Method and apparatus for automated gap control of scarfing rolls

Abstract

An assembly and method for marking a textile material using an assembly that provides automatic control of the scarf gap is provided. The assembly includes a movable mount, a driven scarfing roll coupled to the movable mount, and a scarfing roll lifting assembly coupled to the movable mount. A first sensor senses contact between the scarfing roll and an outer surface, and a second sensor senses the position of the scarfing roll when information is received from the first sensor that contact between the scarfing roll and the outer surface has occurred. A control unit operates the scarfing roll lifting assembly to position the scarfing roll at a desired scarf gap measured from the contact position. The scarfing roll is positioned based on an identified high point on the outer surface, such as the outer forming surface of a forming drum.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 507,839, filed June 13, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The disclosure herein relates to a method and apparatus for controllably positioning, relative to a forming drum, a scarfing roll that imprints a fibrous web at very high speeds during the formation of disposable products such as diapers. While the description provided relates to the manufacture of diapers, the apparatus and method are readily adaptable to the manufacture of feminine hygiene and adult incontinence products, as well as other applications. [Background technology]

[0003] Diapers generally include an absorbent insert or patch and a chassis that supports the insert adjacent to the wearer's body when the diaper is worn. Additionally, diapers can include various other patches, such as tape tab patches, reusable fasteners, and the like. The materials used to form a typical insert are typically cellulose pulp and / or superabsorbent polymers, high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) foams, tissue paper, polypropylene, nonwoven webs, absorbents, and elastic, although application-specific materials may also be utilized. Some insert materials are provided in roll form and are unwound and applied in a continuous feed fashion. Other insert materials, such as superabsorbent polymers and curly fibers, are provided in non-roll form.

[0004] In diaper construction, a typical provision utilizes a multiple roll-fed web process. To create the absorbent insert, cellulose pulp is unwound from a provided stock roll and fiberized by a pulp mill. A pulp core is created using a vacuum forming drum and placed on a continuous tissue web. Optionally, superabsorbent polymer may be added to the pulp core. In other embodiments, the core may be formed solely from superabsorbent polymer and / or fiber fed from a bale into a forming system. The core may be formed on a rotary molding system, on a screen, or using other airlaid techniques.

[0005] One or more nonwoven web layers may be wrapped around the absorbent material, optionally with an adhesive, to provide integrity and stability to the core structure. In other cases, the core is formed unwound on a vacuum forming assembly. Multiple cores, in either wound or unwound form, may be stacked together to form a multiple core assembly. The formed single or multiple core assemblies are then debulked by passing through a calender unit, which at least partially compresses the fibrous web, thereby increasing its density and structural integrity. After debulking, the cores optionally pass through a separator or knife unit to cut individual inserts. The inserts are then transported to a bonding unit, where they are wrapped into a diaper chassis at the appropriate pitch or spacing.

[0006] To maintain the desired core thickness and ensure that the forming drum is not damaged during the scarfing operation due to contact between the scarfing roll and the outer forming surface of the forming drum, the distance at which the scarfing roll is positioned from the forming drum must be accurately set. Traditionally, this distance was set by the operator using a hand crank and feeler gauge. This method is time-consuming and does not allow the distance to be changed during operation. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a scarfing assembly for a textile material is provided. The assembly includes a movable mount, a driven scarfing roll coupled to the movable mount, and a scarfing roll lifting assembly coupled to the movable mount. A first sensor is configured to sense contact between the scarfing roll and an outer surface, and a second sensor is configured to sense a position of the scarfing roll when information is received from the first sensor that contact between the scarfing roll and the outer surface has occurred. A control unit is programmed to operate the scarfing roll lifting assembly to position the scarfing roll at a desired scarf gap measured from the contact position.

[0008] In an embodiment of the invention, the scarfing roll is at least partially disposed within a housing, and the scarfing roll lifting assembly causes movement of the scarfing roll relative to the housing.

[0009] The first sensor may be a load cell, an optical sensor, or a torque sensor according to an embodiment. In an embodiment of the present invention, the second sensor is an encoder.

[0010] In an embodiment, the driven forming drum has an outer forming surface on which the fibrous material is deposited, and the scarfing roll is positioned adjacent to the outer forming surface of the driven forming drum.

[0011] In an embodiment, the first sensor is configured to sense contact between the scarfing roll and the outer molding surface of the driven forming drum, and the second sensor is configured to sense a contact location where the scarfing roll is in contact with the outer molding surface. The control unit is further programmed to control the scarfing roll lifting assembly to position the scarfing roll at a desired scarf gap measured from the contact location.

[0012] In an embodiment, the control unit is programmed to: a) move the scarfing roll toward the forming drum; b) record the contact position of the scarfing roll when information is received from the first sensor that contact between the scarfing roll and the outer forming surface has occurred; c) move the scarfing roll away from the forming drum; d) rotate the forming drum to a new rotational position relative to the scarfing roll; e) repeat a) to d) to obtain contact positions at multiple rotational positions around the forming drum; f) identify high points on the forming surface from the obtained contact positions; and g) move the scarfing roll to the desired scarf gap position based on the identified high points.

[0013] In some embodiments, the control unit is programmed to capture contact positions at multiple rotational positions around the circumference of the forming drum, hi some embodiments, the control unit is programmed to identify a high point as a minimum of the captured contact positions.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for automatic gap control of a scarfing roll assembly for a fibrous material, the method comprising the steps of controlling a scarfing roll lifting assembly to move a driven scarfing roll towards an exterior surface of the scarfing roll assembly, sensing contact between the scarfing roll and the exterior surface of the scarfing roll assembly using a first sensor, and upon the sensed contact, recording the contact position of the scarfing roll using feedback from a second sensor when information is received from the first sensor that contact has occurred between the scarfing roll and the exterior surface of the scarfing roll assembly, and controlling the scarfing roll lifting assembly to position the scarfing roll at an offset from the contact position corresponding to a desired scarf gap.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method includes sensing contact between the scarfing roll and the outer surface using a load cell. In other embodiments, the method includes sensing contact between the scarfing roll and the outer surface using one of a torque sensor and an optical sensor. In some embodiments, the method includes sensing the contact position of the scarfing roll using an encoder.

[0016] The method may include the step of moving a driven scarfing roll towards an outer molding surface of a driven molding drum on which the fibrous material is deposited, and the step of sensing contact between the scarfing roll and the outer surface includes the step of sensing contact between the scarfing roll and the outer molding surface.

[0017] The method may include the steps of: a) moving the scarfing roll toward the outer forming surface of the forming drum; b) recording the contact position of the scarfing roll when information is received from a first sensor that contact between the scarfing roll and the forming surface has occurred; c) moving the scarfing roll away from the forming drum; d) rotating the forming drum to a new rotational position relative to the scarfing roll; e) repeating a) to d) to obtain contact positions at multiple rotational positions around the forming drum; f) identifying high points on the forming surface from the obtained contact positions; and g) moving the scarfing roll to a desired scarf gap position based on the identified high points.

[0018] In an embodiment, the method includes the steps of positioning the scarfing roll at an initial offset position from the outer surface of the scarfing roll assembly and then controlling the scarfing roll lift assembly to move the driven scarfing roll into contact with the outer surface.

[0019] The method may include controlling the scarfing roll lifting assembly to move the driven scarfing roll, which includes moving the scarfing roll relative to a housing in which the scarfing roll is at least partially disposed.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method includes obtaining contact locations at a plurality of locations on an exterior surface of the scarfing roll assembly, identifying high points on the exterior surface of the scarfing roll assembly from the obtained contact locations, and moving the scarfing roll to a desired scarf gap position based on the identified high points. In some embodiments, the method includes identifying the highest point as the contact location of the obtained contact locations that corresponds to a minimum. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] The drawings illustrate embodiments presently contemplated for carrying out the present disclosure.

[0022] The drawings show:

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front plan view of a scarfing roll positioned adjacent to a forming drum and a controllable automatic gap controller, only partially shown, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0024] [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a scarfing roll and a controllable automatic gap control device.

[0025] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a side view of a scarfing roll and a controllable automatic gap control device.

[0026] [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a bottom view of the scarfing roll and the controllable automatic gap control device.

[0027] [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart of method steps for operating a scarfing roll and controllable automatic gap controller according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of a web processing device incorporating a controllable automatic gap control device according to an exemplary embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] While the present disclosure may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, specific embodiments have been shown in the drawings and are herein described in detail, with the understanding that the disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the disclosure to that illustrated.

[0030] Thus, reference to a feature or aspect is intended to describe the feature or aspect of an example of the disclosure and does not imply that all embodiments thereof must have the described feature or aspect. Furthermore, it should be noted that the description illustrates several features. While certain features have been combined to illustrate potential system designs, those features may also be used in other combinations not expressly disclosed. Thus, illustrated combinations are not intended to be limiting unless otherwise specified.

[0031] 1-4, a controllable automatic gap controller 10 is provided which sets a separation or scarf gap 12 between a scarfing roll 14 and an outer surface, referred to herein as the outer molding surface 16, of a driven forming drum 18. The controllable automatic gap controller 10 is used to set an initial position of the scarfing roll 14 relative to the outer molding surface 16 of the forming drum 18 so as to provide a desired scarf gap 12 during operation. Although described herein with reference to a rotary forming drum 18, it is contemplated that the automatic gap controller 10 may be utilized with alternative types of forming systems, including mat or screen systems or other known airlaid systems, and thus may be provided to set the scarf gap 12 between the scarfing roll 14 and the outer surface of alternative forming systems.

[0032] As is known in the art, the scarfing roll 14 impresses a layer of fibrous material 20 into an insert 22 that may be used as an absorbent core in a disposable product, such as a diaper. In one embodiment, the controllable automatic gap controller 10, the scarfing roll 14, and the forming drum 18 are components of a forming apparatus 300 (FIG. 6) described herein that forms a disposable product. Although one exemplary embodiment of the forming apparatus 300 is shown and described herein, the components of the forming apparatus 300 are not particularly limited to the embodiment shown herein.

[0033] A method of positioning the scarfing roll 14 relative to the forming drum 18 using the controllable automatic gap control device 10 is also provided with reference to Figure 5. It should be noted that although the present controllable automatic gap control device 10 is described herein with respect to disposable hygiene products such as diapers, as previously mentioned, it may be applied to a wide variety of processes utilizing fiberized fluff mats, including, by way of non-limiting example, food pads and dry formed fiber products.

[0034] The outer molding surface 16 of the forming drum 18 is generally cylindrical, and the forming drum 18 rotates about an axis of rotation 24. Suitable forming drums 18 for producing fibrous materials 20 are well known in the art. The forming drum 18 may include a continuous three-dimensional fluff-receiving pocket or recess extending inward from its outer molding surface 16, or a plurality of discrete three-dimensional fluff-receiving pockets or recesses. As is known, the outer molding surfaces of such forming drums 18 are not perfectly concentric about their axis of rotation. Such non-circular portions are commonly referred to as runout. The present controllable automatic gap control device 10 and method prevents the scarfing roll 14 from contacting the outer molding surface 16 during operation.

[0035] The scarfing roll 14 is housed within and movably disposed within a scarfing housing 26 (FIG. 6). For clarity, only the rear wall 26a of the scarfing housing 26 is shown in FIGS. 1-4. The scarfing housing 26 provides an entrance opening 28 to allow the fibrous material 20 to enter the scarfing housing 26, whereby the fibrous material 20 passes through the scarfing roll 14, and an opposite exit opening 30 to allow the fibrous material 20 to enter the next component of the forming apparatus 300. The scarfing roll 14 extends from the rear wall 26a onto the forming drum 18.

