Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Paul Alois Weber

Georgia Lynn Zehner

Eric Donald Johnson

Thomas Arthur Bett

Nancy E Dawson

Nicole Jeane Barna

Sara Jane Wille Stabelfeldt

David Fleger Bishop

Michael Lee Lohoff

Tanakon Ungpiyakul

John Timothy Hahn

Jesse Paul Sorenson

Mark John Beitz

Robert Michael Hill, Jr

Darin Allen Engelhart

Thomas Michael Killian

Caleb E Ihrig

Thomas Tanakon Ungpiyakul

Sara Stabelfeldt

Greg Malchow

Matthew J Maigatter

David Fugate

Jesse Sorenson

Caleb Ihrig

An apparatus for conveying and applying a discrete part to a substrate includes a plurality of transfer puck assemblies, a drive assembly, and a translation mechanism. The plurality of transfer puck assemblies is adapted to convey the discrete part to the substrate, and each transfer puck assembly includes at least one puck segment. The drive assembly is configured to rotate each transfer puck assembly about a drive axis. The translation mechanism is configured to translate the at least one puck segment in an axial direction as the plurality of transfer puck assemblies are being rotated about the drive axis to move the discrete part to a profiled configuration prior to application of the profiled discrete part to the substrate.

Apparatus for and method of shaping and applying a segment to a moving web with side shifting pucks

An absorbent article includes a front waist region, a rear waist region, and a crotch region, the front waist region having a front fastener and an outermost surface, the absorbent article further including a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis. The absorbent article also includes an absorbent assembly including a bodyside liner, an outer cover, and an absorbent body disposed between the bodyside liner and the outer cover; and a gripper handle disposed in the front waist region and extending from the outermost surface, wherein the outermost surface is one of the outer cover and the front fastener.

Absorbent article with wipe gripper handle

An absorbent article () can include a pocket () disposed in the front waist region. The pocket () can include a first side edge (), a second side edge (), an upper lateral edge (), and a lower lateral edge (). The pocket () can be closed with respect to the absorbent assembly () at least at the first side edge () and the second side edge () and can be open with respect to the absorbent assembly () at least at the lower lateral edge (). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the upper lateral edge () can be closer to the front waist edge () of the absorbent article () than is the first end edge () of the absorbent body ().

Absorbent article with pocket providing enhanced control

Apparatus for applying ribbon in a nonlinear pattern to a web includes a guide assembly having a roller adapted to guide the ribbon onto the web as the web is moving in a first direction. A reciprocating device is provided to move at least the roller of the guide assembly back and forth along an axis of motion. The axis of motion is other than parallel to the first direction.

Apparatus for and method of applying ribbon in a nonlinear pattern to a web

A system and process for unwinding materials in forming absorbent articles is described. The system includes an unwind device in association with a festoon. The festoon is for accumulating a determined length of material. The amount of material contained in the festoon is increased or decreased depending upon the rate at which a roll of material is unwound in relation to the rate at which the first material is fed into a downstream process. In order to minimize the capacity of the festoon and in order to minimize tension swings in the festoon, the festoon includes a plurality of drive devices associated with selected guide rolls contained in the festoon. The drive devices can accelerate and/or decelerate the guide rolls in response to rate increases or decreases occurring at the unwind device in relation to the downstream process speed. In one embodiment, each of the guide rolls is controlled independently of the remaining guide rolls in the festoon.

System and process for controlling the deceleration and acceleration rates of a sheet material in forming absorbent articles

A method of accumulating a web includes pivoting subsets of rolls to a generally vertical alignment; moving one set of rolls past the other; passing the web between the sets of rolls; moving one set of rolls past the other to engage the web; pivoting the subsets to a generally horizontal alignment; moving the web alternatively between the subsets; and moving the sets apart to accumulate the web and together to discharge the web. A web accumulator includes at least two sets of rolls. Each set of rolls has subsets of rolls. The subsets have two consecutive staggered rolls. The accumulator has a web path defined by alternating between subsets of the first set and subsets of the second set.

Method and apparatus for accumulating a web

A system and method for controlling the strain of a web material supplied to a machine by adjusting a tension force applied to the web material. An operator defines a target web strain via an input device. A speed sensor senses the speed of the web material supplied to the machine at a first position and a second position and generates a speed signal representative of the difference. A tension sensor senses a tension force applied to the web prior to the first position and after the first position and generates a tension signal representative of the difference. A control system calculates web strain as a function of the tension signal and speed signal, and compares the calculated strain with the target web strain and generates a speed control signal as a function of the comparison. The feed device is responsive to the speed control signal for adjusting a speed differential of the web to adjust tension force applied to the web.

System and method for controlling the strain of web material

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Appleton, WI, United States of America

Paul Alois Weber