Georgia-Pacific Corporation

Bernard E Dodge

John Stephen Formon

John J Diggins

A dispenser for individually dispensing paper towels from a stack of interfolded paper towels. The paper towels are received in a housing and dispensed by their ends through a slot in a smooth and generally uninterrupted manner. The slot is formed with a narrow medial portion and enlarged end portions to release only one paper towel at a time. Moreover, the dispenser effectively resists a user pulling a bunch of paper towels from the dispenser.

Process for dispensing paper towels

Process and apparatus for dispensing paper towels

A napkin is folded so that certain layers include marginal portions which extend beyond the remaining layers. The marginal portions are provided with a deeper embossing pattern than the remaining portions of the napkin to provide enhanced banding and handling of a stack of napkins.

Napkin

Portion of a sheet of paper toweling

A package wrapping apparatus and method compresses a package of napkins or a similarly soft bulked product during the wrapping operation to provide a tight wrapped package which does not become loose with settling. An air activated expandable elevator plate allows the bottom of the napkin package to be completely supported during the wrapping operation, and contracts to allow the plate to be lowered between front and rear underfolders. This allows the napkin stack to undergo a greater degree of compression without defects, since folding or curling of the napkin edges over the elevator plate is avoided. An air activated movable top compression plate applies variable downloading against the top of the package. As the elevator plate is raised, the package presses against the top compression plate and is thereby compressed. The top compression plate is then withdrawn to a position corresponding to the desired finished package height, and a sliding transfer operation of the package to a heat seal device is performed. This transfer operation is completed before the compressed package has recovered to the desired package height. In this manner, downward pressure on the package during the transfer operation is greatly reduced. As a result, the napkins and the wrap are much less likely to be displaced from their proper positions prior to the heat seal, and occurrences of defective packages are reduced. The air activated expandable elevator plate and top compression plate assemblies of the invention are simple in construction and may be readily retrofitted to existing wrapping machines.

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Palatka, FL, United States of America

Bernard E Dodge