Patent ID: 9289941
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: A61F,B29C,B32B,B65H,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A method for making a layered elastic substrate, the method comprising the steps of: advancing a substrate in a machine direction, the substrate defining a first edge region and a second edge region separated by an inner region along a cross direction, the substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface; advancing an elastic material in a stretched state in the machine direction; bonding the elastic material in the stretched state to the first surface of the substrate; folding the substrate to position the first surface of the first edge region into a facing relationship with the first surface of the inner region; folding the substrate to position the first surface of the second edge region into a facing relationship with the first surface of the inner region to form a layered elastic substrate; advancing the layered elastic substrate through a first metering device at speed, V1, wherein the elastic material is stretched to a first elongation at the first metering device; and advancing the layered elastic substrate through a second metering device at speed, V2, subsequent to advancing the layered elastic substrate through the first metering device, wherein V1 is greater than V2, and relaxing the elastic material to a second elongation between the first and the second metering devices; cutting the layered elastic substrate into discrete lengths of layered elastic substrates; holding the discrete lengths of layered elastic substrates at the second elongation, wherein each discrete length of layered elastic substrates comprises one or more gathers; advancing a stretched continuous length of absorbent articles in a second machine direction; and bonding each discrete length of layered elastic substrate at the second elongation to the stretched continuous length of absorbent articles.