apparatus uses a burster method to bow a continuous web of inserts and thereafter separates the forwardmost insert from the continuous web . a pair of feed rollers advances the forwardmost insert along a predetermined path toward a pair of burst rollers . upon receipt of the forwardmost insert , the burst rollers first operate at a decreased relative speed with respect to the advancing speed of the web , thereby bowing the continuous web of inserts . the burst rollers then operate at an increased relative speed with respect to the feed rollers , thereby separating the forwardmost insert .