Methods and apparatus for producing textile fabrics

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING A FIBROUS WEB IN A PLURALITY OF OVERLAPPING FOLDS ON AN AIR-PERMEABLE, MOVABLE CONVEYOR WHEREIN THE FIBROUS WEB IS DEPOSITED WITH A TOAND-FRO MOVEMENT HAVING A DIRECTION GENERALLY TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE AIR-PERMEABLE, MOVABLE CONVEYOR, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES VERTICALLY MOVABLE CONVEYOR MEANS TO DELIVER SAID FIBROUS WEB FOR DEPOSITION ON SAID AIR-PERMEABLE, MOVABLE CONVEYOR WITH A LINEAR SPEED LESS THAN THE LINEAR SPEED OF SAID TO-ANDFRO TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT, AND SUCTION-APPLYING MEANS LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY ONLY AT THE EXTREMITIES OF THE TO-ANDFRO TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE FIBROUS WEB TO RESTRAIN MOVEMENT OF THE OUTERMOST PORTIONS OF SAID FIBROUS WEB WHILE PERMITTING MOVEMENT OF THE INTERNAL PORTIONS OF SAID FIBROUS WEB WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE OF THE AIR-PERMEABLE, MOVABLE CONVEYOR, WHEREBY THE FIBROUS WEB IS DRAFTED DURING ITS DEPOSITION ON SAID AIR-PERMEABLE, MOVABLE CONVEYOR.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF DEPOSITING A FIBROUS WEB IN A PLURALITY OF OVERLAPPING FOLDS ON AN AIR-PERMEABLE MOVABLE CONVEYOR, WHEREIN THE FIBROUS WEB IS DEPOSITED WITH A TOAND-FRO MOVEMENT HAVING A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE AIR-PERMEABLE MOVABLE CONVEYOR COMPRISING; CONVEYING SAID FIBROUS WEB SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARD FOR DEPOSITION ON SAID AIRPERMEABLE MOVABLE CONVEYOR WHILE PROVIDING SAID VERTICALLYLE MOVING WEB WITH A TO-AND-FRO MOVEMENT, DEPOSITING SAID WEB ON SAID AIR-PERMEABLE MOVALBE CONVEYOR WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY DRAFTING SAID WEB, AND RESTRAINING MOVEMENT OF THE OUTERMOST PORTIONS OF SAID FIBROUS WEB AT THE EXTREMITIES OF THE TO-AND-FRO TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE FIBROUS WEB WHILE PERMITTING MOVEMENT OF THE INTERNAL PORTIONS OF SAID FIBROUS WEB WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE OF THE AIR-PERMEABLE MOVABLE CONVEYOR.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF DEPOSITING A FIBROUS WEB IN A PLURALITY OF OVERLAPPING FOLDS ON AN AIR-PERMEABLE MOVABLE CONVEYOR, WHEREIN THE FIBROUS WEB IS DEPOSITED WITH A TOAND-FRO MOVEMENT HAVING A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE AIR-PERMEABLE MOVABLE CONVEYOR COMPRISING; CONVEYING SAID FIBROUS WEB SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARD FOR DEPOSITION ON SAID AIRPERMEABLE MOVABLE CONVEYOR WHILE PROVIDING SAID VERTICALLYLE MOVING WEB WITH A TO-AND-FRO MOVEMENT, DEPOSITING SAID WEB ON SAID AIR-PERMEABLE MOVALBE CONVEYOR WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY DRAFTING SAID WEB, AND RESTRAINING MOVEMENT OF THE OUTERMOST PORTIONS OF SAID FIBROUS WEB AT THE EXTREMITIES OF THE TO-AND-FRO TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF THE FIBROUS WEB WHILE PERMITTING MOVEMENT OF THE INTERNAL PORTIONS OF SAID FIBROUS WEB WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE OF THE AIR-PERMEABLE MOVABLE CONVEYOR.