[0036] The scarfing roll 14 has an axis of rotation 32, and typically, the axis of rotation 32 of the scarfing roll is aligned substantially parallel to the axis of rotation 24 of the forming drum 18. Scarfing rolls are well known in the art, and any conventional scarfing roll can be used with the present invention. Suitable scarfing rolls are available from the present applicant. In the illustrated example, the scarfing roll 14 includes a plurality of scarfing pins or other scarfing elements 34, such as, by way of non-limiting example, sawtooth blades, brushes, bars, and wire-wrapped sawtooth structures, operably mounted and coupled to a core member 36. The core member 36 may be generally cylindrical, and the outer diameter of the scarfing roll 14 at the distal free ends 38 of the scarfing pins or other scarfing elements 34 defines the generally cylindrical shape. The scarfing roll 14 can include a selected pattern array of scarfing pins or other scarfing elements 34 distributed along the outer surface of the core member 36. The scarfing pins or other scarfing elements 34 may be arranged in a row extending axially along the scarfing roll 14 or may be distributed at substantially equally spaced intervals around the circumference of the scarfing roll 14. The scarfing roll 14 is operably rotated by a suitable drive mechanism 40, such as an electric motor, and may be rotated at any operating speed sufficient to provide the desired scarfing action.

[0037] The controllable automatic gap controller 10 controls the position of the scarfing roll 14 and drive mechanism 40 relative to the forming drum 18. The controllable automatic gap controller 10 includes a mount 42, which may be formed from a plate to which the drive mechanism 40 and scarfing roll 14 are fixedly attached, a slidable coupler 44 between the mount 42 and the rear wall 26a of the scarfing housing 26, an elevator assembly 46 for raising or lowering the mount 42, drive mechanism 40 and scarfing roll 14, and a first sensor 48 for sensing contact of the scarfing roll 14 with the outer forming surface 16 of the forming drum 18. The drive mechanism 40 is operably coupled to a control unit 52 that is programmed to operate the elevator assembly 46 to position the scarfing roll 14 at the desired scarf gap. The drive mechanism 40 extends through an elongated opening 54 through the rear wall 26a, and the scarfing roll 14 and drive mechanism 40 are translatable relative to the rear wall 26a along an axis 56 of the opening 54 that extends radially from the axis of rotation 24 of the forming drum 18 and is defined along the length of the opening 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the scarfing roll 14 is cantilevered from the mount 42 and extends above the forming drum 18. In another embodiment, the scarfing roll 14 may simply be supported. The scarfing roll 14 translates toward or away from the forming drum 18 when the controllable automatic gap controller 10 is activated.

[0038] 1-4, the slidable coupler 44 (FIG. 4) is provided by rails 60 extending from the rear wall 26a on either side of the elongated opening 54 and parallel to the axis, and mating channels 62 in the mount 42. Alternatively, the channels 62 can extend into the rear wall 26a on either side of the elongated opening 54 parallel to the axis of the elongated opening 54, with the rails 60 extending from the mount 42. Other means for slidably coupling the rear wall 26a and the mount 42 are within the scope of this disclosure.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 , the lifting assembly 46 includes a piston 64 mounted within a cylinder 66 that can be raised or lowered under actuation by a drive mechanism 68, such as an electric motor, and a coupler assembly 70 between the end of the piston 64 and the mount 42. The drive mechanism 68 is operably coupled to a control unit 52. The control unit 52 is programmed to control the position of the piston 64 in response to information received from the first sensor 48. The piston 64 may be a screw. The cylinder 66 and drive mechanism 68 are fixedly attached to the rear wall 26 a. While described above as an electric motor, the drive mechanism 68 may be any type of drive mechanism that converts rotary motion to linear motion, and in alternative embodiments, may be a linear motor.

[0040] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the coupler assembly 70 includes a first sensor 48 operatively connected to the control unit 52 and providing information to a processor 74 of the control unit 52 when contact is registered. In the illustrated embodiment, the first sensor 48 is a conventional load cell positioned between the shaft 72 forming part of the mount 42 and the end of the piston 64. A load cell registers when a load is applied thereto, as is known in the art. In this embodiment, the first sensor 48 registers a load when a force is generated as the scarfing roll 14 is moved into contact with the outer molding surface 16 of the forming drum 18. Alternatively, the first sensor 48 may be a sensor that detects contact between the scarfing roll 14 and the outer molding surface 16 via detected electrical flow between them.

