Abstract: Pulp fibers can be treated with water insoluble chemical additives resulting in a minimal amount of unretained water insoluble chemical additives present after redispersing the treated pulp fibers in the process water. One embodiment of the present invention is a method for preparing chemically treated pulp fiber. A fiber slurry is created comprising process water and pulp fibers. The fiber slurry is transported to a web-forming apparatus of a pulp sheet machine thereby forming a wet fibrous web. The wet fibrous web is dried to a predetermined consistency thereby forming a dried fibrous web. The dried fibrous web is treated with a water insoluble chemical additive thereby forming a chemically treated dried fibrous web containing chemically treated pulp fibers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a continuous process for the manufacture of a garment. A web of fabric including opposing web side edges is provided. The web of fabric is intermittently cut, thereby forming edges defining neck openings in the web of fabric. The opposing web side edges of the web of fabric are intermittently cut, thereby defining pairs of opposing indentations in the opposing web side edges of the web of fabric. The web of fabric is cut, thereby defining discrete garment-sized pieces. Each of the discrete garment-sized pieces of the web of fabric includes at least one neck opening, a front panel having a pair of opposing garment side edges, a back panel having a pair of opposing garment side edges, a portion of two pairs of the opposing indentations in the web side edges of the web of fabric, a pair of sleeve flaps, two garment end portions, and a pair of opposing piece side edges. The opposing piece side edges are proximate a pair of opposing garment bottom edges of the garment.

Abstract: An absorbent composition comprising an uncrosslinked, high molecular weight polymer, wherein the uncrosslinked, high molecular weight polymer is treated by a means to effectively insolubilize the uncrosslinked, relatively high molecular weight polymer such that the absorbent composition exhibits desirable absorbent properties. In particular, the absorbent composition has the ability to absorb a large quantity of liquid. The absorbent composition is useful in disposable absorbent products, such as those disposable absorbent products that are used to absorb bodily liquids. Suitable polymers include polyethylene oxide, poly(acrylic acid), poly(vinyl alcohol), and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) wherein the polymer has a weight average molecular weight that is greater than about 1,000,000.

Abstract: Pressurized web treatment systems include a moving web that passes through a pressurized treatment chamber having a sealing assembly with a leakage control system. Leakage control is achieved by the cooperative effect of localized leak detectors and leak reduction means that applies a local sealing force on the seal assembly responsive to a signal from the leak detectors such that increased sealing occurs in the vicinity of the leak. In particular, an air press for paper web dewatering has improved efficiency by virtue of the leakage control system, which features local leak detectors and local force generation means associated with a flexible seal assembly to reduce leakage at the edges of the stationary plenum of the air press. Local leak detection can be based on sonic measurement with microphones, detection of escaping tracer gas, optical signals, and other means.

Abstract: The present invention provides a continuous process for the manufacture of a garment. A web of fabric including opposing web side edges is provided. The web of fabric is intermittently cut, thereby forming edges defining neck openings in the web fabric. The web of fabric is cut, thereby defining discrete garment-sized pieces. Each of the discrete garment-sized pieces of the web of fabric includes at least one neck opening, a front panel having a pair of opposing garment side edges, a back panel having a pair of opposing garment side edges, two opposing garment end portions, and a pair of opposing piece side edges. The opposing piece side edges of the discrete garment-sized piece are proximate a pair of opposing garment bottom edges of the garment. The discrete garment-sized piece of the web of fabric is folded, whereby one of the garment bottom edges of the pair of opposing garment bottom edges is brought into contact with the other garment bottom edge.

Abstract: A superior skin barrier enhancing body facing material, such as a body side liner on an absorbent article, can be made by applying, on the outer surface of the body facing material, a lipid-enriched hydrophobic composition comprising a natural fat or oil, a sterol or sterol derivative, an emulsifying surfactant, a humectant, an emollient, a wax, and a viscosity enhancer, and thereafter resolidifying the composition to form a distribution of solid composition on the outer surface of the body facing material.

Abstract: A threadlike or ribbonlike elastic strand is provided with a substantially continuous filament of adhesive helically wrapped around the elastic strand. The elastic strand is suitable for use in disposable absorbent products such as diapers and adult incontinent products. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for making such adhesive-wrapped elastic strands.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a combination for surface treatment of a substrate, e.g. a nonwoven web, used in personal care product applications. The surface treatment combination not only provides adequate fluid handling properties, but also provides a topical delivery system effective in depositing a thin, tenacious and substantially continuous coating of a skin health benefit agent on skin by an aqueous emulsion mediated dissolution of the agent from a substrate with subsequent transfer and deposition onto the skin. Coatings of the skin health benefit agent on the skin resist removal, thereby preventing damage to the natural skin barrier and providing a protective barrier against chemically- and biochemically-induced skin damage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a continuous process for the manufacture of a garment. A web of fabric including opposing web side edges wherein the opposing web side edges are proximate a pair of opposing garment bottom edges of the garment is provided. The web of fabric is intermittently cut, thereby forming edges defining neck openings in the web fabric. The web of fabric is cut, thereby defining discrete garmentsized pieces. Each of the discrete garment-sized pieces of the web of fabric includes at least one neck opening, a front panel having a pair of opposing garment side edges, a back panel having a pair of opposing garment side edges, two opposing garment end portions, and the pair of opposing bottom end edges. The discrete garment-sized piece of the web of fabric is folded, whereby one of the garment bottom edges of the pair of opposing garment bottom edges is brought into contact with the other garment bottom edge.

