text:
A method of applying curved leg elastics to absorbent garments involves stretching and wrapping a pair of elastic ribbons about a first curved surface of a pair of disks. A portion of each of the elastic ribbons folds onto a second surface of each of the disks. The disks are rotated about a point off-center from a center point of the disks. The portions of the elastic ribbons on the second surfaces of the disks are rotated onto a substrate and bonded to the substrate in their stretched positions on the disks, thereby forming finished seams. The resulting absorbent garments have gasket-like leg openings with improved comfort and aesthetic appeal.
1. A method of producing a curved leg elastic, comprising the steps of:
guiding an elastic ribbon onto at least a portion of a periphery of a disk;
rotating the disk about a point off-center from a center point of the disk; and
bonding a portion of the elastic ribbon to the substrate.
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8. The method of claim I, wherein the disk is kidney-shaped.
9. The method of
a first portion of the elastic ribbon about at least a portion of the periphery of the disk along a first curved surface, such that a second portion of the elastic ribbon folds over an edge of the disk onto a second surface of the disk.
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15. A method of attaching a curved material to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
guiding a first portion of a strip of material onto at least a portion of a periphery of a cam, such that a second portion of the strip of material folds over a first surface of the cam;
rotating the cam about a point off-center from a center point of the cam; and
bonding the second portion of the strip of material to the substrate.
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26. A method of attaching a curved material to a substrate, comprising the steps of:
guiding a strip of material onto at least a portion of a periphery of a cam;
rotating the cam about a point off-center from a center point of the cam;
rotating the cam and the strip of material with a rotating device toward the substrate; and
bonding a portion of the strip of material to the substrate.
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This invention is directed to a method of producing fully encircling, curved leg elastics. The method involves placing a pair of elastic ribbons on a pair of disks that rotate off-center to provide a camming function, and subsequently applying the elastic ribbons to a substrate.
Pant-like absorbent garments, such as adult incontinence wear, as well as infant and children's diapers, swim wear and training pants, typically include a pair of leg openings having an elastic portion around each leg opening. The elastic portions are intended to fit snugly around a wearer's legs to prevent leakage from the garment.
Various technologies are known for applying leg elastics to such articles. For example, one technology involves bonding a continuous loop to a substrate. However, producing a supply of continuous loops of elastic strands is more costly and cumbersome than providing a supply of a continuous length of elastic ribbons.
Articles which incorporate conventional elasticized margins and conventional barrier flap configurations at their leg openings have, however, exhibited various shortcomings. For example, it has been difficult to avoid pressure-induced marking of the wearer's skin and difficult to maintain the desired gasketing of the leg openings when the articles are being worn. Even when the leg openings are fitted with an elastomeric material or otherwise elasticized, it has been difficult to maintain contact between the leg opening and the wearer's body for effective containment of urine and feces. As a result, there has been a continued need for improved containment structures at the leg regions of absorbent articles.
There is a need or desire for a process for making comfortable, gasket-like leg elastics that are aesthetically pleasing and can be applied in a high-speed application.
The present invention is directed to a method of applying curved leg elastics to pant-like absorbent garments using disks that rotate off-center. Apparatus that can be used for carrying out the invention includes at least one pair of rotating disks, a cutting device, and a bonding device. The rotating disks have a curved surface around which an elastic ribbon is stretched. The result is a comfortable, flexible, aesthetically pleasing leg opening. Furthermore, the resulting leg opening is form-fitting and acts like a gasket.
In carrying out the invention, each elastic ribbon of a pair of elastic ribbons is guided onto one of the disks. The elastic ribbon is guided onto the pucks such that a portion of the elastic ribbon overhangs the edge of the first curved surface. Tension in the elastic ribbon causes the overhanging portion to fold over onto an adjacent, second curved surface of the puck. The disk is juxtaposed to a substrate to which the elastic ribbon will be applied. The disk rotates about a point significantly off-center from a center of the disk, thereby providing an oscillating motion towards the substrate. The second portion of the elastic ribbon is bonded to the substrate.
The elastic ribbons are cut into discrete lengths prior to carrying out the method of the invention by using a slip cut applicator. The elastic ribbon is fed onto an anvil of a slip cut unit. The anvil is suitably wide enough to support a fall width of the elastic ribbon to enable easy cutting with a knife portion of the slip cut unit. The cut segment of elastic ribbon is then transferred to the disk and held in place with a vacuum.
The method of the invention can be used in high-speed applications, namely applications running at linear speeds of 600 feet per minute or greater. The substrate may be stretchable or extensible, thereby providing great flexibility and enabling the elastic ribbons to be applied at low tension. Furthermore, stretchability and/or extensibility of the substrate provide for a larger leg fit range.
The resulting product is an absorbent garment having a comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, finished look about the leg openings. This method can also be used to apply curved standing leg cuffs and/or curved leak guard flaps.
With the foregoing in mind, it is a feature and advantage of the invention to provide a method of applying curved leg elastics to an absorbent garment.
It is another feature and advantage of the invention to provide a method of applying leg elastics to an absorbent garment resulting in gasket-like leg openings.
It is yet another feature and advantage of the invention to provide a method of applying leg elastics to an absorbent garment resulting in form-fitting leg openings.
It is a further feature and advantage of the invention to provide a method of applying leg elastics to an absorbent garment resulting in comfortable and aesthetically pleasing leg openings.
FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of an absorbent garment;
FIG. 2 is a top view of an apparatus and substrate, including two slip cut applicators and two rotating disks that rotate off-center, used to produce curved leg elastics;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the apparatus in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the apparatus of FIGS. 2 and 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the disks of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4;
FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the disk in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a top view of a substrate, showing a pair of curved leg elastics bonded to the substrate;
FIG. 8 is a front view of an absorbent garment showing how the leg elastics are bonded to the substrate;
FIG. 9 is a front view of an absorbent garment showing leg elastic members with rolled edges; and
FIG. 10 is a plan view of the absorbent garment of FIG. 1 in a partially disassembled, stretched flat state, and showing the surface of the article that faces the wearer when the article is worn, and with portions cut away to show the underlying features.
Within the context of this specification, each term or phrase below will include the following meaning or meanings.
"Bonded" refers to the joining, adhering, connecting, attaching, or the like, of two elements. Two elements will be considered to be bonded together when they are bonded directly to one another or indirectly to one another, such as when each is directly bonded to intermediate elements.
"Curved" refers to an opening, band, flap, surface, or edge, at least a portion of which is curved, i.e. has a radius of curvature and an arc covering at least 30�. Preferably, the opening, band, flap, surface, or edge is curved over at least 90�, more preferably at least 180�.
"Disposable" refers to articles which are designed to be discarded after a limited use rather than being laundered or otherwise restored for reuse.
"Elastic," "elasticized" and "elasticity" mean that property of a material or composite by virtue of which it tends to recover its original size and shape after removal of a force causing a deformation.
"Elastomeric" refers to a material or composite which can be elongated by at least 25 percent of its relaxed length and which will recover, upon release of the applied force, at least 10 percent of its elongation. It is generally preferred that the elastomeric material or composite be capable of being elongated by at least 100 percent, more preferably by at least 300 percent, of its relaxed length and recover, upon release of an applied force, at least 50 percent of its elongation.
"Extensible" refers to a material capable of being extended or protruded in length or breadth.
"Film" refers to a thermoplastic film made using a film extrusion and/or foaming process, such as a cast film or blown film extrusion process. The term includes apertured films, slit films, and other porous films which constitute liquid transfer films, as well as films which do not transfer liquid. The term also includes film-like materials that exist as open-celled foams.
"Force" includes a physical influence exerted by one body on another which produces acceleration of bodies that are free to move and deformation or separation of bodies that are not free to move.
"Hydrophilic" describes fibers or the surfaces of fibers which are wetted by the aqueous liquids in contact with the fibers. The degree of wetting of the materials can, in turn, be described in terms of the contact angles and the surface tensions of the liquids and materials involved. Equipment and techniques suitable for measuring the wettability of particular fiber materials or blends of fiber materials can be provided by a Cahn SFA-222 Surface Force Analyzer System, or a substantially equivalent system. When measured with this system, fibers having contact angles less than 90� are designated "wettable" or hydrophilic, while fibers having contact angles greater than 90� are designated "nonwettable" or hydrophobic.
"Layer" when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single element or a plurality of elements.
"Leg elastic" includes elastic bands, strands, ribbons, filaments, filament bunches and the like, which are adjacent to a garment opening that receives a wearer's leg.
"Liquid impermeable," when used in describing a layer or multi-layer laminate, means that a liquid, such as urine, will not pass through the layer or laminate, under ordinary use conditions, in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the layer or laminate at the point of liquid contact. Liquid, or urine, may spread or be transported parallel to the plane of the liquid impermeable layer or laminate, but this is not considered to be within the meaning of "liquid impermeable" when used herein.
"Liquid-permeable material" or "liquid water-permeable material" refers to a material present in one or more layers, such as a film, nonwoven fabric, or open-celled foam, which is porous, and which is water permeable due to the flow of water and other aqueous liquids through the pores. The pores in the film or foam, or spaces between fibers or filaments in a nonwoven web, are large enough and frequent enough to permit leakage and flow of liquid water through the material.
