Apparatus for providing sanitary goods with attachment means with respect to clothing

An apparatus for modifying and joining a sheet of soft and elastic foam, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) transporting means for transporting said foam sheet in a selected transport direction,
• (b) slitter means for forming a plurality of spaced apart elongated slits in said foam, said slits being transverse to said selected transport direction,
• (c) stretching means for forming openings in said slitted foam by stretching said slitted foam sheet between 110% and 115% in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of said slits,
• (d) retainer means for retaining said foam sheet containing said formed openings in a stretched state until said foam sheet and its formed openings achieve a permanent elongation set,
• (e) a contracting chamber containing sufficient space so that the sheet of foam may be passed therethrough in a U-shaped slack condition,
• (f) control means to move said foam sheet from said retainer means into and out of said contracting chamber while maintaining the foam sheet in a U-shaped slack condition,
• (g) joining means for joining one surface of the foam sheet leaving the contracting chamber to one surface of a non-elastic component, and
• (h) adhesive application means for applying adhesive so that it will be present between the adjoining surfaces of the foam sheet and the non-elastic component.