Abstract:
Disposable garments of the training pants variety include a cuff which is rolled inwardly from the plane of each leg opening. The rolled cuff feature is obtained during production by stretching a unitary elastic sheet across the machine web in a direction lateral to the direction of manufacture, and then cutting leg openings through the elastic sheet and an adjacent outer web. The machinery for manufacturing the garments includes various features which facilitate the manufacture of this garment, including a reciprocating cutting knife and an associated accumulating conveyor for providing a reciprocal motion into the reciprocal knife. The manufacturing apparatus also includes features for maintaining core pads in the desired alignment, and various other features.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PATENTS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/384,429 filed on Feb. 6, 1995, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/884,804 filed on May 19, 1992, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/442,215. filed Nov. 28, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,345. This application is also a related through a common parent application to application Ser. No. 08/257,768, filed Jun. 9, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,275 which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/884,804, filed May 19, 1992, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/442,215, filed Nov. 28, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,345. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to disposable garments and methods and apparatus for making such garments.  
           [0003]    The prior art teaches a wide variety of disposable diaper configurations, in which the finished diaper is a flat panel having adhesive tabs or the like, permitting the joinder of one end of the panel to the other, to fit the diaper panel from the infant&#39;s back, under the crotch and to the front of the waist. Examples of such arrangements are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,081,772 to Brooks et al; 3,417,751 to Murdoch; 4,892,528 to Suzuki et al; and 5,064,489 to Ujimoto et al.  
           [0004]    There have also been developed in the prior art a variation of finished disposable training pants for infants, in which the finished product has opposing side seams joining the front and back panels of the garment assembly. Examples of these arrangements are shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,743,239 to Cole; 4,743,241 to Igaue et al; 4,646,362 to Heran et al; 4,938,757 to Van Gompel et al; and 5,055,103 to Nomura et al; and 5,064,421 to Tracy.  
           [0005]    The aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,241 to Igaue et al discloses an elastic sheet adhered across the panel adjacent to the opposing leg openings, which serves as a liquid barrier for body fluids leaking from the center absorbent pad. A similar arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,417,751 to Murdoch.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention is directed to a method of making disposable garments, particularly of the training pants variety, which include a rolled cuff inwardly from the plane of each leg opening, at least about the lower portion of the leg opening. Further, the present invention is directed to methods for achieving this rolled cuff feature in a low cost and facile manner. The present invention also has the objective of providing methods for achieving improvements and efficiencies in the manufacture of disposable garments of all types, including both disposable diapers, training pants, and incontinent garments for those who are elderly or infirmed. The present invention advantageously includes a method of making disposable garments. The method preferably includes conveying a carrier layer having a pair of opposing edges positioned to extend along a direction of manufacture. The method can also advantageously include disposing a plurality of elongate absorbent pads positioned in spaced-apart relation on the carrier layer between the pair of opposing edges with a direction of elongation extended transverse to the direction of manufacture. The method can further advantageously include forming a plurality of openings in the carrier layer, each of the plurality of openings positioned between respective adjacent pads and defining a leg hole associated with each adjacent pad. The method can still further advantageously include folding the carrier layer and the pads positioned thereon generally into two halves extending along a fold line positioned intermediate the pair of opposing edges and generally parallel with the direction of manufacture. The method can also include joining the two halves together along a plurality of seam lines, two adjacent seam lines extending generally transverse to the direction of manufacture between respective adjacent pads to as to intersect each of the plurality of openings and pair of opposing edges. The method can still further advantageously include severing the carrier layer into a plurality of individual garment units between said adjacent seam lines.  
           [0007]    In one form, the method of making the disposable garment in accordance with the present invention includes making a disposable garment having a panel of a material at least a portion of which is liquid impervious, the panel defining leg openings. The garment is provided with elastic means extending continuously about the peripheral edge of each leg opening with the elastic means including a sheet of an elastic material stretched along an inside surface of the panel and about a substantial portion of the periphery of the corresponding leg opening, the elastic sheet being under sufficient stretch to draw the periphery of the leg opening into a curved elastic cuff when the garment is fitted about an infant. In this arrangement, the elastic sheet extends continuously around and to the peripheral edge of the corresponding leg opening.  