"Longitudinal" and "transverse" have their customary meaning, as indicated by the longitudinal and transverse axes depicted in FIG. 11. The longitudinal axis lies in the plane of the article and is generally parallel to a vertical plane that bisects a standing wearer into left and right body halves when the article is worn. The transverse axis lies in the plane of the article generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The article as illustrated is longer in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction.
"Meltblown fibers" means fibers formed by extruding a molten thermoplastic material through a plurality of fine, usually circular, die capillaries as molten threads or filaments into converging high velocity heated gas (e.g., air) streams which attenuate the filaments of molten thermoplastic material to reduce their diameter, which may be to microfiber diameter. Thereafter, the meltblown fibers are carried by the high velocity gas stream and are deposited on a collecting surface to form a web of randomly dispersed meltblown fibers. Such a process is disclosed for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,241 to Butin et al. Meltblown fibers are microfibers which may be continuous or discontinuous, are generally smaller than about 0.6 denier, and are generally self bonding when deposited onto a collecting surface. Meltblown fibers used in the present invention are preferably substantially continuous in length.
"Member" when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single element or a plurality of elements.
"Nonwoven" and "nonwoven web" refer to materials and webs of material which are formed without the aid of a textile weaving or knitting process.
"Operatively attached," in reference to the attachment of an elastic member to another element, means that the elastic member when attached to or connected to the element, or treated with heat or chemicals, by stretching, or the like, gives the element elastic properties; and with reference to the attachment of a non-elastic member to another element, means that the member and element can be attached in any suitable manner that permits or allows them to perform the intended or described function of the composite. The joining, attaching, connecting or the like can be either directly, such as joining either member directly to an element, or can be indirectly by means of another member disposed between the first member and the first element, or can be such that the first member is mechanically trapped by adjacent bond points in the first element such that the first member causes the composite to exhibit characteristics of the first member.
"Polymers" include, but are not limited to, homopolymers, copolymers, such as, for example, block, graft, random and alternating copolymers, terpolymers, etc. and blends and modifications thereof. Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically limited, the term "polymer" shall include all possible geometrical configurations of the material. These configurations include, but are not limited to isotactic, syndiotactic and atactic symmetries.
"Spunbonded fibers" refers to small diameter fibers which are formed by extruding molten thermoplastic material as filaments from a plurality of fine capillaries of a spinnerette having a circular or other configuration, with the diameter of the extruded filaments then being rapidly reduced as by, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,563 to Appel et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,618 to Dorschner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,817 to Matsuki et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,992 and 3,341,394 to Kinney, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,763 to Hartmann, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,538 to Petersen, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,615 to Dobo et al., each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Spunbond fibers are quenched and generally not tacky when they are deposited onto a collecting surface. Spunbond fibers are generally continuous and often have average deniers larger than about 0.3, more particularly, between about 0.6 and 10.
"Stretchable" means that a material can be stretched, without breaking, by at least 50% (to 150% of its initial (unstretched) length) in at least one direction, suitably by at least 100% (to 200% of its initial length), desirably by at least 150% (to at least 250% of its initial length).
"Surface" includes any layer, film, woven, nonwoven, laminate, composite, or the like, whether pervious or impervious to air, gas, and/or liquids.
"Tension" includes a uniaxial force tending to cause the extension of a body or the balancing force within that body resisting the extension.
"Thermoplastic" describes a material that softens when exposed to heat and which substantially returns to a nonsoftened condition when cooled to room temperature.
These terms may be defined with additional language in the remaining portions of the specification.
The present invention is directed to a method of applying curved leg elastics to pant-like absorbent garments. Curved leg elastics, in accordance with the invention, are leg elastics that follow a curved contour of a leg opening. The present invention results in curved leg elastics having an unbonded elastic portion spanning an entire length of the leg elastics and a bonded elastic portion also spanning an entire length of the leg elastics. The unbonded portion and the bonded portion are both part of a solitary unit, or ribbon, of elastic. The bonded portion is a portion of the elastic ribbon that is bonded to a substrate. The unbonded portion can extend away from the bonded portion at an angle, or can lie juxtaposed to the bonded portion via a fold along the length of the elastic ribbon. The unbonded portion has greater freedom to respond to internal tension when the garment is in a relaxed state than the bonded portion, attributable to the fact that the bonded portion is bonded to the substrate in a stretched state, thereby causing the bonded portion to be restrained in movement by the substrate. The resulting disproportionate freedom of movement along the length of the elastic ribbon causes a curvature of the elastic ribbon. In addition to the curvature caused by the disproportionate freedom of movement, the bonded portion is bonded to the substrate along a periphery of a curved cut-out in the substrate. The curved shape of the bonded portion increases the curvature of the leg elastics.
The principles of the present invention can be incorporated into any suitable disposable absorbent article. Examples of such suitable articles include diapers, training pants, feminine hygiene products, incontinence products, other personal care or health care garments, or the like. As used herein, the term "incontinence products" includes absorbent underwear for children, absorbent garments for children or young adults with special needs such as autistic children or others with bladder/bowel control problems as a result of physical disabilities, as well as absorbent garments for incontinent older adults. For ease of explanation, the description hereafter will be in terms of a child's training pant. Furthermore, the principles of the present invention can be used to apply leg elastics, as well as leak guard flaps or leg cuffs, to the leg openings of pant-like absorbent garments. For ease of explanation, the description hereafter will be in terms of leg elastics.
Referring to FIG. 1, a disposable absorbent article, such as a training pant 20, is illustrated in a fastened condition. Leg elastics 10 are used around leg openings 12 of the training pant 20 to create a gasket and to reduce or prevent leakage. The term "gasket" refers to a device that is used to block fluid leakage around the leg openings, between the garment and legs of a wearer. A main chassis 14 defines the leg openings 12 and a waist opening 13. When the leg elastics 10 are curved, as in the present invention, the leg elastics 10 are more form-fitting than straight edge leg elastics. The term "straight edge leg elastics" refers to typical leg elastics that are attached to a substrate in a straight line. As a result, the leg openings 12 are gathered with low tension, since the leg openings 12 do not have to overcome forces from a main chassis 14 as straight edge leg elastics must overcome. The low tension and form-fit results in an absorbent garment 20 with increased comfort. Additionally, the curved leg elastics 10 have a finished seam 16 where attached to the main chassis 14, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
The leg elastics 10 are preferably curved about the full circumference of the leg openings 12, but may alternatively only partially encircle the leg openings 12, thereby resulting in curved leg elastics that are not fully encircling.
One example of apparatus 3 for carrying out the invention is shown generally in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The apparatus 3 includes a pair of disks 24 which rotate about an off-center pivot point 23. The off-center pivot point 23 is suitably significantly off-center with respect to a center point 22 of each disk 24, suitably at least 0.5 centimeter off-center, more suitably at least 1 centimeter off-center, even more suitably at least 2 centimeters off-center, most suitably at least 3 centimeters off-center, depending on the size of the disks 24. The disks 24 rotate juxtaposed to a substrate 40 to which the leg elastics 10 will be bonded. The disks 24 suitably have at least one curved surface 26. The first curved surface 26 may have any of a wide range of degrees of curvature along its length, with optimal curvature conforming to curvature about a wearer's leg. The disks 24 are suitably non-circular, and may be kidney-shaped or heart-shaped, for example. The non-circular shape of the disks 24 can create irregularly shaped patterns, so as to optimize fit of the leg openings 12 about a wearer's legs.
A disk 24 used in the invention is shown separately in FIGS. 5 and 6. The disk 24 has the first curved surface 26, as mentioned above, as well as a second surface 28, with an edge 30 separating the first curved surface 26 and the second surface 28. The second surface 28 can have a texture or pattern on it to create a desired bonding pattern where the elastic will attach to the substrate. FIGS. 5 and 6 also show a tensioned elastic ribbon 10 wrapped about the first curved surface 26 of the disk 24, as explained below.
The disks 24 each rotate about the off-center pivot point 23 in a direction complementary to the machine direction movement of the substrate 40. The machine direction is indicated by the arrow 47 in FIGS. 2 and 4. The machine direction in FIG. 3 is out of the paper. Guide rolls 36 are located in close proximity to each of the disks 24, but not necessarily in close proximity to one another (FIG. 2). The elastic ribbons 10 used in the method of the invention are continuous lengths of elastic ribbon cut into discrete pieces by a cutting device 34. As shown in FIG. 2, cutting devices 34 may also be used to transfer the discrete elastic pieces onto the disks 24. The cutting device 34 is suitably a slip cut applicator having an anvil 33 wide enough to support a full width of the elastic ribbon 10, thereby enabling easy cutting with a knife portion 35 of the slip cut unit 34. A bonding device 32, such as an ultrasonic bonder, is also located in close proximity to each of the disks 24, and may be located below the substrate 40, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The disks 24 can either rotate onto the substrate 40 with sufficient pressure for the bonding process or, alternatively, the bonding devices 32 can exert force upward to carry out the bonding process.
