A configurable cutting and transfer apparatus includes a cutter mechanism to cut an incoming web of material into a plurality of discrete articles and a transfer mechanism operable with the cutter mechanism to transfer and rotate the discrete articles from a web receiving location to an article placement location. The transfer mechanism includes a drive shaft rotatable about a transfer axis, a carriage plate mounted to the drive shaft so as to rotate therewith about the transfer axis, and a segmented puck wheel comprising a plurality of carriage units securable to, and repositionable on, the carriage plate so as to rotate therewith to travel along a transfer path about the transfer axis from the web receiving location to the pad placement location, each of the carriage units including a puck operable to provide a rotating and re-pitching of the articles between the web receiving location and the pad placement location.

A method is described for making an elasticized absorbent article having a waist opening and a pair of leg openings. First, multiple distributions of elastics are applied on a moving material sheet to form a moving web of an elastic composite. Then, each of a core section and a second material sheet is periodically applied onto the moving web to define a finished web of discrete elastic composite bodies. In subsequent steps, discrete absorbent pants articles are shaped from the finished web.

A method for manufacturing absorbent articles comprises delivering a continuous web assembly including a backsheet material, a liquid permeable bodyside liner material, and an absorbent structure interposed between the backsheet material and the bodyside liner material, the web assembly having a body-facing side and a garment-facing side; attaching a discrete segment of first waist elastic material to the body-facing side of the web assembly; attaching a discrete segment of second waist elastic material to the garment-facing side of the web assembly such that the web assembly is interposed between the discrete segments of first and second waist elastic materials; and cutting the web assembly to form a plurality of absorbent articles.

A method for producing a chassis web for a disposable pant article, the method including feeding a first continuous base web in a machine direction; attaching a continuous elastic waistband component to the first base web in an attachment area extending in the machine direction; attaching a second continuous base web to the first continuous base web and the continuous waistband component, covering at least the continuous waistband component, thereby forming a compound base web having first and second side edges, the attachment area being spaced apart from at least one of the first and second side edges of the compound base web; severing the compound base web and the attached waistband component by cutting; shifting positions of the first panel web and the second panel web in a cross machine direction; forming a coherent chassis web.

A cutting template for use with a negative pressure wound therapy system includes a substantially rigid body. The body includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a height, and a recess. The top surface is configured to engage a drape layer. The bottom surface is configured to engage a dressing layer. The height is defined between the top surface and the bottom surface. The height is configured to create a gap between the drape layer and the dressing layer. The recess is disposed substantially about a perimeter of the body. The recess is configured to receive an edge of a cutting tool so that an opening is formed in the drape layer when the edge is traversed about the perimeter.

A method and apparatus for producing absorbent sanitary articles including an absorbent body having two front oblique sides and two rear oblique sides, and two longitudinal elastic bands attached to the absorbent body along said oblique sides, where each of said elastic bands includes a front section and a rear section separated from each other by transverse cuts and joined together by refastenable closure formations.

A method for providing successive individual combination belt structures each comprising a fastening component includes providing a machine-direction continuous strip of web material having a pair of machine-direction outer side edges, opposing side margin portions, and a cross-direction width therebetween. The web material is conveyed along the machine direction to fastening component process equipment to continuously affix successive fastening components to the web material. The web material is conveyed to cross-direction cutting equipment to cut individual combination front belt structures from the web material along predominately cross-direction cut lines.

The present disclosure relates to absorbent articles and methods for assembling absorbent articles with substrates and/or components that include graphics with zones of relatively high print densities and zones of relatively low print densities. In turn, the zones of relatively low print densities may be positioned in regions that are subject to various manufacturing transformations during the assembly process. As such, the graphics may be positioned and/or printed in such a manner so as to reduce noticeable visible results of imprecise and/or inconsistent manufacturing operations performed in areas where the graphics are located.

A process of making an absorbent article is disclosed. A liquid permeable topsheet web extending substantially continuously in a machine direction a backsheet web, and an intermediate layer are provided. The topsheet web has first and second surfaces. The backsheet web extends substantially continuously in the machine direction. The intermediate layer has a first and second surface. The topsheet and intermediate layer are aligned in a face to face relationship such that the second surface of the topsheet in in contact with the first surface of the intermediate layer and simultaneously mechanically deformed which combines the topsheet with the intermediate layer. The topsheet web and intermediate layer are nested together such that a majority of the three-dimensional protrusions formed in the topsheet web coincide with and fit together with a majority of the three-dimensional protrusions formed in the intermediate layer to provide a topsheet/intermediate layer laminate web having three-dimensional protrusions.

A method of cutting a web structure that is utilized in the manufacture of an absorbent article. The method of cutting the web structure can employ a laser having a pulse mode of operation. In various embodiments, the frequency of the beam of radiation pulsed from the laser can be patterned to correspond to the material of the web structure. In various embodiments, the frequency of the beam of radiation pulsed from the laser can be patterned to correspond to the speed at which the web structure is moving and can change with any change in speed of the web structure movement.