Abstract:
A machine which fabricates an undergarment assembly having an openable front panel. The assembly is made from two continuous half width webs. The first and second web paths are transversely spaced. It includes devices to add a V-folded reinforcing strip along the edge of one web. Devices are included to add elastic strands adjacent the central crotch section and a re-closable tape across the front panel opening. One of the webs is printed with adhesive at spaced longitudinal intervals to bond portions of the two overlapped webs in central areas to define a bonded full width rear panel. The machine cuts leg openings and pad securement flaps on the outer margins of each half web. After assembly, the web is severed into unit products for delivery and packaging. The delivery system includes vacuum rolls for transferring flat product or longitudinally and transversely folded product for package size reduction. The machine applies tapes that protrude from side margins for manual taping connection of front and rear panels after folding the product around a user&#39;s crotch.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/901,914, filed Jul. 29, 1997, now U.S. Pat. 5,904,802. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to apparatus for fabricating a undergarment assembly similar to disposable diapers but without an integral absorbent pad, and having a front panel opening. 
     Machinery for making disposable diapers includes pulp roll advancement and de-fiberizong equipment to product absorbent fluff for the pad, and components for intergating the pad, garment facing and backing sheets. 
     U.S. Class 604 includes literally hundreds of disposable diaper patents involving materials and features of the absorbent pad as part of the diaper. 
     Undergarment briefs produced by the instant apparatus are described in U.S. Class 2 which includes a variety of undergarments having, or made to accept, separate absorbent pads. 
     Undergarment briefs of this type, but with an openable front panel are describd in U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,890. The apparatus for making the &#39;890 product is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/901914, U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,802. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The apparatus of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/901914, U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,802 has provision to accept and combine absorbent pads made separately ,but it is primarily intended to describe apparatus for making briefs with a front opening. 
     That feature permits the user to ‘step into’ the garment for wear with or without adding a commercially available hygienic or absorbent pad specifically designed for the amount of bodily fluids being expelled. 
     Because the product of U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,890 is a completed garment, the apparatus for making them requires a carrier drum to advance segments, fold the front panel over the rear panel, and means to fold and secure flaps protruding from the side margins to complete the leg and waist apertures. 
     The product made with the instant apparatus is not a completed garment and therefore certain elements of the earlier U.S. Ser. No. 08 901,914, U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,802 teaching are eliminated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/901914 for apparatus used to make the completed brief of U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,890. 
     Unlike &#39;914, this invention describes apparatus to produce stacks of brief assemblies that do not have leg and waist apertures until certain folding and tape securement tasks are completed by the user, like disposable diapers. 
     The apparatus of &#39;914 uses a folding drum having movable folding fingers according to earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,433, and the instant invention eliminates the folding devices and drum by using other unique combinations of machine components. 
     For stacks delivered in flat form, the inventive apparatus can use stacking devices similar to U.S. Pat. No. 3,141,667 of Novich or U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,683 of Stroud. 
     For lower bulk, briefs can be folded for packaging using the apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,889 of Nystrand or U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,935 of Guichard. 
     In the instant apparatus, combined webs are advanced through fabrication steps including adhesive printing of pre-selected areas to bond selected areas between plies, and application of other product components requiring vacuum transfer. 
     The high speed operation of disposable diaper machines is due largely to the fabrication of materials while they are in web form. 
     Similar methods are used in this invention to fabricate briefs with a front opening or ‘fly’ in the front panel. 
     The apparatus advances two webs, each of about half width of the product, and using ‘reverse’ folding plates to apply a reinforcing strip on one or more edges, web paths are arranged to partially overlap. 
     The instant apparatus advances two half width webs, applies adhesive to pre-selected areas of one web, joins the webs in overlapping relationship to bond the rear panel portions together, adds a closure tape to connect non-bonded front panel portions which define a front opening, attach cs tapes that protrude from each side margin of the rear panel (like disposable diapers), and cuts the assembly into discreet units that are later placed around the crotch of the user and attached at both sides to complete the garment leg and waist apertures. 
     The primary object of the invention is to define apparatus for making brief assemblies having a reclosable opening but without the front and rear panels connected. 
     Another object is to eliminate the movable folding fingers and carrier drum used in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/901914, U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,802 and described in earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,795, 433. 
     Another object is to make brief assemblies and deliver stacks of flat or folded briefs for package size reduction. 
     Other objects of the invention may be seen in the ensuing specifications. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation illustrating apparatus to manufacture briefs. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan viewed from sight line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1 illustrating separation and offset advancement of two webs with a strip reinforcing web added to one web. 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan viewed from sight line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1 illustrating the web and components substantially assembled before cutoff into discreet units. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the instant web assembly after die cut shaping and cutoff. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the reverse folding plates to fold and direct the narrow reinforcing web W 3 . 
