HIGH SPEED PLEATING APPARATUS

摘要

Disclosed is an apparatus for longitudinally pleating a moving lamina. The apparatus features a curved axis roll having a stationary axis circumscribed by a rotating sleeve with a plurality of circumferentially oriented grooves in the rotating sleeve. The pleats are produced by the intermeshing of the lamina with the grooves of the rotating sleeve. Preferably a complementary curved axis roll having lands which interdigitate with the grooves of the first roll is used in conjunction with the first curved axis roll. The apparatus preferably further comprises a third curved axis roll disposed upstream of the first curved axis roll to substantially equalize the paths of travel of any points on the moving lamina by compensating for differences in the paths of travel between the edges and centerline of the lamina. The apparatus may further comprise two straight axis rolls disposed outboard of the curved axis rolls and spatially arranged so that the paths of travel of either edge of the lamina and the centerline of the lamina through the apparatus and from the first straight axis roll to the second straight axis roll are substantially equal.