Method and apparatus for making a wrapped absorbent core

A method for making an absorbent structure comprised of an absorbent core material having a first face, a second face opposite said first face, and laterally opposite side edges, and a wrapsheet having opposite first and second faces, the wrapsheet being wrapped about said first face of the absorbent core material, said lateral side edges of the absorbent core material and at least a portion of said second face of the absorbent core material, said method comprising:

• feeding absorbent core material and a web of wrapsheet material in a machine direction with the wrapsheet in an unwrapped configuration relative to the absorbent core material;
• arranging the absorbent core material and wrapsheet web in overlaid relationship with each other during movement of said webs in the machine direction such that a first face of the absorbent core material faces a first face of the wrapsheet web and the absorbent core material is disposed laterally between laterally opposite side margins of the wrapsheet such that the side margins of the wrapsheet web extend laterally outward beyond laterally opposite side edges of the absorbent core material;
• directing a gas flow over the first and second faces of the wrapsheet web at the lateral side margins thereof in a direction which moves the lateral side margins of the wrapsheet from the unwrapped configuration around the side edges of the absorbent core material and over at least a portion of the second face of the absorbent core material to define a wrapped configuration of the wrapsheet web, said wrapsheet web and absorbent core material being moved in the machine direction during directing of said gas flow over the first and second faces of the wrapsheet web;
• securing the wrapsheet web in its wrapped configuration about the absorbent core material to form an absorbent structure web;
• and
• cutting the absorbent structure web transverse to the machine direction to form discrete absorbent structures.

Apparatus for making an absorbent structure, the absorbent structure comprising an absorbent core having a first face, a second face opposite the first face, and lateral side edges, and a wrapsheet having opposite first and a second faces, the wrapsheet being wrapped about said first face of the absorbent core, said lateral side edges of the absorbent core and at least a portion of said second face of the absorbent core, said apparatus comprising:

• apparatus for arranging the absorbent core and wrapsheet in an unwrapped configuration of the wrapsheet with the first face of the absorbent core facing the first face of the wrapsheet and the absorbent core being disposed laterally between laterally opposite side margins of the wrapsheet such that the side margins of the wrapsheet extend laterally outward beyond the side edges of the absorbent core;
• apparatus for moving the absorbent core and wrapsheet together, in the unwrapped configuration of the wrapsheet, to a wrapping apparatus;
• and
• wrapping apparatus for wrapping the laterally opposite side margins of the wrapsheet about the lateral side edges of the absorbent core and at least a portion of the second face of the absorbent core, said wrapping apparatus comprising a pair of laterally spaced folding skis for folding the lateral side margins from the unwrapped configuration of the wrapsheet toward a wrapped configuration thereof, the wrapping apparatus applying gas flow to the lateral side margins of the wrapsheet to urge said lateral side margins against the folding skis during folding of said lateral side margins.

A method for making an absorbent structure comprised of an absorbent core material having a first face, a second face opposite said first face, and laterally opposite side edges, and a wrapsheet having opposite first and second faces, the wrapsheet being wrapped about said first face of the absorbent core material, said lateral side edges of the absorbent core material and at least a portion of said second face of the absorbent core material, said method comprising:

• feeding absorbent core material and a web of wrapsheet material in a machine direction with the wrapsheet in an unwrapped configuration relative to the absorbent core material;
• arranging the absorbent core material and wrapsheet web in overlaid relationship with each other during movement of said webs in the machine direction such that a first face of the absorbent core material faces a first face of the wrapsheet web and the absorbent core material is disposed laterally between laterally opposite side margins of the wrapsheet web such that the side margins of the wrapsheet web extend laterally outward beyond laterally opposite side edges of the absorbent core material;
• and
• drawing and retaining the laterally opposite side margins of the wrapsheet web against a wrapping apparatus as the wrapsheet web and absorbent core material are moved in the machine direction, the wrapping apparatus changing the angular orientation of the side margins of the wrapsheet web relative to the absorbent core material as said wrapsheet web and absorbent core material are moved in the machine direction from an upstream end of the wrapping apparatus to a downstream end thereof, the angular orientation of the side margins of the wrapsheet web at the downstream end of the wrapping apparatus being nearer a wrapped configuration of the wrapsheet web than at the upstream end of said wrapping apparatus.