           [0008]    In another form, the elastic sheet extends about the lower portion of the leg opening, with plural elastic bands extending about the remaining periphery of the leg opening at the upper portion on either side of the leg opening. In this arrangement, the elastic bands preferably also extend across the area covered by the corresponding elastic sheet, then laterally across the crotch area of the panel and then across a portion of the area covered by another elastic sheet about the opposing leg opening, with a similar pair of elastic bands being also disposed around the other side of the two leg openings.  
           [0009]    A third form of making the disposable garment employs a second layer of elastic sheet extending between the leg openings, and longitudinally stretched between the leg holes. The second stretched elastic layer avoids the necessity for providing the elastic bands of the type described above, while at the same time providing a uniform gathering of material in the crotch area of the garment.  
           [0010]    Preferably, the elastic sheet material is under a stretch on the order of five ounces per lineal inch for each inch of cross-width when installed across the panel, and extends at least 0.5 inches from the peripheral edge laterally across that portion of the panel where the elastic sheet is deposited.  
           [0011]    In the manufacture of the garments, a unitary elastic sheet is stretched across the machine web in a direction lateral to the direction of manufacture, the elastic sheet having dimensions so as to cover an area of the web where leg openings for two adjacent garments will later be formed. Leg openings are then cut through each elastic sheet in the outer web, each leg opening lying within the boundaries of the corresponding elastic sheet and defining the peripheral edges of two leg openings, one each for the adjacent garments. The web is then later folded in half, so that the elastic sheet extends continuously around the leg opening. In this form of manufacture, the direction of stretch of the elastic sheet for each leg opening thus is generally parallel to the edge of the opening along the lower portion, the direction of stretch extending somewhat laterally away from the peripheral edge along that portion closest to the waist opening of the garment. Appropriate seams are formed along the sides between the front and back of the garment from the waist opening to the upper portion of each leg opening.  
           [0012]    The present invention also is directed to manufacturing methods which includes a sequential series of operations formed at individual stations, or “sections”, where the method and apparatus coact with the materials which make up the disposable garments.  
           [0013]    One of the features of the present invention with respect to methods for manufacturing such garments is the inclusion of a reciprocating “guillotine” cutting knife for severing the continuous web of absorbent material into individual pads. The use of a reciprocating knife reduces the hardness and sharpness of the edge of the pad, with respect to conventional rotary cutters. In order to accommodate the use of the reciprocating cutting blade, the present invention utilizes a conveying system in which the web of materials forming the pads are passed into an accumulator section which permits an elevated continuous feed from overhead onto a vacuum conveyor; the vacuum conveyor is then operated intermittently as required by the operation of the reciprocating cutting knife. The accumulator utilizes a retaining flap to keep the degree of accumulating “bend” in the continuous pad material to an acceptable level. The material forming the pad web is maintained against the vacuum conveyor with a curved bar extending in the direction of manufacture; the vacuum conveyor itself utilizes a woven material as the conveyor surface, with a fixed vacuum plate for drawing the pad web down against the woven conveyor surface. The reciprocating action of the knife across the laterally extending pad web is operated by an eccentric drive mechanism, and the cutting aperture below the reciprocating knife blade is angled in a V-shape, in order to facilitate a smooth cut.  
           [0014]    After cutting of the individual pads, the pads are then conveyed to a combining station and adhered to an outer carrier layer, or web. In order to insure that the pads are delivered exactly in a straight format to the combining station, the pad conveyor between the cutter and the combining section is provided with means for straightening any misaligned pads moving across the conveyor; this objective is achieved in a conveyor which also further achieves the objective of reaching near the throat of the reciprocal cutting knife, in order to receive each cut pad. This is achieved using multiple thin, plastic webbing strips for the conveyor surface, and a chain and dog drive positioned underneath the webbing conveyor, the chain having an eccentric drive to move each dog first slowly, then faster, then slowly again. The chain drives extend parallel with the thin webbing, with the dogs extending through the webbing and into engagement with each pad. In operation, each straightening dog rises slowly between two of the conveyor webbing strips, then speeds up to engage the backside of a corresponding pad on opposite sides of the webbing, thereby straightening any misaligned pad. As the pad then nears the discharge end of the webbing conveyor, the eccentric drive of the chain assembly slows down each dog relative to the speed of the webbing conveyor, thereby causing each dog to effectively back away from the respective pad; each dog then is rotated below the level of the webbing conveyor.  
