The Procter Gamble Company

Gregory John Erickson

Donald Carroll Roe

John Ferrer

Jason Robert Eddy

Thomas K Gerwe

A disposable absorbent article having a front end edge and a back end edge, wherein the front end edge is formed by a non-linear cut with an umbilical notch, and wherein the front end edge and the back end edge are complementary in shape.

Absorbent article having an umbilical notch cut

A disposable absorbent article having a non-linear notch cut without the presence of a significantly laterally extending resulting piece. The resulting absorbent article having a front end edge and a back end edge which are complementary. The front end edge having at least three tangential points (a, a, b). Tangential point b is longitudinally inboard of aand a. The back end edge having at least three tangential points (x, x, y), wherein y is longitudinally outboard of xand x. The absorbent article being longitudinally folded about a first fold line. The first fold line may be drawn between points aand x. The absorbent article being longitudinally folded about a second fold line, said second fold line may be drawn between points aand x.

Absorbent article having complementary edges for an umbilical notch cut

A method of forming arrays of articles, comprising: (a) providing a stacker having a plurality of compartments for receiving the articles, the stacker traveling along a closed loop path; (b) transporting a plurality of the articles along a first path to the stacker in sequential fashion; (c) introducing the articles into the compartments at an inlet position; (d) removing a first array of the articles from the stacker at a first stripping position by urging the articles from the compartment in a first stripping direction; (e) transporting the first array along a second path away from the stacker in a direction substantially opposite to the first stripping direction; and (f) repeating steps (b) through (e) for subsequent articles. An apparatus for use in this method is also provided.

Apparatus and method for forming arrays of articles for packaging

A method of forming arrays of articles comprising providing a stacker having a plurality of compartments for receiving the articles, the stacker traveling along a closed loop path; transporting a plurality of the articles along a first path towards the stacker in sequential fashion; introducing a first portion of the articles into the compartments at a first inlet position located adjacent to the interior of the closed loop path; and removing an array of the articles from the stacker at a stripping location located downstream from the inlet position. An apparatus for performing this method is also provided.

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Blue Ash, OH, United States of America

Gregory John Erickson