Apparatus for attaching elastic strips during the manufacture of elastic leg ...

Teed

[45] Apr. 14, 1981

[54] APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING ELASTIC STRIPS DURING THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC LEG DISPOSABLE DIAPERS

[75] Inventor: Richard K. Teed, Greenwood, S.C.

[73] Assignee: Riegel Textile Corporation,

Greenville, S.C.

[21] Appl. No.: 115,280
[22] Filed: Feb. 8, 1980

[51] Int. CI.3 A61F 13/16; B32B 31/08

[52] U.S. a 156/361; 156/164;

156/229; 156/494; 156/522; 156/547; 156/555;

156/578; 226/119

[58] Field of Search 156/164, 229, 361, 350,

156/494, 522, 547, 551, 552, 555, 578; 128/287; 226/59, 60, 61, 118, 119; 242/75, 75.3

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

Re. 28,139 8/1974 Gore 156/467

2,600,322 6/1952 Raney 156/547

3,502,535 3/1970 Bongers et al 226/119

3,860,003 1/1975 Buell 128/287

3,919,876 11/1975 Bakermann 74/38

3,984,272 10/1976 Teed 156/201

4,050,462 9/1977 Woon et al 128/287

4,081,301 3/1978 Buell 156/201

Primary Examiner—Jerome W. Massie

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Bell, Seltzer, Park & Gibson

[57] ABSTRACT

An apparatus and process for attaching elastic strips in elastic leg disposable diapers having gathered and extendible side portions in the crotch area during manufacture of such diapers in an assembly machine including mechanisms for alternately stretching and relaxing predetermined lengths of the elastic strips for adhesive attachment of the stretched lengths to the crotch area and the more relaxed lengths to the outer waist areas continuously along the edges of the diaper. These mechanisms include devices for feeding elastic strips at a predetermined constant rate for adhesive attachment in the diaper, nipping mechanisms engaging the elastic strips and defining a predetermined distance of travel of the elastic strips therebetween, movable devices for engaging the elastic strips and for alternately moving to other positions to vary the distance of travel of the elastic strips for alternately stretching and relaxing the elastic strips and compensating mechanisms for maintaining the stretching and the relaxing, respectively, during feeding of the stretched and relaxed lengths.

10 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures