Apparatus for stacking pop-up towels

Abstract

An apparatus for forming a stack of interleaved, partially overlapping discrete sheets suitable for a pop-up dispenser. The apparatus comprises: a first cutter for cutting a plurality of first discrete sheets; a second cutter for cutting a plurality of second discrete sheets, each second discrete sheet being a mirror image of each first discrete sheet; a rotating vacuum transfer drum having an air impermeable surface rotating with a tangential velocity in operative relationship with the first and second cutters such that the first and second discrete sheets are deposited on the vacuum transfer drum in an alternating spaced relationship after cutting; a vacuum conveyor in operative relationship to receive the first and second discrete sheets from the vacuum transfer drum, the vacuum conveyor moving at a linear velocity less than the tangential velocity of the transfer drum, such that the first and second discrete sheets are transferred from the transfer drum to the vacuum conveyor in a shingled web relationship; an out of planed folder in operative relationship to receive the shingled web from the vacuum conveyor, such that as the vacuum conveyor moves the shingled web linearly, the shingled web is continuously removed from the conveyor and partially folded by the out of plane folder; and an accumulator platform in operative relationship with the out of plane folder, the accumulator platform removing the discrete sheets in a folded and stacked block of interleaved, partially overlapping sheets.