           [0015]    Yet another feature of the method relates to techniques for folding of an outer non-woven layer over the inner layers. In a preferred arrangement, the web making up the disposable garment includes an outer non-woven layer having a polyvinyl liquid impervious liner adhered to the outer non-woven layer, with the absorbent pad adhered to the liner, and with an inner non-woven layer adhered across the pad and the liquid impervious liner. The elastic sheet is disposed and adhered to across the inner surface of the outer non-woven layer, before disposition of the liquid impervious liner across the outer non-woven layer. Waistband elastic may also be adhered along the edges of the outer non-woven layer before fixing the polyvinyl barrier liner. Preferably, the outer non-woven layer has a lateral dimension relative to the direction of manufacture which is somewhat greater than the other layers, so that an edge portion of the outer layer extends beyond the other layers. This outer edge portion is then folded inwardly across the waistband elastic and the edges of the polyvinyl liner and then inner non-woven layer. This folded edge provides further comfort for the person wearing the garment, and also protects the waistband edge. This folding is achieved in a facile manner according to the present invention utilizing a feed roller having beveled ends, the dimensions for which correspond generally to the outwardly extending edge portion of the outer non-woven layer. These beveled ends permit the relaxation of the outer edge portion as the machine web passes underneath the roller under tension; thereafter, edge folding fixtures extend underneath and complete the folding of the edge portions with an adhesive. Of course, this edge folding function is achieved downstream from the combining section, where the absorbent pad is joined with the outer non-woven layer and the polyvinyl liner, and after the inner non-woven layer is affixed across the liner.  
           [0016]    Following the edge folding operation, the machine web is passed into a leg hole cutting section, where leg holes are cut through the inner and outer non-woven layers, the polyvinyl liner and centrally through the elastic sheets. The dimensions of the elastic sheet are such as to extend outside of the leg hole dimensioned on the order of at least 0.5 inches, or more, as discussed above. Further, it will be appreciated that each leg hole defines a corresponding leg opening for adjacent garments which are eventually severed from the machine web. It is preferred that the leg hole cutting operation take place with a vacuum underneath the cutter, in order to draw away the waste product of that cutting operation.  
           [0017]    Following the cutting of the leg holes, the machine web is then folded in half and passed into a seam weld section, where two adjacent seams are formed using an ultrasonic welder. In one arrangement, the anvil of the ultrasonic welder is heated to a temperature somewhat below the melting temperature of the polyvinyl liner, and the teeth on the anvil are sharpened to obtain penetration through all of the layers. The combination of the sharpened anvil teeth and the elevated temperature provide a highly reliable seam weld.  
           [0018]    A second form of the ultrasonic seam welder utilizes an inflatable bladder behind the anvil, with the ultrasonic horn driven by an eccentric cam. These features permit a greater dwell time during the seaming operation.  
           [0019]    The products are then passed into a unit cutter section, where the machine web is severed into individual garments.  
           [0020]    These and other features of the present invention will be understood by those skilled in the art from the following accompanying drawings and description. 
       
    
    
     THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]    [0021]FIGS. 1A and 1B are flow charts illustrating the system, method and apparatus of the present invention, as used in the manufacture of disposal garments, and in which the direction of manufacture is from left to right in both Figures.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIGS. 2A and 2B are top and side views, respectively, illustrating the component portions and manner of fabrication of disposable garments in accordance with the present invention and in which various locations along the direction of operation in FIGS. 2A and 2B generally correspond to the location of the various sections of the system illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, and in which the direction of manufacture is from left to right in both Figures.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 3 is a side elevation, partially in cross section, of a disposable garment in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 is a cross section of a portion of the disposable garment shown in FIG. 3, taken along the line  44 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 is another cross section of a portion of the disposable garment shown in FIG. 3, taken along the line  5 - 5 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6A is a top view of a second form of a disposable garment in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 6B is a top view of a third form of a disposable garment according to this invention.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7 is a side elevation illustrating the accumulator section of the system shown in FIG. 1A, and in which the direction of manufacture is from left to right in the Figure.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 8 a front elevation and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 9 is a side elevation, both illustrating features of the reciprocal knife cutting section of the system of FIG. 1A.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the pad conveyor section of the system shown in FIG. 1A.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 11 is a cross section of a portion of the conveyor shown in FIG. 10, taken along the lines  11 - 11 .  