In carrying out the invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the elastic ribbons 10 are guided onto the anvils 33 of the slip cut applicators 34. A vacuum within the anvils 33 is used to hold the elastic ribbons 10 in place on the anvils 33 after the ribbons 10 are cut by the cutting device 34. Examples of other suitable cutting devices 34, in addition to slip cut applicators, include mechanical pinch cut-off knives, and hot knives or other cutting means well known in the art. As the anvils 33 are rotated past the disks 24, the elastic ribbons 10 are transferred to the first curved surfaces 26 of the disks 24. A vacuum within the disks 24 is used to hold the elastic ribbons 10 in place on the disks 24. Alternatively or additionally, the disks 24 can have a nonslip texture on at least part of the first curved surfaces 26 and on at least part of the adjacent second surfaces 28 to hold the elastic ribbons 10 in place. The elastic ribbons 10 are transferred onto the first curved surfaces 26 of the disks 24 such that a first portion 38 of the elastic ribbons 10 is placed on the first curved surfaces 26 of the disks 24 while a second portion 39 of the elastic ribbons 10 overhangs the edge 30 of the first curved surface 26. Tension in the elastic ribbons 10 and the curvature of the first surface 26 cause the second portion 39 of the elastic ribbons 10 to fold onto the adjacent second surfaces 28 of the disks 24. The elastic ribbons 10 are preferably stretched to at least 125%, more preferably at least 150%, of their initial (unstretched) length as they are wrapped about the first curved surface 26 of the disk 24. The cutting device 34 is not necessarily directly mounted to the disk 24, but is mounted at least in close proximity to the disk 24.
The disks 24 are rotated toward the substrate 40 about the off-center pivot points 23 as indicated by the arrows 54 in FIG. 2. The second portion 39 of the elastic ribbon 10 on the second surface 28 of the disk 24 remains substantially parallel to the substrate 40 throughout the process. The disks 24 rotate the second portions 39 of the elastic ribbons 10 onto the substrate 40, and the second portions 39 are then bonded to the substrate 40 in a machine direction. As the elastic ribbons 10 are bonded to the substrate 40, the disks 24 continue to rotate 360 degrees back to their initial position.
The substrate 40 is typically a liner 42 or an outer cover 44 of the absorbent garment 20 (FIG. 1). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the substrate 40 preferably includes corresponding curved cut-outs along parallel edges 46 of the substrate 40. The term "curved cut-out" refers to any cut-out having a curved edge, which may include a single material that is cut to form a cut-out or a plurality of materials that are bonded together to define a cut-out shape. The second portions 39 of the elastic ribbons 10 are bonded to the substrate 40 along an edge 56 adjacent each of the curved cut-outs. The first portions 38 of the elastic ribbons 10 project upward from the substrate 40 and serve as gaskets during later use of the garment 20, as explained below.
The substrate 40 can be a continuous length, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in which case the substrate 40 is cut into individual pieces for each garment 20 subsequent to the application of the elastic ribbons 10. Alternatively, the substrate 40 can be fed through the apparatus 3 in the form of individual pieces for each garment 20, similar to the shape of the substrate 40 in FIG. 8. The substrate 40 is preferably stretchable and/or extensible, thereby providing great flexibility, enabling the elastic ribbons 10 to be applied at low tension, and enabling a wide leg fit range.
FIG. 9 is a front view of an absorbent garment 20 with a pair of curved leg elastics 10 bonded to the substrate 40, in this case, the outer cover 44. FIG. 10 is a front view of an absorbent garment 20 showing the curved leg elastics 10 with rolled edges 58. The rolled edges 58 provide greater strength and reinforcement around the leg openings 12, in addition to an even more finished look. The rolled edges 58 can contain a strand of elastic to provide an even more effective gasket. A resulting seam 16 (see also FIGS. 1 and 9) joining the leg elastics 10 and the substrate 40 has a finished appearance since edges of the substrate 40 and the second portion 39 of the leg elastics 10 are both hidden from view on one side of the seam 16.
The second portions 39 of the elastic ribbons 10 can be bonded to the substrate 40 by ultrasonic bonding, as mentioned, or a variety of other techniques including adhesive bonding, thermal bonding, stitch bonding or other conventional techniques. Suitable adhesives include spray adhesives, hot melt adhesives, self-adhering elastomeric materials and the like. Each suitable bonding technique is strong enough to separate the elastic ribbons 10 from the vacuum in the disks 24, or alternatively, from the nonslip texture of the disks 24. As a further alternative, the vacuum itself can be released, thereby releasing the elastic ribbons 10 from the disks 24.
Once the elastic ribbons 10 have been bonded to the substrate 40, edges 50 and 51 can be joined to edges 52 and 53, respectively, shown in FIG. 8, to form the garments 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 9. Once the garment 20 is formed, the first portions 38 of the elastic ribbons 10 can project upward from the garment surface. During use, the first portions 38 of the elastic ribbons 10 firmly engage the wearer's skin, thereby serving as gaskets to reduce or prevent leakage through the openings of the garment 20.
The method of the invention can be used in high-speed applications, namely applications running at linear speeds of 600 feet per minute or greater.
Referring to FIG. 11, the absorbent garment 20 of FIG. 1 is shown in a partially disassembled, stretched flat state, showing a surface which faces the wearer when the garment is worn. In addition to defining the leg openings 12 and the waist opening 13 (FIG. 1), the absorbent chassis 14 also defines a pair of transversely opposed side edges 136 and a pair of longitudinally opposed waist edges, which are designated front waist edge 138 and back waist edge 139. The chassis 14 also includes a somewhat rectangular composite structure 133, a pair of transversely opposed front side panels 134, and a pair of transversely opposed back side panels 234. The composite structure 133 and side panels 134 and 234 may be integrally formed, as shown in FIG. 8, or may include two or more separate elements, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 11.
The illustrated composite structure 133 includes an outer cover 44, a body side liner 42 which is connected to the outer cover in a superposed relation, and an absorbent assembly 144 which is located between the outer cover 44 and the body side liner 42. The rectangular composite structure 133 has opposite linear end edges 145 that form portions of the front and back waist edges 138 and 139, and opposite linear, or curvilinear, side edges 147 that form portions of the side edges 136 of the absorbent chassis 14. Leg openings 12 (FIG. 1) are generally defined by portions of the transversely opposed side edges 136. For reference, arrows 48 and 49 depicting the orientation of the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis, respectively, of the training pant 20 are illustrated in FIG. 11.
The liquid permeable body side liner 42 is illustrated as overlying the outer cover 44 and absorbent assembly 144 (FIG. 11), and may but need not have the same dimensions as the outer cover 44. The body side liner 42 is desirably compliant, soft feeling, and non-irritating to the child's skin. Further, the body side liner 42 can be less hydrophilic than the absorbent assembly 144, to present a relatively dry surface to the wearer and permit liquid to readily penetrate through its thickness.
The absorbent assembly 144 (FIG. 11) is positioned between the outer cover 44 and the body side liner 42, which components can be joined together by any suitable means, such as adhesives, as is well known in the art. The absorbent assembly 144 can be any structure which is generally compressible, conformable, non-irritating to the child's skin, and capable of absorbing and retaining liquids and certain body wastes. The absorbent assembly 144 can be manufactured in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, and from a wide variety of liquid absorbent materials commonly used in the art. For example, the absorbent assembly 144 can suitably include a matrix of hydrophilic fibers, such as a web of cellulosic fluff, mixed with particles of a high-absorbency material commonly known as superabsorbent material. In a particular embodiment, the absorbent assembly 144 includes a matrix of cellulosic fluff, such as wood pulp fluff, and superabsorbent hydrogel-forming particles. The wood pulp fluff can be exchanged with synthetic, polymeric, meltblown fibers or with a combination of meltblown fibers and natural fibers. The superabsorbent particles can be substantially homogeneously mixed with the hydrophilic fibers or can be nonuniformly mixed. The fluff and superabsorbent particles can also be selectively placed into desired zones of the absorbent assembly 144 to better contain and absorb body exudates. The concentration of the superabsorbent particles can also vary through the thickness of the absorbent assembly 144. Alternatively, the absorbent assembly 144 can include a laminate of fibrous webs and superabsorbent material or other suitable means of maintaining a superabsorbent material in a localized area.
Suitable superabsorbent materials can be selected from natural, synthetic, and modified natural polymers and materials. The superabsorbent materials can be inorganic materials, such as silica gels, or organic compounds, such as crosslinked polymers. Suitable superabsorbent materials are available from various commercial vendors, such as Dow Chemical Company located in Midland, Mich., U.S.A., and Stockhausen GmbH & Co. KG, D-47805 Krefeld, Federal Republic of Germany. Typically, a superabsorbent material is capable of absorbing at least about times its weight in water, and desirably is capable of absorbing more than about 25 times its weight in water.
In one embodiment, the absorbent assembly 144 is generally rectangular in shape, and includes a blend of wood pulp fluff and superabsorbent material. One preferred type of fluff is identified with the trade designation CR1654, available from U.S. Alliance, Childersburg, Ala., U.S.A., and is a bleached, highly absorbent sulfate wood pulp containing primarily soft wood fibers. As a general rule, the superabsorbent material is present in the absorbent assembly 144 in an amount of from about 0 to about 90 weight percent based on total weight of the absorbent assembly. The absorbent assembly 144 suitably has a density within the range of about 0.10 to about 0.35 grams per cubic centimeter. The absorbent assembly 144 may or may not be wrapped or encompassed by a suitable tissue wrap that maintains the integrity and/or shape of the absorbent assembly.
