Abstract: An energy apparatus can be configured for providing energy to an item being transferred over a rotatable drum. The energy apparatus can include a first energy mechanism configured to be fixedly coupled to the rotatable drum and rotate with the rotatable drum. The energy apparatus can also include a second energy mechanism configured to rotate around a circumference of the rotatable drum. The energy apparatus can additionally include a translation system coupled to the second energy mechanism and configured to move the second energy mechanism to an end position that allows the second energy mechanism and the first energy mechanism to provide energy to the item while there is no relative motion between the first energy mechanism and the second energy mechanism. Methods of providing energy to an item utilizing an energy apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: A polymeric material that includes a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer and a siloxane component is provided. The siloxane component contains an ultrahigh molecular weight siloxane polymer that is dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains. A porous network is defined within the thermoplastic composition that includes a plurality of nanopores.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a wiping product well suited to absorbing a solvent and releasing the solvent onto an adjacent surface. The wiping product can also be constructed so as to have excellent abrasion resistance. The wiping product can be used in numerous applications and is particularly well suited for wiping unfinished surfaces, such as metal surfaces and composite surfaces for removing contaminants, such as oil and grease. The wiping product is made from a hydroentangled and thermally bonded web containing staple fibers and conjugated fibers.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing a flexible, rolled sheet material can include a housing and a supply of the sheet material supported within the housing for feeding the sheet material along a path defined through the housing. A feed roller can be rotatably mounted within the housing and have a body that engages the sheet material to pull the sheet material from the supply to dispense a selected amount of the sheet material therefrom. The dispenser also can include pressing rollers positioned adjacent the feed roller and biased to engage the sheet material between the pressing rollers and the feed roller, and a cutting mechanism arranged along the body of the feed roller that can have a cutting blade operatively connected to the body of the feed roller and actuated with rotation thereof to at least partially cut or perforate a selected portion of the sheet material.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing a roll of material is disclosed. The dispenser includes a rear housing and an openable cover. The rear-housing includes a roll transfer apparatus for transferring the roll of material from a first dispensing position to a second dispensing position. The roll transfer apparatus includes a transfer arm engaged with a transfer disk and a transfer latch capable of engaging and disengaging the transfer disk to facilitate movement of the roll of material from a first dispensing position to a second dispensing position. Also disclosed are methods for replacing a roll of material in a dispenser.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing a 3-D shopping experience to an online shopping environment is implemented by a 3-D shopping rendering computer system.

Abstract: A method for making a high topography nonwoven substrate includes generating a foam including water and synthetic binder fibers; depositing the foam on a planar surface; disposing a template form on the foam opposite the planar surface to create a foam/form assembly; heating the foam/form assembly to dry the foam and bind the synthetic binder fibers; and removing the template from the substrate after heating the foam/form assembly, wherein the substrate includes a planar base layer having an X-Y surface and a backside surface opposite the X-Y surface; and a plurality of projection elements integral with and protruding in a Z-direction from the X-Y surface, wherein the projection elements are distributed in both the X- and Y-directions, and wherein the density of a projection element is the same as the density of the base layer.

Abstract: An absorbent article which can have a reduction in the incidence of side leakage of body exudates from the absorbent article. The absorbent article can have a topsheet layer, a backsheet layer, an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer, and a barrier composition positioned between the topsheet layer and the backsheet layer and bonding the topsheet layer to the backsheet layer.

Abstract: The invention provides woven papermaking fabrics having a machine direction (MD) axis and a cross-machine direction (CD) axis, a machine contacting surface and a sheet contacting surface where the sheet contacting surface comprises a plurality of twill woven protuberances defining valleys there between. Generally the protuberances are skewed relative to a principle axis of the fabric, such as the MD axis and have a non-zero element angle. The protuberances generally have an upper surface defining the upper most surface plane of the web contacting surface of the fabric. Further, the protuberance upper surface is substantially planar providing the protuberances with a height that is substantially constant along the length of the protuberance.

Abstract: Methods and products for maintaining a target pH range of an environment including at least one organism are provided. A method can include releasing a carbon source to the environment. A method can further include allowing the carbon source to be metabolized by the at least one organism and lower a pH of the environment. The method can also include releasing a nitrogen source to the environment. The method can additionally include allowing the nitrogen source to be metabolized by the at least one organism and increase the pH of the environment. The releasing of the carbon source to the environment and the releasing of the nitrogen source to the environment can be selectively timed to control the pH of the environment to the target pH range of the environment.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for applying a first web to a base web in a nonlinear pattern as the base web is advanced in a machine direction in contact with a back-up roller are disclosed. The apparatus can include a guide roller and a guide roller translations system. The guide roller can be configured to define a nip with the back-up roller. The guide roller translation system can be configured to allow the guide roller to move with respect to the back-up roller to control the position of the nip to allow the first web to be applied to the base web in the non-linear pattern in the machine direction.