         [0033]    [0033]FIGS. 12 and 13 are top and side views, respectively, of the stretcher and applicator section of the system shown in FIG. 1A, and in which the direction of manufacture is from the bottom upwardly in FIG. 12 and right to left in FIG. 13.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 14 is a front view of a portion of the edge-folding section in the system shown in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 15 is top view of that edge folding section with the direction of manufacture from the top downwardly.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating one form of the seam welding section of the system in FIG. 1B.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIGS. 17A and B, respectively, top plan and rear elevational views of a second embodiment of a seam welding section.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 17C is a schematic top plan view illustrating the movement of the horn and anvil of a second embodiment of a seam welding section. 
     
    
       [0038]    In FIGS.  7 - 16 , three digit reference numerals are used to identify specific features of a corresponding portion of the system shown in FIGS. 1A and  1 B, and in which the reference numeral for the section in FIGS. 1A and 1B has the same first two digit reference numeral (for example, in FIG. 7, three digit reference numerals  181 ,  182  and so forth refer to specific features of the accumulator section  18  in FIG. 1A).  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0039]    The apparatus and method for making disposable garments will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, with concurrent reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. Thereafter, three forms of disposable garments made according to the method and using the apparatus is described with reference to FIGS.  3 - 6 A and B, followed by a description of specific features of the apparatus as shown in FIGS.  7 - 16 , and an alternate seam weld construction in FIGS.  17 A-C.  
       The Method and Apparatus  
       [0040]    Noting FIGS. 1A and 2A, the apparatus  10  includes a fold section  12  using conventional techniques to fold an absorbent core material  16  and an outer tissue  14 , in order to form a web of absorbent pad material  15 . The output of the fold section is passed into an accumulator section  18 , which is shown schematically in FIG. 1A to be elevated with respect to the fold section  12 , and the downstream pad cutter section  20 . As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the absorbent pad web  15  is cut into individual pads  22 , each having a forward edge  24  and a rear edge  26 , by cutting along a direction lateral to the direction of manufacture, as illustrated by arrows  30 . The individually cut pads  22  are passed into a pad conveyor section  28 , and then to a combining section  32 .  
         [0041]    In the combining section  32 , an outer non-woven layer  34  is extended along the direction of manufacture  30 , and provided with an appropriate adhesive, generally over the entire exposed surface of the non-woven layer  34 . Waistband elastic strips  46  are extended along the adhesive-coated non-woven outer layer  34 , again in the direction of manufacture shown by arrows  30 , in order to provide a waistband elastic in a conventional manner. A liquid impervious liner  48  (for example, polyvinyl) is extended across the adhesive-coated non-woven layer  34 , and then individual pads  22  are affixed to the exposed surface of the liner, using appropriate adhesives. The liner  48  either alone or in combination with the outer non-woven layer  34  serves as a carrier layer during the manufacturing operation.  
         [0042]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a source of elastic sheet material  40 , for example polyurethane foam or polyethylene sheeting, which is extended into a stretcher and applicator section  38 , which is described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. As shown in FIG. 2A, the stretcher and applicator  38  cuts the elastic sheet into individual sheet segments  40 , while simultaneously stretching each sheet segment  40  in a direction lateral to the direction of manufacture  30 , as is depicted by arrows  42  in FIG. 2A, and generally under the stretch conditions discussed above; that is, a stretch on the order of five ounces per lineal inch for each inch of cross-width (i.e., twenty-five ounces for a five inch length of one inch wide elastic). The individual elastic sheet segments  40  may be affixed to either the liquid impervious liner  48 , or to the outer non-woven layer  34 , as shown in FIG. 2A. The polyvinyl liner  48  and the individual pads  22  are respectively affixed to the outer non-woven layer  34  and the liner  48  with a conventional adhesive  36 .  
         [0043]    The output of the combining section is fed into another section where an inner non-woven layer  50  is fixed to the assembly by an adhesive across the liner  48 . As is shown in FIG. 2A, the inner non-woven layer  50  and the liner  48  have a lateral dimension somewhat less than the corresponding dimension of the outer non-woven layer  34 , so that the outer non-woven layer has peripheral edge portions  33 ,  35  extending beyond the periphery of the other two layers. After deposition of the inner non-woven layer at section  44 , the assembly is then fed into an edge folding section  52 . As schematically depicted in FIG. 2A, the peripheral edge portions  33 ,  35  of the outer non-woven layer  34  are then folded across the periphery of the inner non-woven layer  50  and joined thereto with an adhesive, as described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.  
