Abstract: A process for splicing a first portion of absorbent material to a second portion of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length of absorbent material suitable for uninterrupted sequential infeed to a processing machine. The process includes the steps of placing a trailing end of the first portion adjacent a leading end of the second portion and aligning the ends. A piece of splicing material is attached to the ends. The piece of splicing material has a fluid permeability at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the first portion of absorbent material and at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the second portion of absorbent material.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article including spliced absorbent material. The absorbent material has a first portion of absorbent material spliced to a second portion of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length of absorbent material suitable for uninterrupted sequential infeed to a processing machine. A trailing end of the first portion is adjacent a leading end of the second portion. A piece of splicing material is attached to the ends. The piece of splicing material has a fluid permeability at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the first portion of absorbent material and at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the second portion of absorbent material.

Abstract: Absorbent articles comprising fibrous nits and other free-flowing particles are disclosed. In one embodiment, an absorbent article is disclosed comprising free-flowing particles in a central portion which, in conjunction with other absorbent members, provides excellent body fit and good fluid handling performance. In another embodiment, good leakage control is provided by the combined effect of good intake and fluid handling performance of fibrous nits coupled with a wicking barrier between the nits and the longitudinal sides of the articles. An optional central rising member can further enhance the topography of the article when compressed by urging the portion comprising nits to deflect vertically upward. Methods of preparing cellulosic nits and incorporating them into absorbent articles are also described.

Abstract: A process for splicing a first portion of absorbent material to a second portion of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length of absorbent material suitable for uninterrupted sequential infeed to a processing machine. The process includes the steps of placing a trailing end of the first portion adjacent a leading end of the second portion and aligning the ends. A piece of splicing material is attached to the ends. The piece of splicing material has a fluid permeability at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the first portion of absorbent material and at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the second portion of absorbent material. In other aspects, the disclosure includes a spliced, continuous length of absorbent material, and a personal care absorbent article formed from the spliced absorbent material.

Abstract: A method of preparing coils of wound ribbon to reduce twisting thereof during continuous axial ribbon feed to a processing machine. Each coil has a sequence of turns wound about a central axis and includes a central end at an inner-most turn of the sequence of turns and an outer end at an outer-most turn of the sequence of turns. The method includes orienting a first coil and a second coil so that the first and second coils are wound in identical directions and splicing the central end of the first coil to the central end of the second coil such that at least some twists developed during axial ribbon feed of the first coil are removed during axial ribbon feed of the second coil.

Abstract: A process for splicing a first portion of absorbent material to a second portion of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length of absorbent material suitable for uninterrupted sequential infeed to a processing machine. The process includes the steps of placing a trailing end of the first portion adjacent a leading end of the second portion and aligning the ends. A piece of splicing material is attached to the ends. The piece of splicing material has a fluid permeability at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the first portion of absorbent material and at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the second portion of absorbent material.

Abstract: A personal care absorbent article including spliced absorbent material. The absorbent material has a first portion of absorbent material spliced to a second portion of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length of absorbent material suitable for uninterrupted sequential infeed to a processing machine. A trailing end of the first portion is adjacent a leading end of the second portion. A piece of splicing material is attached to the ends. The piece of splicing material has a fluid permeability at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the first portion of absorbent material and at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the second portion of absorbent material.

Abstract: A method of controlling twisting in ribbon material fed from a coil of ribbon material into a processing machine. The coil has a central axis perpendicular to a plane of the coil. The method includes pulling ribbon material from the coil in a direction having a twist-promoting axial component relative to the plane of the coil and continuously rotating the coil during the pulling step at a rotational speed greater than zero so that a number of twists in the unwound ribbon is maintained below a predetermined number.

Abstract: A process for splicing a first section of absorbent material to a second section of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length (20) of absorbent material suitable for a substantially uninterrupted sequential in-feed to a processing machine. The process includes a placing of a trailing end (26) of a first portion (22) of absorbent material in a position that substantially overlaps a leading end (28) of a second portion (24) of absorbent material to provide an overlapped splicing region (42). The trailing end (26) of the first portion (22) is attached to the leading end (28) of the second portion (24) along at least a part of the overlapped splicing region (42) with a thermal bond that provides a splice between the first portion (22) of absorbent material and the second portion (24) of absorbent material, and in a particular aspect, the absorbent material can be configured to provide an airlaid, nonwoven absorbent material.

Abstract: A twist controlling device for ribbon material wound in a coil about a central axis. The device controls twists in the ribbon material as it is fed from the coil to a processing machine. The device includes a gate adapted to be positioned along a ribbon feed path from the coil to the processing machine and having an opening therethrough for receiving the ribbon material. The gate is adapted to engage the ribbon and is rotatable about a gate axis generally coincident with a center of the opening for controlling twisting of the ribbon.