     FIG. 6 is a cross sectional end view of the web assembly viewed from line  6 — 6  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic side elevation illustrating a segment advancement, cutoff, and transfer device used for adding components to the top of a web assembly. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic side elevation iillustrating a segment advancement, cutoff and transfer device used to add components to the underside of the web assembly. 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic side elevation illustrating the apparatus for delivering stacks of flat product or stacks of half folded product. 
     FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a web portion superposed on the surface of a folding and delivery roll of FIG. 9, illustrating a typical vacuum port arrangement in the roll surface for the sequence of cutting to shape, cutting into discreet units, folding and delivery. 
     FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vacummized rotating roll coacting with a stationary vacuum valve with a movable slug. 
     FIG. 12 is a side view of the stationary portion of a two-part vacuum valve viewed from sight line  12 — 12  in FIG.  11 . 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the undergarment assembly viewed as it is delivered in half folded form from apparatus of FIG.  9  and the embodiment of FIG.  15 . 
     FIG. 14 is a top plan view of a web portion superposed on folding/delivery roll of FIG. 15 illustrating a typical arrangement of vacuum ports for the sequence of cutting into discreet units, folding, cutting to shape, and delivery. 
     FIG. 15 is a schematic side elevation illustrating an arrangement of rolls for the sequence described above for FIG.  14 . 
     FIG. 16 is an end cross section of the vacuum belt transport system used to control the product during longitudinal folding into three panels. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus  1  substantially completes the undergarment assembly shown in FIG. 4 while materials are in web form, and delivers the product assembly in stacks of unfolded flat form, or in another embodiment, as stacks of longitudinally and transversely folded product. 
     In FIG.  1 . web W 2  is unwound from supply roll  2  by belt  3 . Web W 1  and W 2  are referred to as first and second webs herein. 
     Web W 2  is advanced through a 3-roll constant tension system  4  by a set of pull rolls  5 . Concurrently, a set of three coacting rolls  6  draw a pair of elastic strands  7  from supply roll  8 . 
     Elastic strands  7  pass through the nip of s-wrap roll set  6  which are arranged to advance the elastic at a velocity lower than the velocity of web W 2  thus inducing tension in the elastic strands. 
     The elastic strands pass under adhesive application means  9  for spaced adhesive and subsequent spaced attachment at roll set  5  to a central crotch portion of web W 2  under tension. 
     In FIG. 1, a narrow web strip W 3  is unwound from supply roll  10  by belt  11  and passes throught the nip of pull roll pair  12  mounted above folding plate  13 . 
     A second pair of draw rolls  14  at the tip of folding plate  13  has a variable speed drive (not shown) to create tension in the web moving over folding plates  16 . The apex of the folded web is along margin  15 . 
     Referring briefly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the V-folded web is advanced from pull rolls  14  (see FIG. 2) over guide rolls (not seen) to the incoming web position W 3  A, advanced over the top and bottom outside surfaces of inverse folding plates  16  , around the  45  degree angles edges  17 , and is reverse folded to slide over inside surfaces and exit from plate pair  16  with the web W 3  B directed 90 degrees from the direction of the incoming web—in effect, a 90 degree turn involving a reversal of inside and outside surfaces before and after the web fold. 
     The apex of the folded web is along edge  18  after its exit from plates  16 . 
     In FIGS. 2 and 5, the second web W 2  is shown entering the space between the reverse folded portions of strip W 3  and is enclosed therebetween. 
     The reinforcing strip W 3  is attached to adhesive applied to both sides of W 2  with applicators  19  and  20 . 
     In FIG. 5, means to change spacing between upper and lower angled plates  16  can be provided (not shown) to increase spacing when W 2  or W 3  spliced joints are sensed upstream, and can be reduced to normal spacing using automatic controls. 
     It is further noted that while strip reinforcing web is shown being added to one web, duplicate but oppositely handed means can be used to add a strip to web W 1 . 
     In FIG. 1, first web W 1  is concurrently fed from supply roll  21  by unwind belt  22  and passes through a 3-roll constant tension system  23 . 
     With a system  24  similar to elastic feed and tensioning apparatus described above for web W 2 , the elastic is tensioned and adhesive is applied at spaced intervals before it is attached to web W 1  at pull roll set  25 . 
     Intermediate guide rolls  26  can be grooved to prevent adhesive offset to roll surfaces. 
