Apparatus for deposition of dry fibers int the manufacture of fibrous structures

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE AIR DEPOSITION OF DRY FIBERS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIBROUS STRUCTURE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL HOUSING HAVING AN INLET IN ONE PORTION THROUGH WHICH FIBERS ARE FED INTO THE HOUSING, AN OUTLET IN ANOTHER PORTION WHICH FORMS A FORAMINOUS SEPERATING WALL THROUGH WHICH FIBERS ARE ABLE TO PASS, A COLLECTING WALL SPACED A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE SEPARATING WALL HAVING FORAMENS THEREIN DIMENSIONED TO PREVENT PASSAGE OF FIBERS, MEANS FOR FEEDING DRY FIBERS THROUGH THE INLET INTO THE HOUSING AND A PLURALITY OF AIR NOZZLES IN THE HOUSING THROUGH WHICH STREAMS OF AIR AT HIGH VELOCITY ARE DIRECTED INTO THE HOUSING, SOME OF SAID NOZZLES BEING POSITIONED TO DIRECT STREAMS OF AIR TANGENTIALLY INTO THE HOUSING, OTHERS OF SAID NOZZLES BEING POSITIONED TO DIRECT THEIR STREAMS OF AIR RADIALLY INTO THE HOUSING WHEREBY THE AIR AND CONTAINED FIBERS ARE CAUSED TO CIRCULATE RAPIDLY ABOUT THE HOUSING IN ONE DIRECTION AS A COMPOSITE STRAM HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION OF THE FIBERS ENTRAINED THEREIN FOR PASSAGE WITH THE AIR THROUGH THE SEPERATING WALL TO THE COLLECTING WALL.