Abstract: Provided are tissue webs, and products produced therefrom, that are generally durable, flexible and have improved cross-machine direction (CD) properties, such as CD tensile energy absorption (CD TEA), CD stretch and CD modulus. The inventive tissue products generally comprise a single tissue ply that has been prepared by through-air drying and more preferably by through-air drying without creping. Moreover, the products may be produced using a transfer fabric positioned between the forming fabric and the through-air drying fabric where the transfer fabric imparts the nascent web with a high degree of CD strain.

Abstract: The invention provides a stack comprising a plurality of absorbent sheets stacked in facing arrangement. The stack is bound along its top edge by at least one line of stitches comprising a plurality of spaced apart stitch holes and a thread disposed therein. Individual sheets further comprise a line of perforations comprising a plurality of spaced apart perforation holes. The line of stitches and the line of perforations are such that there is generally a one-to-one numerical correspondence amongst at least a majority of the plurality of stitch holes and perforation holes.

Abstract: A web handling system and method for controlling tension in a web of material is disclosed. For instance, the web handling system is particularly well suited for maintaining web tension within predefined setpoints during temporary interruptions in the process, such as during splicing operations. The web handling system includes an accumulator or festoon that accumulates amounts of the material as the material is being fed downstream. At least one guide roll within the festoon is coupled to a drive device, such as a motor. The system also includes at least one tension sensing device. The drive device accelerates or decelerates the guide roll based upon information obtained from the tension sensing device. In one embodiment, the system further includes an electronic gearing configuration between a roll of material being unwound and the guide roll within the festoon for better synchronization and further minimizing tension swings.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for maintenance of service areas within a facility by a plurality of attendants, wherein each service area has one or more product dispensers that require periodic refill. Via a sensor configured with each product dispenser and a control system in communication with the sensors, a product level or amount of product in each dispenser is determined. Based on information from the sensors, a respective refill time is computed for refilling each of the dispensers. Location of the attendants is tracked on a continuous or periodic basis. As a function of the computed refill times and location of the various attendants, one of the attendants is selected to service one or more of the product dispensers in a particular service area. An alert message is generated and transmitted to the selected attendant that gives the location of the particular service area within the facility.

Abstract: Methods and products for maintaining a target pH range of an environment including at least one organism are provided. A method can include releasing a carbon source to the environment. A method can further include allowing the carbon source to be metabolized by the at least one organism and lower a pH of the environment. The method can also include releasing a nitrogen source to the environment. The method can additionally include allowing the nitrogen source to be metabolized by the at least one organism and increase the pH of the environment. The releasing of the carbon source to the environment and the releasing of the nitrogen source to the environment can be selectively timed to control the pH of the environment to the target pH range of the environment.

Abstract: A polymeric material for use in thermal insulation is provided. The polymeric material is formed from a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer and within which a microinclusion additive and nanoinclusion additive are dispersed in the form of discrete domains. A porous network is defined in the material that includes a plurality of nanopores having an average cross-sectional dimension of about 800 nanometers or less. The polymeric material exhibits a thermal conductivity of about 0.20 watts per meter-kelvin or less.

Abstract: A method of applying elastic members includes applying a construction adhesive; intermittently applying an elastic adhesive; positioning first and second elastics in an elongated condition such that a first portion of the elastics are positioned in contact with both the construction adhesive and the elastic adhesive in hold zones and a second portion of the elastics are positioned in contact with the construction adhesive but not the elastic adhesive in release zones; severing the elastics in the release zones; retracting the elastics through the construction adhesive in the release zones; and maintaining the elongation of the elastics in the hold zones.

Abstract: A system and method for joining devices to a network by use of any augmented reality installation device. The installation system described herein includes an installation device, e.g., a smart phone, that includes a camera to capture an image of the device(s) in a facility, e.g., the area in which the devices are mounted or positioned for end user use. Then, through use of image analysis techniques and a graphical user interface (GUI) on the installation device, e.g., dispensers, in the image are individually identified and joined to the network.

Abstract: Improved skin-adhesive compositions for bonding a substrate, such as an absorbent article, to skin are disclosed. More particularly, the skin-adhesive composition has an improved, yet gentle, adhesion to the skin of a user, while maintaining strong, effective bonding to various inanimate, non-skin substrates. In one embodiment, the skin-adhesive composition can provide one or more skin benefit agents to the user. The skin-adhesive composition may be applied to an absorbent article, such as a panty-liner, sanitary napkin, or an incontinence article, for directly adhering the article to the skin of a user.