The absorbent chassis 14 can also incorporate other materials that are designed primarily to receive, temporarily store, and/or transport liquid along the mutually facing surface with the absorbent assembly 144, thereby maximizing the absorbent capacity of the absorbent assembly. One suitable material is referred to as a surge layer (not shown) and includes a material having a basis weight of about 50 grams per square meter, and including a through-air-bonded-carded web of a homogenous blend of 60 percent 3 denier bicomponent fiber including a polyester core/polyethylene sheath, commercially available from BASF Corporation, and 40 percent 6 denier polyester fiber, commercially available from Hoechst Celanese Corporation, in Portsmouth, Va., U.S.A.
A wide variety of elastic materials may be used for the leg elastics 10. As is well known to those skilled in the art, suitable elastic materials include sheets, strands or ribbons of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or thermoplastic elastomeric polymers. The elastic materials can be stretched and adhered to a substrate, adhered to a gathered substrate, or adhered to a substrate and then elasticized or shrunk, for example with the application of heat; such that elastic constrictive forces are imparted to the substrate. In one particular embodiment, for example, the leg elastics 10 include a plurality of dry-spun coalesced multifilament spandex elastomeric threads sold under the trade name LYCRA� and available from E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., U.S.A.
Each of the leg elastics 10 preferably has a width of about 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) to about 5 inches (12.7 cm), more preferably about 1 inch (2.54 cm) to about 4 inches (10.16 cm), most preferably about 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) to about 2.5 inches (6.35 cm). Second portions 39 of the leg elastics 10 preferably have a width of about 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) to about 4 inches (10.16 cm), more preferably about 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) to about 3 inches (7.62 cm), most preferably about 1 inch (2.54 cm) to about 2 inches (5.08 cm). The length of the leg elastics 10 once cut by the cutting device 34 should substantially cover a circumference of the leg opening 12. Depending on the garment size, the leg elastics 10 may have a length of at least about 4 inches, preferably at least about 8 inches, more preferably at least about 12 inches. Of course, the lengths are shorter if the leg elastics 10 are not intended to fully encircle a wearer's legs. Furthermore, each of the leg elastics 10 preferably has elongation of 25-350%, more preferably about 30-260%, most preferably about 35-200%.
The substrate 40 is preferably the outer cover 44 and desirably includes a material that is substantially liquid impermeable, and can be elastic, stretchable or nonstretchable. The outer cover 44 can be a single layer of liquid impermeable material, but desirably includes a multi-layered laminate structure in which at least one of the layers is liquid impermeable. For instance, the outer cover 44 can include a liquid permeable outer layer and a liquid impermeable inner layer that are suitably joined together, such as by a laminate adhesive (not shown). Suitable laminate adhesives, which can be applied continuously or intermittently as beads, a spray, parallel swirls, or the like, can be obtained from Findley Adhesives, Inc., of Wauwatosa, Wis., U.S.A., or from National Starch and Chemical Company, Bridgewater, N.J., U.S.A. The liquid permeable outer layer can be any suitable material and desirably one that provides a generally cloth-like texture. One example of such a material is a 20 gsm (grams per square meter) spunbond polypropylene nonwoven web. The outer layer may also be made of those materials of which liquid permeable bodyside liner 42 is made. While it is not a necessity for the outer layer to be liquid permeable, it is desired that it provides a relatively cloth-like texture to the wearer.
The inner layer of the outer cover 44 can be both liquid and vapor impermeable, or can be liquid impermeable and vapor permeable. The inner layer is desirably manufactured from a thin plastic film, although other flexible liquid impermeable materials may also be used. The inner layer, or the liquid impermeable outer cover 44 when a single layer, prevents waste material from wetting articles, such as bedsheets and clothing, as well as the wearer and caregiver. A suitable liquid impermeable film for use as a liquid impermeable inner layer, or a single layer liquid impermeable outer cover 44, is a 0.02 millimeter polyethylene film commercially available from Huntsman Packaging of Newport News, Va., U.S.A. If the outer cover 44 is a single layer of material, it can be embossed and/or matte finished to provide a more cloth-like appearance. As earlier mentioned, the liquid impermeable material can permit vapors to escape from the interior of the disposable absorbent article, while still preventing liquids from passing through the outer cover 44. A suitable "breathable" material is composed of a microporous polymer film or a nonwoven fabric that has been coated or otherwise treated to impart a desired level of liquid impermeability. A suitable microporous film is a PMP-1 film material commercially available from Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals, Inc., Tokyo, Japan, or an XKO-8044 polyolefin film commercially available from 3M Company, Minneapolis, Minn.
The bodyside liner 42 can be manufactured from a wide selection of web materials, such as synthetic fibers (for example, polyester or polypropylene fibers), natural fibers (for example, wood or cotton fibers), a combination of natural and synthetic fibers, porous foams, reticulated foams, apertured plastic films, or the like. Various woven and nonwoven fabrics can be used for the bodyside liner 42. For example, the bodyside liner can be composed of a meltblown or spunbonded web of polyolefin fibers. The bodyside liner can also be a bonded-carded web composed of natural and/or synthetic fibers. The bodyside liner can be composed of a substantially hydrophobic material, and the hydrophobic material can, optionally, be treated with a surfactant or otherwise processed to impart a desired level of wettability and hydrophilicity. For example, the material can be surface treated with about 0.28 weight percent of a surfactant commercially available from the Rohm and Haas Co. under the trade designation Triton X-102. The surfactant can be applied by any conventional means, such as spraying, printing, brush coating or the like. The surfactant can be applied to the entire bodyside liner 42 or can be selectively applied to particular sections of the bodyside liner, such as the medial section along the longitudinal centerline.
A suitable liquid permeable bodyside liner 42 is a nonwoven bicomponent web having a basis weight of about 27 gsm. The nonwoven bicomponent can be a spunbond bicomponent web, or a bonded carded bicomponent web. Suitable bicomponent staple fibers include a polyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent fiber available from CHISSO Corporation, Osaka, Japan. In this particular bicomponent fiber, the polypropylene forms the core and the polyethylene forms the sheath of the fiber. Other fiber orientations are possible, such as multi-lobe, side-by-side, end-to-end, or the like. While the outer cover 44 and bodyside liner 42 can include elastomeric materials, it can be desirable in some embodiments for the composite structure to be generally inelastic, where the outer cover, the bodyside liner and the absorbent assembly include materials that are generally not elastomeric.
As noted previously, the illustrated training pant 20 can have front and back side panels 134 and 234 disposed on each side of the absorbent chassis 14 (FIGS. 1 and 11). These transversely opposed front side panels 134 and transversely opposed back side panels 234 can be permanently bonded to the composite structure 133 of the absorbent chassis 14 and are releasably attached to one another by a fastening system 80 (FIG. 1). More particularly, as shown best in FIG. 11, the front side panels 134 can be permanently bonded to and extend transversely beyond the linear side edges 147 of the composite structure 133 along attachment lines 69, and the back side panels 234 can be permanently bonded to and extend transversely beyond the linear side edges of the composite structure along attachment lines 69. The side panels 134 and 234 may be attached using attachment means known to those skilled in the art such as adhesive, thermal or ultrasonic bonding. The side panels 134 and 234 can also be formed as a portion of a component of the composite structure 133, such as the outer cover 44 or the body side liner 42.
Each of the side panels 134 and 234 can include one or more individual, distinct pieces of material. In particular embodiments, for example, each side panel 134 and 234 can include first and second side panel portions that are joined at a seam, with at least one of the portions including an elastomeric material (not shown). Still alternatively, each individual side panel 134 and 234 can include a single piece of material which is folded over upon itself along an intermediate fold line (not shown).
The side panels 134 and 234 desirably include an elastic material capable of stretching in a direction generally parallel to the transverse axis 49 of the training pant 20. In particular embodiments, the front and back side panels 134 and 234 may each include an interior portion 78 disposed between a distal edge 68 and a respective front or back center panel 135 or 235. In the illustrated embodiment in FIG. 1, the interior portions 78 are disposed between the distal edges 68 and the side edges 147 of the rectangular composite structure 133. The elastic material of the side panels 134 can be disposed in the interior portions 78 to render the side panels elastomeric in a direction generally parallel to the transverse axis 49. Most desirably, each side panel 134 is elastomeric from a waist end edge 72 to a leg end edge 70. More specifically, individual samples of side panel material, taken between the waist end edge 72 and the leg end edge 70 parallel to the transverse axis 49 and having a length from the attachment line 69 to the distal edge 68 and a width of about 2 centimeters, are all elastomeric.
