US3816209A — Sanitary garments and methods of and apparatus fo…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 194 words

The method of manufacturing crotch sections for sanitary garments, each said crotch section having opposite side margins adapted to form portions of leg openings in said garment, said method comprising feeding crotch section material comprising a layer of textile fabric and a barrier of heat-sealable plastic impervious to the passage of moisture therethrough to a heatsealing station along with two tapes of heat-sealable plastic, with the moisture barrier of the crotch section material in faceto-face relation with the tapes, and with the tapes extending generally parallel to one another in the direction of feed, and, at said heat-sealing station, applying heat and pressure to the tapes and the crotch section material for heat-sealing at spaced intervals along the lengths of the tape corresponding to said side margins of a crotch section to provide each crotch section with a pair of tapes extending from leg opening side margin to leg opening side margin of the crotch section heat-sealed at end portions thereof to the crotch section and free of the crotch section between said end portions for receiving a sanitary napkin to hold it in place on the moisture barrier side of the crotch section.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 194 words

The method of manufacturing crotch sections for sanitary garments, each said crotch section having opposite side margins adapted to form portions of leg openings in said garment, said method comprising feeding crotch section material comprising a layer of textile fabric and a barrier of heat-sealable plastic impervious to the passage of moisture therethrough to a heatsealing station along with two tapes of heat-sealable plastic, with the moisture barrier of the crotch section material in faceto-face relation with the tapes, and with the tapes extending generally parallel to one another in the direction of feed, and, at said heat-sealing station, applying heat and pressure to the tapes and the crotch section material for heat-sealing at spaced intervals along the lengths of the tape corresponding to said side margins of a crotch section to provide each crotch section with a pair of tapes extending from leg opening side margin to leg opening side margin of the crotch section heat-sealed at end portions thereof to the crotch section and free of the crotch section between said end portions for receiving a sanitary napkin to hold it in place on the moisture barrier side of the crotch section.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 1 wherein the crotch section material fed to said heat-sealing station is constituted by pre-cut blanks of the material each cut in the outline of a crotch section.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 2 wherein each blank comprises a layer of the textile fabric with a coating of heat-sealable plastic applied to one face thereof constituting said moisture barrier.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method of claim 2 wherein each blank comprises a layer of the textile fabric with the moisture barrier constituted by a layer of heat-sealable plastic film separate from the layer of fabric, these layers being assembled and then fed to the heat-sealing station, the film becoming heat-sealed to the fabric where the tapes are heat-sealed to the film during the heat-sealing.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method of claim 1 wherein the crotch section material is fed along with the tapes in continuous web form to the heat-sealing station, and the material is cut into pieces each having the desired crotch section shape.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method of claim 5 wherein the material is cut at the heat-sealing station generally simultaneously with the heat-sealing.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 73 words

The method of claim 6 wherein the web of crotch section material comprises a web of textile fabric and a web of heat-sealable plastic film constituting the moisture barrier separate from the fabric web, said webs and tapes being cut at the heat-sealing station generally simultaneously with heat-sealing said piece of plastic film becoming heat-sealed to the tapes and to the piece of fabric where the tapes are heat-sealed to the plastic film.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 37 words

The method of claim 7 further comprising feeding a web of backing material along with the fabric and plastic film webs and with the tapes for providing a backing during the cutting of the webs and tapes.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 205 words

Apparatus for manufacturing crotch sections for sanitary garments, said crotch sections having opposite side margins for forming portions of leg openings in said garment, said apparatus comprising means for feeding crotch section material comprising a layer of textile fabric and a barrier of heat-sealable plastic on one face of the fabric impervious to the passage of moisture therethrough to a heat-sealing station along with two tapes of heat-sealable plastic with the moisture barrier in face-to-face relation with the tapes, means for guiding the tapes from supplies thereof for feeding them to said heat-sealing station with the tapes extending generally parallel to one another in the direction of feed, and means at the heat-sealing station for applying heat and pressure to the tapes and the crotch section material at spaced intervals along the tapes corresponding to said side margins of a crotch section to provide each crotch section with a pair of tapes extending from leg opening side margin to leg opening side margin thereof heat-sealed at the end portions of the tapes to the crotch section and free of the crotch section between said end portions for receiving a sanitary napkin to hold it in place on the moisture barrier side of the crotch section.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 205 words

