Tanner Laurie Williams, Loveland, OH; Urmish Popatlal Dalal, Milford, OH; Todd Douglas Lenser, Liberty Township, OH; Jeffry Rosiak, Loveland, OH; Miguel Angel Caballero, Cincinnati, OH; and Uwe Schneider, Cincinnati, OH.

Filed: 6/25/21
Issued: 1/9/24

A method for assembling elastic laminates, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first substrate and a second substrate, the first substrate and the second substrate each comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface, and defining a width in a cross direction; wrapping the first surface of the first substrate onto an outer circumferential surface of an anvil; advancing an elastic film to a spreader mechanism, the spreader mechanism comprising an engagement portion and the elastic film; stretching the elastic film at the spreader mechanism in the cross direction to a first elongation; advancing the elastic film from the spreader mechanism to the anvil, wherein the anvil comprises an active vacuum zone having a maximum width in the cross direction (Wv), wherein the maximum width is divided into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is disposed in overlapping relationship with the engagement portion and inboard of the engagement portion in the cross direction and the first portion has a first width in the cross direction (VZi) and wherein the second portion has a second width in the cross direction (VZo), and wherein the first width in the cross direction (VZi) is greater than the second width in the cross direction (VZo); positioning the elastic film in contact with the second surface of the first substrate on the anvil; advancing the second substrate to position the first surface of the second substrate in contact with the elastic film and the second surface of the first substrate on the anvil; and ultrasonically bonding the first substrate together with the second substrate with the elastic film positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate.