Process and apparatus for registering continuously moving stretchable layers

An apparatus for controllably registering a plurality of components of a continuously moving first layer with a plurality of components on a continuously moving second layer, comprising:

• means for providing a continuously moving first layer including a plurality of components,
• means for providing a continuously moving second layer including a plurality of components being represented with a respective plurality of reference marks,
• means for elasticizing the continuously moving second layer,
• means for sensing each of the reference marks and means for generating a reference mark signal in response thereto,
• means for measuring the distance between two successive reference mark signals and means for generating a repeat corrective control signal in accordance with preprogrammed instructions,
• means for relaxing the continuously moving elasticized second layer in response to a generated repeat corrective control signal to adjust the distance between two successive reference marks,
• means for superimposing the continuously moving first layer and the continuously moving elasticized second layer together,
• means for sensing a reference mark of the continuously moving elasticized second layer and its corresponding component of the continuously moving first layer, and means for generating a placement corrective control signal in accordance with preprogrammed instructions, and
• means for registering a reference mark on the continuously moving elasticized second layer with its corresponding component on the continuously moving first layer.