Method of and apparatus for forming a web of fibrous material

Claim 3

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said liquid curtains are traversed in unison.

Claim 4

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said liquid particles advance against said portion of said predetermined path at a speed which is greater than the speed at which said stream of staple fibers advances into the path of the liquid particles.

Claim 5

A method as defined in claim 1; and further comprising the step of varying the speed of traversal of said liquid curtains.

Claim 8

A method as defined in claim 5, wherein said stream of staple fibers is advanced in direction towards said pervious surface.

Claim 9

Apparatus for forming a nonwoven web of fibrous material of substantially uniform density, comprising, in combination, first means comprising a conveyor belt having a pervious supporting surface and travelling in a predetermined direction; second means operative for propelling at least one stream of particles of a liquid carrier under pressure against said pervious supporting surface and comprising discharging means including elongated liquid-discharging conduit means above said surface extending in said predetermined direction centrally of and at least substantially parallel to said surface for discharging and propelling said liquid particles, recovering means below said pervious surface for receiving at least the major part of the discharged liquid particles, and circulating means for recirculating the recovered liquid particles to said discharging means; and third means operative for advancing a stream of staple fibers into the path of such liquid particles, whereby said staple fibers are forcibly entrained by said liquid particles and forcibly deposited on said pervious surface as a fibrous web.

Claim 10

Apparatus for forming a nonwoven web of fibrous material of substantially uniform density, comprising, in combination, first means comprising a conveyor belt having a pervious supporting surface and travelling in a predetermined direction; second means operative for propelling at least one stream of particles of a liquid carrier under pressure against said pervious supporting surface and comprising discharging means including elongated liquid-discharging conduit means above said surface extending in said predetermined direction centrally of and at least substantially parallel to said surface for discharging and propelling said liquid particles, recovering means below said pervious surface for receiving at least the major part of the discharged liquid particles, and circulating means for recirculating the recovered liquid particles to said discharging means; and third means operative for advancing a stream of staple fibers into the path of such liquid particles, whereby said staple fibers are forcibly entrained by said liquid particles and forcibly deposited on said pervious surface as a fibrous web.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 7, said liquid-discharging conduit means comprising at least one conduit having an axis, and said second means further comprising traversing means associated with said conduit and operative for traversing the same about said axis.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 8, said liquid-discharging means comprising an additional conduit also having an axis and being transversely spaced from said one conduit so as to define a narrow gap therewith; and wherein said traversing means is associated with both of said conduits and is operative for traversing the same about their respective axes.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, said traversing means being operative for traversing both of said conduits in unison.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, further comprising a guide flap carried by each of said conduits at the side thereof facing the other conduit, said guide flaps bounding the opposite lateral sides of said narrow gap against intrusIon of liquid particles; and wherein said third means comprises at least one guide channel for said fibers having an outlet registering with said narrow gap so as to discharge said stream of fibers through said gap and towards said pervious surface.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 11; and further comprising baffle means respectively provided on said conduits parallel to and slightly spaced from the outwardly directed sides of said guide flaps for intercepting liquid particles and preventing deposition thereof on said guide flaps.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 12, said guide flaps projecting from said conduits towards said pervious surface by a predetermined distance, and said baffle means projecting from said conduits towards said pervious surface by a distance slightly smaller than said predetermined distance.

Claim 17

Apparatus for forming a nonwoven web of fibrous material of substantially uniform density, comprising, in combination, first means including a conveyor belt having a pervious supporting surface and travelling in a predetermined direction; second means operative for propelling at least one stream of particles of a liquid carrier under pressure against said pervious supporting surface and comprising discharging means including at least one elongated liquid-discharging conduit above said surface in at least substantial parallelism therewith and having an axis, recovering means below said pervious surface for receiving at least the major part of the discharged liquid particles, and circulating means for recirculating the recovered liquid particles to said discharging means; traversing means for traversing said conduit about said axis; and third means including at least one guide channel for said staple fibers having an outlet located upwardly of said supporting surface and operative for advancing a stream of staple fibers into the path of such liquid particles, and said discharging means comprising at least one additional liquid-discharging conduit proximal to said outlet and being constructed and arranged for propelling additional liquid particles in form of a liquid curtain intersecting the stream of staple fibers from above and being inclined downwardly toward said supporting surface in direction other-than-normal to the latter, the first-mentioned conduit propelling said liquid particles in form of a shower of liquid from above through said stream of staple fibers and said liquid curtain toward said supporting surface substantially normal to the same, whereby said staple fibers are forcibly entrained by said liquid particles and forcibly deposited on said pervious surface as a fibrous web.

