Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kevin Lester Fiedler

James Bennington Stopher

David James VanEperen

Gene M Gregory

Adam Lewis Daniels

Steven Michael Parsons

The present invention provides a process and apparatus for applying a web component ( ) to a moving substrate ( ). The process aspect includes a delivering of the web component ( ) to a rotatable applicator wheel ( ). The applicator wheel has an entry surface-region ( ), an exit surface-region ( ), a transport surface-region ( ), and an applicator wheel diameter ( ). The web component ( ) is contacted onto the entry surface-region ( ) of the applicator wheel ( ), and the applicator wheel is rotated to move the web component along a substantially circumferential, applicator path along the transport surface-region ( ) of the applicator wheel. The applicator wheel ( ) is oscillated about a pivot axis ( ) which is spaced from the moving substrate ( ) by a pivot distance ( ), and the web component ( ) is operatively applied from the exit surface-region ( ) of the applicator wheel ( ) onto the moving substrate ( ) to provide a desired curved web configuration. In a particular aspect, the applicator wheel diameter ( ) can be at least a selected percentage of the pivot distance ( ).

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Appleton, WI, United States of America

Kevin Lester Fiedler