Machine and method for manufacturing a disposable absorbent continence pad

A machine for manufacturing a disposable absorbent continence pad comprising, means for indexing a web of thermoplastic material through a series of stations including a shell-forming station, means at said shell-forming station for molding a series of shells with compound curved side walls in said web of thermoplastic material with each shell having a pocket, a stuffing station where the pockets can be filled with a filler of fibrous absorbent material, a sealing station, a slitting station in advance of the sealing station through which a length of facing material travels to a position overlying said shells, said facing material being stretchable transverse to its length but not lengthwise thereof, means at the slitting station for making less than full-width transverse cuts in the facing material to form slits which will overlie said web at locations between shells at said sealing station to enable the facing material to adjust to the shape of the shells without wrinkling and without any cuts in the facing materials which overlies the absorbent material, and means at the sealing station for sealing said facing material to the perimeter including the side walls of said shells.

A machine for manufacturing disposable absorbent continence pads having a molded shell and a cover of facing material and having means at a sealing station comprising, a vertically movable frame, a series of pocket members carried on said frame and each having a concave interior to receive a molded shell, a vertically movable seal head overlying said pocket members, a plurality of seal members depending from said seal head and having perimeters shaped to coact with the pocket members to press the facing material against the perimeter of the formed shells, each of said seal members having an interior opening, a shaped plug within said interior opening, means yieldably holding the shaped plug in a position to gently press the facing material as the sealing head is lowered, and movable side plates on said sealing head for clamping against the pocket members to hold the facing material in position and seal the interior of the pocket members.

A machine for manufacturing disposable absorbent continence pads having a molded shell and a cover of facing material and having means at a sealing station comprising, a vertically movable frame, a series of pocket members carried on said frame and each having a concave interior to receive a molded shell, a vertically movable seal head overlying said pocket members, a plurality of seal members depending from said seal head and having perimeters shaped to coact with the pocket members to press the facing material against the perimeter of the formed shells, each of said seal members having an interior opening, a shaped-plug within said interior opening, means yieldably holding the shaped-plug in a position to gently press the facing material as the sealing head is lowered, and vacuum means for seating and holding the molded shells in the pocket members.

The method of making a disposable absorbent continence pad having a pre-formed shape for conformance with the body of a wearer including a shell with a curved bottom wall and compound curved side walls defining a pocket to hold a fibrous absorbent material and a fluid-transmitting facing material sealed to the perimeter of the shell to enclose the fibrous absorbent material in the shell comprising, molding a plurality of said shells at a shell-forming station, inserting the fibrous absorbent material in said shells at a stuffing station, advancing a web of said facing material to a slitting station, slitting said facing material at spaced locations along the length thereof at said slitting station to form a series of transverse slits, and sealing said facing material to said shells at a sealing station with the slits in the facing material disposed between successive shells to completely seal the absorbent material in the shell and permit the facing material to adjust to the shape of the shell.

The method of making a disposable absorbent continence pad having a preformed shape for conformance with the body of a wearer including a shell with a curved bottom wall and compound curved side walls defining a pocket to hold a fibrous absorbent material and a fluid-transmitting facing material sealed to the perimeter of the shell to enclose the fibrous absorbent material in the shell comprising, advancing a length of thermoplastic foam material in a series of index steps through a plurality of successive stations, heating said foam material at a heating station, molding a plurality of said shells at a shell-forming station, inserting the fibrous absorbent material in said shells at a stuffing station, advancing a web of said facing material to a slitting station through which said shells pass without work being performed thereon, slitting said facing material at spaced locations along the lengths thereof at said slitting station to form a series of transverse slits between sections of facing material which are to overlie the shell, and sealing said facing material to said shells at a sealing station with the slits in the facing material disposed between successive shells to permit the facing material to adjust to the shape of the shell.