Patent ID: 8168028

Claim:
A method of making an undergarment having side seams from a web, the method comprising: providing a cutting unit; cutting the web to form a pre-form, the pre-form comprising first and the second transverse edges and two longitudinal edges, each longitudinal edge having two waist sections and a crotch section located intermediate the waist sections, a sealing area located adjacent each waist section; transferring the pre-form to at least one transferring element on a processing wheel, the processing wheel comprising T-bars, and the at least one transferring element comprising a plurality of grippers; generally maintaining a predetermined distance between the cutting unit and the transferring element by engaging the plurality of grippers with the T-bars to limit movement of the plurality of grippers; gripping the pre-form adjacent each waist section in a plurality of gripping areas with the plurality of grippers, each gripping area being located near a respective sealing area, jointly rotating the gripping areas to place the transverse edge generally parallel and opposite to the second transverse edge; superimposing the sealing areas in a contacting relationship; joining the superimposed sealing areas, thus forming the undergarment; and releasing the undergarment.