Patent ID: 6315022
Filing Date: 2001-11-13
Classification: A61F,B29C,B29L,Y10T

Abstract:
A disposable undergarment forming apparatus for forming a plurality of disposable undergarments, the apparatus comprising:core forming means for forming a stream of undergarment cores traveling along a path of travel, each of the lengthwise extent of the stream of undergarment cores traveling in substantially parallel to the path of travel;core orienting means positioned in-line with and downstream from said core forming means for in-line orienting the plurality of individual cores along the path of travel so as to orient said cores from having a lengthwise extent positioned substantially parallel to the in-line path of travel to having the lengthwise extent positioned substantially transverse to the in-line path of travel;waistband forming means positioned adjacent said core orienting means for forming waistbands, the waistband forming means comprising dividing means for dividing a continuous sheet of non-woven material into a plurality of continuous strips and strip combining means for combining strips of elastic material with the plurality of continuous strips of non-woven material;combining means positioned in-line with and downstream from said core orienting means and positioned to receive the waistbands from said waistband forming means for combining the waistbands with the plurality of individual undergarment cores to thereby form a chain of a plurality of undergarments;folding means positioned downstream from said combining means for folding each of the plurality of undergarments of the chain, said folding means including a core folder for folding each of the cores of the plurality of undergarments of the chain, a waistband folder for folding each of the continuous waistband strips, and a side folder positioned downstream from said core folder for side folding the folded cores of the plurality of undergarments of the chain;side connecting means positioned downstream from said folding means for connecting at least the side waistbands of each of the plurality of undergarments of the chain; andseparating means positioned downstream from said side connecting means for separating the chain of the plurality of undergarments into a plurality of individual disposable undergarments.