A method of folding a sheet of paper. The method includes folding a strip of paper about in half to form a first folded strip. The method also includes folding the first folded strip about a point that is about two-thirds a length of the first folded strip to form a second folded strip including an exposed portion that is about a third the length of the first folded strip. The method also includes folding the second folded strip about in half to form a third folded strip. The method also includes before folding the third folded strip, applying a spot of glue on the third folded strip. The method also includes folding the third folded strip about in half to form a fourth folded strip.

Apparatus is provided for manufacturing a wipe in a three dimensional form out of an essentially flat piece of material. The apparatus produces a blank (12) of essentially flat planar form with a pleat folded on each side. The folded blanks are fed by a conveyor belt (21) to an opening station (22). The opening station comprises a pair of movable pinch rollers (34, 35) which selectively grab individual blanks from the conveyor belt and feed them via belts (32, 33) to a pair of counter-rotating drums (30, 31). The blanks are ejected from the drums, which partially opens them up in the process. The partially open blanks are fed onto a shaped former (37), where the final process of forming the wipe into its chosen three dimensional form is completed.

A method of folding a sheet of paper. The method includes folding a strip of paper about in half to form a first folded strip. The method also includes folding the first folded strip about a point that is about two-thirds a length of the first folded strip to form a second folded strip including an exposed portion that is about a third the length of the first folded strip. The method also includes folding the second folded strip about in half to form a third folded strip. The method also includes before folding the third folded strip, applying a spot of glue on the third folded strip. The method also includes folding the third folded strip about in half to form a fourth folded strip.

A method of folding a sheet of paper. The method includes: folding the sheet of paper into an accordion shape comprising a plurality of pleats and collapsing the pleats to form a strip; folding the strip about in half to form a first folded strip; folding the first folded strip about a point that is about two-thirds a length of the first folded strip to form a second folded strip comprising an exposed portion that is about a third the length of the first folded strip; and folding the second folded strip about in half to form a third folded strip.

Apparatus is provided for manufacturing a wipe in a three-dimensional form out of an essentially flat piece of material. The apparatus produces a blank of essentially flat planar form with a pleat folded on each side. The folded blanks are fed by a conveyor belt to an opening station. The opening station comprises a pair of movable pinch rollers which selectively grab individual blanks from the conveyor belt and feed them via belts to a pair of counter-rotating drums. The blanks are ejected from the drums, which partially opens them up in the process. The partially open blanks are fed onto a shaped former, where the final process of forming the wipe into its chosen three-dimensional form is completed.

A method of folding a sheet of paper. The method includes: folding the sheet of paper into an accordion shape comprising a plurality of pleats and collapsing the pleats to form a strip; folding the strip about in half to form a first folded strip; folding the first folded strip about a point that is about two-thirds a length of the first folded strip to form a second folded strip comprising an exposed portion that is about a third the length of the first folded strip; and folding the second folded strip about in half to form a third folded strip.

Apparatus is provided for manufacturing a wipe in a three-dimensional form out of an essentially flat piece of material. The apparatus produces a blank of essentially flat planar form with a pleat folded on each side. The folded blanks are fed by a conveyor belt to an opening station. The opening station comprises a pair of movable pinch rollers which selectively grab individual blanks from the conveyor belt and feed them via belts to a pair of counter-rotating drums. The blanks are ejected from the drums, which partially opens them up in the process. The partially open blanks are fed onto a shaped former, where the final process of forming the wipe into its chosen three-dimensional form is completed.

Apparatus is provided for manufacturing a wipe in a three dimensional form out of an essentially flat piece of material. The apparatus produces a blank (12) of essentially flat planar form with a pleat folded on each side. The folded blanks are fed by a conveyor belt (21) to an opening station (22). The opening station comprises a pair of movable pinch rollers (34, 35) which selectively grab individual blanks from the conveyor belt and feed them via belts (32, 33) to a pair of counter-rotating drums (30, 31). The blanks are ejected from the drums, which partially opens them up in the process. The partially open blanks are fed onto a shaped former (37), where the final process of forming the wipe into its chosen three dimensional form is completed.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a transport path for transporting a sheet in a predetermined transport direction; a folding unit disposed along the transport path to perform folding processing on a sheet transported through the transport path; and a downstream-side unit disposed on a downstream side in the transport direction along the transport path to perform processing on a sheet transported from the folding unit. The folding unit includes a space section disposed at a lower side of the transport path for forming a cylindrical shape on a sheet; a transport roller disposed in the transport path to transport a sheet to the space section; and folding rollers to form a fold at a predetermined position on a sheet in which the cylindrical shape is formed. The space section is provided in a range of overlapping the downstream-side unit in a height direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a transport path for transporting a sheet in a predetermined transport direction; a folding unit disposed along the transport path to perform folding processing on a sheet transported through the transport path; and a downstream-side unit disposed on a downstream side in the transport direction along the transport path to perform processing on a sheet transported from the folding unit. The folding unit includes a space section disposed at a lower side of the transport path for forming a cylindrical shape on a sheet; a transport roller disposed in the transport path to transport a sheet to the space section; and folding rollers to form a fold at a predetermined position on a sheet in which the cylindrical shape is formed. The space section is provided in a range of overlapping the downstream-side unit in a height direction orthogonal to the transport direction.