     Before being joined to web W 2 , the underluying web W 1  (see FIGS. 3 and 6) has adhesive applied to a restricted spaced area  27  in the central overlapped region by printer  28 . 
     The spaced area of adhesive  27  (see left side of FIG. 3) joins the two half width webs into a full width web at spaced intervals of the overlapped portions between plies of the rear panel, and by leaving a portion not printed (space between areas  27 ), the unbonded overlap becomes the front panel opening. 
     It is noted that when the longitudinal dimension of printed area  27  exceeds 50% of product length, a limited but beneficial bonding occurs between 2 plies of the front panel near the crotch. 
     In FIG. 1, web W 1  is advanced to the nip between rolls set  29  and bondably joined in the spaced apart areas  27  to web W 2  including the reinforcing strip W 3  that encloses one margin. 
     In FIGS. 2 and 3, the conjoined webs are viewed with web W 2  overlapped as the top web. 
     In other embodiments,webs can be interchanged. 
     Before reaching die cutting rolls, a releasable closure tape  30  (see FIG. 3) is attached to the top of web W 2  and extends over the folded edge of the reinforcing strip for attaching connection between the two half width webs which become the front panel when the briefs are folded around the crotch by the user. 
     In the top left of FIG. 1, a closure tape supply roll  31  is pulled by nip rolls  32  and threaded around S-wrap roll set  33 . 
     The web for tapes  30  is flexible but substantially non-extensible. 
     With a disc brake or equal means to provide resistance, the tape web being fed into roll set  32  and S-wrap rolls  33  has enough tension to prevent overfeed while advancing (for example) a 1″ long segment into the space between anvil roll  34  and coacting knife roll  35  when the knife-anvils are not in contact between cuts. 
     Vacuumized anvil roll  34  advances the tape segment to vacuum transfer roll  36  for extending attachment to web W 2 . 
     In FIG. 1, two webs for tapes  37 ,  37 ′ are advanced from supply roll  38 , threaded over guide roll (not referenced) and around S-wrap pull rolls  39  for segment transfer to cutoff roll set  40  in a segment feeding system similar to U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,191 and other prior art. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an absorbent pad P of conventional design can be manufactured by upstream apparatus and adhesively attached to areas  41 ′ on the inside of the garment (see FIG. 3) by adhesive applied at applicator  41 . 
     In another embodiment, applicator  41  can be located to the left of roll set  29  (not shown) for addition of the pad to the underside of web W 2 . 
     After side margin and closure tapes, waistbands, etc. are added, the overlapped webs (adhesively bonded between plies of the rear panel and tape connected on the front panel) pass through the nip between coacting die cutting roll  42  and anvil roll  43  to shape typical leg cutouts  44  in both sides of the web assembly (see FIGS.  3  and  10 ). 
     Referring briefly to FIG. 4, pad securement flaps  45 ,  45 ′ (shown phantom) can be shaped by die cutting set  42 ,  43  to extend from the central crotch region. 
     Means to fold these flaps for ‘temporary’ deployment before use are not shown but would be similar to the longitudinal folding system  51  in FIG.  1 . 
     In FIG. 4, cover strips  46 ,  46 ′ are removed from tapes  37 ,  37 ′ respectively and connect rear panel  47  to front panel  48  after the front panel is folded back and superposed against the rear panel. 
     The perspective view of FIG. 4 illustrates the addition of side margin tapes  46 ,  46 ′ (means not shown FIG. 1) and front panel closure tape  30  as viewed from sight line  3 — 3  in FIG.  1 . 
     In FIG. 3, the rear panel leads in the direction of movement and tapes are upward as the web assembly approaches die roll  42 . As the assembly advances through the die cutting set  42 ,  43  it passes around vacuum transfer roll  52  and tapes are downwardly facing as shown in FIG.  9 . 
     Referring back to FIG. 1, after side tapes  37 ,  37 ′ are in place, segment feeding apparatus  50  adds waistband  49  (see FIG. 3) to the rear panel between the side tapes. 
     In FIG. 1, after system  50  adds a waistband, folding device  51  folds the ‘wing’ portions to reduce produce width (fold rods shown staggered in FIG.  16 ). 
     FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the inverse folding device for the reinforcing strip as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     In FIG. 6 web components are shown on one side of (above) the fold line F 1 -F 1 ′ as a complete product in flat form. Any folds and side tape connections for completion of the leg and waist apertures occur below the fold line and are completed by the user (like disposable diapers).Tape  30  is attached to release area  30 ′ 
     In FIG. 7, an S-wrap feed roll couple  54  advances a web at a slow speed to advance a portion that protrudes downwardly in the space between the knife cutoff roll  55  and the coacting anvil roll  56 . 
