Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Other

Kimberly-clark Corporation

Joseph Michael Kugler

Michael Barth Venturino

Edward E Werner

David Charles Musil

Susan Joan Daniels

James George Van Himbergen

Norman Earl Brown

Peter James Krautkramer

Kenneth Thomas Borowski

Douglas Paul Rammer

Lyle T Lamers

John Christopher Garstka

Leon E Chambers, Jr

Derek Paul Murphy

Leon Eugene Chambers, Jr

Dixon John Kuchenbecker

Bruce John Benson

Todd Christy Thoman

An apparatus for scarfing a fibrous web includes a rotatable scarfing roll with vacuum ports and an air moving source in fluid communication with the vacuum ports. The rotatable scarfing roll has a core member which includes a plurality of scarfing elements connected thereto and vacuum ports located therein. A method for scarfing a fibrous web includes providing a rotatable scarfing roll with vacuum ports and reducing scarfing wind by applying vacuum to the vacuum ports. A method for producing absorbent articles includes providing a fibrous web, contacting the fibrous web with a rotatable scarfing roll with vacuum ports to remove a portion of the fibrous web, applying vacuum to the vacuum ports to reduce scarfing wind, and producing an absorbent article with the fibrous web.

Method and apparatus for scarfing fibrous substrates

A method and apparatus ( ) for forming a fibrous web ( ) includes a movable, foraminous forming surface ( ) and a substantially stationary, vacuum-commutator duct system ( ) which is located substantially subjacent the forming surface ( ). The vacuum-commutator duct system ( ) has an entrance opening ( ) that changes in configuration along a longitudinal dimension ( ) of the entrance opening ( ).

Multi-stage forming drum commutator

A method and apparatus ( ) for scarfing a fibrous web ( ) can include a scarfing housing ( ) which has been provided with a web entrance portion ( ), a web exit portion ( ), a discharge conduit ( ), and an air flow inlet ( ). A rotatable scarfing roll ( ) can be located in the scarfing housing ( ), and in a particular feature, the discharge conduit ( ) can be configured with a distinctive conduit angle ( ).

Method and apparatus for geometric scarfing

Methods and systems for making an absorbent pad for use in an absorbent article utilize a forming device for forming material into an absorbent core, a supply device for supplying a containment layer against the first surface of the absorbent core and spray apparatus for spraying fibers of molten resin onto the second surface of the absorbent core. The fibers form a stabilization layer on the absorbent core that increases the integrity of the absorbent core. The spray apparatus includes a nozzle having a resin aperture for exhausting resin therefrom and multiple gas apertures for exhausting gas therefrom to provide a random pattern to the fibers of molten resin as the fibers are sprayed onto the second surface. Resin can also be sprayed onto first and second portions of the containment layer extending outwardly from edges of the absorbent core so the containment layer and the stabilization layer encompass the absorbent core. In another embodiment, a second containment layer can be placed on the second surface of the absorbent core and first and second stabilization layers can be spaced outwardly therefrom and deposited on the absorbent core.

Apparatus for making an absorbent pad for use in absorbent articles

An apparatus and method for manufacturing a pad wherein a rotatable forming screen which has a generally cylindrical surface and at least one outwardly projecting nob is employed. The nob is positioned on the forming screen whereby the nob is circumscribed by the material, e.g., cellulosic fluff, deposited on the forming screen to form the pad. The pad is transferred from the forming screen to a moveable transfer surface. The transfer surface may be either flat or round and moves at a velocity which is at least as great as the velocity of the forming screen. The nob located on the forming screen includes a thrust surface disposed on a trailing edge of the nob. The thrust surface imparts a compressive force on the pad during the release of the pad from the forming screen. The compressive force is at least partially directed towards the transfer surface and thereby assists in the release and transfer of the pad. A vacuum may also be used to attract the pad to the transfer surface. When the transfer surface is a cylindrical surface, the forming screen may have a diameter which is smaller than, substantially equivalent to, or greater than the diameter of the transfer surface. The nobs disposed on the forming screen can have many different shapes and, for example, may define a frustum. The sidewalls of the nob may taper inwardly by about 5 degrees. Threaded fasteners may be utilized to make the nobs reattachable and exchangeable.

Method and apparatus for forming an apertured pad

Method of making an absorbent pad

A distinctive method for contouring a fibrous web includes the steps of (a) providing a fibrous web which defines an interconnected series of appointed article segments along a length dimension of said web, and (b) conveying said web at a selected speed along an appointed machine direction. The method also includes the step of (c) removing predetermined quantities of fibers from selected regions of said fibrous web with a moving, outer peripheral scarfing surface, which is movable along a selected movement direction. The scarfing surface is constructed to provide each of the article segments with a selected contoured basis weight which varies along the length dimension of said segment in a selected correspondence with a predetermined scarfing pattern. The scarfing pattern is provided by the outer peripheral scarfing surface and is variably patterned along the movement direction of the scarfing surface. A relative movement between the conveying step (b) and the removing step (c) is regulated to provide the selected correspondence and to thereby form said selected contoured basis weight on substantially each of the appointed article segments.

Intermittent, machine-direction fluff contouring method

A distinctive apparatus for contouring a fibrous web includes a supplying mechanism for providing a fibrous web which defines an interconnected series of appointed article segments along a length dimension of the web. A conveying mechanism moves the web at a selected speed along an appointed machine direction. A scarfing mechanism removes predetermined quantities of fibers from selected regions of the fibrous web. The scarfing mechanism is constructed to provide each of the article segments with a selected contoured basis weight which varies at least along the length dimension of the segment in a selected correspondence with a predetermined scarfing pattern. The scarfing pattern is provided by an outer peripheral surface of the scarfing mechanism, and the pattern is configured to have a selected variation at least along a movement direction of the scarfing mechanism. A regulating mechanism controls a relative movement between the conveying mechanism and the scarfing mechanism to provide the selected correspondence and to thereby form the selected contoured basis weight on substantially each of the article segments.

Intermittent, machine-direction fluff contouring roll

Growing community of inventors

Appleton, WI, United States of America

Joseph Michael Kugler