Method and apparatus for continuously attaching elastic strands to disposable absorbent products

Claim 1

A method for continuously attaching selected lengths of elastic ribbon to isolated portions of a moving, substantially inelastic web, of inter-connected articles to impart an elasticized character to pre-determined isolated portions of said articles, while preserving the substantially inelastic character of said articles and area where said ribbon is unattached to said web, said method comprising the steps of: feeding an elastic ribbon to an assembly station in a stretched condition, continuously applying an adhesive to said stretched elastic ribbon along the length of said ribbon while said stretched elastic ribbon is being fed to said assembly station, feeding a web of inter-connected articles made with webs of substantially inelastic material to said assembly station, reducing the quantity of adhesive applied to said stretched elastic ribbon between selected areas of said ribbon, adhering the stretched elastic strand to said inelastic material in said pre-determined areas, maintaining said elastic ribbon in a stretched condition at least until said adhesive sets up, the contracting force of elastic in the pre-determined area being less than the adhesive force between said elastic and said inelastic web in said pre-determined areas while the contracting force of the elastic between said pre-determined areas exceeds the adhesive force between the elastic and the inelastic material, cutting said elastic ribbon transversely in an area which is between said pre-determined areas thereby permitting contractible force in the elastic between said pre-determined areas to overcome the adhesive bond adjacent thereto and releasing said elastic between the pre-determined areas from the inelastic material and forming severed unadhered ends of elastic at both ends of each length of the stretched elastic ribbon which is adhered to said web in said pre-determined area, and allowing the severed unadhered ends of elastic ribbon to relax and contract to the unstretched state, whereby said unadhered ends to not impart an elasticized character to said web, nor do they interfere with the functioning of the elasticized portion of the web to which the selected lengths of elastic ribbon are adhered in the pre-determined areas.

Claim 2

A method for continuously attaching selected lengths of elastic ribbon to isolated portions of a moving, substantially inelastic web, of inter-connected articles to impart an elasticized character to pre-determined isolated portions of said articles, while preserving the substantially inelastic character of said articles and area where said ribbon is unattached to said web, said method comprising the steps of: feeding an elastic ribbon to an assembly station in a stretched condition, continuously applying an adhesive to said stretched elastic ribbon along the length of said ribbon while said stretched elastic ribbon is being fed to said assembly station, feeding a web of inter-connected articles made with webs of substantially inelastic material to said assembly station, reducing the quantity of adhesive applied to said stretched elastic ribbon between selected areas of said ribbon, adhering the stretched elastic strand to said inelastic material in said pre-determined areas, maintaining said elastic ribbon in a stretched condition at least until said adhesive sets up, the contracting force of elastic in the pre-determined area being less than the adhesive force between said elastic and said inelastic web in said pre-determined areas while the contracting force of the elastic between said pre-determined areas exceeds the adhesive force between the elastic and the inelastic material, cutting said elastic ribbon transversely in an area which is between said pre-determined areas thereby permitting contractible force in the elastic between said pre-determined areas to overcome the adhesive bond adjacent thereto and releasing said elastic between the pre-determined areas from the inelastic material and forming severed unadhered ends of elastic at both ends of each length of the stretched elastic ribbon which is adhered to said web in said pre-determined area, and allowing the severed unadhered ends of elastic ribbon to relax and contract to the unstretched state, whereby said unadhered ends to not impart an elasticized character to said web, nor do they interfere with the functioning of the elasticized portion of the web to which the selected lengths of elastic ribbon are adhered in the pre-determined areas.

