Patent ID: 7195586

Claim:
An apparatus for folding and tucking a contiguous diaper structure running in a machine direction, said contiguous diaper structure including a plurality of crotch regions arranged at regular intervals in said machine direction and a plurality of first and second waist regions lying both sides of said crotch regions in a cross direction orthogonal to said machine direction and having a plurality of leg-holes each formed between each pair of said crotch regions adjacent to each other, said apparatus comprising: a conveyor mechanism folding said contiguous diaper structure along a fold in said crotch region so that said first and second waist regions are oppositely spaced apart from each other and conveying said contiguous diaper structure in said machine direction with said contiguous diaper structure kept folded; a folding mechanism tucking said crotch region of said contiguous diaper structure into the inside of said contiguous diaper structure from said leg-holes lying on both sides of said crotch region; said folding mechanism including folding plates adapted to move toward and away from said crotch region of said contiguous diaper structure in said cross direction in syncronization with running of said contiguous diaper structure in said machine direction; each of said folding plates comprising a first base and a pair of guide arms extending from said first base in said cross direction and aligned in said machine direction; and said guide arms moving into the inside of said contiguous diaper structure as said folding plate moves toward said crotch region of said contiguous diaper structure in order to catch opposite side edges of said crotch region in the vicinity of said fold from the outer side.