Patent ID: 7172666

Claim:
A system for applying web material to a substrate, comprising: a feed mechanism configured to advance web material along a predetermined path; a vacuum roll configured to receive the web material advanced by the feed mechanism; a rotary knife positioned near the vacuum roll, and configured to engage the web material in at least one location on the vacuum roll to cut the web material into a cut web material length for applying to a substrate; a single first drive coupled to the feed mechanism, the vacuum roll, and the rotary knife such that the respective peripheral speed of each of the feed mechanism, the vacuum roll, and the rotary knife is adjustable to provide a cut web material length that is in registry with a predetermined location on the substrate; a rotary applicator configured to receive the cut web material length from the vacuum roll and advance the cut web material length onto the substrate; and a single second drive coupled to the rotary applicator, wherein the single second drive operates independently of the single first drive so as to allow multiple cut web material lengths to be applied at non-uniform intervals.