[0041] In another embodiment, the first sensor 48 is a torque sensor that senses contact between the scarfing roll 14 and the forming drum 18 via changes in torque applied to the scarfing roll 14 while either the scarfing roll 14 or the forming drum 18 is rotating, as will be further described with respect to the methods below. Alternatively, the first sensor 48 may be a sensor that visually determines that contact between the scarfing roll 14 and the outer forming surface 16 has occurred. Such a sensor may be a photo-eye sensor or similar optical sensor operably coupled to the processor 74. This first sensor 48 may be mounted on the rear wall 26a of the scarfing housing 26, mounted within the tip of a scarfing pin or other scarfing element 34, or mounted in another advantageous location so that contact between the scarfing roll 14 and the outer forming surface 16 of the forming drum 18 is sensed at each indexed position.

[0042] In yet another embodiment, the first sensor 48 is a calibrated distance sensor.

[0043] 1-4, the controllable automatic gap controller 10 tracks the relative position of the scarfing roll 14 using a second sensor 50 that detects movement of the scarfing roll 14. The second sensor 50 may be any known sensor capable of generating a distance signal from movement, such as, for example, an encoder. The second sensor 50 is operatively connected to a control unit 52 and provides information used by a processor 74 regarding the linear travel distance of the scarfing roll 14. The controllable automatic gap controller 10 is used to set a predetermined desired offset or scarf gap 12 between the scarfing roll 14 and the outer molding surface 16, with the scarf gap 12 positioned to produce a desired thickness in the scarfed fibrous material 20.

[0044] A method 100 of operating the controllable automatic gap control device 10, according to one embodiment, will now be described with reference to Figure 5. In step 102, the scarfing roll 14 is positioned at an initial offset distance from the outer molding surface 16 that is greater than any expected eccentricity of the outer molding surface 16.

[0045] Optionally, the control unit 52 may send a signal to actuate the drive mechanism 40 to position the scarfing roll 14 at a top dead center (TDC) position relative to the outer forming surface 16 (step 104). At the TDC position, the scarfing pins or other scarfing elements 34 are positioned such that the TDC of at least one tip of the scarfing pins or other scarfing elements 34 is aligned with and positioned opposite the forming drum 18. The control unit 52 then sends a signal to actuate the lifting assembly 46 to lower the mount 42, drive mechanism 40, and scarfing roll 14 toward the outer forming surface 16 (step 106). In embodiments in which the first sensor 48 is a torque sensor, step 106 further includes slowly rotating either the scarfing roll 14 or the forming drum 18 while holding the other components stationary. When the first sensor 48 senses (by force, optics, torque, conductivity, or other sensing means) contact between the distal free end 38 of the scarfing pin or other scarfing element 34 in the TDC position and the outer molding surface 16 (step 108), a signal is sent to the processor 74.

[0046] The contact position of the scarfing roll 14, tracked based on the output of the second sensor 50, is then entered into memory 84 in step 110, along with the current rotational position of the forming drum 18, determined by known means, such as an encoder (not shown) operably coupled to the processor 74. This initial contact position is designated contact position CP1. The control unit 52 then sends a signal to actuate the lifting assembly 46 to return the mount 42, drive mechanism 40, and scarfing roll 14 away from the outer forming surface 16 to the initial offset position (step 112). A check is then made to determine whether contact position CPn of the scarfing roll 14 has been determined around the entire circumference of the outer forming surface 16 of the forming drum 18 (step 114).

[0047] If indexing is not complete (116), the control unit 52 sends a signal to index the forming drum 18 to rotate it a predetermined amount about its axis of rotation 24 (step 118). For example, the forming drum 18 may be indexed to rotate 10 degrees. In another example, the forming drum 18 may be indexed to rotate once or any other predetermined rotational distance. With the scarfing roll 14 at TDC relative to the outer molding surface 16, the control unit 52 again sends a signal to actuate the lifting assembly 46 to lower the mount 42, drive mechanism 40, and scarfing roll 14 toward the outer molding surface 16 (step 106). When the first sensor 48 again senses a force indicative of contact between the distal free end 38 of the scarfing pin or other scarfing element 34 at TDC and the outer molding surface 16 (step 108), another signal is sent to the processor 74. The contact position of the scarfing roll 14 along the current rotational position of the forming drum 18, determined in the same manner as above, is then entered into memory 84 (step 110). The second contact position is designated as contact position CP2. Next, control unit 52 sends a signal to actuate lift assembly 46 to return mount 42, drive mechanism 40, and scarfing roll 14 to their initial positions away from outer forming surface 16 (step 112).

