Patent ID: 8465404

Claim:
An apparatus for producing a container insert comprising: a dispensing station for dispensing a material and folding the material upon itself along a longitudinal axis thereof to form a generally U-shaped folded material having opposing sides, a folded end, and an open end; a folding station including a pair of spaced apart plates for receiving the generally U-shaped folded material from the dispensing station and a material folding member selectively received between the plates for causing the folded end to be received between the opposing sides to form a generally W-shaped folded material; a sealing station including a seam forming element to form a seam extending from the folded end to the open end of the w-shaped folded material; a material advance mechanism to advance the material through the apparatus; and a cutting station to cut the w-shaped configured material along the seam formed therein; wherein the folding station includes a framework to support the pair of spaced apart plates and a pair of reciprocatively mounted material gripping members configured to move toward and away from the plates, wherein the gripping members secure the opposing sides of the generally U-shaped folded material against the plates while the material folding member is received between the plates to push the folded end of the generally U-shaped folded material therebetween to form the generally w-shaped folded material.