A method and unit for folding light incontinence pads having a substantially rectangular shape elongate according to a longitudinal axis and comprising a central absorbent pad and an outer edge, according to which a first end portion of the incontinence pad is folded on a central portion of the incontinence pad about a first fold line transversal to the longitudinal axis, a second end portion of the incontinence pad is folded on the first end portion about a second fold line transversal to the longitudinal axis, and elasticated segments of the edge located between the first and second fold lines are folded on the central portion; the step of folding the elasticated segments of the edge being between a first sub-step of partly folding the first end portion and a second sub-step of completely folding the first end portion on the central portion.

The present invention is an equipment and a method for handling web materials, in particular for recombining portions as are cut out from an essentially continuous web material machine-directionally offset with this web.

The present disclosure relates to assembling, advancing, reorienting, and/or transferring stretched elastic parts during the assembly of absorbent articles. As described herein, a transfer assembly reorients a stretched elastic part from a first orientation, wherein the direction of stretch is generally parallel to the machine direction, to a second orientation, wherein the direction of stretch is generally perpendicular to the machine direction. The reoriented elastic part is then transferred to a carrier while maintaining the stretched condition of the elastic part. The orientation and/or configuration of vacuum apertures in a carrier surface relative to the direction of stretch of the elastic part and relative to the machine direction helps to prevent the elastic part from contracting, while at the same time helps to allow the elastic part to slide off the carrier surface without snagging and/or sticking to aperture perimeter edges.

A method for corrective action on the operation of a line for the production of absorbent sanitary articles, comprises capturing at least one image of each article being fed out of the line; using the image to define first parameters indicating the positioning and/or assembly and/or shape of at least one respective component; detecting a production defect if at least one of the first parameters is outside a respective acceptability range; identifying second, line operating parameters which are used to indicate if the first parameter is outside the respective acceptability range; comparing the line operating parameters with respective third, reference parameters indicating optimum line operation; using the comparison to derive a map of abnormal operating parameters; checking if each combination of abnormal operating parameters indicates a respective cause of malfunction of the line; defining a respective corrective action.

Methods and apparatus for transporting either an entire web or discrete components of disposable products such as diaper components down the machine using mechanical forces to grip the nonwoven web and transfer it from one belt or roll to another without or reducing added vacuum. There is a carrier nonwoven web that goes down the length of the machine and other substrates are added on top of this layer, and the machine provides sufficient gripping to allow transport of diaper components through the fabrication process. Securing and releasing forces are supplied so that the components can be retained at some points and released at others.

A device for applying segments of absorbent articles includes a cutting station for cutting a continuous web into segments and an applicator station for applying each segment on a respective absorbent article. A plurality of carrier units, each includes a pad for retaining and transferring a segment from the cutting station to the applicator station. The pad fully rotates about a main axis to transfer the segment from the cutting station to the applicator station and return to the cutting station and, from the cutting station to the applicator station, rotates at least 90° about its axis of rotation to orient the segment transverse to the feed direction of the absorbent article. A first movement member moves one or more first carrier units about the main axis and a second movement member moves one or more second carrier units separately from the first carrier units about the main axis.

The machine (1; 100) comprises a winding station (3; 101), adapted to receive secondary winding cores (T) coaxial with, and adjacent to, one another. A cutting device (11; 104) is also provided, with a plurality of blades (13; 105), arranged upstream of the winding station (3; 101) with respect to the feeding direction of the web material (N) and adapted to subdivide the web material into plurality of strips (S1-S5) of web material; The machine has a web material evaluation system and a programmable unit (71) for processing data collected by the web material evaluation system.

The machine (1; 1OO) comprises a winding station (3; 101), adapted to receive secondary winding cores (T) coaxial with, and adjacent to, one another. The machine further comprises a cutting device (11; 104) with a plurality of blades (13; 105), arranged upstream of the winding station (3; 101) with respect to the feeding direction of the web material (N) and adapted to slit the web material into a plurality of strips (S1-S5) of web material. An in-line measurement arrangement (81-87) is also provided for measuring the Poisson's ratio of the web material (N).

A folding device for a disposable hygiene article includes: a first conveying portion along a first path; a second conveying portion along a second path extending in a direction intersecting with the first path; a folding mechanism to fold the disposable hygiene article between the first and second conveying portions; a driving mechanism connected to the folding component, to drive the folding component by performing reciprocating linear motion along the direction of the second path between a folding and retracted positions; and a guiding mechanism in an extension direction of the first path or by using the first path as a reference, a front end portion of the article to an opposite side of the second conveying portion. The driving mechanism includes at least one pulley directly connected to a servo motor and a synchronous belt wrapped around the outer circumference of the pulleys in a looping path.

A plurality of folding units is arranged in a circumferential direction R of a drum that rotates about an axis. Each of the folding units includes: a pad for holding each workpiece while a center portion of the workpiece as viewed in a lengthwise direction is placed on the pad; and a first folding member and a second folding member arranged adjacent to both end portions of the workpiece respectively as viewed in the lengthwise direction and used for folding the workpiece so as to stack the both end portions over the center portion. The first folding member and the second folding member are arranged at the same position as the pad of each of the folding units as viewed in the circumferential direction, and a width direction of the drum parallel to the axis is defined in the lengthwise direction of the workpiece.