METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A CONTINUOUS WEB

• Main Authors: RAJALA, GREGORY, JOHN, NIEMI, PAUL, MARTIN, RABE, GERALD, LEIGH, HOLEWINSKI, DONALD, JOSEPH
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 04.06.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: APPLIANCES OR METHODS FOR MAKING CLOTHES, e.g. FORDRESS-MAKING, FOR TAILORING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; CONVEYING; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS,CABLES; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROSTHESES; STORING; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; WEARING APPAREL

This invention pertains to handling a continuous web in a continuous processing operation wherein the web incorporates therein one or more stretched elastic-type elements having retractive forces active in the cross-machine direction, and limiting shrinkage of the web in the cross-machine direction to no more than about 5%. Shrinkage in the width dimension is controlled using methods including transporting the web on a sequence of rolls having on their outer working surfaces protuberances which interact with edges of openings in the web, inhibiting lateral movement of elements defining the edges of the openings, and thereby stabilizing the web in the width dimension.