         [0044]    The output from the edge folding section  52  is then fed into a leg hole cutting section  54 , which is operated under a slight vacuum at  55 , so as to remove the scrap without interfering with the manufacture of the assembly. Noting FIG. 2A, each leg hole  56  is cut centrally in the web defined by the layers  34 ,  48  and  50  between adjacent pads  22 , and centrally within the peripheral boundary of a corresponding elastic sheet  40 ; preferably, the dimensions of the leg hole and the elastic sheet are selected so that a minimum of 0.5 inches of the elastic sheet, and suitably an even greater dimension, extend from the peripheral edge of the leg hole  56  to the boundary of the elastic sheet  40 . It will of course be appreciated that the cutting of the leg hole  56  centrally in the elastic sheet  40  insures that the elastic sheet extends to the very edge of the leg hole. As will be discussed in greater detail below with reference to FIGS.  3 - 5 , this particular feature enables the disposable garment to achieve a desirable inwardly rolled cuff which assists in defining a liquid barrier.  
         [0045]    After passing out of the leg hole cutting section  54 , the assembly is fed into a web folding section  58 , where the entire web is folded upon itself, as depicted along the left hand side of FIG. 2B. The web is then fed into a seam welding section  60 , where parallel seams are formed between the upper edge of the web and the upper extremity of each leg hole  56 ; preferably, this is achieved utilizing an ultrasonic welder and a rotating anvil which is heated to a temperature slightly below the melting point of the polyvinyl liner  48 , and below the ignition temperature of the non-woven layers  34  and  50 .  
         [0046]    The output from the seam welding section is then passed into a unit cutter section  66 , where the web is cut along line  68  into individual garments  70 . Each garment is then conveyed into a blower section  67  where air is blown into the individual garment is subjected to a vacuum at  69  to draw the intermediate seam welds inwardly to form a compact unit for packaging purposes.  
         [0047]    A First Embodiment of the Disposable Garment (FIGS.  3 - 5 )  
         [0048]    Construction details of a first form of the disposable garment  70  are depicted in FIGS.  3 - 5 . As constructed, the garment  70  includes a waistband opening  72 , a front panel  74 , an opposing rear panel  76  and a crotch area  78 ; it will of course be understood that the front and back panels and the crotch area  74 ,  76  and  78  are formed from the assembly of materials in accordance with the method depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B, and includes (as shown in the cut away portion in FIG. 3) the outer non-woven layer  34 , the liner  48 , absorbent pad  22  and inner non-woven layer  50 , with the elastic waistbands  46  and seam  64 .  
         [0049]    The portion of the elastic sheet  40  remaining with the individual garment  70  after formation of the leg opening  56 , folding of the web and welding of the seam  64  is depicted by a dotted line in FIG. 3. Arrows  42  also depict the direction of stretch of the elastic sheet  40 . As discussed above, the cutting of the leg opening  56  through the field of the elastic sheet  40  is accomplished so as to extend to the extreme periphery of the opening  56 . This, together with the folding of the web to form the front and back panels  74 ,  76  relieves the stretching of the elastic sheet  40  along the periphery of the leg opening  56 , and causes the elastic sheet along the periphery to roll into an inwardly-directed cuff along the periphery of the leg opening  56 . However, because of the variance of the stretch represented by arrows  42  from the lower portion  80  of the leg opening  56  to the upper portion  82 , the degree of roll of the cuff varies from the lower portion to the upper portion. This is shown by comparison of FIGS. 4 and 5, where the lower portion  80  of the rolled cuff is shown to be greater than the upper portion  82  of FIG. 5. This variance of the rolled cuff from the lower portion is desirable, since the upper portion does not require as great a roll in the cuff for purposes of providing a liquid barrier, and also provides greater comfort to the person wearing the garment  70 .  
         [0050]    Other Forms of the Disposable Garment Construction (FIGS. 6A and B)  
         [0051]    A second alternate form of construction of the disposable garment in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 6A and referred to generally by the reference numeral  90 .  
