US 5,471,820 A · Method of and apparatus for wrapping tampons

Abstract

Digital tampons carrying strings are surrounded in tubular envelopes while being confined in and advancing with upright cylindrical carriers. The envelopes are formed around the carriers so that their lower ends extend beyond the lower ends of the respective carriers. The lower ends of successive envelopes are closed by providing them with at least partially overlapping panels. Prior to being separated from the respective carriers, the closed ends of the envelopes are deformed by heated profiled tools which provide the outer sides of the closed ends with centrally located recesses surrounded by smooth ring-shaped portions. The strings are automatically curled along the marginal portions at the upper sides of the respective closed ends in response to downward movement of the tampons in their carriers not later than in the course of the deforming step. The tampons are thereupon advanced downwardly so that they strip the tubular envelopes off the respective carriers, and the upper ends of the envelopes are closed or closed and sealed during advancement beyond the stripping station.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A method of confining an elongated substantially cylindrical tampon, comprising the steps of introducing the tampon into a tubular carrier;

surrounding at least a portion of the carrier by a blank of flexible sheet material and converting the blank into a tube having a first open end remote from and a second open end extending beyond an open end of the carrier;
closing the second end of the tube including providing the second end with a plurality of at least partially overlapping panels which are disposed at least close to a plane at least substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the carrier and which define at least one corner portion projecting substantially radially of and away from said axis and beyond an external surface of a portion of the tube adjacent said plane;
and deforming the closed end of the tube including at least reducing the extent to which the at least one corner portion projects beyond said external surface.

Apparatus for confining elongated substantially cylindrical tampons, comprising means for advancing a series of successive tubular carriers along a predetermined path;

means for introducing tampons into successive carriers in a first portion of said path;
means for draping blanks of flexible sheet material around successive carriers in a second portion of said path, including means for converting the blanks into tubes each having a first open end remote from and a second open end extending beyond an open end of the respective carrier;
means for closing the second ends of tubes surrounding the respective carriers in a third portion of said path, including means for providing each closed end with a plurality of at least partially overlapping panels each of which is disposed at least close to a plane at least substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the respective carrier and which define at least one corner portion projecting substantially radially of and away from the respective axis and beyond an external surface of a portion of the tube adjacent said plane;
and means for deforming the closed ends of tubes surrounding successive carriers in a fourth portion of said path, including means for at least reducing the extent to which the corner portions of closed ends of tubes surrounding the respective carriers project beyond the respective external surfaces.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of and apparatus for wrapping tampons

Life of this patent

Method of and apparatus for wrapping tampons

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26