Domenico Polidori, Pescara, Italy; Diego Gualtieri, Pescara, Italy; and Gabriele Sablone, Montesilvano, Italy.
Assigned to Fameccanica Data S.p.A.

Filed: 3/22/16
Issued: 8/2/22

A method for manufacturing absorbent sanitary products, comprising the steps of: forming a first and a second continuous elastic band, which are movable parallel to each other in a machine direction; fixing a plurality of absorbent panels between said first and second continuous elastic bands, arranged in a direction transverse to the machine direction and spaced apart in said machine direction; wherein each of said continuous elastic bands is formed by a method comprising the steps of: continuously feeding a plurality of tensioned elastic threads in said machine direction, continuously feeding a pair of non-elastic webs arranged on opposite sides of said plurality of elastic threads, welding said pair of non-elastic webs to each other by pressing said pair of non-elastic webs against each other with an anvil wheel having a plurality of teeth, wherein the plurality of teeth comprise one or more first teeth having a smooth head surface and one or more second teeth having a grooved surface, wherein pressing said pair of non-elastic webs against each other with the one or more first teeth produces anchoring welds, and pressing said pair of non-elastic webs against each other with the one or more second teeth produces guiding welds to form a welding pattern comprising anchoring welds and guiding welds, wherein the anchoring welds comprise pairs of welds arranged on opposite sides of a respective elastic thread and spaced apart in the transverse direction by a distance greater than the diameter of the tensioned elastic thread but less than the diameter of the non-tensioned elastic thread, and wherein the guiding welds comprise pairs of welds arranged on opposite sides of a respective elastic thread and spaced apart in the transverse direction by a distance equal to or greater than the diameter of the non-tensioned elastic thread.