Patent ID: 8617341

Claim:
A method for assembling disposable diaper pants, each diaper pant comprising a chassis, a first side panel, and a second side panel, each chassis comprising a topsheet, a backsheet, and an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, each chassis having a first waist region longitudinally opposed to a second waist region, and a crotch region located between the first and second waist regions, and having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the first and second side panels joining the first waist region and the second waist region to form a waist opening and a pair of leg openings, the method comprising: connecting first end regions of the first and second side panels with the first waist region of the chassis; advancing the chassis in a machine direction on a rotating drum having an outer surface, a chassis folding member, a first panel folding member, and a second panel folding member, wherein the backsheet in the second waist region is positioned on the chassis folding member, and wherein the first and second side panels extend laterally outward from the first waist region with the first panel positioned on the first panel folding member and the second side panel positioned on the second panel folding member; pivoting the chassis folding member 180 degrees while applying vacuum forces to at least a portion of the backsheet to hold the chassis in contact with the chassis folding member, folding the chassis about the lateral axis by pivoting the second waist region 180 degrees to position the second waist region into a facing relationship with the first waist region; moving the first panel folding member and the second panel folding member toward each other and radially outward relative the outer surface of the rotating drum to position second end regions of the first and second side panels in contact with the second waist region of the chassis; and connecting the second end regions of the first and second side panels with the second waist region.