Method for securing elastic strands to disposable absorbent articles

Claim 1

A method for attaching elastic strands continuously to a moving inelastic web of interconnected articles to impart an elasticized characteristic to predetermined regions on the individual articles and to leave other regions in said articles without elasticized characteristics, said method comprising the steps of: feeding an elastic strand in a stretched condition and a continuous sheet of material concurrently toward an article assembly station, applying a quick setting adhesive periodically to zones of predetermined length on a selected one of the strand or the sheet and applying a relatively slower setting adhesive periodically to zones of predetermined length on the other of the strand or the sheet while said strand and sheet are being fed, causing said stretched strand and said sheet to contact in a relationship such that zones having quick setting adhesive alternate with zones having the slower setting adhesive so said strand becomes adhered continuously to said sheet and the zones having the slow setting adhesive are tentatively adhered and extend from one of said interconnected articles to the next, maintaining said elastic strand in a stretched condition at least until said quick setting adhesive sets, after the articles have passed said assembly station and before said slower setting adhesive sets cutting said elastic strand transversely to the line of movement of the sheet at a place between successive articles across which place said tentatively adhered zone extends, cutting of said strand allowing the tentatively adhered ends of the strand to contract to an unstretched condition before said slow setting adhesive sets such that after it sets said ends are adhered but do not impart an elastic characteristic to the region of the article to which said ends adhere.

Claim 2

A method for attaching elastic strands continuously to a moving inelastic web of interconnected articles to impart an elasticized characteristic to predetermined regions on the individual articles and to leave other regions in said articles without elasticized characteristics, said method comprising the steps of: feeding an elastic strand in a stretched condition and a continuous sheet of material concurrently toward an article assembly station, applying a quick setting adhesive periodically to zones of predetermined length on a selected one of the strand or the sheet and applying a relatively slower setting adhesive periodically to zones of predetermined length on the other of the strand or the sheet while said strand and sheet are being fed, causing said stretched strand and said sheet to contact in a relationship such that zones having quick setting adhesive alternate with zones having the slower setting adhesive so said strand becomes adhered continuously to said sheet and the zones having the slow setting adhesive are tentatively adhered and extend from one of said interconnected articles to the next, maintaining said elastic strand in a stretched condition at least until said quick setting adhesive sets, after the articles have passed said assembly station and before said slower setting adhesive sets cutting said elastic strand transversely to the line of movement of the sheet at a place between successive articles across which place said tentatively adhered zone extends, cutting of said strand allowing the tentatively adhered ends of the strand to contract to an unstretched condition before said slow setting adhesive sets such that after it sets said ends are adhered but do not impart an elastic characteristic to the region of the article to which said ends adhere.

Claim 6

The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said quick setting adhesive sets before the elastic strands are cut.

Claim 7

The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said slower setting adhesive sets after the elastic strands have been cut and the end portions of the strands have contracted to a relaxed condition.