Method of producing web units

Abstract

A method of producing web units wherein at least two units are simultaneously processed while in superimposed relation, and thereafter the units are laterally separated -- the invention finding particular utility in connection with business forms.

I claim: .[. 
     
       1.  A method of producing a plurality of web units comprising: simultaneously processing at least two of said units while the same are in superposed relation, and thereafter laterally separating said units for further processing..].   
     
     
       2. The method of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.15 .Iaddend.in which said units are initially processed separately. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2 in which said initial processing includes the step of printing. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.15 .Iaddend.in which said simultaneous processing includes one or more of the following: cross perforation, file hole punching, crash numbering, crimp locking, line hole punching, or a like operation adapted for use with business forms. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.15 .Iaddend.in which each web unit is a single thickness web. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.15 .Iaddend.in which at least one of said web units includes a plurality of web thicknesses. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.15 .Iaddend.in which said web units are folded subsequent to .[.lateral.]. separation.[...]. .Iadd.and lateral movement of at least one of the webs. .Iaddend. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7 in which said web units are zigzag folded. .[.9. The method of claim 1 in which one of said web units is skewed twice..]. .[.10. The method of claim 9 in which said one web unit is guided during the second skewing..]. .[.11. The method of claim 9 in which said web units are folded about a common axis..]. .[.12. The method of claim 11 in which the folding of one web unit is longitudinally spaced from the 
     
     
        folding of an adjacent web unit. .]. 13. The method of claim .[.1.]. .Iadd.15 in which said web units are slack during .[.lateral.]. separation 
     
     
        .[...]. .Iadd.and lateral movement. .Iaddend. 14. The method of claim 13 in which said web units are engaged by pinned belts after .[.lateral.]. separation .[...]. .Iadd.and lateral movement. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. A method of manufacturing business forms from rolls of paper webs comprising: advancing the webs from the rolls into a contiguous superimposed relationship along a common straight line path, processing the webs simultaneously while they are moving in said superimposed relationship,     maintaining a first one of the webs along said straight line path   advancing a second of said webs laterally into a path which is parallel to the path of said first web to separate said first and second webs and     performing a further processing operation on said first and second webs after said separation,   all of said processing operations occurring while the webs are moving continuously from said rolls. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. The method of claim 15 in which said second web is moved into the form of a festoon after said separation. .Iaddend.