System and method for manufacturing disposable diapers having elastic waistband

A method for making elastic waistbands for disposable diapers, comprising the steps of:

• passing a continuous web of an elastic waistband material having an elastic memory to a cutting means and cutting the web into a plurality of waistband lengths;
• continuously transferring the waistband lengths from the cutting means to a pair of spaced, continuously rotating rollers;
• longitudinally stretching each elastic waistband length by pinching without penetrating each end of each waistband length against a corresponding one of the spaced rollers, and then stretching each waistband length during rotation of the rollers at outwardly skewed angles;
• providing a diaper layer predetermined portions defining a waistband area;
• passing the stretched elastic waistband lengths and the diaper layer one with respect to the other while continuing the stretching step;
• and
• fixing the stretched elastic waistband lengths to the diaper layer along the waistband areas, respectively.

A method for the continuous manufacture of a disposable diapers having a stretchable foam waistband with an elastic memory, comprising the steps of:

• spacing the waistband lengths along a moving transfer surface;
• moving the transfer surface into proximity to a pair of spaced, rotating stretching rollers;
• passing a smooth surface gripping belt across only a portion of the surface of each stretching roller, each belt having an entry point and an exit point with respect to the corresponding roller surface, each belt further engaging an end of each length of waistband material near the entry point and pinching the end against the corresponding stretching roller during rotation between the entry and exit points;
• positioning the stretching rollers at an outward angle along the direction of waistband length travel away from the transfer surface, whereby rotation of the spaced rollers at the outward angle effectuates the stretching of each elastic waistband length between the entry and exit points;
• and
• depositing the waistband lengths at the exit point along spaced intervals on a moving web of a disposable diaper layer.

A method for stretching lengths of elastic material for use as waisbands for disposable diapers, comprising the steps of:

• providing a pair of spaced stretching rollers each having a gripping surface, the stretching rollers defining an entry point in which the dimension between the stretching rollers is approximately equal to the lengthwise dimension of an unstretched elastic waistband length which is to be stretched, the stretching rollers also defining an exit point in which the dimension between the stretching rollers is approximately equal to the lengthwise dimension of the elastic waist band length when in the desired stretched condition;
• moving the stretching rollers in a direction from the entry point to the exit point;
• continuously passing plural elastic waistband lengths into the entry point;
• gripping without penetrating each end of each elastic waistband length across the surface of one of the stretching rollers;
• and thereafter
• discharging each elastic waistband length in a stretched condition at the exit point.

Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of disposable diapers having a stretchable foam waistband with an elastic memory comprising:

• a moving transfer surface;
• means for spacing a plurality of individual waistband lengths along the moving transfer surface;
• a pair of spaced, rotating stretching rollers, the stretching rollers being spaced at an outward angle along the direction of waistband length travel away from the transfer surface;
• means for moving the transfer surface into proximity to the pair of stretching rollers;
• two smoothed surface gripping belts positioned across only a portion of the surface of a corresponding stretching roller, each belt having an entry point and an exit point to the corresponding roller surface, each belt for engaging an end of the length of waistband material near the entry point so as to pinch the end of the waistband material against the corresponding stretching roller during rotation between the entry and exit points;
• and
• the stretching rollers defining means for depositing the stretched waistband lengths at spaced intervals along a moving web of a disposable diaper layer.

Apparatus for stretching lengths of elastic material for use as waistbands for disposable diapers, comprising:

• a pair of spaced stretching rollers each having a gripping surface, the stretching rollers defining an entry point haivng a first dimension between the gripping surfaces of the stretching rollers, the stretching rollers also defining an exit point having a second dimension between the gripping surfaces of the stretching rollers which is substantially greater than the first dimension and which is approximately equal of an elastic waistband length when in the desired stretched condition;
• means for moving the stretching rollers in a direction from the entry point to the exit point;
• means for continuously passing plural elastic waistband lengths into the entry point;
• means for pinching without penetrating each end of each elastic waistband length across the surface of one of the stretching rollers, respectively, from said entry point to said exit point.