[0048] This series of steps 106-118 is repeated (120) until indexing is complete, meaning that contact positions CPn of the scarfing roll 14 have been determined around the entire circumference of the outer molding surface 16. The control unit 52 then references the contact positions CP1-CPn and identifies the drum position corresponding to the minimum contact position value as the drum high point ("HP") around the circumference of the outer molding surface 16 (step 124). The processor 74 then references the desired scarf gap, which may be stored in memory 84, entered by a user, or otherwise input into the system, and the control unit 52 sends a signal to operate the elevator assembly 46 to position the scarfing roll 14 at a set operating position OP set to the desired scarf gap measured from the drum HP.

[0049] In use, the scarfing roll 14 rotates at a relatively high speed to provide an operational scarfing action. The scarfing roll 14 is rotated so that the scarfing pins or other scarfing elements 34 contact the excess thickness of the fibrous material 20. The set position of the scarfing roll 14 is set relative to a determined high point on the circumference of the outer molding surface 16 so that the scarfing pins or other scarfing elements 34 do not contact the molding surface 16 during operation.

[0050] In use, the thickness of the fibrous material 20 can be varied by programming the control unit 52 to raise the scarfing roll 14 from a set operating position OP and then return the scarfing roll 14 to the set operating position OP. The above-described sequence of raising and lowering the scarfing roll 14 may also be to selectively vary the height of the formed fibrous material 20 (e.g., to form a three-dimensional core structure) or to avoid material jams caused by splices in the incoming web material by providing feedback of known splice locations to the control unit 52.

[0051] The above-described method identifies high points on the forming drum 18 by sensing physical contact between the scarfing roll 14 and the external forming surface 16 and referencing the position of the scarfing roll 14 at each of a series of physical contact points on the forming drum 18. In yet another embodiment, the high points on the forming drum 18 may be determined using non-contact means, such as a first sensor 48 in the form of a calibrated distance sensor (e.g., an optical scanner) that can detect the distance to a given surface and / or map the topology of the external forming surface 16 and identify the high points on the forming drum 18 therefrom. In such an embodiment, steps 102-120 of the method 100 are omitted, and a scanner is utilized in step 122 to identify the high points on the forming drum 18.

[0052] An example of a molding apparatus 300 for forming insert 22 is shown in FIG. 6. In one embodiment, insert 22 includes a first sheet formed of forming web 302 material, such as, but not limited to, a nonwoven material, tissue paper, or an absorbent distribution layer (ADL), a first adhesive layer (not shown), a layer of absorbent fibrous material 20, a second adhesive layer (not shown), and a second sheet formed of a cover web 304, such as, but not limited to, a nonwoven material, tissue paper, or ADL. The first adhesive layer is disposed between the first sheet formed of forming web 302 material and the fibrous material 20, and the second adhesive layer is disposed between the fibrous material 20 and the second sheet formed of cover web 304. The longitudinally extending edges of the first and second sheets are adhesively secured to one another by the second adhesive layer. In other embodiments, the molding apparatus 300 can mold the insert 22 as an unwound core structure including the forming web 302, the cover web 304, and the fibrous material 20 without an adhesive layer, which can be further processed downstream of the molding apparatus 300, or as a wound core structure including the fibrous material 20 with a single wider web layer, a portion of which is placed directly on the molding apparatus 300 during the molding process and another portion of which is wrapped around the absorbent fibrous web 20 as the fibrous material 20 is molded.

[0053] 6, forming web 302 has a flat first side and an opposite flat second side, and cover web 304 has a flat first side and an opposite flat second side. Each web 302, 304 defines a longitudinal axis parallel to the direction of movement of each web 302, 304 through forming apparatus 300 and a transverse axis transverse to the direction of movement of each web 302, 304 through forming apparatus 300.

