Method and apparatus for producing elastomeric nonwoven laminates

An apparatus for producing a nonwoven elastomeric laminate composed of at least one nonwoven and a plurality of elastic strands, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a surface cooled drum rotating about an axis and having a surface speed V1, the surface cooled drum having a first quadrant between 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock, a second quadrant between 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock, a third quadrant between 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock, and a fourth quadrant between 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock;
• b) an extruder extruding a plurality of elastomeric strands in parallel alignment onto the cooled surface of the drum between the first and second quadrants;
• c) first and second rollers forming a nip therebetween wherein the first roller is positioned proximate to the cooled surface of the drum, the first and second rollers each having a surface speed V2 wherein the surface speed V2 is greater than the surface speed V1, wherein the drum transfers the plurality of elastic strands to the first roller wherein a span of unsupported strands between the cooled surface of the drum and the first roller is minimized to provide a controlled distribution of elastic strands entering the nip;
• d) a first nonwoven source supplying a first nonwoven having a first bonding surface to the second roller forming the nip;
• e) a first adhesive source for applying adhesive to the first bonding surface in advance of the nip,
• f) an idler roller positioned adjacent to the cooled surface of the drum between the first nonwoven source and the second roller, the idler roller directing the first bonding surface to make contact with the cooled surface of the drum so that the first bonding surface removes strands from the cooled surface of the drum that inadvertently fail to transfer to the first roller forming the nip;
• g) a pivot roller located adjacent to the second roller that forms the nip a select distance from the idler roller, the pivot roller enabling the first nonwoven to reverse direction near the second roller causing the strands collected from the cooled surface of the drum to expel from the first bonding surface;
• and
• h) a series of rollers positioned near the pivot roller, the series of rollers arranged to direct the first nonwoven first away from the pivot roller and then back to the second roller forming the nip while passing the first bonding surface beneath the pivot roller to collect the broken elastic strands expelled at the pivot roller onto the first bonding surface prior to entering the nip.