         [0052]    Disposable garment  90  includes various features of the garment  70  shown in FIGS.  3 - 5 , which are referred to by the same reference numerals, including waistband elastic  46 , seams  62 ,  64 , inner non-woven layer  50 , pad  22  and leg openings  56 . The construction of disposable garment  90  is different from the construction of garment  70  in FIG. 3 through the use of elastic bands  92  and  94  which extend continuously around the periphery of opposite sides of each leg opening and across a portion of the same area covered by elastic sheets  96 ,  98  and also across the crotch area of the garment  90  to the opposite leg opening  56 . Further, the elastic sheets  96 ,  98  may be drawn back slightly from the respective seams  64 ,  62  so as to extend essentially about the peripheral edge of the lower portion of the leg opening  56  after being folded.  
         [0053]    A third form of construction of a disposable garment in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 6B and referred to there by the reference numeral  91 .  
         [0054]    The disposable garment  91  also includes the various features of the garments  70  and  90  shown in FIGS.  3 - 5  and  6 A, to the extent that those various features are referred to by the same reference numerals. Additionally, the garment  91  includes a second layer of elastic sheeting extending between the leg openings, and longitudinally stretched in the direction of the arrows  95  in FIG. 6B. The stretched elastic layer  93  avoids the necessity for providing the elastic bands  92  and  94  of FIG. 6A, while at the same time providing a uniform gathering of material in the crotch area of the garment  91 .  
         [0055]    The Accumulator Section (FIG. 7)  
         [0056]    Details of the accumulator section  18  of FIG. 1A are shown in FIG. 7.  
         [0057]    As shown on the left hand side of FIG. 7, the absorbent pad web  15  is extended across elevated rollers  181 , 182  which operate continuously to receive the feed of the web  15 . The rollers  181 ,  182  then feed the web  15  downwardly across an indexing conveyor  183 , which preferably consists of a wire mesh extending across a fixed vacuum plate  184  having holes therein permitting a vacuum to be drawn, as shown by arrows. the accumulator section  18  further includes a control plate  185  pivoted at  186 , and extending across the web  15  somewhat below the continuous feed rollers  181 ,  182 . Similarly, there is a pressure rod  187  pivoted at  188  extending across the absorbent pad web  15  and over the indexing conveyor  183 .  
         [0058]    In operation, the absorbent pad web  15  is drawn into fixed engagement with the mesh surface of the indexing conveyor  183  via the vacuum plate  184 . The indexing conveyor  183  is operated on a “stop-start”, or intermittent basis, as required by the operation of the reciprocating cutting blade  20  described below in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, but the details of which are also depicted in FIG. 7. Thus, the rollers  181  and  182  are continuously feeding the web  15  onto a conveyor which only operates on an intermittent basis; therefore, the web  15  is subjected to a buckling, as shown below the control plate  185 . The degree of buckle is controlled by the plate  185 , to insure that the direction of the web continues along the surface of the intermittent indexing conveyor  183 . The pressure rod  187  also insures that any buckling does not extend beyond the central area of the indexing conveyor  183 .  
         [0059]    As shown on the right hand side of FIG. 7, the indexing conveyor  183  forces the absorbent pad web  15  across a fixed mandrel  189  in the throat of the cutting section  20 , described next.  
         [0060]    The Pad Cutting Section (FIGS. 8 and 9)  
         [0061]    As discussed briefly above, the pad cutting section  20  utilizes a reciprocating “guillotine”-type of cutter, which achieves certain benefits with respect to the formation of the cut edge in the absorbent pads  22 .  
         [0062]    Referring to FIG. 8, the cutting section  20  includes a blade  202  terminating in a cutting edge  201 , and carried by a cross plate  203  extending across the machine direction. The plate  203  is carried by reciprocating rods  204 ,  206  which are supported by springs  205 ,  207  for biasing in an upward direction. The reciprocating rods  204 ,  206  are supported by respective bearing blocks  208 ,  210 . As shown in the front view of FIG. 8, the mandrel  189  has a V-configuration, such that the absorbent pad web  15  is sheared downwardly from each side to the central portion of the mandrel.  
         [0063]    Noting FIG. 9, the reciprocating motion of the rods  204 ,  206  is controlled by an eccentric  215  rotating about a shaft  216 , and engaging a rotating element  213  mounted on a pivot axis  214  and which is supported by a yoke  212  at the upper extremity of each rod  204 ,  206 . The use of an eccentric cam surface to control the operation of the cutting blade  201 , together with the shape of the cutting throat defined by mandrel  189  insures a smooth, even and sharp cut through the absorbent pad web  15 , to define individual pads  22 .  