Claim 3

A method of intermittently attaching an elastic ribbon to pre-determined, isolated portions of at least one of a pair of continuously moving, substantially inelastic, superimposed webs to impart an elasticized character thereto, while preserving the substantially inelastic character thereof in areas where said ribbon is unattached to said web, said method comprising the steps of: feeding an elastic ribbon to an assembly station in a stretched condition, continuously applying an adhesive on said stretched elastic ribbon, while said stretched elastic ribbon is being fed to said assembly station, and feeding said first and second webs of substantially inelastic material to said assembly station, maintaining said elastic ribbon in a stretched condition at least until said adhesive sets up, cutting said elastic ribbon transversely in an area which is adhered to said web, thereby forming severed, ends of elastic at both ends of each length of stretched, elastic ribbon adhered to said web, and allowing portions of the severed, ends of said elastic ribbon to relax and contract to their unstretched state, whereby said portions do not impart an elasticized character to said web, nor do they interfere with the functioning of the elasticized portion of the web to which the selected lengths of elastic ribbon are adhered.

Claim 4

A method of intermittently attaching an elastic ribbon to pre-determined, isolated portions of at least one of a pair of continuously moving, substantially inelastic, superimposed webs to impart an elasticized character thereto, while preserving the substantially inelastic character thereof in areas where said ribbon is unattached to said web, said method comprising the steps of: feeding an elastic ribbon to an assembly station in a stretched condition, continuously applying an adhesive on said stretched elastic ribbon, while said stretched elastic ribbon is being fed to said assembly station, and feeding said first and second webs of substantially inelastic material to said assembly station, maintaining said elastic ribbon in a stretched condition at least until said adhesive sets up, cutting said elastic ribbon transversely in an area which is adhered to said web, thereby forming severed, ends of elastic at both ends of each length of stretched, elastic ribbon adhered to said web, and allowing portions of the severed, ends of said elastic ribbon to relax and contract to their unstretched state, whereby said portions do not impart an elasticized character to said web, nor do they interfere with the functioning of the elasticized portion of the web to which the selected lengths of elastic ribbon are adhered.

Claim 8

An apparatus for continuously attaching selected lengths of plastic ribbons to pre-determined isolated portions of a moving substantially inelastic web to impart an elasticized character thereto while preserving a substantially inelastic character of said web in areas where said ribbon is unattached to said web, said apparatus comprising: means for feeding an elastic ribbon to an assembly station in a stretched condition, means for continuously applying adhesive to said elastic ribbon at pre-determined intervals along the length of said ribbon while said stretched elastic ribbon is being fed to said assembly station, means for feeding a web of substantially inelastic material to said assembly station, means for applying variable amounts of the adhesive to the elastic ribbon as the elastic ribbon passes beneath the adhesive-applying means, means for insuring that the adhesive applied between the selected areas of the web have an adhesive force which is less than the contractible force of the stretched ribbon adjacent thereto, means for maintaining said elastic ribbon in a stretched condition at least until said adhesive sets up, means for cutting said elastic ribbon transversely in an area between said selective areas thereby permitting the elastic ribbon between the selected areas to overcome the adhesive force of the adhesive adjacent thereto, so that the elastic ribbon forms severed, unadhered ends of elastic at both ends of each of selected length of stretch elastic ribbon in said selected areas.

Claim 9

An apparatus for continuously attaching selected lengths of plastic ribbons to pre-determined isolated portions of a moving substantially inelastic web to impart an elasticized character thereto while preserving a substantially inelastic character of said web in areas where said ribbon is unattached to said web, said apparatus comprising: means for feeding an elastic ribbon to an assembly station in a stretched condition, means for continuously applying adhesive to said elastic ribbon at pre-determined intervals along the length of said ribbon while said stretched elastic ribbon is being fed to said assembly station, means for feeding a web of substantially inelastic material to said assembly station, means for applying variable amounts of the adhesive to the elastic ribbon as the elastic ribbon passes beneath the adhesive-applying means, means for insuring that the adhesive applied between the selected areas of the web have an adhesive force which is less than the contractible force of the stretched ribbon adjacent thereto, means for maintaining said elastic ribbon in a stretched condition at least until said adhesive sets up, means for cutting said elastic ribbon transversely in an area between said selective areas thereby permitting the elastic ribbon between the selected areas to overcome the adhesive force of the adhesive adjacent thereto, so that the elastic ribbon forms severed, unadhered ends of elastic at both ends of each of selected length of stretch elastic ribbon in said selected areas.