Abstract: Absorbent articles comprising fibrous nits and other free-flowing particles are disclosed. In one embodiment, an absorbent article is disclosed comprising free-flowing particles in a central portion which, in conjunction with other absorbent members, provides excellent body fit and good fluid handling performance. In another embodiment, good leakage control is provided by the combined effect of good intake and fluid handling performance of fibrous nits coupled with a wicking barrier between the nits and the longitudinal sides of the articles. An optional central rising member can further enhance the topography of the article when compressed by urging the portion comprising nits to deflect vertically upward.

Abstract: A method of preparing connected coils of wound ribbon in an alternating pattern to reduce twisting thereof during continuous axial ribbon feed to a processing machine. Each coil has a sequence of turns wound about a central axis and includes central end at an inner-most turn of the sequence of turns and an outer end at an outer-most turn of the sequence of turns. The outer end of a first coil of the coils is connected to the central end of a second coil of the coils. The method includes orienting the first coil in a clockwise winding direction and orienting the second coil in a counterclockwise winding direction such that at least some twists developed during axial ribbon feed of the first coil are removed during axial ribbon feed of the second coil.

Abstract: A process is provided for splicing multiple blocks of multi-lane festooned material. The tail ends of stacks from a first block are spliced to lead ends of stacks from a second block, and the tail ends of the stacks in the second block are spliced with the lead ends of stacks in the first block or another block.

Abstract: Absorbent articles comprising fibrous nits and other free-flowing particles are provided. In one embodiment, an absorbent article includes free-flowing particles in a central portion which, in conjunction with other absorbent members, provides excellent body fit and good fluid handling performance. In another embodiment, good leakage control is provided by the combined effect of good intake and fluid handling performance of fibrous nits coupled with a wicking barrier between the nits and the longitudinal sides of the articles. An optional central rising member can further enhance the topography of the article when compressed by urging the portion comprising nits to deflect vertically upward. Also provided are methods of preparing cellulosic nits and incorporating them into absorbent articles.

Abstract: A process for splicing a first section of absorbent material to a second section of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length (20) of absorbent material suitable for a substantially uninterrupted sequential in-feed to a processing machine. The process includes a placing of a trailing end (26) of a first portion (22) of absorbent material in a position that substantially overlaps a leading end (28) of a second portion (24) of absorbent material to provide an overlapped splicing region (42). The trailing end (26) of the first portion (22) is attached to the leading end (28) of the second portion (24) along at least a part of the overlapped splicing region (42) with a thermal bond that provides a splice between the first portion (22) of absorbent material and the second portion (24) of absorbent material, and in a particular aspect, the absorbent material can be configured to provide an airlaid, nonwoven absorbent material.

Abstract: A twist controlling device for ribbon material wound in a coil about a central axis. The device controls twists in the ribbon material as it is fed from the coil to a processing machine. The device includes a gate adapted to be positioned along a ribbon feed path from the coil to the processing machine and having an opening therethrough for receiving the ribbon material. The gate is adapted to engage the ribbon and is rotatable about a gate axis generally coincident with a center of the opening for controlling twisting of the ribbon.

Abstract: A process for splicing a first portion of absorbent material to a second portion of absorbent material to form a longer, continuous length of absorbent material suitable for uninterrupted sequential infeed to a processing machine. The process includes the steps of placing a trailing end of the first portion adjacent a leading end of the second portion and aligning the ends. A piece of splicing material is attached to the ends. The piece of splicing material has a fluid permeability at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the first portion of absorbent material and at least about as great as a fluid permeability of the second portion of absorbent material. In other aspects, the disclosure includes a spliced, continuous length of absorbent material, and a personal care absorbent article formed from the spliced absorbent material.

Abstract: A method of controlling twisting in ribbon material fed from a coil of ribbon material into a processing machine. The coil has a central axis perpendicular to a plane of the coil. The method includes pulling ribbon material from the coil in a direction having a twist-promoting axial component relative to the plane of the coil and continuously rotating the coil during the pulling step at a rotational speed greater than zero so that a number of twists in the unwound ribbon is maintained below a predetermined number.

Abstract: A method of preparing coils of wound ribbon to reduce twisting thereof during continuous axial ribbon feed to a processing machine. Each coil has a sequence of turns wound about a central axis and includes a central end at an inner-most turn of the sequence of turns and an outer end at an outer-most turn of the sequence of turns. The method includes orienting a first coil and a second coil so that the first and second coils are wound in identical directions and splicing the central end of the first coil to the central end of the second coil such that at least some twists developed during axial ribbon feed of the first coil are removed during axial ribbon feed of the second coil.

Abstract: A method of preparing connected coils of wound ribbon in an alternating pattern to reduce twisting thereof during continuous axial ribbon feed to a processing machine. Each coil has a sequence of turns wound about a central axis and includes central end at an inner-most turn of the sequence of turns and an outer end at an outer-most turn of the sequence of turns. The outer end of a first coil of the coils is connected to the central end of a second coil of the coils. The method includes orienting the first coil in a clockwise winding direction and orienting the second coil in a counterclockwise winding direction such that at least some twists developed during axial ribbon feed of the first coil are removed during axial ribbon feed of the second coil.