The Procter Gamble Company

Other

Russell P Bridges

Stephen Joseph Lange

James R Golan

Margaret Henderson Hasse

Michael Gary Nease

Ronald H Helton

Michael J Madill

E Kelly Linman

Steven Worthington Miller

Steven W Miller

Charles Phillip Miller

Nathan Alan Gill

Robert H Siegfried

John Frederick Droste

Ron Herbert Helton

Maite Iraolagoitia

Michael J Madil

A transfer apparatus is provided for transferring a workpiece from a moving anvil to a moving carrier. The apparatus comprises: a support structure comprising a support member rotatable about a first axis, and a workpiece gripping structure mounted to the support structure comprising at least one workpiece gripping member having a workpiece-receiving surface. The gripping member is rotatable about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis such that the gripping member is capable of being rotated about the second axis during transfer of a workpiece from the moving anvil to the workpiece-receiving surface. The workpiece gripping member is also rotatable about a third axis substantially transverse to the first and second axes so as to be capable of rotating the workpiece from a first angular position at the anvil to a second angular position.

Transfer apparatus for transferring a workpiece from a moving anvil to a moving carrier

A method for producing a pant-style garment from a substrate having a plurality of tensioned garters. A garter is any continuous loop of elastic material or a laminate of elastic bands and one or more flexible backing sheets. In one embodiment a substrate is joined to one or more mandrels having tensioned garters fitted thereon. Substrate material is removed from within the loop of the garter, thereby forming apertures in the substrate. The substrate is folded along its longitudinal centerline such that its longitudinal edges meet. The substrate is subsequently joined along lines of joinder, and the substrate is cut into individual pant-style garments. In preferable embodiments, a process for providing elastics to the longitudinal edges of the substrate, thereby producing elasticized waistbands is included.

Continuous, high-speed method for producing a pant-style garment having

A method for producing a pant-style garment from a substrate having a plurality of tensioned garters. A garter is any continuous loop of elastic material or a laminate of elastic bands and one or more flexible backing sheets. In one embodiment a substrate is joined to one or more mandrels having tensioned garters fired thereon. Substrate material is removed from within the loop of the garter, thereby forming apertures in the substrate. The substrate is folded along its longitudinal centerline such that its longitudinal edges meet. The substrate is subsequently joined along lines of joinder, and the substrate is cut into individual pant-style garments. In preferable embodiments, a process for providing elastics to the longitudinal edges of the substrate, thereby producing elasticized waistbands is included.

Non-perforated tear lines for removal and evacuation of contents of disposable undergarments such as training pants. Non-perforated tear lines include a series of bond sites which are shaped, sized, spaced and arranged to provide a zone of weakness to permit severance of nonelasticized portions as well as elastic disposed in the waistband, the body of the pant, and the elastic leg bands for complete removal. Bond sites are formed by displacing a portion of material such that a thickened outer edge defines a weakened area of reduced thickness. Thus, elastic in the waistband may be disposed continuously 360 degrees around the wearer's waist, and elastic in the leg bands may be disposed continuously 360 degrees around the wearer's legs. In addition, improved pants having elasticized ear flaps in the body of the pants can be conveniently removed from the wearer. The shape, size, spacing and arrangement of the individual bond sites is determined for each material used in order to permit severance of the particular material while preventing premature removal. Because the tear lines of this invention are capable of separating elastic, location of the tear lines is not limited to side seams, but may be placed on the front of the pants for convenience.

Disposable training pants having a non-perforated tear line through

A method and apparatus for forming a tensioned garter. A garter is any continuous loop of elastic material or a laminate of elastic bands and one or more flexible backing sheets. In one embodiment mandrels having a perimeter of the desired garter shape are mounted to a rotating drum. Tensioned elastic ribbons are progressively clamped, sealed, and cut around the mandrels to form individual tensioned garters which cling to the side walls of the mandrels. Once the garters are formed the mandrels may be rotated on their radial axes for alignment with downstream operations. Sealing through elastic members is avoided by interrupting the bonding of elastic members to an elasticized laminate at locations where ribbons are to be clamped. High compression of elastics where they are not sealed to the laminate causes elastic members to burst and contract. Elastic contraction leaves an area in which ribbons may then be bonded together without sealing through elastic members.

Method and apparatus for combining a tensioned elastic garter

A method for combining a tensioned garter with a substrate while holding the garter in a predetermined shape. A mandrel has a perimeter of the desired garter shape. An elastic garter is stretched and placed onto the mandrel such that an upper portion of the garter extends above a top surface of the mandrel while a lower portion of the garter clings to a side wall of the mandrel. The upper portion of the garter has sufficient elastic tension to cause it to fold over onto the top surface of the mandrel to form a garter flange. A substrate is then engaged with the garter flange and a sealing means seals the flange to the substrate, using the top surface of the mandrel as an anvil.

Method for combining a tensioned elastic garter with a substrate

A unitary disposable garment, such as disposable training pants, having a high degree of stretch in the cross-machine direction and fitting a broad range of wearer sizes. The unitary disposable garment is manufactured from a chassis and has a waist opening, two leg openings and a pair of side seams which join the front portion of the chassis to the rear portion of the chassis. The unitary disposable garment preferably has an absorbent assembly, i.e. an absorbent insert, secured to the inner layer of the chassis. The chassis from which the unitary disposable garment is manufactured, has four elasticized ear flaps; each ear flap is elasticized by securing an elastomeric element thereto and mechanically stretching the ear flap and the elastomeric element such that the ear flap is elastically extensible in the direction of initial stretching. The front portion of the chassis is then joined to the rear portion of the chassis on each side of the disposable garment by a seam.

Method of making an elasticized disposable training pant

Elasticized disposable training pant having differential extensibility

A method and apparatus for forming a tensioned garter and bonding it to a substrate while holding the garter in a predetermined shape. A garter is any continuous loop of elastic material or a laminate of elastic bands and one or more flexible backing sheets. In one embodiment mandrels having a perimeter of the desired garter shape are mounted to a rotating drum. Tensioned elastic ribbons are progressively wrapped, sealed, and cut around the mandrels to form individual tensioned garters which cling to the side walls of the mandrels. In another embodiment each mandrel has a top surface. The upper portion of a garter has sufficient elastic tension to cause it to fold over the mandrel top surface to form a garter flange thereon. A substrate is then engaged with the garter flange and an external sealing means seals the flange to the substrate, using the mandrel top surface as an anvil. In still another embodiment the mandrel top surface has a raised outer rim. An ultrasonic horn seals a garter flange to a substrate where they are supported by the mandrel rim. The mandrel rim is shaped to provide a continuous seal which is weakened at its inner edge. When the weakened edge is broken, substrate and garter materials inside the seal edge are removed, thereby forming a hole around which the remaining portion of the garter may contract. Vacuum is applied from the mandrel top surface to the substrate inside the garter in this embodiment in order to break the seal edge and remove this material as the substrate and garter are stripped off the mandrel.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Russell P Bridges