Suitable elastic materials, as well as one described process of incorporating elastic side panels into a training pant, are described in the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,464 issued Jul. 10, 1990 to Van Gompel et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,405 issued Jul. 6, 1993 to Pohjola; U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,116 issued Apr. 14, 1992 to Pohjola; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,272 issued Sep. 10, 1991 to Vogt et al.; all of which are incorporated herein by reference. In particular embodiments, the elastic material includes a stretch-thermal laminate (STL), a neck-bonded laminate (NBL), a reversibly necked laminate, or a stretch-bonded laminate (SBL) material. Methods of making such materials are well known to those skilled in the art and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,220 issued May 5, 1987 to Wisneski et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,992 issued Jul. 13, 1993 to Morman; and European Patent Application No. EP 0 217 032 published on Apr. 8, 1987 in the names of Taylor et al.; all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the side panel material may include other woven or nonwoven materials, such as those described above as being suitable for the outer cover 44 or body side liner 42, or stretchable but inelastic materials.
The absorbent chassis 14 and the fastening system 80 together define a refastenable pant having a waist opening 13 and a pair of leg openings 12 (FIG. 1). When the fastening system is engaged, it can be appreciated that the refastenable pant includes a pair of elastomeric front side panels 134 extending from the waist opening to each leg opening, a pair of elastomeric back side panels 234 extending from the waist opening to each leg opening, a pair of refastenable seams 88 (FIG. 1) extending from the waist opening to each leg opening and positioned between the elastomeric front and back side panels, an elastomeric front waistband 154 positioned between the pair of elastomeric front side panels 134, an elastomeric back waistband 156 positioned between the pair of elastomeric back side panels 234, and a pair of curved leg elastics 10 which encircle each leg opening 12. Alternatively, instead of refastenable seams 88, the absorbent garment of the invention can have bonded side seams.
As described herein, the various components of the training pant 20 can be integrally assembled together employing various types of suitable attachment means, such as adhesive, sonic and thermal bonds or combinations thereof. The resulting product is an absorbent garment 20 having a comfortable, gasket-like fit and an aesthetically pleasing, finished look about the leg openings 12. The gasket-like fit can eliminate a need for separately attached side flaps, thereby eliminating additional time and material costs. The pant-like absorbent garment 20 can be sized and tailored for a wide variety of uses including, for example, diapers, training pants, swimwear, adult incontinence garments, and the like. The curved leg elastics of the present invention can also be used for curved standing leg cuffs. Alternatively, leak guard flaps can be attached to an absorbent garment in the same manner as the leg elastics are attached to an absorbent garment in the present invention.
It will be appreciated that details of the foregoing embodiments, given for purposes of illustration, are not to be construed as limiting the scope of this invention. Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention, which is defined in the following claims and all equivalents thereto. Further, it is recognized that many embodiments may be conceived that do not achieve all of the advantages of some embodiments, particularly of the preferred embodiments, yet the absence of a particular advantage shall not be construed to necessarily mean that such an embodiment is outside the scope of the present invention.
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• USB / Mini USB connections • For use with all Planet Bike USB rechargeable lights [more]
Knog's Blinder USB Extension Cable makes it simple to charge your Blinder light (sold separately) from any USB device. It even tucks into itself for easy storage and transport. [more]
FuelBelt's Reflective Snap Band increases your visibility for extra safety. And, it fits comfortably on your arm, wrist or ankle. [more]
FuelBelt's Reflective Wrist Band increases your visibility for extra safety. And, it fits comfortably thanks to an adjustable buckle closure. [more]
This mount is designed to securely attach your Light and Motion Seca, Vega, or Stella headlight (sold separately) to your helmet. With a helmet mount, the light is always pointing where you're looking. [more]
This mount is designed to securely attach your Light and Motion Vis 180 Micro taillight to your bicycle. [more]
This mount securely attaches your Light and Motion Vis 180 Micro taillight to a standard rear bicycle rack (taillights and racks sold separately). [more]
Strap Light & Motion's Vis 360 Spare Front Mount to your spare helmet and use your Vis 360 light no matter what lid you are wearing. [more]
Strap Light & Motion's Vis 360 Spare Rear Mount to your spare helmet and use your Vis 360 light no matter what lid you are wearing. [more]
Don't let its tiny size and featherweight fool you, Princeton Tec's Impulse is a powerful little multi-tasker. It uses an Ultrabright LED to give you 5 different modes of lighting with up to 36 hours of run time. It even comes with a handy hat clip for hands-free operation. Attach one to every… [more]
FuelBelt's Reflective Waist Band increases your visibility for extra safety. And, it fits comfortably thanks to an adjustable buckle closure. [more]
Lezyne's Aluminum Bar Mount is a CNC-machined aluminum hard mount with a reinforced Composite Matrix cradle that securely holds their Mega Drive, Deca Drive, and XL LED lights (all sold separately). It is designed for 25.4 mm or 31.8 mm bars, with the cradle designed to pivot 15 degrees of lateral… [more]
Setup your Light & Motion Urban or Deckhand light (sold separately) wherever you can connect a GoPro mount. Use this adapter to connect your Urban or Deckhand to any GoPro mounting option. [more]
Switch your light from bike to bike or just keep your Seca holding strong with Light & Motion's Seca Low Profile Spare Bar Mount. [more]
Problem Solvers' Braze-on Light mount threads into your fork or fender eyelets, allowing you to mount lights or accessories. It's lower position is great for getting your light closer to the ground for better visibility. [more]
Lezyne's Aluminum Helmet Mount is a durable accessory for Lezyne Mini XL, Power XL, Super XL, Deca, and Mega Drive lights. It has a stamped and machined aluminum base plate, a compression ring, a Composite Matrix spherical pivot, cradle and a Velcro strap which attaches the mount to the helmet. The… [more]
Convert your Light & Motion Vis 360 (sold separately) into a head mount and use it wherever your non-helmet adventures may lead you. Excels as a running companion and great for bicycle touring as it transforms your Vis 360 into a camping headlamp. [more]
Lezyne's International USB Charging Kit includes USA, Euro, AU, and Asia adapters. It is intended for use with all Lezyne LED Lights. [more]
Take your Light & Motion headlight off your handlebars and along with you wherever the path may lead. Soft fabric and full adjustable sizing make for a comfortable fit. [more]
Light & Motion's DC To AC Car Adapter converts the current from your car's outlet so it can be used by your light charger. Keep it handy in your vehicle so your light is always charged and ready to go by the time you get to the trailhead! [more]
The Mini L 1.5 Smart Charger charges the 2-, 3-, and 6-cell lithium-ion batteries for the Seca and Stella lights (sold separately). Pick up an extra to top off your battery at the office. Also compatible with older 9-cell lithium-ion batteries. [more]
Light & Motion's 7.4v 2-cell Li-ion Battery is compact and lightweight to power your light without weighing you down. It slips into a jersey pocket or pack or attaches to your bike via the convenient integrated rubber strap. [more]
Light & Motion's 11.1v 3-cell Li-ion Battery is nice and small and it's lithium-ion technology means impressive run times, while its gossamer weight of only 180 grams means it's easy to carry in a pocket or packs. It also comes with a convenient mounting strap. [more]
Light & Motion's 11.1v 6-cell Li-ion Battery packs enough juice to illuminate all your epic adventures. Its hook-and-loop strap and small size make it easy to mount to the stem or frame. Plus, it conveniently fits in pockets and packs, too. [more]

subset: commoncrawl


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Critics call it "Frankenfish," but the trade name is AquAdvantage—an Atlantic salmon endowed with DNA and growth hormones from both the Chinook salmon and an eel-like ocean pout.
The result is a fish that reaches market weight in one-half the normal time.
Once approval is granted—and it is expected to come soon—the transgenic salmon will be the world's first genetically engineered animal available for human consumption. It's a worrisome prospect for some, but to the biotech industry, the road to approval has been one frustrating delay after another.
The fast-growing AquAdvantage salmon has a competitive edge over conventional fish farming, but getting the new fish to market has taken much longer than expected. Massachusetts-based AquaBounty Technologies first sought U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 1989, and their creation has remained under scrutiny ever since.
AquaBounty admitted that public acceptance of bioengineered salmon is a big risk for the business, but final approval will protect their market. Much like bioengineered crops, once approved, AquAdvantage salmon can keep its genetically modified identity a secret from consumers.
After many years, approval has been elusive, although regulators have been eager to grant it. The FDA has already concluded that the genetically modified organism (GMO) is not only safe to eat but also virtually indistinguishable from conventional Atlantic salmon, and that it poses no environmental threat.
The biggest obstacle has been from lawmakers who have used their power to stall the process.
The latest congressional roadblock came at the start of 2013. A farm spending bill amendment backed by the most ardent GMO salmon critic of the U.S. House—Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)—prevents the FDA from spending any money approving AquaBounty's application.
Interfering With Science
In a December 2012 statement, AquaBounty CEO and President Ronald Stotish said that his company does not have the funding to survive the regulatory limbo much longer. But the hindered approval process also impacts other businesses. Many animal-derived GMO innovations are waiting in the wings, but they need a green light on GMO salmon to open their doors to consumers.
A group of 40 scientists sent a letter to President Barack Obama last September complaining of the holdup. They said that the approval process for GMO salmon, one that ought to be guided by serious science, was instead mired in politics. In an effort to avoid further interference, the letter cautioned against what Stotish described as "legislators' misinformed paranoia."
