Apparatus and method for making nonwoven fabric

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A NONWOVEN FABRIC HAVING SPACED HOLES ARRANGED IN A PREDETERMINED PATTERN FROM A LAYER OF IRREGULARLY ARRANGED FIBERS IN OVERLAPPING AND FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WHICH ARE CAPABLE OF INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF APPLIED FLUID FORCES, WHICH COMPRISES: SUPPORTING THE LAYER UPON THE FREE ENDS OF A PLURALITY OF TAPERED PROJECTIONS ARRANGED IN SAID PREDETERMINED PATTERN UPON A PERMEABLE BACKING MEMBER WITH INTERCONNECTED FIBER ACCUMULATING SPACES BETWEEN THEM, THE TRANSVERSE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF EACH OF SAID PROJECTINS INCREASING PROGRESSIVELY FROM ITS TOP DOWNWARDLY FOR AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PROJECTION, THE FREE HEIGHT OF EACH PROJECTION BEING GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE FIBROUS STARTING LAYER AND AT LEAST ABOUT THREE TIMES THE DIAMETER OF THE COARSEST FIBERS IN SAID LAYER, APPLYING FLUID STREAMS TO THE FIBROUS STARTING LAYER SO AS TO CAUSE THE FLUID TO PASS FIRST THROUGH SAID LAYER SUPPORTED ON THE TAPERED TOP PORTIONS OF SAID PROJECTIONS, THEN THROUGH THE INTERCONNECTED SPACES BETWEEN SAID PROJECTIONS AND THEREAFTER THROUGH THE PERMEABLE BACKING MEMBER, DEFLECTING PORTIONS OF SAID FLUID, AFTER IT HAS STRUCK SAID PROJECTIONS, INTO STREAMS FLOWING IN DIRECTIONS HAVING COMPONENTS PARALLEL TO THE FIBROUS STARTING LAYER AS IT IS SUPPORTER UPON THE FREE ENDS OF SAID PROJECTIONS, AND DIRECTING PORTIONS OF ADJACENT STREAMS THUS FORMED IN OPPOSED DIRECTIONS AGANIST GROUPS OF FIBER SEGMENTS LAYING BETWEEN SAID ADJACENT STREAMS, SO AS TO MOVE THE FIBER SEGMENTS OF SAID GROUPS INTO CLOSER PROXIMATY TO AND INCREASED PARALLELISM WITH EACH OTHER AND INTO THE INTERCONNECTED FIBER ACCUMULATING SPACES AROUND SAID PROJECTIONS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A NONWOVEN FABRIC HAVING SPACED HOLES ARRANGED IN A PREDETERMINED PATTERN FROM A LAYER OF IRREGULARLY ARRANGED FIBERS IN OVERLAPPING AND FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WHICH ARE CAPABLE OF INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF APPLIED FLUID FORCES, WHICH COMPRISES: SUPPORTING THE LAYER UPON THE FREE ENDS OF A PLURALITY OF TAPERED PROJECTIONS ARRANGED IN SAID PREDETERMINED PATTERN UPON A PERMEABLE BACKING MEMBER WITH INTERCONNECTED FIBER ACCUMULATING SPACES BETWEEN THEM, THE TRANSVERSE CROSSSECTIONAL AREA OF EACH OF SAID PROJECTINS INCREASING PROGRESSIVELY FROM ITS TOP DOWNWARDLY FOR AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PROJECTION, THE FREE HEIGHT OF EACH PROJECTION BEING GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE FIBROUS STARTING LAYER AND AT LEAST ABOUT THREE TIMES THE DIAMETER OF THE COARSEST FIBERS IN SAID LAYER, APPLYING FLUID STREAMS TO THE FIBROUS STARTING LAYER SO AS TO CAUSE THE FLUID TO PASS FIRST THROUGH SAID LAYER SUPPORTED ON THE TAPERED TOP PORTIONS OF SAID PROJECTIONS, THEN THROUGH THE INTERCONNECTED SPACES BETWEEN SAID PROJECTIONS AND THEREAFTER THROUGH THE PERMEABLE BACKING MEMBER, DEFLECTING PORTIONS OF SAID FLUID, AFTER IT HAS STRUCK SAID PROJECTIONS, INTO STREAMS FLOWING IN DIRECTIONS HAVING COMPONENTS PARALLEL TO THE FIBROUS STARTING LAYER AS IT IS SUPPORTER UPON THE FREE ENDS OF SAID PROJECTIONS, AND DIRECTING PORTIONS OF ADJACENT STREAMS THUS FORMED IN OPPOSED DIRECTIONS AGANIST GROUPS OF FIBER SEGMENTS LAYING BETWEEN SAID ADJACENT STREAMS, SO AS TO MOVE THE FIBER SEGMENTS OF SAID GROUPS INTO CLOSER PROXIMATY TO AND INCREASED PARALLELISM WITH EACH OTHER AND INTO THE INTERCONNECTED FIBER ACCUMULATING SPACES AROUND SAID PROJECTIONS.