     During the interval between cuts, the advanced segment is in sliding contact with anvil roll  56  which has vacuum ports at small segment repeats, and when the cutoff roll roates to the cut position, a small segment (such as a tape) is free to advance at web speed on the surface of anvil roll  56  for transfer to the web via rolls  57  and  58 . 
     In FIG. 8, a similar feed, cutoff and transfer system  59  advances and cuts a cover strip segment  59 ′ shorter than product length and die cuts a shape in the segment with die roll  60  before vacuum roll  61  transfers the shaped cover strip for attachment to pad adhesive  27  on the underside of web W 2 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the web assembly (W 1 , W 2 , and W 3 ) is advanced around transfer roll  52  with tapes now on the underside of the web assembly. 
     Knife roll  62  severs the web assembly into segments S. Anvil roll  63  is vacuumized and advances the leading cut edge to a roll position at about 280 degrees as viewed. 
     The leading rear panel portion  47  is held to anvil roll  63  until vacuum is stopped at about 275 degrees. 
     The trailing front panel portion  48  is held by vacuumized apertures shown solid in FIG. 10, and as folding roll  64  rotates, a plurality of vacuum ports  65  along fold line F 1 -F 1 ′ holds the trailing panel  48  near the fold line and causes rear panel  47  to be slidably pulled from the surface of roll  63 , resulting in a half fold to reduce packaging size. 
     In FIG. 10, vacuum ports for rear panel  47  are shown as circles whereas ports to hold the front panel are shown solid, noting that the same pattern of ports is on both rolls  63 ,  64  and  66 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 9, roll  66  is a vacuum transfer roll for flat delivery and stacking of the product. 
     For reduced package size, roll  64  half folds the product and advances it until orbital packer fingers  67  strip the product into stacks. 
     In FIG. 9 products with defects can be detected upstream and culled in direction C by intermittently interrupting vacuum for roll  66  (for flat pack) or roll  64  (for stacks of folded product) 
     FIG. 11 shows a typical plurality of ports  68  communicating with vacuum manifold  69  in a typical rotating roll. 
     The circular free end of manifold  69  rotates in sliding contact with annular vacuum groove  70  in stationary valve half  71 , as viewed from sight line  12 — 12  of FIG.  11 . 
     Annular groove  70  communicates with the central hollow shaft  72  via radial channels  70 ′. 
     For example, in FIG. 12, vacuum V is only available in the groove between positions  73  to  74  and  74  to  74 ′. 
     Referring to FIG. 11, the crosshatched slug in position  74  is connected to and movable with actuator solenoid rod  75 , and by slideable retraction into slug cutouts in the frame, (not referenced for clarity), slug  74  can be moved to restore the full vacuum path between  73  and  74 ′. 
     In effect, the solenoid actuator causes variable duration of the effective vacuum, and in reverse, interruption of the vacuum path  73 - 74 ′ would result in shorter groove and vacuum from  73  to  74 . Interruption of vacuum causes defective product to be culled along paths C. 
     FIG. 13 shows size reduction in length without longitudinal panel folds for width reduction. 
     In FIG. 15, folding roll  76  has a plurality of vacuum ports  77  arranged along fold line F 1 -F 1 ′ of FIG. 14 for folding a previously cut rectangular segment. 
     The arrangement of FIG. 15 die cuts a symmetrical ‘hourglass’ shape after folding, therefore, this embodiment is limited to webs not being longitudinally for width reduction. 
     In FIG. 15 anvil roll  78  and knife roll  79  sever the web into rectangular segments. 
     The leading panel  47  of FIGS. 14 and 15 adheres to the surface of vacuumized anvil roll  78  until vacuum is stopped at about 260 degrees as shown. 
     The trailing panel  48  is held securely by a greater plurality of ports in roll  76  so when lead panel  47  is stripped from roll  78  and superposed on top of the trailing panel, the greater vacuum area now holds the mult-ply folded product against anvil roll  76 . External belts  81  can also be used. 
     The folded product is shaped by coacting anvil roll  76  and die roll  82  and advanced by transfer roll  83  to delivery roll  84  for stacking as described above. 
     In FIG. 16, belt transport/folding system  51  includes plenum  85  with open top slot  86  and exrended protrusions  87  which support screen belt  88 . 
     Web assembly  89  is supported and advanced by belt  88 , and during advancement has longitudinal side panels  90  and  90 ′ folded upward and toward the center by folding rods  91  and  91 ′ respectively for product width reduction. 
     It is further to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or special attributes; and it is, therefore, not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.