"The Administration's often-stated commitment to sound science will only ring true if it is followed up [with] prompt regulatory action," states the letter. "There is much more at stake here than just a fish."
But not everyone believes that the FDA inquiry is up to snuff. Charlotte Vallaeys, director of Farm and Food Policy at the Cornucopia Institute, said that lawmakers are smart to stall because the evaluation thus far still leaves too many important questions unanswered.
"Are they really interfering with sound science, or are they actually saying, 'we want more science?"' said Vallaeys.
Substandard Studies
When the public comment period on the FDA's environmental safety evaluation ends next month, regulators are expected once again to grant approval. But critics insist that it is still too soon.
Food safety advocates such as the Cornucopia Institute—a research-driven promoter of organic farming—are calling for more independent testing before the fish can be approved.
Critics have been frustrated for years with the FDA's approval process—an evaluation based solely on studies the company has submitted—but concern is even more pronounced with cases involving controversial GMOs.
According to Vallaeys, when science is conducted with a profit motive in mind, the research is suspect.
"It is very unlikely that [AquaBounty] would spend so much time and money to submit any safety tests that would raise red flags," she said. "We believe that the safety testing needs to be independent from the company that stands to profit from the results."
Dr. Pamela Coleman, plant pathologist and policy analyst with Cornucopia, is familiar with the tricks companies use to ensure that only favorable results are published. According to her, there is a big difference between how the FDA conducts examinations and what an actual scientific investigation entails.
"If someone with a PhD in science works for a company that is selling a product like GMO seeds, they will claim that if you express concerns about the safety of GMOs, you're anti-science," said Coleman. "Well, I'm definitely pro-science, but I feel there's much, much more science that needs to be done to understand what's going on here before we release new genetically modified organisms."
Stotish boasts that his AquAdvantage salmon is the most studied fish in history, and according to company research, the GMO fish is even safer than traditional aquaculture.
Coleman said that businesses and regulators are actually the ones standing in the way of real understanding. According to her, many independent scientists want to examine the issue more closely, but are prevented from doing so.
"In science, just the fact that people want to do research is an indication that they think something has not been fully investigated," she said. "If we already knew all the answers, nobody would want to do an experiment again."
In the run-up to the Feb. 25 end date for public comment on FDA decisions, many are urging regulators to observe a more independent perspective. Coleman said that in order to address safety and environmental concerns thoroughly, the FDA should conduct a legitimate scientific review.
"That's what I would like to see for the GMO salmon: have a published peer-reviewed study where we can all understand what the science was. Have someone else repeat it, and then we would know," she said. "That hasn't been done."
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.


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A rapid increase in "glacial earthquakes" - caused by sudden large movements of glaciers - over the past few years indicates that warmer temperatures will destroy the Greenland ice sheet faster than expected, a new study warns.
Surface meltwater is not dribbling away, as if from a giant ice block melting slowly, but is seeping through cracks to the bottom of the glacier. Once there it forms a layer that "helps lift the glacier up from the rock" so it flows faster to the sea, says seismologist Göran Ekström at Harvard University, US, who led the study.
He discovered the glacial quakes three years ago, when looking for unusual earthquakes, and traced them to slips within the ice. And the quakes can be substantial: a 10-metre slip of an ice slab roughly the size of Manhattan Island, and as tall as the Empire State building, causes a magnitude-5 quake on the Richter scale.
When the team analysed glacial seismic records back to 1993, they found a striking increase in the number of quakes recorded in recent years. All 136 of the best-documented slips were traced to glaciated valleys draining the main Greenland ice sheet. A handful of others occurred in Alaskan glaciers or on Antarctica.
Ekström reports that quakes ranged from six to 15 per year from 1993 to 2002, then jumped to 20 in 2003, 23 in 2004, and 32 in the first 10 months of 2005 - matching an increase in Greenland temperatures.
Falling apart
The finding adds to evidence that the Greenland ice sheet is far more vulnerable to temperature increases than had been thought. Models that treated glaciers like giant ice cubes had predicted very slow melting. But recent studies of Greenland glaciers have shown much faster effects when meltwater causes glaciers to slip easily over rock.
"Within a few years after temperature warms, you get a big increase in discharge," says Ian Joughin of the polar science center at the University of Washington in Seattle, US. "If temperature rises two or three degrees in Greenland, things are going to start falling apart," Joughin told New Scientist. Antarctica is not as sensitive to rising air temperature because it is too cold for surface melting, which accounts for about half the mass lost from the Greenland ice sheet.
Other ominous news comes from a pair of new studies examining sea level and glaciation 129,000 years ago. This was during the last interglacial period, when the Arctic was as warm as it is expected to be by 2100 - when it is expected to be at least 2.2°C (4°F) warmer than present. Palaeontological evidence, examined by Jonathan Overpeck at the University of Arizona, US, and colleagues, indicates that sea levels were 4 to 6 metres higher than they are today, and some of that water came from melting of the Antarctic ice sheet.
Journal reference: Science (vol 311, pps 1756, 1747, 1751)
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.


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Mutual Industries Work Clothing
Rugged and warm, these coveralls and work shirts are perfect for keeping you warm during the cold winter months. If you are looking for welding coats, jackets, and other flame resistant apparel Click Here
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Mutual Industries 14505
0.35 mm PVC/Polyester 3 Piece Rain Suit
Starting at: $7.14
The 14505 Series Rain-suit from Mutual Industries™ is made from a heavyweight 35mm PVC over polyester design. This rain wear is designed to resist abrasion tears and snags and provides solid protection from a variety of industrial compounds such as acids and oils. This raingear is available in Large, X-Large and XX-Large.Learn more about the Mutual Industries 14505
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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
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35 year old man | Erdenheim, PA, USA | Seeking women 23-37 within 50 miles
Still looking for Mrs. Right ;-)
Where do I begin... Well, let me just say that I am a fun loving kinda guy, I really enjoy a good time out with friends or family, I love to laugh and I love to make others laugh even more. I can be a bit of a clown. Lol. But at the same time, I want to be clear that I am looking for a serious relationship, and, as cliche as it may sound, Im really looking for that "special someone" to spend my time with. Not looking for a "fling" relationship. So, moving on...music is my passion. I love to play, I love to listen, I love to write it, I love everything about it. I listen to just about anything, Country, Classical, Rock...and I play in a local Philly area band. I love every second of that, but I would love to have that special someone out there in the audience some day, rockin right along with us even more. :) Im a very upfront, tell it like it is, kinda guy, tho I am very respectful of others,...I am honest and want/expect the same in return. Im laid back, I love to smile, and I have a bit of a sarcastic side. ;-) Really, Im a pretty simple guy with a good sense of humor who enjoys spending my time with the people who make me smile. I like to see the good in others, and frankly, I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve a bit. :) I am also somewhat of a history buff. Now, this thing is asking me to describe my ideal match. Well, thats easy, cause Im not a complicated guy. She just needs to be honest, a good person with a good heart, someone who is kind, and who has a head on her shoulders. Some one looking to find someone of the same values, to share her heart with. Oh and, just a little FYI...I don't always know what to say in a first message... so, if you noticed that I looked at your profile but didnt leave a message, drop me a line! :)
Coffee and conversation , Cooking , Dining out , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Nightclubs/Dancing , Playing cards , Playing sports , Religion/Spiritual , Video games , Watching sports
Auto racing / Motorcross, Baseball, Billiards / Pool, Cycling, Football, Golf, Hockey, Inline skating, VolleyBall
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
I have Cats, Dogs, Fish
I like Birds
Middle of the Road
I like to hang at the local bars with good friends, and at the shore. I also love to travel. Ive been to Michigan and to North Captiva Island in Florida - love it there! I also like Nashville - great city! Looking forward to seeing new sites!
Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA
Music (both the band I am in, and playing classical piano) is very important to me. I also enjoy reading. I don't watch a lot of TV, but when I do, its usually it's something on the History Channel, or Sons of Anarchy.
My major source for fun is the band - both playing gigs, and just hanging with everyone. I'll go to the local bars, or watch movies (in the theaters or at home). I try to get to concerts/shows whenever I can. I also really enjoy cooking!
"Zen Mind, Beginners Mind"... I tend to read a lot of books that have anything to to with the Medieval time period.
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What he is looking for
|6'0" (182cms)
|4'6" (137cms) to 8'0" (243cms)
|Body type:
|About average
|Slender, About average, Athletic and toned
|No preference
|Light brown
|No preference
|Yes, but trying to quit
|No preference
|Social Drinker
|No preference
|Artistic / Creative / Performance
|No preference
As I said, I play piano for a local band. We play some of the local bars, and it's a lot of fun. I play with a really great group of guys. I also have a 8 to 5 job that lets me be able to do everything else.
|$25,001 to $35,000
|No preference
|Never Married
|No preference
|Have kids:
|Wants kids:
|No preference
|White / Caucasian
|White / Caucasian
|No preference
|No preference
|Some college
|No preference
I keep learning more about music. Currently I'm working on the violin/fiddle, and the organ.


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The show seems to be about how something went a bit wrong between when we were young and now. Fielding's creations are not throwbacks as such, but seem more like colourful ideas half-remembered, that do not translate entirely well to adulthood - though he's going to make a decent stab at it.
