Patent ID: 7845055

Claim:
A method of manufacturing absorbent tampons comprising: a. providing a continuous nonwoven fibrous web; b. separating individual nonwoven web sections from the continuous nonwoven fibrous web, each individual nonwoven web section having: i. a length greater than a width; ii. a thickness substantially less than both the length and width; and iii. longitudinal side edges; c. forming distinct side edges of each individual nonwoven web section by: i. needlepunching proximate the longitudinal side edges of each individual nonwoven web section; ii. folding both longitudinal side edges inwardly to form distinct side edges of the individual nonwoven web section; and iii. needlepunching the folded longitudinal side edges to stabilize the distinct side edges of the individual nonwoven web section; d. rolling the nonwoven web section about a winding axis substantially parallel to the width to form a substantially cylindrical tampon blank having an insertion end and a withdrawal end; and e. compressing the substantially cylindrical tampon blank to form the absorbent tampon.