Process for production of cotton swabs
AssigneeUnilever Home & Personal Care USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.
InventorLiam Anthony Murray
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and equipment for manufacture of a swab article is provided wherein a stick is placed onto a conveyor, adhesive is applied to one or both ends of the stick, a portion of cotton coil is attached to the adhesive bearing end, and a shaper bar or similar means forces the cotton to assume a teardrop profile by applying force parallel to the stick, wherein the shaper bar or similar means moves in a direction perpendicular to the stick at a different rate of speed than that of the stick. Differences in the rate of speed reduce tailing of cotton normally associated with drag.
Claims8
A process for manufacturing a swab article comprising:
- (i) placing a stick having first and second ends onto a conveyor;
- (ii) applying adhesive to at least one of the first and second ends;
- (iii) attaching a portion of cotton to the at least one end with the adhesive;
- and
- (iv) shaping the cotton by applying force through a shaping means against an end of the portion of cotton in a direction parallel to a length of the stick, the means traveling in a direction perpendicular to the length of the stick at a rate different from that of the conveyor.
Equipment for the manufacture of a swab article comprising:
- (i) a station for delivering a stick onto a conveyor;
- (ii) a station for applying an adhesive to at least one end of the stick being carried by the conveyor;
- (iii) a station for joining a coil of cotton to the adhesive applied end of the stick;
- (iv) a station for shaping the joined cotton into a bud by contacting the joined cotton with a means for shaping, force being applied by the means in a direction parallel to a length of the stick, the means traveling in a direction perpendicular to the length of the stick at a rate different from that of the conveyor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.