Tampon having spirally shaped grooves

An apparatus for producing a tampon comprising:

• a press having press jaws of equal dimensions which are arranged in a star formation with respect to a central press axis and can be moved synchronously in a common plane radially with respect to the press axis between their open position and closed position and, in their closed position, are supported on one another on their mutually opposite longitudinal sides;
• a stepped pressing surface on each press jaw, wherein
• the pressing surfaces of the press jaws form a press opening of round cross section with a length of about 40 to about 70 mm;
• each pressing surface has a pressing blade which is oriented toward a central press opening, and a pressing shoulder, which is arranged only on a specific side flank of the pressing blade and is oriented in the same circumferential direction about the press axis, the pressing shoulder being offset away from the press axis with respect to a pressing edge at the free, inner end of the pressing blade, and an area defined by the pressing shoulder is greater than an area defined by the pressing edge of the pressing blade, the pressing surface in each case consisting of the pressing blade and the pressing shoulder on each press jaw being curved spirally in the longitudinal direction of the tampon,
• wherein the press jaws, when in a pressing position, define a barrel-shaped envelope surface with their substantially spiral pressing surface.