John A. McCabe, Sheboygan Falls, WI; Gottfried Jason Hohm, Sheboygan Falls, WI; Anthony A. Nelson, New Holstein, WI; and Zachary J. Giffey, Sheboygan Falls, WI.
Assigned to Curt G. Joa, Inc., Sheboygan Falls, WI.

Filed: 1/23/14
Issued: 10/6/20

A method for folding discrete items comprising: conveying an item in a machine direction with a first conveyor, carrying said item on a first side; carrying a second side of a leading portion of said item and rotating said leading portion in a first rotational direction with a first drum continuously rotating in said first rotational direction; contacting a midsection of said item in a folding plane with a folding finger traveling in said machine direction, said folding finger traveling about a travel path in said folding plane; releasing said second side of said leading portion of said item from said first drum while rotating said first drum in said first rotational direction; carrying said first side of said leading portion of said item and rotating said leading portion in said first rotational direction with a second drum that continuously rotates in said first rotational direction; releasing said first side of said leading portion of said item to lay said leading portion of said item atop a trailing portion of said item; wherein said folding finger is maintained in a constant cross-machine direction orientation and in said folding plane as said folding finger travels about an entirety of said travel path.