge of the absorbent sanitary product; wherein performing each of the first folding and the second folding at the respective folding stations further comprises: engaging the absorbent sanitary product with a first drum and rotating the absorbent sanitary product in a first rotational direction; contacting the absorbent sanitary product with one or more folding fingers traveling in the machine direction, and traveling at a same speed as the inverted main conveyor; engaging the absorbent sanitary product with a rotating member adjacent to the first drum and downstream therefrom in the machine direction, the rotating member rotating in the first rotational direction; and folding the absorbent sanitary product over the one or more folding fingers via rotation of the rotating member in the first rotational direction.