Apparatus for the production of fluid entangled non-woven fabrics

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF NON-WOVEN FABRICS HAVING SUBSTANTIAL WIDTHWISE STRENGTH COMPRISING: FLUIDS JET MEANS PROVIDED WITH A FIBER PASSAGEWAY HAVING AN ELONGATED TRANSVERSE CROSS SECTION AND WITH FLUID PASSAGEWAYS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID YARN PASSAGEWAY AT A ZONE BETWEEN THE INLET AND OUTLET ENDS OF SAID FIBER PASSAGEWAY; MEANS FOR FEEDING A PLURALITY OF FIBER-CONTAINING STRANDS IN SHEET FORM TOWARD THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID FIBER PASSAGEWAY AT A FIRST RATE; OSCILLATABLE REED MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FEED MEANS AND THE ENTRANCE END OF SAID FIBER PASSAGEWAY; MEANS FOR OSCILLATING SAID REED MEANS WIDTHWISE OF THE ADVANCING STRANDS TO VARY THE INCLINATIONS OF THE STRANDS WITH RESPECT TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE FIBER PASSAGEWAY IN SAID FLUID JET MEANS AND WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER; MEANS FOR FLOWING FLUID AT HIGH VELOCITY THROUGH SAID FLUID PASSAGEWAYS, INTO SAID FIBER PASSAGEWAY, AND OUT THE OUTLET END OF SAID FIBER PASSAGEWAY TO ENTANGLE FIBERS FROM ADJACENT STRANDS; AND TAKE-UP MEANS FOR MOVING THE SHEET CONTAINING THE ENTANGLED FIBERS AWAY FROM THE FLUID JET MEANS AT A RATE SLOWER THAN SAID FIRST RATE.