Patent ID: 9375354
Filing Date: 2016-06-28
CPC Classification: A61F,B29C,B32B,B65H,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A method for conveying articles in a web converting process, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first carrier including a first plurality of compliant rollers in rolling contact with a first endless belt; providing a second carrier including a second plurality of compliant rollers in rolling contact with a second endless belt, wherein the first carrier is positioned adjacent the second carrier to define a nip region between the first endless belt and the second endless belt, the nip region having a length extending in a machine direction and a width extending in a cross direction, the first and second carriers being pre-loaded wherein the first plurality of compliant rollers and the second compliant rollers exert forces on the first endless belt and the second endless belt toward each other in the nip region; advancing a first continuous elastic laminate and a second continuous elastic laminate in the machine direction; providing a plurality of chassis, each chassis comprising a first end region and an opposing second end region separated from each other by a central region, and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the chassis comprising: a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet; bonding the first end regions of each chassis with the first continuous elastic laminate, and bonding the second end regions of each chassis with the second continuous elastic laminate; folding each chassis along the lateral axis to position the first continuous elastic laminate into a facing relationship with the second continuous elastic laminate; bonding the first continuous elastic laminate with the second continuous elastic laminate at discrete bond regions before advancing the plurality of articles in the machine direction through the nip region to form a plurality of pant diapers connected with each other with the first and second continuous elastic laminates; advancing the plurality of pant diapers in the machine direction through the nip region, each pant diaper having a varying thickness along the machine direction and the cross direction, the chassis corresponding with relatively thicker portions of the plurality of pant diapers, and the first and second continuous elastic laminates extending between the chassis corresponding with relatively thinner portions of the plurality of pant diapers; deforming the compliant rollers to vary a distance between the first endless belt and the second endless belt along the machine direction and cross direction of the nip to conform with the varying thickness of the pant diapers, wherein the compliant rollers deform such that the first and second endless belts exert compression and frictional forces on the relatively thinner portions defined by the first and second continuous elastic laminates and the relatively thicker portions defined by the chassis advancing through the nip region; and cutting the first and second continuous elastic laminates in the cross direction to form discrete pant diapers after advancing the plurality of pant diapers through the nip region.