Process for producing panties

Claim 1

A process for making a panty comprising the steps of: a. placing two elastic ribbons in a stretched state along opposite horizontal edges of an elongated approximately rectangularly shaped fabric web; b. attaching the stretched elastic ribbons to the fabric web; c. folding those portions of the fabric web having the elastic ribbons attached thereto onto the remaining fabric web; d. attaching the respective folded portions of the fabric web and the elastic ribbons to one another; e. folding the fabric material along a fold line corresponding to an approximate longitudinal center line extending widthwise of the panty so as to form adjoining symmetrical panels in a face-to-face relationship; f. attaching said adjoining panels to one another along two spaced, approximately parallel cross directional lines of attachment defining a panty fabric area therebetween which will constitute the panty product; g. cutting the folded web along: 1. two cut lines which are substantially parallel to the cross directional lines of attachment and outside of the panty fabric area to sever the panty from said elongated web; and 2. two additional cut lines located on both sides respectively of a cross directional line passing through the approximate center of the panty area, each cut being made as the approximate mirror image of the other along a line passing through a point on the fold line and a second point on the adjacent cross directional cut line; thereby forming the panty product.