         [0064]    Pad Conveyor Section (FIGS. 10 and 11)  
         [0065]    Details of the pad conveyor section  28  of FIG. 1A are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The pad conveyor includes a pair of rotating shafts  281 ,  282  which extend laterally across the direction of manufacture, and support plural vinyl conveyor straps  283  along the manufacturing direction. As is depicted in FIG.  7 , the conveyor webs  283  are extended into close proximity to the throat of the pad cutter  20 .  
         [0066]    A pair of chain drives  284  are supported parallel to and underneath the webbing  283 , each chain drive  284  spaced between two of the webbing strips. The chain drives are supported by shafts  285 ,  286  and an eccentric drive  287  (FIG. 11). Plural straightening dogs  288  are dimensioned vertically to extend upwardly from the respective chain drives  284  and above the level of the webbing strips  283 . As is depicted in FIG. 10, the eccentric drive  287  imparts a “slow-fast-slow” pace to the movement of the straightening dogs, in order that the dogs may first extend upwardly between adjacent strips  283 , then be speeded up to engage the backside of a corresponding pad  22  to straighten the position of any misaligned pad across the lateral direction, and then slow down and back away from the back edge of the corresponding pad, before rotating underneath the chain drive as shown in FIG. 11. Of course, the pad  22  is then discharged from the pad conveyor  28  on the right hand side of FIG. 10, and progresses to the combining section  32  (FIG. 1A).  
         [0067]    The stretcher and applicator section is described in application Ser. No. 07/442,215 which is incorporated her by reference.  
         [0068]    Stretcher and Applicator Section (FIGS. 12 and 13)  
         [0069]    As shown in FIG. 13, a web of the elastic sheet  40  (i.e., urethane foam or polyethylene) is passed into a knife roller  381  having knife blades  382 , at which point the web of elastic sheet is cut into individual sheet segments  40 . the knife roller  381  cuts the elastic sheet lengths  40 , and vacuum chucks  383  on anvil  384  carries the elastic sheet lengths  40  to a transfer roller  385 .  
         [0070]    Noting both FIGS. 12 and 13, at an appropriate transfer point, the individual elastic sheets  40  are received along the surface of the transfer roller  385  which also includes vacuum chucks  386 . The vacuum chucks  386  hold the individual elastic lengths  40  across the transfer surface of the transfer roller  385 , until such time as the individual sheets  40  are fed into an entry point  387  of stretching rollers  388 ,  389 . As is particularly shown in FIG. 12, the crosswise dimension of the transfer surface of the transfer roller  385  is substantially less than the lengthwise dimension of each elastic sheet  40 , and is approximately equal to or less than the spacing between the stretching rollers  388 ,  389  at the entry point  387 .  
         [0071]    The stretching rollers  388 ,  389  are mounted on respective hubs  390 ,  391 , each of which may be individually adjusted at an outwardly skewed angle from the entry point  387  to an exit point  392 . Each rotating stretching roller  388 ,  389  also includes a corresponding peripheral groove  393 ,  394  across which passes a corresponding smooth surface gripping belt  395 ,  396 , each of which is dimensioned to fit within the corresponding peripheral groove  393 ,  394 . As each gripping belt  395 ,  396  approaches the periphery of the corresponding roller  388 ,  389  at the entry point  387 , an adjacent one of the elastic sheets  40  are picked up at the transfer point by the gripping belts and pinched into the corresponding groove  393 ,  394 . As the skewed rollers  388 ,  389  are rotated, the gripping belts hold the sheets in place, and the skewed angle effectuates the desired degree of stretching. Thereafter, as is shown in FIG. 13, the individual sheets  40  are discharges at area  392  onto the web of the outer non-woven layer  34 .  
