Patent ID: 8535483

Claim:
An apparatus for perforating a web, the apparatus having a machine direction indicating a direction of travel of the web through any processing equipment and a cross direction orthogonal and coplanar thereto, the apparatus containing: a rotatable male roll having perforating elements defining web engaging edges wherein the web engaging edges of the perforating elements are spaced outwardly of an outer surface of the male roll for overstraining the web; a rotatable female roll having a pocket generally extending in the cross direction defining a web supporting edge wherein the pocket defining the web supporting edge extends inwardly of an outer surface of the female roll for receiving the web; the perforating elements on the male roll and the pocket in the female roll being located such that the pocket in the female roll will receive the perforating elements on the male roll during rotation of the male roll and the female roll; the male roll positioned relative to the female roll so the web engaging edges are closely spaced from the web supporting edge by a distance selected to permit the web engaging edges to overstrain the web without contacting the web supporting edge when the perforating elements are received in the pocket; and a motor for rotating the male roll and the female roll while transporting the web along a path extending between the male roll and the female roll to cause the pocket in the female roll to received the perforating elements on the male roll; whereby a selected perforation pattern is formed by overstraining the web.