Patent ID: 6165306
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: A61F,B32B,B65H,Y10T

Abstract:
A process for manufacturing a multi-component workpiece comprising at least two components cut from moving webs of material, registering the components with respect to one another, and depositing the registered components on a web of moving material comprising the steps of:a) cutting from a web of first material, moving at a first web speed, first discrete workpiece components having a length L.sub.C1 and a repeat cut length between the leading edge of one discrete workpiece component and the leading edge of the immediately following workpiece component of L.sub.CR1 ;b) cutting from a web of second material, moving at a second web speed, second discrete workpiece components having a length L.sub.C2 and a repeat cut length between the leading edge of one discrete workpiece component and the leading edge of the immediately following workpiece component of L.sub.CR2 ;c) transferring one of the first discrete workpiece components to a first receiving surface moving, for a fraction of one product workpiece repeat cycle, at a first constant dwell speed equal to the speed of said first moving web of material;d) transferring one of the second discrete workpiece components to a second receiving surface moving, for a fraction of one product workpiece repeat cycle, at a first constant dwell speed equal to the speed of said second moving web of material;e) adjusting the speed of said second receiving surface bearing said second discrete workpiece component to move, for a fraction of one product workpiece repeat cycle, at a second constant dwell speed matching that of the first constant dwell speed of said first receiving surface;f) transferring, with registration, the second discrete workpiece component from said second receiving surface to said first receiving surface during the fraction of the product workpiece repeat cycle that the constant dwell speeds of said first and second receiving surfaces are matched, to overlay said first discrete workpiece component with registration on said first receiving surface;g) adjusting the speed of said first receiving surface bearing said second discrete workpiece component overlaying said first discrete workpiece component to move at a second constant dwell speed, during a fraction of one product workpiece repeat cycle, to match that of a third moving web of material;h) transferring the mated and registered said first and second discrete workpiece components to said third moving web of material during a fraction of product workpiece repeat cycle that the constant dwell speeds of said first receiving surface and said third web of material are matched;i) readjusting the speed of said first receiving surface, during a fraction of one product workpiece repeat cycle and following transfer of the mated and registered first and second discrete workpiece components to said third web of material, to move at said first constant dwell speed of said first receiving surface; andj) readjusting the speed of said second receiving surface to move, during a fraction of one product workpiece repeat cycle and following transfer of the second discrete workpiece component to said first receiving surface, at said first constant dwell speed of said second receiving surface.