Apparatus and method for folding and stacking napkins

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for folding and stacking sheet articles which produces a more uniform stack thickness.
The object of the present invention is met by a method and apparatus for folding sheet articles using two different folding devices.
A stack of sheet articles is formed by interleaving the sheet articles from the two-different folding devices.
The sheet article may be made from any substantially planar and foldable sheet material such as, for example, paper, plastic, or metal.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus for folding sheet articles includes two folding devices which output sheet articles having folds on opposite sides of the folded article.
The folded sheet articles from the two folding devices are interleaved so that the stack includes the two opposing folds.
By alternating the folded sheet articles from the two folding devices in the stack, the sheet material is evenly distributed on the opposing sides of the stack associated with the two folds, thereby producing a stack of uniform thickness.
A uniformly thick stack is easier to handle, helps reduce jam-ups in banders and case packers, and facilitates an even distribution of weight when the stacks are placed in boxes for shipping.
The present invention also reduces waste because the ease of handling the product reduces downtime of the folding device, thereby increasing the rate of production and reducing the cost of production.
In a more specific embodiment, the present invention is directed to a device for folding ⅛ fold napkins with a first folding device, i.
e.
, a plow, for making a first fold along a longitudinal length of the napkin, a quarter folder for quarter folding the napkin, and a ⅛ folder for ⅛ folding the napkin.
According to the invention, two plow folders are used for receiving two separate webs of napkin material.
The plow folders fold each web along a longitudinal length of the web