Uwe Schneider, Cincinnati, OH; Michael Brian Quade, Blue Ash, OH; Jason Edward Naylor, Loveland, OH; Jeromy Thomas Raycheck, South Lebanon, OH; Urmish Popatlal Dalal, Milford, OH; and Keith Richard Willhaus, Cincinnati, OH.
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH.

Filed: 9/23/20
Issued: 10/22/24

A method of assembling absorbent articles, the method comprising steps of: advancing a carrier substrate at a first speed in a machine direction, the carrier substrate comprising a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge separated from the first longitudinal edge in a cross direction; advancing a continuous elastic substrate at a second speed in the machine direction, the continuous elastic substrate comprising a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge separated from the first longitudinal edge in the cross direction, wherein the continuous elastic substrate is stretchable in the cross direction; cutting an elastic part from the continuous elastic substrate, the elastic part comprising a first end region and a second end region separated from the first end region in the cross direction by a central region; applying adhesive to the continuous elastic substrate before cutting the elastic part from the continuous elastic substrate; changing a speed of the elastic part from the second speed to the first speed; stretching the central region of the discrete elastic part in the cross direction by advancing the first end region of the elastic part onto a first canted disk and advancing the second end region of the elastic part onto a second canted disk; transferring the discrete elastic part from the first and second canted disks to a rotating pattern roll, and applying vacuum pressure to the discrete elastic part through pattern elements on the pattern roll; positioning the elastic part on the carrier substrate such that the stretched central region extends in the cross direction between the first and second longitudinal edges of the carrier substrate; mechanically bonding the stretched elastic part and the carrier substrate together between the pattern roll and an anvil roll; adhesively bonding the stretched central region of the elastic part with the carrier substrate; and dividing the elastic part into a first waistband and a second waistband by cutting the carrier substrate along the cross direction through the elastic part, wherein the first waistband defines a first length in the machine direction and the second waistband defines a second length in the machine direction, wherein the first length is different than the second length.

A method of assembling absorbent articles, the method comprising steps of: advancing a carrier substrate at a first speed in a machine direction, the carrier substrate comprising a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge separated from the first longitudinal edge in a cross direction; advancing a continuous elastic substrate at a second speed in the machine direction, the continuous elastic substrate comprising a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge separated from the first longitudinal edge in the cross direction, wherein the continuous elastic substrate is stretchable in the cross direction; cutting an elastic part from the continuous elastic substrate, the elastic part comprising a first end region and a second end region separated from the first end region in the cross direction by a central region; applying adhesive to the continuous elastic substrate before cutting the elastic part from the continuous elastic substrate; changing a speed of the elastic part from the second speed to the first speed; stretching the central region of the discrete elastic part in the cross direction by advancing the first end region of the elastic part onto a first canted disk and advancing the second end region of the elastic part onto a second canted disk; transferring the discrete elastic part from the first and second canted disks to a rotating pattern roll, and applying vacuum pressure to the discrete elastic part through pattern elements on the pattern roll; positioning the elastic part on the carrier substrate such that the stretched central region extends in the cross direction between the first and second longitudinal edges of the carrier substrate; adhesively bonding the stretched central region of the elastic part with the carrier substrate; mechanically bonding the stretched elastic part and the carrier substrate together between the pattern roll and an anvil roll; and cutting both the carrier substrate and the elastic part along a curved cut line extending in the cross direction to create a first waistband and a second waistband.

A method of assembling absorbent articles, the method comprising steps of: advancing a carrier substrate at a first speed in a machine direction, the carrier substrate comprising a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge separated from the first longitudinal edge in a cross direction; advancing a continuous elastic substrate at a second speed in the machine direction, the continuous elastic substrate comprising a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge separated from the first longitudinal edge in the cross direction, wherein the continuous elastic substrate is stretchable in the cross direction, wherein the continuous elastic substrate comprises ratio of an elongation at peak in the cross direction relative to the machine direction of 1.5 or greater; cutting an elastic part from the continuous elastic substrate, the elastic part comprising a first end region and a second end region separated from the first end region in the cross direction by a central region; applying adhesive to the continuous elastic substrate before cutting the elastic part from the continuous elastic substrate; changing a speed of the elastic part from the second speed to the first speed; stretching the central region of the discrete elastic part in the cross direction by advancing the first end region of the elastic part onto a first canted disk and advancing the second end region of the elastic part onto a second canted disk; rotating the first canted disk and the second canted disk at a variable angular velocity; positioning the elastic part on the carrier substrate such that the stretched central region extends in the cross direction between the first and second longitudinal edges of the carrier substrate; adhesively bonding the stretched central region of the elastic part with the carrier substrate; and cutting both the carrier substrate and the elastic part along a cut line extending in the cross direction to create a first waistband and a second waistband.