Differential fiber dispersing rolls and felting therefrom

Claim 1

APPARATUS COMPRISING TOW PARALLEL GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL ROTORS ON PARALLEL AXES FOR DISPERSING AND INDIVIDUALIZING FIBERS FROM A SUPPLY OF FIBROUS MATERIAL DELIVERED INTO A NIP FORMED BY SAID ROTORS, SUPPLY MEANS POSITIONED CONTINUOUSLY TO FEED A SUPPLY OF LOOSENED FIBERS INTO SAID NIP TO BE DISPERSED THEREBY, MEANS TO ROTATE ONE OF SAID ROTORS ON ITS AXIS IN A DIRECTION TO FEED MATERIAL THROUGH THE NIP, MEANS TO ROTATE THE OTHER ROTOR IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, EACH ROTOR HAVING AN INNER CYLINDRICAL AXIAL ROLL SPACED FROM A CORRESPONDING CYLINDRICAL AXIAL ROLL OF THE OTHER ROTOR, AND EACH ROTOR HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF ELEMENTS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM ITS ROLL, THE ENDS OF THE ELEMENTS OF EACH ROLL TERMINATING IN POSITIONS SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE PERIPHERY OF THE OTHER ROLL DURING ROTATION, THE ELEMENTS OF EACH ROTOR BEING ARRANGED IN SPACED PERIPHERAL ALINEMENTS ALTERNATING IN AXIAL POSITIONING FROM ONE ROLL TO THE OTHER SO THAT PERIPHERAL ELEMENTS OF EACH ROLL TRAVEL IN PATHS BETWEEN PATHS TRAVELED BY THE ELEMENTS OF THE OTHER ROLL, SAID MEANS FOR ROTATING THE ROTORS BEING SO RELATED THAT ONLY ONE SET OF ELEMENTS RAKES THROUGH THE OTHER SET IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE FIBROUS MATERIAL THROUGH THE NIP, WHERENY DURING ROTATION SAID ONE SET OF ELEMENTS DISPERSED MATERIAL HELD BY THE OTHER SET OF ELEMENTS, A FORAMINOUS FIBER-COLLECTING CONVEYOR SPACED FROM THE DISCHARGE SIDE OF THE NIP DIRECTLY TO RECEIVE FIBERS DISCHARGED FROM THE NIP AND FOR FORMING A FELT THEREON, MEANS POSITIONED LATERALLY OF THE PATH OF THE LOOSENED FIBERS FROM SAID SUPPLY MEANS TO INJECT AT LEAST ONE STREAM OF AIR INTO THE NIP OF THE ROTORS, AND MEANS PROVIDING SUCTION ON THE NON-COLLECTING SIDE OF SAID FORAMINOUS CONVEYOR AND HAVING CAPACITY TO DRAW IN AT LEAST ALL OF THE AIR INJECTED INTO SAID NIP.