Method for making a refastenable undergarment

Method of making an undergarment having refastenable side seams from a substantially two-dimensional web, the web having two lateral sides and a first longitudinal edge extending perpendicularly to the lateral sides, the method comprising the steps of:

• preconditioning the web to include at least four refastening surfaces;
• transporting the web in a processing direction;
• cutting the web along a second longitudinal edge to form a two-dimensional pre-form that includes the first and the second longitudinal edges and the two lateral edges;
• each longitudinal edge having two waist sections and a crotch section located intermediate the waist sections;
• the refastening surfaces are located adjacent and inboard on the waist sections;
• gripping the pre-form adjacent each waist section with a gripping means in four gripping areas, each gripping area being located near a respective refastening surface;
• jointly rotating at least the gripping means which hold the gripping areas in the region of one of the lateral edges around at least one hinging axis extending substantially parallel to the lateral edges of the pre-form to place one of the lateral edges generally parallel and opposite to the other lateral edge;
• superimposing the refastening surfaces in a contacting relationship;
• joining the superimposed refastening surfaces in a securing means, thus forming the undergarment;
• and
• releasing the undergarment from the gripping means.

Method of making an undergarment having refastenable side seams from a substantially two-dimensional web, the web having two longitudinal sides and a first lateral edge extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal sides, the method comprising the steps of:

• preconditioning the web to include at least two areas of hook material and two areas of mating loop material;
• transporting the web in a processing direction;
• cutting the web along a second lateral edge to form a two-dimensional pre-form that includes the first and the second lateral edges and the two longitudinal edges;
• each longitudinal edge having two waist sections and a crotch section located intermediate the waist sections;
• the areas of hook material and areas of mating loop material are located adjacent and inboard on the waist sections;
• gripping the pre-form adjacent each waist section with a gripping means in four gripping areas, two of the gripping areas being located near respective areas of hook material and two of the gripping areas being located near respective areas of mating loop material;
• jointly rotating at least the gripping means which hold the gripping areas in the region of one of the lateral edges around at least one hinging axis extending substantially parallel to the lateral edges of the pre-form to place the first lateral edge generally parallel and opposite to the second lateral edge;
• superimposing the areas of hook material with the areas of mating loop material in a contacting relationship;
• joining the superimposed areas of hook material and areas of mating loop material in a securing means, thus forming the undergarment;
• and
• releasing the undergarment from the gripping means.