Available on DVD in Australia from 22 August.


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Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of our house all decked out for Christmas. There was always a freshly-cut tree, wound with delicate glass-beaded garlands and hung with a seeming endless variety of colorful and equally delicate glass ornaments, and cascades of even more fragile leaf-thin silver tinsel painstakingly applied by my mother (never more than two or three strands at a time!). Needless to say, when I came across these photos from my first Christmas in my mom's stash, showing me beside the tree, as well as in front of the traditional Christmas card display, I couldn't resist!
Katie Pertiet Stitching Holes Brushes-n-Stamps, Stacked Vintage Frames No. 3, Little Round Tabs, Bookplate Notes, Hanging Tags No. 2, Lil Metal Charms-Christmas Collection, Expressions Tapes, Letter Box Christmas
Jesse Edwards Clean & Simple Solids
Lynn Grieveson Worn Page Edges
Anna Aspnes 12 x 12 Distressed Edge Overlays No. 4, 12 x 12 Page FotoBlendz No. 1, FotoBlendz Clipping Masks No. 8
Pattie Knox Hang Its, Staple Its, Cozy Crochet
P22 Typewriter


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Audio Samples
Album Summary
- Adriano Falcioni (Organ)
Notes & Reviews:
François Couperin, the most important member of the renowned Couperin dynasty, is the foremost composer of the French Baroque. A prodigiously talented keyboard player, he inherited the post of organist at the church of St Gervais in Paris when he was just eleven years old.
American Record Guide, May/June 2013
Adriano Falcioni's performances are generally stylish and fluent. Falcioni's elasticity of phrasing seems to carry out this principle. The sound is very agreeable. It does not interfere with one's enjoyment of the music.
Recording information: Church of Santa Maria della Neve, Senigallia, Italy (02/2012-03/2012).
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Works DetailsFrançois Couperin (1668 - 1733) : Mass for Organ no 1 "à l'usage ordinaire des paroisses"
- Performer: Adriano Falcioni (Organ)
- Conductor: Franco Radicchia
- Ensemble: Gruppo Vocale Armoniosoincanto
- Running Time: 12 min. 12 sec.
- Period Time: Baroque
- Form: Choral
- Written: 1690
François Couperin (1668 - 1733) : Chromorne sur la taille-Gloria
- Performer: Adriano Falcioni (Organ)
- Conductor: Franco Radicchia
- Period Time: Baroque
- Form: Choral
- Written: 1690


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Archaeological studies conducted between 1996 and 2007 provided tangible evidence of the cemetery's survival after more than 125 years of neglect and destruction. Of the approximately 1,800 graves once located in the cemetery, more than 500 were identified through archaeological investigations. The goals of the archaeological investigations focused on the identification of burial locations to ensure protection during development, future maintenance of the site, and the recovery of information about the cemetery for use in the memorial design process.
In addition to important information about the cemetery itself, archaeologists discovered that, in the 19th century, the cemetery was dug through an important prehistoric site. While most of the tools are from the Archaic period, Alexandria's earliest artifact, a Paleoindian Clovis Point, was found here.
The primary goal of the archaeological investigations was to provide information to insure that all extant graves are protected during development of the Contrabands and Freedmen Cemetery Memorial and that the design reflects the historic character of this special place. Archaeological investigations conducted by URS Corporation in 1999-2000 and by Alexandria Archaeology in 2004 and 2007 identified locations of more than 500 of the 1,800 graves once located in the cemetery.
It is thought that at least half of the historic graves still survive on the property. In addition to the excavated areas, hundreds of graves are thought to remain in areas that are still protected under two concrete slabs remaining from 20th century structures, and below the asphalt and sidewalk of South Washington Street.
Excavations revealed the location of the graves, but archaeologists were careful to not disturb the burials, since they will be preserved on the site. Archaeologists were able to locate the grave shafts, or in some instances, the outline of the top of the coffins, by identifying subtle changes in soil color and texture. No grave can be associated with a particular person.
Historical records and archaeological information provide some understanding of the cemetery's historic landscape. A wooden picket fence surrounded the cemetery. The Army Quartermaster Corps supplied wooden headboards at the time of the burial. Each headboard was probably white-washed and had the name of the deceased written in black lettering. Several graves had stone markers, supplied by the families. A fragment of one stone marker was found during excavation. A small shed was situated on the site for tools and biers. Graves were kept "ever at the ready" by a three-man team of gravediggers who were freedmen themselves.
The gravediggers prepared each grave individually, and the graves were placed very close to one another in orderly rows. Archaeological investigations discovered lines of more than 50 graves extending north/south across the width of the cemetery parallel to South Washington Street. More than 46 rows of graves extend east/west parallel to Church Street. (The historic cemetery would have been larger.) A 12-foot gap between rows of graves along South Washington Street is believed to have been the entrance to the cemetery, and a carriage path extended westerly into the cemetery.
The deceased were placed in coffins that could be supplied by the family or purchased from the Army. Standard coffin sizes were produced at 2½, 4, 5, and 6-foot lengths for "destitute contrabands." Fees were charged to others, at a cost of $2 to $5 depending upon size. The Gladwin Records, recording burials at the cemetery, chronicles chaplains officiating at some of the civilian services, while soldiers were buried with military honors.
Coffin hinge, recorded and reburied on site.
The length of the grave shaft, or in some cases the coffin, was found through the archaeological work. While it is not possible to determine the gender of the deceased, children's graves are distinguishable by their small size. Analysis of the death records shows that more than half of those buried in the cemetery were under the age of ten.
When the City archaeologists encountered areas disturbed by earlier construction on the site, the upper parts of the burial shafts were often missing and the hexagonal outlines of coffins were found, sometimes just inches under the asphalt of the former parking lot. Further evidence of the desecration of some graves could be seen as coffin wood, coffin tacks, and, in some cases, human remains were found out of place, and some graves were completely graded away. White porcelain shirt buttons were also found. All artifacts associated with graves and human remains were recorded and left in place.
The hexagonal coffin shape is indicative of the traditional "shouldered" style common in late 18th and early 19th centuries. Archaeologists found a few of the coffin screws and tacks used to fasten the lid to the coffin box, and decorative hinges that allowed the top of the coffin to be opened for viewing of the deceased. They also found a fragment of a coffin handle, indicating that the individual may have been carried by mourners to the grave. Although no grave goods were discovered, one set of burials in the western part of the cemetery did have a covering of oyster shells. Many other pieces of ceramic and glass were discovered during the investigation, but there is no indication that they were associated with the graves, and they are likely to be trash associated with later activity on the site. Two Civil War-era bullets were also found during excavations.
In 1996 a documentary study was prepared, followed by remote sensing (ground penetrating radar and electromagnetic surveys) on the Old Town Mobil Station property. This work, conducted by personnel from Parsons Engineering Science, Inc., indicated areas of disturbance in the eastern half of the property, including utility lines, a tank field and a waste oil tank. These surveys also recorded at least seven north-south-running lines of subsurface anomalies that had the potential of being graves. The report on this investigation concluded, "Given the high potential for the existence of burials beneath the asphalt, especially in the rear of the lot, it is recommended that all design and construction plans avoid subsurface impacts in this area." The report included the recommendation that if there are plans to impact the property, an archaeological investigation should be conducted to ascertain the nature of the anomalies and determine if burials are present.
In 1998, URS Corporation and Geosight, Inc. conducted a geophysical, or remote sensing, survey on the VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) land to the south and west of the gas station. One area was identified as having the potential for containing graves. The report recommended that archaeological excavations be conducted to better understand the nature of the soil stratigraphy and determine if graves were present.
Excavations on the southern slope of the VDOT property, 1999.
Excavations undertaken by archaeologist with URS Corporation established that burials were extant in the VDOT land on the southern part of the site. A total of 78 graves were identified. Based upon this work, the cemetery was determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
In this phase of work, archaeologists opened nine trenches in one area and twenty-five excavation units in another. A small area was stripped using a backhoe, and then excavated by hand to identify the location of grave shafts. The goal was to identify the location of grave shafts, but not to excavate the burials.
In addition to the grave shafts, other archaeological discoveries were made. On one part of the property, the soil stratigraphy showed multiply layers of fill extending to a depth of more than 13 feet. This was possibly the result of mining clay by the late 19th-century brick-making company, located on the adjacent block to the northeast, which once owned this property. Other finds included the articulated skeleton of a cow, and a well-preserved upright wooden barrel without a lid, possibly the remains of a well or privy. Over 1,300 prehistoric lithics were recovered from the plow zone and fill soils.
Excavations on the gas station parking lot, 2004.
Alexandria Archaeology undertook archaeological testing on the Gas Station and Office Building lots in 2004, to obtain general information about the depth of the fill across the property, the presence or absence of buried surface soils, and the limits of the cemetery. Results from this phase of work were used in planning for the demolition monitoring and data recovery phases of work, and will be ultimately used for the design of the park.
The businesses were still operational, so testing was limited to areas of the parking lot. Fourteen trenches were excavated and the locations of 45 burials were identified on this portion of the site. In addition, the buried surface layer yielded additional evidence of Native American occupation.
