Method and apparatus for laying up adhesive backed sheets

Abstract

A system for laying up multi-layer stacks of sheets is particularly well suited for making pads of notes having ultra-removable adhesive coatings applied in a narrow strip to the back of each sheet. Large sheets having areas many multiples larger than the size of the individual pads, are applied from a continuous paper web having zone coated adhesive strips applied thereto onto a series of recirculating pallets each of which serially receives a large sheet. The web is applied by pressing the adhesive coated side onto the pallet as the pallet travels through a nip formed by the web carrying roll. Closely spaced end-to-end register of the pallets is maintained through the web-applying nip roll and a perforating blade cooperates therewith to form a weakened tear line across the width of the web which is synchronized to coincide with the gap between adjacent pallets. A severing station downstream of the web applying roll causes rapid displacement of the pallet from the one immediately upstream and severs the web along the tear line, resulting in a large single sheet adhering to each pallet. As the pallets recirculate through the system, multiple layers of sheets are laid upon one another until a desired number of sheets has been attained. The large stacks are subsequently cut along multiple parallel lateral lines, and along longitudinal lines corresponding to the positions of the adhesive zone coats and desired final pad widths, respectively.