[0054] Forming web 302 is continuously fed from a source 306, such as a roll of material, to core molding section 308. Forming web 302 may be fed around a series of rollers as it advances from source 306 to core molding section 308. A first adhesive application station 310 is provided between source 306 and core molding section 308 and applies a layer of adhesive to at least a portion of a second surface of forming web 302.

[0055] The material for forming the absorbent fibrous material 20 layers is supplied to the core molding section 308. In the illustrated embodiment, the forming web 302, to which the adhesive layer has been applied, passes between the outlet of the forming duct 312 of the core molding section 308 and the forming drum 18, which rotates relative to the core molding section 308. As the forming web 302 passes the outlet, the fibrous material 20 layers are deposited onto the adhesive layer on the forming web 302. A vacuum in the forming drum 18 is drawn through holes in the forming drum 18, holding the forming web 302 and the fibrous material 20 layers against the forming drum 18.

[0056] Downstream of the exit of the forming duct 312 of the core forming section 308 is a scarfing roll 14, which is set to a desired scarf gap 12 relative to the outer forming surface 16 of the forming drum 18 via a controllable automatic gap controller 10. The scarfing roll 14 continuously imprints the fibrous material layer 20 as it passes through the scarfing housing 26 to level the top of the fibrous material layer 20.

[0057] The cover web 304 is continuously fed from a source 314, such as a roll of material, downstream of the scarfing housing exit opening 30. The cover web 304 may be fed around a series of rollers as it proceeds from the source 314 to the scarfing housing 26 exit opening 30. A second adhesive application station 316 is provided between the source 306 and the scarfing roll 14 and applies an adhesive layer to at least a portion of a first surface of the cover web 304.

[0058] The forming web 302 / 20 layers of fibrous material / cover web 304 pass through a bonding station 318 downstream from the exit of the scarfing housing 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the bonding station 318 includes a drum and nip rollers. The nip rollers rotate in conjunction with the drum, and the forming web 302 / 20 layers of fibrous material / cover web 304 pass through a nip formed between the drum and the nip rollers, which bonds the adhesive layer on the cover web 304 to the 20 layers of fibrous material.

[0059] The spliced ​​forming web 302 / fibrous material 20 layer / cover web 304 then moves onto and passes between forming drum 18 and conveyor 320, and translates along conveyor 320 to an edge splicing unit 322 downstream from bonding station 318, which bonds the longitudinally extending edge portions of forming web 302 and cover web 304 together with a layer of adhesive on cover web 304. Edge splicing unit 322 may be a movable roller that presses down onto conveyor 320.

[0060] The combined forming web 302 / fibrous material 20 layers / cover web 304 then passes through a debulking station 324, which may or may not include an embossing roll, downstream of the edge joining unit 322, for debulking, which at least partially compresses the fibrous material 20 layers, thereby increasing their density and structural integrity.

[0061] The combined formed web 302 / 20 layers of fibrous material / cover web 304 exits the debulking station 324 and is transported by a conveyor 328 downstream of the debulking and embossing station 324 to a cutting unit 326. The cutting unit 326 cuts the combined formed web 302 / 20 layers of fibrous material / cover web 304 by cutting transversely to form individual inserts 22. The individual inserts 22 are then transported, for example, by a conveyor 330 to another apparatus (not shown) to complete the disposable product, in which the inserts 22 are enclosed between a molded backsheet of an impermeable material and at least one hydrophilic topsheet. Other layers may be provided in the final disposable product.

[0062] The foregoing is considered merely as illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described. While preferred embodiments have been described, details may be changed without departing from the present disclosure as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. 1. A scarfing assembly for marking textile material, comprising: A movable mount and a driven scarfing roll coupled to the movable mount; a scarfing roll lift assembly coupled to the movable mount; a first sensor configured to sense contact between the scarfing roll and an outer surface; a second sensor configured to sense the position of the scarfing roll when information is received from the first sensor that contact between the scarfing roll and the outer surface has occurred; a control unit programmed to operate the scarfing roll lift assembly to position the scarfing roll at a desired scarf gap measured from the contact location; A scarfing assembly comprising:

2. the scarfing roll is at least partially disposed within a housing; The scarfing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the scarfing roll lifting assembly causes movement of the scarfing roll relative to the housing.