Excavations in 2007, with grave shafts marked with string.
After the businesses were closed, City archaeologists and a temporary crew carefully excavated extensive areas of the site in order to determine areas where graves no longer were preserved and where ones still remained. Care was taken so that, once the grave shafts were located, the burials were not disturbed. The archaeologists located more than 400 additional graves during the 2007 field season, bringing the total number of burials identified to more than 500. The burials were in fairly regular north/south running rows, all in the traditional Christian east-west orientation. The work also resulted in the discovery of the location of a possible carriage path into the site with an entrance on South Washington Street.
The investigation confirmed that construction of the gas station in 1955 and office building in 1960 had significant impact on the cemetery. Most of the original knoll was graded and the original ground surface of the cemetery only remains in a few places. This earlier construction disturbed the graves in some areas. Where the original ground surface survived along the western portion of the property, excavations yielded a few historic artifacts, including one grave that was marked on the surface with large oyster shells. Excavations also showed that, in the 19th century, the cemetery was dug through a significant prehistoric site. Many lithic (stone) artifacts were found, mostly dating to the Woodland and Archaic periods along with one Clovis point from the earlier Paleoindian period.
Following the excavations, over 20 loads of clean fill dirt were brought onto the site to create a 2-foot deep protective buffer over the top of the graves.
Excavation map, 2007.
The work of research and analysis began long before any excavations took place, and they continue today. A map documenting locations of graves in the cemetery was produced and guidelines prepared to make sure that the graves are protected during construction of the memorial. A database of recorded information from each individual grave was compiled and linked to the site map to create a tool with which we can ask further questions and look at the site in spatial terms. Archaeologists were able to determine complete measurements (length and width) for 243 graves. Of these, 53 (or 18%) appear to be graves of children. These numbers may be refined as analysis and interpretation progress. Artifacts were catalogued and photographed, and a site report is being completed by Alexandria Archaeology staff. An historian is conducting research and writing a history cemetery. Funds have been provided by a Save America's Treasures grant to include publication of the history and preparation of additional web materials.
Clovis point, ca. 13,000 years old
Savannah River point, ca. 4,000 years old
Potts point, ca. 1,200 years old
When the cemetery was in use in the 1860s, the gravediggers were probably unaware that they were digging into an important Native American site. Archaeologists discovered thousands of Native American stone artifacts, indicating that the site was used for the manufacture of stone tools over a period of thousands of years. The oldest artifact ever found in Alexandria, a 13,000 year-old Clovis spear point, was recovered here in 2007. A buried portion of the western slope of the cemetery continues to protect a significant Native American archaeological site.
This was the first time that archaeologists found a Clovis Point in Alexandria. The Clovis Point is a diagnostic marker for an era known to archaeologists as the Paleoindian period that lasted from as early as 13,000 to about 10,000 years ago. During this period, when mammoths still roamed North America, small bands of Native Americans moved frequently through this area, hunting and collecting plant resources. The Clovis Point is the first evidence of their presence in Alexandria.
In the Archaic period, from 3,000 to 10,000 years ago, several stone tools and thousands of quartz and quartzite flakes from the tool-making process were left on the site. Archaic period tools found at Freedmen's Cemetery were identified as Morrow Mountain II and Halifax points, and a possible Rice Lobed point (Middle Archaic), and Savannah River, Hellgrammite and Calvert points (Late Archaic). The Archaic period saw the continuation of hunting and foraging lifestyle of the Paleoindians. They lived in seasonal camps while fishing and gathering shellfish. The Archaic Period also brought about the development of new tools such as ground stone axes, mortar and pestles, and weighted spear-throwers called atlatls.
A few Woodland period artifacts, including a Potts point (late/middle woodland), were also found, dating from 400 to 3,000 years ago. This period brought about the beginnings of agriculture, with Native Americans cultivating corn, squash and beans. In this period, they began manufacturing pottery, and some established more permanent villages on the shores of larger rivers. The use of horses and the bow and arrow began in the late Woodland period.
The Alexandria Clovis Point, made of quartzite, was broken during manufacture. According to Fairfax County Senior Archaeologist Mike Johnson, an expert in archaeology of this period who first identified the point, the tip broke off during late stage lateral thinning, when the knapper was trying to remove a small lump near the tip. Clovis points are usually made of high-quality chert or jasper, but the tool-makers of this period were highly competent and could adapt their technology to other stone which is harder to work, such as local quartzite cobbles.
Clovis is identified by its ground, concave base, bifacial blade, and the fluted channel, that allowed the point to be hafted or attached to a spear. Clovis points were manufactured and used by bands of hunters as they roamed the grasslands and open conifer forests that would have been present in Northern Virginia as the glaciers from the last Ice Age began to melt. The McCary Fluted Point Survey records every occurrence of this important artifact type in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2007, around 1,000 Clovis points have been found, including seven in neighboring Fairfax County. Most were made chert and other imported stone rather than the local quartzite.
The early date, ca. 13,000 BP (before present), comes from a new look at radiocarbon dates related to other Clovis sites in various parts of the country. Clovis is named after a site in Clovis, New Mexico, where a distinctive fluted point and other tools were found in 1932 in association with a woolly mammoth kill. Clovis sites were until recently dated to ca. 11,200 BP, but new research has pushed these dates back by nearly 2,000 years. Other sites, such as Cactus Hill, point to the presence of even earlier pre-Clovis sites in Virginia.
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Alexandria Archaeology Museum105 N. Union Street, #327Alexandria, VA 22314703.746.4399Fax: 703.838.6491Email
Museum HoursTuesday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Sunday, 1 - 5 p.mMonday, Closed
Office HoursTuesday - Saturday9 a.m. to 5 p.m.by appointment


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University of Michigan researchers have discovered that inhibiting a signaling pathway in some of the transplanted cells could prevent the most serious potential complications of the procedure, a conflict between the transplanted cells and the recipient's own tissue called graft-versus-host disease.
News Archive
University of Michigan study challenges notion of using Herceptin only for HER2-positive breast cancer
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New research from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds that the protein HER2 plays a role even in breast cancers that would traditionally be categorized as HER2-negative and that the drug Herceptin, which targets HER2, may have an even greater role for treating breast cancer and preventing its spread.
Date: 02/05/2013
Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a method that could enhance gene sequencing data.
Date: 01/28/2013
U-M researchers develop method that could enhance gene sequencing dataWritten by Nicole Fawcett
Date: 01/18/2013
Kathleen Cooney, M.D., have been named deputy director for clinical services at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Date: 01/14/2013
By looking at the entire DNA from a fibrous tumor, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have found a genetic anomaly that provides an important clue to improving how this cancer is diagnosed and treated.
Date: 12/11/2012
Written by: Nicole Casal Moore, 734-647-7087, email@example.com Fawcett, 734-764-2220, email@example.com
Date: 12/11/2012
Mice without the anti-aging gene had a higher risk of gastrointestinal cancers, according to a study released by the University of Michigan Health System.
Date: 12/07/2012
Women undergoing chemotherapy who experience cognitive problems, commonly referred to as 'chemo brain,' displayed alterations in neurocognitive responses prior to undergoing treatment, according to data presented at the 2012 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 4-8, 2012.
Date: 12/05/2012
Ponatinib acts against the most resistant types of chronic myeloid leukemia based on the results of a Phase I Trial, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine


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Toyota is planning an ambitious new project for its flagship Georgetown plant that might see it producing a new vehicle and adding 750 jobs. The news came Wednesday when the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority gave preliminary approval to $146.5 million in tax incentives for the project, which is shrouded in mystery. Katie Smith of the state's Cabinet for Economic Development told the KEDFA board that the project is a vehicle model that is new to the plant, which would produce 50,000 of them annually beginning in fall 2015. She declined to name the vehicle model.


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If you have Parkinson's disease, you may have twice the risk of developing the deadly skin cancer melanoma. Melanoma, with 70,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States, is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. NPF recommends that every person with Parkinson's wear sunscreen and receive an annual screening by a dermatologist for melanoma.
Listen to the experts talk about these important issues in Parkinson's: genetic testing, managing gastrointestinal issues, delaying the disease with exercise, communicating with your employer and understanding sleep disturbances. You can watch one or all of the segments for free!
NPF is now accepting applications for the 4-day program, "Navigating a New World: Wellness Retreat for Recently Diagnosed Parkinson's Patients & their Care Partners." The retreat will be held at the Kripalu Center in Massachusetts from Oct. 31—Nov. 4, 2011. This program is designed for people in the early stages of Parkinson's (diagnosed 5 years ago or less). For more information on registration, tuition and accommodations, please call


text: It's worth remembering that the term 'heavy' is highly relative when talking about fly rods. Not too long ago before the introduction of today's tubular plastic 'soda straw' rods, pretty much everybody fished bamboo rods which are made from solid wood. For example, a 'lightweight' Granger Special 9' 3-piece for 5wt weighed 5.1 oz. And that's for the blank alone, not counting the guides, grip or reel seat. Yet somehow back then people not only managed to fish them all day long, they caught more and bigger fish than we do today. It's all a matter of perspective. K


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Make the most beautiful barbie-like face.
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