Patent ID: 8596324

Claim:
A web conveying apparatus configured to convey a web for an absorbent article in a machine direction, said web folded into two in a cross direction orthogonal to the machine direction along a folding line parallel to the machine direction, the web including: paired waistline portions continuously extending in the machine direction; and crotch portions discontinuous in the machine direction and located between the paired waistline portions, the web conveying apparatus comprising: a hold mechanism configured to hold the web in a conveyable manner with the web stretched in a direction in which the crotch portions are stretched away from the waistline portions; and a conveying mechanism configured to convey the web and to hand over the web to a downstream apparatus provided downstream in the machine direction, while the crotch portions are being held by the hold mechanism; wherein the downstream apparatus includes a joining apparatus and a cutting apparatus provided downstream of the conveying mechanism in the machine direction, and the hold mechanism is configured to hold the web so that a distance in the web in the cross direction from an edge of the waistline portions to an outer edge of the hold mechanism at the downstream apparatus is longer than that at the conveying mechanism.