Apparatuses and Methods for Folding Absorbent Articles

A method of folding absorbent articles, the method comprising the steps of:

• advancing a substrate in a machine direction, the substrate comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface, the substrate further comprising a first outer region separated from a second outer region in a cross direction by a central region, wherein the first outer region and the second outer region are continuous in the machine direction and wherein the central region is discontinuous in the machine direction;
• conveying the first outer region from an upstream end region of a first conveyor to a downstream end region of the first conveyor, wherein the first conveyor comprises a first carrier surface, the first carrier surface contacting the first surface of the first outer region of the substrate;
• wrapping a portion of the first surface of the central region of the substrate around a rail, the rail extending for a length in the machine direction;
• conveying the central region of the substrate with a second conveyor, wherein the second conveyor comprises a second carrier surface comprising an upstream end region angularly offset from a downstream end region to define a generally helical-shaped conveyance path along the machine direction, the second carrier surface contacting the second surface of the central region while advancing the wrapped portion of the substrate along the length of the rail;
• conveying the second outer region of the substrate with a third conveyor, wherein the third conveyor comprises a carrier surface comprising an upstream end region angularly offset from a downstream end region to define a generally helical-shaped conveyance path along the machine direction, the carrier surface contacting the second surface of the second outer region while advancing the conveying the central region of the substrate with the second conveyor;
• and
• folding the substrate around the rail to position the second outer region into a facing relationship with the first outer region.

A method of folding absorbent articles, the method comprising the steps of:

• advancing a substrate in a machine direction, the substrate comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface, the substrate further comprising a first outer region separated from a second outer region in a cross direction by a central region, wherein the first outer region and the second outer region are continuous in the machine direction and wherein the central region is discontinuous in the machine direction;
• conveying the first outer region from an upstream end region of a first conveyor to a downstream end region of the first conveyor, wherein the first conveyor comprises a first carrier surface, the first carrier surface contacting the first surface of the first outer region of the substrate;
• applying a vacuum force to the central region of the substrate with a second conveyor, wherein the second conveyor comprises a second carrier surface comprising an upstream end region angularly offset from a downstream end region to define a generally helical-shaped conveyance path along the machine direction;
• applying a vacuum force to the second outer region of the substrate with a third conveyor, wherein the third conveyor comprises a third carrier surface comprising an upstream end region angularly offset from a downstream end region to define a generally helical-shaped conveyance path along the machine direction;
• folding the substrate to position the second outer region into a facing relationship with the first outer region by advancing the central region and second outer region of the substrate with the second and third conveyors in the machine direction.