Patent ID: 9005096
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: B31D,B31F,B65H

Abstract:
1. A device for patterning a sheet material to form a folded structure having a predetermined lateral dimension, the device comprising: means for longitudinally corrugating the sheet material to decrease a lateral dimension of the sheet material so that the lateral dimension of the sheet material is substantially equal to the predetermined lateral dimension of the folded structure; and a first rack and a second rack disposed to accept the longitudinally corrugated sheet material such that the longitudinally corrugated sheet material passes between the first rack and the second rack in a longitudinal direction of corrugated sheet material, each rack comprising a plurality of rotating discs, the discs of the first and second racks being configured to oscillate in parallel, and in a direction perpendicular to the flow of the sheet material through the first rack and the second rack while each of the discs of the first rack and a corresponding one of the discs on the second rack remain in contact with the sheet material as the sheet material flows through the first rack and the second rack so as to impart folding of the sheet material in the transverse direction and contraction of the sheet material in the longitudinal direction without substantially stretching the sheet material in the longitudinal direction, and form a substantially wave-shaped, sinusoidally-varying fold pattern in the sheet material.