Christoph Schmitz, Euskirchen, Germany. Assigned to Concepts for Success (C4S) E.K., Euskirchen, Germany.
Filed: 9/27/12
Issued: 2/2/16
A method for the manufacture of an article, said article comprising segments of a center piece web material, separated pieces of a side panel web material, and pieces of a leg hoop web material connected to said side panel web pieces, said method comprising the steps of providing a first essentially continuous web for forming the center piece at a predetermined variable first web supply speed; providing a second essentially continuous web material for forming the leg hoop materials at a predetermined variable second web supply speed; providing a third essentially continuous web material for forming side panels at a predetermined variable third web supply speed; providing a first turret for combining the second and third web materials, the turret being mounted for rotating at a predetermined variable first turret speed and comprising at least two web support means, each comprising a web support means surface which can be moveable at a predetermined variable web support means surface speed, relative to the turret surface speed and being adapted for temporarily attaching the first and second web material or segments thereof thereon; a side panel separating means for separating pieces at a predetermined variable cut length from the third web; a leg hoop material or side panel/leg hoop composite separating means for separating pieces of the side panel/leg hoop composite at a predetermined cut length; providing a second turret for combining the side panel/leg hoop composite with the center piece web, preferably positioned in a “kissing relation” to the first turret and comprising at least two web handling sections, each web handling section comprising at least two, preferably three, more preferably four web handlings means each comprising a web support means surface which is moveable at a predetermined variable web support means surface speed, relative to the turret surface speed, a center piece separation means, and an article discharge means; providing a controlling unit for adjusting respective speeds and positioning of web support means, connecting means, applications means or the pusher means; feeding said side panel web towards said side panel separating means at a first web speed and separating a side panel piece from the side panel web at a side panel cut length; positioning the side panel piece on one of the first turret web support means, and spacing subsequent side panel pieces apart by adjustment of first turret web support means surface speed; feeding the continuous leg hoop web or separated pieces thereof to the web support means of the first turret at a predetermined variable speed such that it overlays the side panel piece; connecting the side panel piece and the leg hoop web, preferably by ultrasonic welding to form the side panel/leg hoop composite; separating subsequent pieces of the side panel and leg hoop material in the spacing between two subsequent side panel cut pieces at a predetermined variable leg hoop material cut length if the leg hoop material has been fed to said first turret as a continuous web; feeding the center piece web at a predetermined variable speed to the second turret; applying combining adhesive onto the surface of the side panel/leg hoop composite or to the center piece; adjusting the surface speed of the two outer web support means and of the second turret such that a predetermined portion in the crotch region of the center piece web is dislocated radially inwardly into the first gap between two web support means; rotating the first and the second turret at a matched surface speed such that the combined side panel/leg hoop composite pieces are positioned in registry with the portions of the center piece web, which are not dislocated radially; separating pieces of said center piece web, optionally after the combination with said side panel/leg hoop composite to form individual articles; transferring the article out of the turret.