Flow control apparatus

Claim 1

IN WEB-FORMING APPARATUS OF THE PRESSURE FORMING TYPE, A CONTINUOUS WEB-FORMING MEMBER, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID MEMBER AND FOR MOVING SAID MEMEBER THROUGH THE WEB-FORMING REGION OF SAID APPARATUS, A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF A FLUID SUSPENSION OF A FIBROUS MATERIAL, AND A FLOW CONTROL UNIT HAVING AN INFLOW OPENING CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE OF SUPPLYING AND HAVING AN OUTFLOW OPENING THROUGH WHICH A CONFINED FLOWING STREAM OF SAID FLUID IS DISCHARGED ONTO SAID FORMING MEMBER UNDER PRESSURE FORMING CONDITIONS AS THAT MEMBER IS MOVED THROUGH SAID WEB-FORMING REGION, SAID WEB-FORMING REGION BEING LOCATED AT THE OUTFLOW OPENING OF SAID FLOW CONTROL UNIT, SAID FLOW CONTROL UNIT INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING THE WALLS OF A FLOW CONTROL CHAMBER WHICH IS CLOSED EXCEPT FOR SAID INFLOW AND OUTFLOW OPENINGS, AND THROUGH WHICH THE FLUID DELIVERED TO SAID WEB-FORMING REGION IS CAUSED TO FLOW, AND A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING, STATIONARY, SMOOTHSURFACED FLOW CONTROL MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, SAID FLOW CONTROL MEMBER BEING OF SUCH FORM AND BEING SO POSITIONED RELATIVE TO SAID WEB-FORMING MEMBER THAT A PORTION OF THE FLOWING STREAM PASSING ABOVE SAID FORMING MEMBER AND BETWEEN SAID FORMING MEMBER AND SAID FLOW CONTROL MEMBER IS CAUSED TO FLOW UNUNDER PREDETERMINED CONDITIONS OF EXPANDING CURVILINEAR FLOW TO THEREBY ESTABLISH A PREDETERMINED DISTRIBUTION OF FLUID PRESSURE WITHIN THE FLOWING STREAM IN THE WEBFORMING REGION ADJACENT THE FORMING MEMBER.