Apparatus for manufacturing crotch sections for sanitary garments, said crotch sections having opposite side margins for forming portions of leg openings in said garment, said apparatus comprising means for feeding crotch section material comprising a layer of textile fabric and a barrier of heat-sealable plastic on one face of the fabric impervious to the passage of moisture therethrough to a heat-sealing station along with two tapes of heat-sealable plastic with the moisture barrier in face-to-face relation with the tapes, means for guiding the tapes from supplies thereof for feeding them to said heat-sealing station with the tapes extending generally parallel to one another in the direction of feed, and means at the heat-sealing station for applying heat and pressure to the tapes and the crotch section material at spaced intervals along the tapes corresponding to said side margins of a crotch section to provide each crotch section with a pair of tapes extending from leg opening side margin to leg opening side margin thereof heat-sealed at the end portions of the tapes to the crotch section and free of the crotch section between said end portions for receiving a sanitary napkin to hold it in place on the moisture barrier side of the crotch section.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 39 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said feeding means comprises an endless conveyor having an upper reach for conveying crotch section material and the tapes to and past the heat-sealing station, and means for driving the conveyor.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 77 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said heat and pressure applying means comprises a heat-seal member movable between a raised retracted position clear of the upper reach and the crotch section material and tapes thereon and a lowered operative position in which it presses the tapes and crotch section material against the upper reach for applying heat and pressure thereto, and means for effecting movement of the heat-seal member between its raised and lowered positions.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 28 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 further comprising means for supporting the upper reach against downward movement when the heat-seal member is in its lowered operative position.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 44 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said feeding means further comprises means for effecting movement of the tapes by the upper reach of the conveyor for feeding the tapes together with the crotch section material thereon to and past the heat-sealing station.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 62 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guiding means comprises a guide member for each tape having a passage extending axially therethrough, said guide member having one end thereof disposed adjacent said upper reach, said tape extending through the passage and exiting the guide member at said one end to extend along the upper reach in direction of feed thereof.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 77 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein each guide member is disposed at right angles to the direction of feed of the upper reach and extends inwardly toward the center thereof, said one end of each guide member being beveled at an angle of about 45* with the tape being trained around said bevel as it exits the guide member to turn the tape 90* to extend in the direction of feed of the upper reach.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 72 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein the crotch section material fed to the heat-sealing station is constituted in the form of precut blanks each having the crotch section outline, and wherein said apparatus further comprises means for locating the blanks on the upper reach with said moisture barrier in face-to-face relation with the tapes and with the tapes extending transversely of the blank from one side thereof to the other.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 134 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said locating means is a member disposed upstream of the heat-sealing station along the upper reach and having a notch therein with its open side toward the heat-seal station, the notch being of an outline generally conforming to a portion of the outline of the crotch section, said tapes being disposed below said member on the upper reach, whereby a blank may be placed within the notch with its moisture barrier in face-to-face relation with the tapes, with its end portions toward the sides of the upper reach and with one of its sides toward the heat-sealing station thereby to locate the blank relative to the tapes, said blank being moved out of the notch toward the heat-seal station upon forward movement of the upper reach.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 41 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said moisture barrier is a coating of heat-sealable plastic applied to one face of the textile fabric blank, said notch locating the blank with its coated face in face-to-face relation with the tapes.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 50 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said moisture barrier is a precut blank of plastic film of the outline of a crotch section, said notch locating the film in face-to-face relation with the tapes and locating the textile fabric blank in face-to-face relation with the plastic film blank.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 50 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein said conveyor driving means includes means for indexing the upper reach to move a crotch section blank forward out of the heat-sealing station with the tapes heat-sealed thereto and to move another blank and the tapes to the heat-sealing station for heat-sealing.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 37 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein the crotch section material is fed in continuous web form along with the tapes to a cutting station at which a crotch section blank is cut from the web.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 61 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 21 wherein the cutting station is at the same location as the heat-sealing station, said heat-sealing means including cutter means corresponding to the outline of the crotch section and being movable with the heat-seal member to cut the material and the tapes at the side edges of the crotch section generally simultaneously with the heat-sealing.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 60 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 22 wherein said tape moving means comprises a roller journalled for rotation on an axis extending transversely of the upper reach and held in gripping engagement with the upper reach downstream of the heat-sealing station, with said tapes and said web being gripped therebetween and held relative to the upper reach for movement therewith.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 64 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 23 wherein said tape moving means further comprises a second roller upstream of the heat-sealing station extending transversely of the upper reach in gripping engagement with the upper reach, with said web and the tapes being gripped therebetween and held relative to the upper reach for effecting movement of the tapes and the web to the heat-sealing station.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 63 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 24 wherein said crotch section material is a web of textile fabric having a coating of heat-sealable plastic applied to one face thereof constituting said moisture barrier, and said apparatus further comprises means for supplying said web to said second roller for movement to the heat-sealing station with its coated face in face-to-face relation with the tapes.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 75 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 24 wherein said crotch section material comprises a web of textile fabric material and a web of heat-sealable plastic film in face-to-face relation with the textile fabric web but separate therefrom thereby to constitute said moisture barrier, and said apparatus further comprises means for supplying said webs to said second roller for movement to the heat-sealing station with said plastic film web being in face-to-face relation with the tapes.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 46 words

Apparatus as set forth in claim 24, further comprising means for supplying a web of backing material, such as paper, to the heat-seal stAtion, said backing overlying the upper reach to protect it as said cutter means cuts a crotch section from said crotch section material.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-06-10	1977-12-10	1978-06-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-06-10	1981-12-10	1982-06-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-06-10	1985-12-10	1986-06-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Sanitary garments and methods of and apparatus for their manufacture

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