Abstract: A tissue sheet is made using a modified wet pressing machine in a modified wet pressing process employing an integrally sealed air press. After initial formation and conventional vacuum dewatering, the wet web is conformed to the surface contour of a relatively coarse fabric to give the web a textured surface. By creating a pressure differential across the web of at least 30 inches of mercury and an air stream through the web of at least 500 SCFM/in2, the air press noncompressively dewaters the wet web to a consistency of about 30 to about 40 percent prior to a heated drying cylinder. The web is dried to substantially preserve its three-dimensional, throughdried-like texture. The process provides a web having an exceptionally high degree of bulk and absorbency not expected in wet-pressed products.

Abstract: A superior skin barrier enhancing body facing material on an absorbent article, can be made applying, on the outer surface of the body facing material, a melted lipid-enriched hydrophilic composition comprising a hydrophilic solvent, a high molecular weight polyethylene glycol, a fatty alcohol (C14-C30 or greater), humectant, an oil-in-water emulsifying surfactant having an HLB range greater than 7, a sterol or sterol derivative, and a natural fat or oil, and thereafter resolidifying the composition to form a distribution of solid compositon on the outer surface of the body facing material.

Abstract: A tissue sheet is made using a modified wet pressing process employing an integrally sealed air press. After initial formation and conventional vacuum dewatering, the wet web may be conformed to the surface contour of a relatively coarse fabric to give the web a textured surface. By creating a pressure differential across the web, the air press noncompressively dewaters the wet web to a consistency of about 30 to about 40 percent prior to a heated drying cylinder. The web may be dried to substantially preserve its three-dimensional, throughdried-like texture. The process provides a web having an exceptionally high degree of bulk and absorbency not expected in wet-pressed products.

Abstract: A skin health enhancing soft wet wipe or wipe-type product, such as a baby wipe, an adult wipe, hand wipe, a face wipe, a cosmetic wipe, a household wipe, an industrial wipe, a personal cleansing wipe, cotton balls, cotton tipped swabs, and the like, can be made by combining the wipe or wipe-type product with an oil-in-water emulsion composition comprising a natural fat or oil, sterol or sterol derivative, humectant, emulsifying surfactant, and water.

Abstract: A partially unwound roll is moved for splicing with a subsequent parent roll, and the united web is rewound. The torque transmitting means include side clamping mechanisms engaging only the end surfaces of the parent rolls. In one aspect, an automated off-line apparatus and method splice tissue webs from different parent rolls in a finishing unit, and substantially continuous impacts on each web during unwinding splice the webs together. In one aspect, an apparatus and method are disclosed for the production of a soft, high bulk uncreped throughdried tissue web by depositing an aqueous suspension of papermaking fibers onto an endless forming fabric to form a web and through drying the web to final dryness without any significant differential compression to form a dried web having a bulk value of about 15 to 25 cubic centimeters per gram or greater, an MD Stiffness Factor of 50 to 100 kilograms, a machine direction stretch of 15 to 25 percent, and a substantially uniform density.

Abstract: The present invention provides a continuous process for the manufacture of a garment. A web of fabric including opposing web side edges wherein one of the opposing web side edges is proximate the garment bottom edge of the garment is provided. The web of fabric is cut, thereby forming a fabric web wherein the fabric web includes one of the opposing web side edges opposed to an octagonal shape pattern defining pairs of shoulder side edges having a side edge located between the shoulder side edges of each pair of the shoulder side edges and edges located between the pairs of shoulder side edges. The side edges of the fabric web are cut, thereby forming edges defining neck openings in the fabric web. The fabric web is cut, thereby defining discrete garment-sized pieces wherein each of the discrete garment-sized pieces of the fabric web includes at least one neck opening, a front panel having a pair of opposing garment side edges, a garment end portion, and a bottom edge.

Abstract: Chemical additives can be adsorbed on cellulosic papermaking fibers at high levels with a minimal amount of unadsorbed chemical additives present in the papermaking process water. A method includes treating a fiber slurry with an excess of the chemical additive, allowing sufficient residence time for adsorption to occur, filtering the slurry to remove unadsorbed chemical additives, and redispersing the filtered pulp with fresh water. Filtrate from the thickening process contains unadsorbed chemical additive and it is not sent forward in the process with the chemically treated fibers. The method can be employed to make improved paper products.