         [0072]    Edge Folding Section (FIGS. 14 and 15)  
         [0073]    The edge folding section  52  includes a pressure roller  522 , under which the combined web assembly including the outer non-woven layer  34 , liner (not depicted in FIG. 14), absorbent pad  22  and inner non-woven layer  50  are all passed. As illustrated in FIG. 14, the pressure roller  522  includes inwardly tapered, low friction surfaces which are dimensioned to engage only the extended edge portions  33 ,  35  of the outer non-woven layer  34 . Because the tension of the web is relieved by the taper  526  on the in caps  524 , the edge portions  33 ,  35  are lifted upwardly. Thereafter, the web is passed across edge folders  528 , each of which includes a tapered fold surface  530  for receiving the elevated edge portions  33 ,  35 . A glue joint  532  is then directed across the outer edge portions of the inner non-woven layer  50  for receiving the folded edges  33 ,  35  of the outer non-woven layer  34 .  
         [0074]    Seam Weld Section (FIGS. 16) and  17 A-C  
         [0075]    As discussed above, the seam weld section  60  (FIG. 1B) utilizes an ultrasonic welder including weld head  602  having a face  604  with protruding weld pins  606 . In accordance with the present invention, the pins  606  are sharpened to a sufficient degree to insure penetration through the entire web assembly, including the outer non-woven layer  34 , elastic sheet  40 , liner  48  and inner non-woven layer  50 . Further in accordance with the present invention, the ultrasonic welder is operated in conjunction with a rotating anvil  607  having an anvil face  608  which is heated by an internal heating coil  609  to a temperature which is slightly below the melting temperature of the polyvinyl liner  48 , and of course below the ignition temperature of the inner and outer non-woven layers  34 ,  50 . It has been found that this particular arrangement shown in FIG. 16 provides desirable seam welds in a facile manner.  
         [0076]    A second form of the seam welding section is depicted in FIGS.  17 A-C. In this arrangement, the seam welding section includes opposing pairs of rotating drive wheels  704 ,  706  and  716 ,  718 . Each pair of drive wheels is pivotally connected respectively at  710 ,  712  and  722 ,  724  to a corresponding drive rod  708 ,  720 . (As shown in FIG. 17B, each of the drive wheels is in turn rotated by a corresponding shaft and gear arrangement, including corresponding gears  795 ,  707  and  717 ,  719 , with each the drive gear being driven by a respective pinion  703 ,  715 ).  
         [0077]    A conventional ultrasonic horn  714  is mounted on the forward extremity of the drive rod  708 , and a conventional ultrasonic anvil  726  is mounted at the extremity of the second drive rod  720 . In accordance with the present invention, the anvil is coupled to a back plate  730  via an air bladder  728  which is capable of being alternately inflated and deflated from an air supply  729 . This construction permits the anvil  726  to be inflated outwardly toward the horn  714 , and also imparts a significant degree of “give” to the anvil  726  via the air bladder  728 .  
         [0078]    In operation, rotation of each pair of drive wheels  704 ,  706  and  716 ,  718  results in the reciprocal movement of the corresponding drive rod  708 ,  720  toward the machine web, the web being represented by arrow  702  in FIGS. 17A and 17C. It will of course be appreciated by those skilled in the ultrasonic welding art that without the presence of the compressible bladder  728 , there is only one tangential point where the ultrasonic horn  714  and the anvil  726  may come in contact with each other, in order to avoid any damage to either part. However, with the provision of the inflatable bladder  728 , the anvil  726  is imparted with a significant degree of “give” or compressibility, thereby permitting the horn  714  and the anvil  726  to be in contact with each other for a much greater period of time during movement of the web (represented by arrow  702 ) along the direction of travel. This results in a much better forming of weld seams like seam  62  and  64  in FIG. 2B. This greater dimension of contact is represented by dimension D in FIG. 17C, in which circles  731  and  732  respectively depict the circular motions of the horn  714  and anvil  726  during movement of the drive rods  708 ,  720 .  
         [0079]    Summary  
         [0080]    There has been disclosed above a system and method for manufacturing disposable garments, the system including various apparatus features. Further, the disposable garments  70  and  90  of FIGS.  3 - 6  provide a cuff which extends inwardly from the plane of the leg hole, to provide a liquid barrier at least in the region of the lower portion of the leg opening. This is achieved utilizing an elastic sheet which may be stretched to a sufficient degree to insure achieving the desired rolled cuff feature, and in a manner which lends itself to high speed, low cost manufacturing techniques.  
         [0081]    This concludes the description of the preferred embodiments. A reading by those skilled in the art will bring to mind various changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended, however, that the invention only be limited by the following appended claims.