Abstract: An apparatus for equipping tampon applicators with tampons includes an encircling guide arrangement with an entry point, at which the tampon applicators are fed into the apparatus. The apparatus furthermore includes an exit point, at which equipped tampon applicators are discharged. The apparatus furthermore includes an equipping unit arranged between the entry point and the exit point and designed for equipping tampon applicators with tampons. A multiplicity of guide units which are guided on the guide arrangement serves for transporting the tampon applicators on the guide arrangement. A guide unit conveys tampon applicators on such apparatus, and a method equips tampon applicators with tampons.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming tampons, which comprises a plurality of processing drums 2, 4, 5.1, 5.2 for forming a tampon from band-form material. It also comprises at least one transfer station 7 for continuously transferring a preform from a first processing drum 2, 4, 5.1, 5.2 to a second processing drum 4, 5.1, 5.2. The invention also relates to a method for forming a tampon from band-form material, wherein transfer from a first processing drum to a second processing drum takes place by means of a continuously rotating transfer wheel.

Abstract: An apparatus for equipping tampon applicators with tampons includes an encircling guide arrangement with an entry point, at which the tampon applicators are fed into the apparatus. The apparatus furthermore includes an exit point, at which equipped tampon applicators are discharged. The apparatus furthermore includes an equipping unit arranged between the entry point and the exit point and designed for equipping tampon applicators with tampons. A multiplicity of guide units which are guided on the guide arrangement serves for transporting the tampon applicators on the guide arrangement. A guide unit conveys tampon applicators on such apparatus, and a method equips tampon applicators with tampons.

Abstract: A method for winding preforms for the manufacture of tampons feeds a material tape. Strips in the form of tapes are separated from this material tape and pushed into a continuously rotating winding drum by at least one drive roller in such a way that the strip is positioned between a winding fork and a guide bar such that when the winding fork moves around the guide bar, the latter pushes a section of the strip into a fork gap of the winding fork and thus enables entrainment. Also, a corresponding device carries out the method.

Abstract: A tampon is produced rolling up a strip of fiber fleece material to form a cylindrical blank having a cylindrical mantle with mantle sections uniformly distributed over the circumference of the cylindrical blank. Pressing forces are applied to the mantle sections so as to form a preformed blank having a core and longitudinal ribs extending in the longitudinal direction of the preformed blank and distributed adjacent to one another so as to surround the core. The fiber fleece material of the core is compressed more strongly than the fiber fleece material of the longitudinal ribs. The longitudinal ribs are subjected to radial pressure forces for finish-shaping the preformed blank to form the tampon. The core of the tampon has a circular cross-section comprising an annular outer area and a circular central area surrounded by the annular outer area. The fiber fleece material of the circular central area is compressed less than the fiber fleece material of the annular outer area.

Abstract: This invention relates to machines for the manufacture of tampons, the machines having a first set of n pressing dies arranged around a common central axis for pivotal movement together from a separated position for receiving a tampon blank inwardly toward a common axis to a compression position compressing the blank into a shaped tampon and then back to the separated position. Each such first die has generally converging arcuately curved concave and convex surfaces which define therebetween an included angle equal to about 360/n with these curvatures generally mating respectively with the respectively adjacent convex and concave surfaces of other dies on either side to define a narrow arcuately curved gap or slot between the mutually mating surfaces of each adjacent pair of first dies.