EXPANDABLE-COLLAPSIBLE ARTICLE, METHOD AND APPARATUS.

摘要

A method and apparatus (10) for forming expandable-collapsible articles (20) comprises a horizontally oriented frame (46) which receives one or more webs of sheet material from a feeding mechanism (12a, 12b), a pusher bar (16) having upper (98) and lower (100) gripper members engageable with the sheet material and a stripper bar (18) having upper (172) and lower (174) stripper members movable between folding position and discharge position with respect to the frame (46). One or more linear actuators (134, 136) are provided to move the pusher bar (16) toward and away from the stripper bar (18), and the extent of linear movement of such actuators is adjustable so that different lengths of sheet material can be advanced by the pusher bar (16) into contact with the stripper bar (18) thus forming fold lines in the sheet material with varying spaces therebetween. An expandable-collapsible product (20) is formed having an accordion fold configuration with an outwardly facing surface of essentially any desired contoured shape.