Method and apparatus for treating impregnated fiber webs

Claim 1

THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY CONVEYING A POROUS FIBER WEB IN FACIAL CONTACT WITH AT LEAST ONE OPEN-AREA CARRIER, PASSING THE RESULTING ASSEMBLY THROUGH A BATH OF IMPREGNATING LIQUID CONSISTING OF DISPERSED SOLIDS AND VOLATILE DISPERSING LIQUID VEHICLE THEREFOR, THEREBY FILLING THE PORES OF SAID WEB WITH SAID LIQUID AND THEREBY LOADING THE OPEN-AREA CARRIER WITH SAID LIQUID, PASSING THE RESULTING LOADED ASSEMBLY THROUGH AT LEAST ONE AREA OF COMPRESSION AND THEREBY DENSIFYING THE WEB AND EXPRESSING LIQUID FROM THE WEB IN PART THROUGH SAID CARRIER, WHEREBY THE OPENINGS IN SAID CARRIER RETAIN EXPRESSE LIQUID, PASSING THE RESULTING ASSEMBLY THROUGH A COMPRESSION ZONE AND COMPRESSING THE WEB OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE AREA THREROF WITHIN SAID ZONE INCLUDING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE AREA OF THE WEB EXPOSED TO THE OPEN AREA OF SAID CARRIER, SAID LAST-MENTIONED COMPRESSION OF THE WEB BEING EFFECTED BY PRESSING ONTO THE C ARRIER THE SURFACE OF RESILIENT COMPRESSING MATERIAL CAPABLE OF ENTERING THE OPEN AREAS AND THEREIN COMPRESSING THE WEB WHILE ALSO COMPRESSING THE CARRIER, THEREBY DENSIFYING THE WEB AND REMOVING RESIDUAL LIQUID FROM THE WEB, REMOVING THE RERIER AND EXCESS LIQUID FROM THE WEB, REMOVING THE RESULTING WEB FROM THE RESULTING CLEANED CARRIER, AND VOLATILIZING FROM THE WEB THE RESIDUAL LIQUID VEHICLE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY CONVEYING A POROUS FIBER WEB IN FACIAL CONTACT WITH AT LEAST ONE OPEN-AREA CARRIER, PASSING THE RESULTING ASSEMBLY THROUGH A BATH OF IMPREGNATING LIQUID CONSISTING OF DISPERSED SOLIDS AND VOLATILE DISPERSING LIQUID VEHICLE THEREFOR, THEREBY FILLING THE PORES OF SAID WEB WITH SAID LIQUID AND THEREBY LOADING THE OPEN-AREA CARRIER WITH SAID LIQUID, PASSING THE RESULTING LOADED ASSEMBLY THROUGH AT LEAST ONE AREA OF COMPRESSION AND THEREBY DENSIFYING THE WEB AND EXPRESSING LIQUID FROM THE WEB IN PART THROUGH SAID CARRIER, WHEREBY THE OPENINGS IN SAID CARRIER RETAIN EXPRESSE LIQUID, PASSING THE RESULTING ASSEMBLY THROUGH A COMPRESSION ZONE AND COMPRESSING THE WEB OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE AREA THREROF WITHIN SAID ZONE INCLUDING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL THE AREA OF THE WEB EXPOSED TO THE OPEN AREA OF SAID CARRIER, SAID LAST-MENTIONED COMPRESSION OF THE WEB BEING EFFECTED BY PRESSING ONTO THE C ARRIER THE SURFACE OF RESILIENT COMPRESSING MATERIAL CAPABLE OF ENTERING THE OPEN AREAS AND THEREIN COMPRESSING THE WEB WHILE ALSO COMPRESSING THE CARRIER, THEREBY DENSIFYING THE WEB AND REMOVING RESIDUAL LIQUID FROM THE WEB, REMOVING THE RERIER AND EXCESS LIQUID FROM THE WEB, REMOVING THE RESULTING WEB FROM THE RESULTING CLEANED CARRIER, AND VOLATILIZING FROM THE WEB THE RESIDUAL LIQUID VEHICLE.