The Procter Gamble Company

John George Mast, Jr

Paul J Green

Apparatus and procedures for delivering tampon sacks having withdrawal strings at one end and inserter parts to an assembly turret having a plurality of operating heads on which the tampon sacks are assembled in the inserters, the apparatus comprising rotary transfer mechanism for engaging the withdrawal strings of the sacks and sequentially delivering them to a rotary assembly turret having a multiplicity of assembling stations mounted around its periphery. Each inserter comprises inner and outer parts, and feeding means are provided to individually feed and position an inner inserter and an outer inserter in holders at each assembly station.

Apparatus and method for delivering tampon sacks and inserter parts to

A hand-held, generally T-shaped disposable product applicator and a dispensing package therefor. The applicator comprises a resilient applicator pad portion and an upstanding finger grip portion. The applicator pad portion is normally substantially planar with a top surface and a bottom product applying surface coated or impregnated with the product to be dispensed. The upstanding finger grip portion is normally substantially planar with its sides providing finger grip surfaces. The finger grip portion is substantially normal to and extends transversely across the top surface of the applicator pad portion, bisecting the applicator pad portion into two substantially equal flaps. The applicator pad portion is foldable along its juncture with the finger grip portion with its bottom product applying surface folded upon itself. The finger grip portion is of such thickness that when the applicator pad portion is in its folded condition each half of the applicator pad portion top surface is substantially coplanar with the adjacent finger grip portion side. The dispensing package is adapted to receive a stack of applicators each with its applicator pad portion in folded condition. The package has a dispensing opening through which the handle portion of the end-most applicator of the stack is exposed for removal. Structure is provided within the package to advance the stack of applicators as each applicator is removed therefrom. Upon removal from the package, the resilient applicator pad portion of each applicator will spring to its normal substantially planar product applying condition.

Disposable product applicator and dispensing package therefor

Procedures for continuously forming rosette shaped tampons from aggregate containing tubular sacks or overwraps having withdrawal strings at one end and assembling the tampons in inserters, rotary transfer mechanism being provided for engaging the withdrawal strings of the sacks and sequentially delivering them to a rotary assembly turret having a multiplicity of assembling stations mounted around its periphery. Each inserter comprises inner and outer parts, and feeding means are provided to individually feed and position an inner inserter and an outer inserter in holders at each assembly station. Each station has a reciprocating string engaging rod which acts to remove a sack by its string from the transfer mechanism and positions the sack to be drawn upwardly by vacuum into an overlying annular inversion chamber wherein the sack is inverted into rosette shape by the action of a pressure-vacuum reciprocating inversion rod. The shaped sack is then moved downwardly into an underlying compression cone wherein it is radially compressed and drawn downwardly into an underlying cylindrical compression chamber, whereupon the outer inserter is positioned to overlie the compression chamber and the inner inserter, which underlies the compression chamber, is moved upwardly by a reciprocating assembly rod which causes the inner inserter to push the compacted tampon upwardly into the overlying outer inserter, and at the same time the upper end of the inner inserter engages within the outer inserter to complete the assembly. The assembled inserter is then transferred from the assembly station to a discharge wheel for delivery to a collection station or other mechanism for wrapping, packaging, or the like as the rotary assembly turret completes its cycle of operation.

Method of forming tampons and assembling same in inserters

A hand-held, generally T-shaped disposable product applicator and a dispensing package therefor. The applicator comprises a resilient applicator pad portion and an upstanding finger grip portion. The applicator pad portion is normally substantially planar with a top surface and a bottom product applying surface coated or impregnated with the product to be dispensed. The upstanding finger grip portion is normally substantially planar with its sides providing finger grip surfaces. The finger grip portion is substantially normal to and extends transversely across the top surface of the applicator pad portion, bisecting the applicator pad portion into two substantially equal flaps. The applicator pad portion is foldable along its juncture with the finger grip portion with its bottom product applying surface folded upon itself. The finger grip portion is of such thickness that when the applicator pad portion is in its folded condition each half of the applicator pad portion top surface is substantially coplanar with the adjacent finger grip portion side. The dispensing package is adapted to receive a stack of applicators each with its applicator pad portion in folded condition. The package has a dispensing opening through which the handle portion of the end-most applicator of the stack is exposed for removal.

Hand-held, generally T-shaped product applicators and a dispensing package for a stack thereof. Each applicator comprises a body portion and a handle portion. The body portion is dish-shaped with a convex bottom surface and a concave top surface. The bottom surface may be used directly to apply a product, or it may be provided with a product-applying facing. The handle portion is hollow and constitutes an integral, one-piece part of the body portion, extending upwardly from the top surface thereof. The hollow handle portion is open at the bottom surface of the body portion and closed at its top with upwardly and inwardly sloping edges and upwardly and inwardly sloping sides providing finger-grip surfaces. The handle portion of each applicator is so sized that the applicators may be stacked one above the other with their handle portions in telescoped relationship and the product applying facing of each applicator in spac ed relationship to the upper body portion surface of the applicator therebelow in the stack. The dispensing package is configured to receive a stack of applicators. The package has a dispensing opening at one end thereof through which the handle portion of the endmost applicator of the stack is exposed for removal therefrom. The opening is configured to release the applicators one at a time. Means are provided within the package to advance the stack of applicators toward the dispensing opening, as the applicators are removed therefrom.

Apparatus and procedures for continuously forming rosette shaped tampons from aggregate containing tubular sacks or overwraps having withdrawal strings at one end and assembling the tampons in inserters, the apparatus comprising rotary transfer mechanism for engaging the withdrawal strings of the sacks and sequentially delivering them to a rotary assembly turret having a multiplicity of assembling stations mounted around its periphery. Each inserter comprises inner and outer parts, and feeding means are provided to individually feed and position an inner inserter and an outer inserter in holders at each assembly station. Each station has a reciprocating string engaging rod which acts to remove a sack by its string from the transfer mechanism and positions the sack to be drawn upwardly by vacuum into an overlying annular inversion chamber wherein the sack is inverted into rosette shape by the action of a pressure-vacuum reciprocating inversion rod. The shaped sack is then moved downwardly into an underlying compression cone wherein it is radially compressed and drawn downwardly into an underlying cylindrical compression chamber, whereupon the outer inserter is positioned to overlie the compression chamber and the inner inserter, which underlies the compression chamber, is moved upwardly by a reciprocating assembly rod which causes the inner inserter to push the compacted tampon upwardly into the overlying outer inserter, and at the same time the upper end of the inner inserter engages within the outer inserter to complete the assembly. The assembled inserter is then transferred from the assembly station to a discharge wheel for delivery to a collection station or other mechanism for wrapping, packaging, or the like as the rotary assembly turret completes it cycle of operation.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

John George Mast, Jr