Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130284850 | Methods and Systems for Preventing Wrinkles in a Web Fed Through an Accumulator - Methods and systems for preventing wrinkles in a web passing through an accumulator. The accumulator comprises a plurality of rollers including at least one roller having an axis of revolution movable toward and away from the axis of revolution of another roller to release and store varying amounts of the web. At least one of the rollers has a nominally flat outer surface and at least one of the rollers has a profiled outer surface. | 10-31-2013 |
20130296148 | Methods and Apparatuses for Rejecting Defective Absorbent Articles from a Converting Line - The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for rejecting defective absorbent articles from a converting line. At a downstream portion of a converting process, a continuous length of absorbent articles may be subjected to a final knife and cut to create discrete absorbent articles advancing on a first carrier. From the first carrier, the discrete absorbent articles may be transferred to a transfer apparatus, which in turn, transfers the discrete absorbent articles to a second carrier. The transfer apparatus may include carrier members that orbit around an axis of rotation and may be adapted to receive the absorbent articles from the first carrier and transfer the absorbent articles to the second carrier. Defective absorbent articles may be detected by an inspection system, which may be operably connected with the transfer apparatus and/or the first carrier to remove the defective absorbent articles from the converting process. | 11-07-2013 |
20130296149 | Methods and Apparatuses for Transferring Absorbent Articles and Rejecting Defective Absorbent Articles - The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for rejecting defective absorbent articles from a converting line. At a downstream portion of a converting process, a continuous length of absorbent articles may be subjected to a final knife and cut to create discrete absorbent articles advancing on a first carrier. From the first carrier, the discrete absorbent articles may be transferred to a transfer apparatus, which in turn, transfers the discrete absorbent articles to a second carrier. The transfer apparatus may include carrier members that orbit around an axis of rotation and may be adapted to receive the absorbent articles from the first carrier and transfer the absorbent articles to the second carrier. Defective absorbent articles may be detected by an inspection system, which may be operably connected with the transfer apparatus and/or the first carrier to remove the defective absorbent articles from the converting process. | 11-07-2013 |
20140110052 | METHODS FOR TRANSFERRING DISCRETE ARTICLES ONTO A WEB - A method of attaching a discrete article to a web being conveyed over a carrier member is disclosed. The method comprises providing a transfer assembly comprising a transfer member comprising a transfer surface, engaging the discrete article with the transfer surface, providing a resilient member on the carrier member or on the transfer surface, applying, using the transfer surface, a portion of the discrete article to a portion of the web when the portion of the web moves over a portion of the resilient member, and applying a force to the portion of the discrete article, the portion of the web, and the portion of the resilient member during the first applying step to attach the portion of the discrete article to the portion of the web. | 04-24-2014 |
20140110226 | CARRIER MEMBERS OR TRANSFER SURFACES HAVING A RESILIENT MEMBER - A carrier member configured to convey one or more webs and to receive a discrete absorbent article from a transfer assembly is disclosed. The transfer assembly comprises a transfer member having a transfer surface. The transfer surface is configured to engage the discrete article. The carrier member comprises a body and a resilient member positioned on the body. The resilient member has a Shore A hardness of between about 20 and about 50. | 04-24-2014 |
20140112751 | Method and Apparatus for Changing the Orientation of an Absorbent Article - The methods and apparatuses disclosed herein operate to change the orientation of an absorbent article. The apparatus includes a transfer apparatus having a frame that is rotatable about a first axis of rotation and a transfer member that is rotatable about a second axis of rotation. The method includes advancing an absorbent article in a machine direction. The absorbent article is defined by a longitudinal centerline intersected by a lateral centerline at a center. The method includes rotating the absorbent article from a first orientation where the longitudinal centerline extends in a cross direction to a second orientation where the longitudinal centerline extends in the machine direction. The method includes shifting the absorbent article such that the center of the absorbent article shifts from a first cross-directional position to a second cross-directional position. The steps of rotating the absorbent article and shifting the absorbent article may occur concurrently. | 04-24-2014 |
20140113793 | Method and Apparatus for Advancing an Absorbent Article - A converting apparatus operates to transfer a folded absorbent article from a first carrier apparatus to a second carrier apparatus. The converting apparatus includes a transfer apparatus and a guide member located adjacent to the transfer apparatus, forming a gap there between. The transfer apparatus includes a frame that is rotatable about a first axis of rotation and a transfer member that is rotatable about a second axis of rotation. The transfer member defines a receiving surface and the guide member defines a guide surface. The guide surface converges toward the receiving surface. The frame advances the absorbent article in a machine direction through the gap. While advancing absorbent article advances through the gap, the transfer member rotates the absorbent article about the second axis of rotation. The guide member includes side seam tuckers that are adapted to tuck the side seams of the absorbent article. | 04-24-2014 |
20140339046 | Methods and Apparatuses for Rejecting Defective Absorbent Articles from a Converting Line - The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for rejecting defective absorbent articles from a converting line. At a downstream portion of a converting process, the continuous length of absorbent articles may be subjected to a final knife and cut to create separate and discrete absorbent articles in the form of diapers. From the final knife, the discrete absorbent articles may then advance in a first direction on a first carrier. A pneumatic system may be activated to redirect the leading end portion of a defective absorbent article advancing from the first carrier, while upstream of a second carrier. In turn, the redirected leading end portion of the defective absorbent article is transferred from the first carrier to a third carrier. And the third carrier advances the defective absorbent article with the third carrier along the reject article transport path away from the converting process. | 11-20-2014 |
20140342894 | Methods and Apparatuses for Folding Absorbent Articles - The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for manufacturing absorbent articles. More particularly, the systems and methods for folding absorbent articles advancing in a converting line may be configured with tucker blades that prevent opposing end regions of absorbent articles from colliding directly with each other as the absorbent articles are being folded. | 11-20-2014 |
20140342895 | Methods and Apparatuses for Folding Absorbent Articles - The present disclosure relates systems and methods for folding absorbent articles advancing in a converting line. The folding processes and apparatuses herein may be configured with tucker blades that are configured to maximize the period of time wherein the leading edges of the tucker blades move at maximum speeds during the folding process. | 11-20-2014 |
20150083848 | Apparatus for Positioning an Advancing Web - An apparatus may be used to control the cross-directional movement of a web advancing in a machine direction. The web defines a machine direction centerline. The apparatus may include a frame rotatable about a first axis of rotation and a guide member connected with the frame and configured to receive an advancing web. The apparatus may include a first rotation member connected with the frame and configured to rotate the frame by a first angle of rotation about the first axis of rotation to align a machine direction centerline of the advancing web with a target cross-directional position. The apparatus comprises a second rotation member connected with the frame and configured to rotate the frame about a second axis of rotation by a second angle of rotation to adjust the target cross-directional position, wherein the second angle of rotation is greater than the first angle of rotation. | 03-26-2015 |