Method and apparatus for making continuous webs from continuous filaments

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING AN ELONGATED, LONGITUDINALLY CONTINOUS WEB WHICH COMPRISES: (A) MOVING A FORAMINOUS SUPPORT HAVING A FACE IN A DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID FACE AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED; (B) CAUSING A LIQUID CARRIER TO FLOW CONTINOUSLY IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION OF FLOW TRANSVERSE OF SAID DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT FROM A FEED AREA REMOTE FROM SAID CARRIER TO A DEPOSITION AREA ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT, THE VELOCITY OF FLOW OF SAID CARRIER IN SAID FEED AREA BEING SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED SPEED AND DECREASING FROM SAID FEED AREA TOWARD SAID DEPOSITION AREA; (C) CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A MULTIPLICITY OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS TO SAID CARRIER IN SAID FEED AREA AT A FEEDING SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED SPEED, BUT SMALLER THAN SAID VELOCITY OF FLOW IN SAID FEED AREA, WHEREBY SAID FILAMENTS ARE ELONGATED IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW IN SAID FEED AREA AND ARE INTERENGAGED WITH EACH OTHER IN SAID DEPOSITION AREA; AND (D) DEPOSITING THE INTERENGAGED FILAMENTS ON SAID FACE OF THE SUPPORT (1) THE INTERENGAGED FILAMENTS BEING SUFFICIENT IN NUMBER TO FORM A SELF-SUPPORTING WEB ON SAID FACE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FORMING AN ELONGATED, LONGITUDINALLY CONTINOUS WEB WHICH COMPRISES: (A) MOVING A FORAMINOUS SUPPORT HAVING A FACE IN A DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID FACE AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED; (B) CAUSING A LIQUID CARRIER TO FLOW CONTINOUSLY IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION OF FLOW TRANSVERSE OF SAID DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT FROM A FEED AREA REMOTE FROM SAID CARRIER TO A DEPOSITION AREA ADJACENT SAID SUPPORT, THE VELOCITY OF FLOW OF SAID CARRIER IN SAID FEED AREA BEING SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED SPEED AND DECREASING FROM SAID FEED AREA TOWARD SAID DEPOSITION AREA; (C) CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A MULTIPLICITY OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENTS TO SAID CARRIER IN SAID FEED AREA AT A FEEDING SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED SPEED, BUT SMALLER THAN SAID VELOCITY OF FLOW IN SAID FEED AREA, WHEREBY SAID FILAMENTS ARE ELONGATED IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW IN SAID FEED AREA AND ARE INTERENGAGED WITH EACH OTHER IN SAID DEPOSITION AREA; AND (D) DEPOSITING THE INTERENGAGED FILAMENTS ON SAID FACE OF THE SUPPORT (1) THE INTERENGAGED FILAMENTS BEING SUFFICIENT IN NUMBER TO FORM A SELF-SUPPORTING WEB ON SAID FACE.

Claim 3

AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY CONTINUOUS WEB COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A CONTAINER; (B) AN ENDLESS FORAMINOUS SUPPORT HAVING TWO OPPOSITE MAJOR FACES, A PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT CONSTITUTING A MOVABLE WALL OF SAID CONTAINER, WHEREBY ONE OF SAID FACES IS PARTLY IN THE CONTAINER; (C) MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SUPPORT AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED IN AN ENDLESS PATH, A PORTION OF SAID PATH CONTIGUOUSLY ADJACENT SAID CONTAINER BEING PARALLEL TO SAID WALL; (D) AN INLET FOR ADMITTING LIQUID TO SAID CONTAINER; (E) SUCTION MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING LIQUID FROM THE OTHER FACE OF SAID SUPPORT IN SAID PORTION OF SAID PATH; (F) MEANS FOR DEFINING A LIQUID LEVEL IN SAID CONTAINER, AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID ONE FACE BEING BELOW SAID LEVEL IN SAID CONTAINER; (G) A CONDUIT HAVING AN ORIFICE ADJACENT SAID PORTION OF SAID FACE AND A FEED PORTION SPACED FROM SAID ORIFICE, SAID CONDUIT FLARING FROM SAID FEED PORTION TO SAID ORIFICE, SAID ORIFICE BEING BELOW SAID LEVEL; (H) MEANS FOR ADMITTING A LIQUID TO SAID FEED PORTION FOR MOVEMENT IN THE CONDUIT TOWARD SAID ORIFICE AT A SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED SPEED; AND (F) MEANS FOR ADMITTING A MULTIPLICITY OF FILAMENTS TO SAID FEED PORTION OF ENGAGEMENT BY THE ADMITTED LIQUID.

Claim 4

AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINALLY CONTINUOUS WEB COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A CONTAINER; (B) AN ENDLESS FORAMINOUS SUPPORT HAVING TWO OPPOSITE MAJOR FACES, A PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT CONSTITUTING A MOVABLE WALL OF SAID CONTAINER, WHEREBY ONE OF SAID FACES IS PARTLY IN THE CONTAINER; (C) MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SUPPORT AT A PREDETERMINED SPEED IN AN ENDLESS PATH, A PORTION OF SAID PATH CONTIGUOUSLY ADJACENT SAID CONTAINER BEING PARALLEL TO SAID WALL; (D) AN INLET FOR ADMITTING LIQUID TO SAID CONTAINER; (E) SUCTION MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING LIQUID FROM THE OTHER FACE OF SAID SUPPORT IN SAID PORTION OF SAID PATH; (F) MEANS FOR DEFINING A LIQUID LEVEL IN SAID CONTAINER, AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID ONE FACE BEING BELOW SAID LEVEL IN SAID CONTAINER; (G) A CONDUIT HAVING AN ORIFICE ADJACENT SAID PORTION OF SAID FACE AND A FEED PORTION SPACED FROM SAID ORIFICE, SAID CONDUIT FLARING FROM SAID FEED PORTION TO SAID ORIFICE, SAID ORIFICE BEING BELOW SAID LEVEL; (H) MEANS FOR ADMITTING A LIQUID TO SAID FEED PORTION FOR MOVEMENT IN THE CONDUIT TOWARD SAID ORIFICE AT A SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED SPEED; AND (F) MEANS FOR ADMITTING A MULTIPLICITY OF FILAMENTS TO SAID FEED PORTION OF ENGAGEMENT BY THE ADMITTED LIQUID.