3. The scarfing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor comprises a load cell.

4. The scarfing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor comprises one of an optical sensor and a torque sensor.

5. The scarfing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor comprises an encoder.

6. a driven forming drum positioned adjacent to the scarfing roll and having a forming surface on which fibrous material is deposited; 2. The scarfing assembly of claim 1, wherein said outer surface is an outer forming surface of said driven forming drum.

7. the first sensor is configured to sense contact between the scarfing roll and the outer molding surface; the second sensor is configured to sense a contact position where the scarfing roll contacts the outer molding surface; 7. The scarfing assembly of claim 6, wherein the control unit is further programmed to control the scarfing roll lifting assembly to position the scarfing roll at the desired scarf gap measured from the contact position.

8. The control unit a) moving the scarfing roll towards the forming drum; b) recording the contact position of the scarfing roll when information is received from the first sensor that contact between the scarfing roll and the outer forming surface has occurred; c) moving the scarfing roll away from the forming drum; d) rotating the forming drum to a new rotational position relative to the scarfing roll; e) repeating steps a) to d) to obtain contact positions at multiple rotational positions around the periphery of the forming drum; f) identifying high points on the forming surface from the acquired contact locations; 8. The scarfing assembly of claim 7, further configured to: g) move the scarfing roll to a desired scarf gap position based on the identified high point.

9. 8. The scarfing assembly of claim 7, wherein the control unit is programmed to obtain contact positions at a plurality of rotational positions around the forming drum.

10. 9. The scarfing assembly of claim 8, wherein the control unit is programmed to identify the high point as a minimum of the acquired contact positions.

11. The scarfing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the desired scarf gap is the thickness of the absorbent core.

12. 1. A method for automatic gap control of a scarfing roll assembly for a fibrous material, comprising: controlling a scarfing roll lift assembly to move a driven scarfing roll toward an exterior surface of said scarfing roll assembly; sensing contact between the scarfing roll and the surface exterior to the scarfing roll assembly with a first sensor; Upon said sensed contact, recording the contact position of the scarfing roll using feedback from a second sensor when information is received from the first sensor that contact has occurred between the scarfing roll and the surface external to the scarfing roll assembly; controlling the scarfing roll lift assembly to position the scarfing roll offset from the contact position corresponding to a desired scarf gap; A method comprising:

13. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sensing contact between the scarfing roll and the surface with a load cell.

14. further comprising the step of moving the driven scarfing roll toward an outer forming surface of a driven forming drum on which fibrous material is deposited; the step of sensing contact between the scarfing roll and the surface includes sensing contact between the scarfing roll and the outer shaping surface; The method of claim 12.

15. a) moving the scarfing roll towards the forming drum; b) recording the contact position of the scarfing roll when information is received from the first sensor that contact between the scarfing roll and the forming surface has occurred; c) moving the scarfing roll away from the forming drum; d) rotating the forming drum to a new rotational position relative to the scarfing roll; e) repeating steps a) to d) to obtain contact positions at multiple rotational positions around the periphery of the forming drum; f) identifying high points on the molding surface from the acquired contact locations; 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of: g) moving the scarfing roll to a desired scarf gap position based on the identified high point.

16. positioning the scarfing roll at an initial offset from an exterior surface of the scarfing roll assembly; 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of subsequently controlling the scarfing roll lift assembly to move the driven scarfing roll into contact with the surface.

17. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the scarfing roll lifting assembly to move the driven scarfing roll comprises moving the scarfing roll relative to a housing in which the scarfing roll is at least partially disposed.

18. obtaining contact locations at a plurality of locations on the surface exterior to the scarfing roll assembly; identifying high points on the surface exterior to the scarfing roll assembly from the acquired contact locations; and moving the scarfing roll to a desired scarf gap position based on the identified high point.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising identifying the high point as the touch location of the retrieved touch locations that corresponds to a minimum value.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising sensing the contact position of the scarfing roll with an encoder.

21. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sensing contact between the scarfing roll and the surface with one of a torque sensor and an optical sensor.

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