Claim 18

Apparatus for forming a nonwoven web of fibrous material of substantially uniform density, comprising, in combination, first means including a conveyor belt having a pervious supporting surface and travelling in a predetermined direction; second means operative for propelling at least one stream of particles of a liquid carrier under pressure against said pervious supporting surface and comprising discharging means including at least one elongated liquid-discharging conduit above said surface in at least substantial parallelism therewith and having an axis, recovering means below said pervious surface for receiving at least the major part of the discharged liquid particles, and circulating means for recirculating the recovered liquid particles to said discharging means; traversing means for traversing said conduit about said axis; and third means including at least one guide channel for said staple fibers having an outlet located upwardly of said supporting surface and operative for advancing a stream of staple fibers into the path of such liquid particles, and said discharging means comprising at least one additional liquid-discharging conduit proximal to said outlet and being constructed and arranged for propelling additional liquid particles in form of a liquid curtain intersecting the stream of staple fibers from above and being inclined downwardly toward said supporting surface in direction other-than-normal to the latter, the first-mentioned conduit propelling said liquid particles in form of a shower of liquid from above through said stream of staple fibers and said liquid curtain toward said supporting surface substantially normal to the same, whereby said staple fibers are forcibly entrained by said liquid particles and forcibly deposited on said pervious surface as a fibrous web.

Claim 19

Apparatus for forming a nonwoven web of fibrous material of substantially uniform density, comprising, in combination, first means including a conveyor belt having a pervious supporting surface and travelling in a predetermined direction; second means operative for propelling at least one stream of particles of a liquid carrier under pressure against said pervious supporting surface and comprising discharging means including at least one elongated liquid-discharging conduit above said surface in at least substantial parallelism therewith and having an axis, recovering means below said pervious surface for recovering at least the major part of the discharged liquid particles, and circulating means for recirculating the recovered liquid particles to said discharging means; transversing means for traversing said conduit about said axis in a predetermined pattern; and third means operative for advancing a stream of staple fibers into the path of such liquid particles, said third means including at least one guide channel for said staple fibers having an outlet for the same, and closure means movable between a closure position closing said outlet and an open position opening said outlet and directing the stream of fibers issuing therefrom, said closure means being movable between said closure position and said open position in correspondence with the predeterminEd pattern of traversal of said conduit, whereby said staple fibers are forcibly entrained by said liquid particles and forcibly deposited on said pervious surface as a fibrous web.

Claim 20

Apparatus for forming a nonwoven web of fibrous material of substantially uniform density, comprising, in combination, first means including a conveyor belt having a pervious supporting surface and travelling in a predetermined direction; second means operative for propelling at least one stream of particles of a liquid carrier under pressure against said pervious supporting surface and comprising discharging means including at least one elongated liquid-discharging conduit above said surface in at least substantial parallelism therewith and having an axis, recovering means below said pervious surface for recovering at least the major part of the discharged liquid particles, and circulating means for recirculating the recovered liquid particles to said discharging means; transversing means for traversing said conduit about said axis in a predetermined pattern; and third means operative for advancing a stream of staple fibers into the path of such liquid particles, said third means including at least one guide channel for said staple fibers having an outlet for the same, and closure means movable between a closure position closing said outlet and an open position opening said outlet and directing the stream of fibers issuing therefrom, said closure means being movable between said closure position and said open position in correspondence with the predeterminEd pattern of traversal of said conduit, whereby said staple fibers are forcibly entrained by said liquid particles and forcibly deposited on said pervious surface as a fibrous web.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined in claim 15, said conduit being provided on said guide channel at said outlet of the same.

Claim 22

Apparatus as defined in claim 15, said conduit being provided with a plurality of discharge apertures distributed along said conduit.

Claim 23

Apparatus as defined in claim 17, said apertures being arranged in two substantially parallel rows extending in longitudinal direction of said conduit .

Claim 24

Apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein each aperture of one of said rows is located intermediate two consecutive apertures of the other of said rows.

Claim 25

Apparatus as defined in claim 15, and further comprising a pair of sidewalls extending along opposite lateral sides of said supporting surface upwardly from the latter for delimiting the lateral extent of the fibrous nonwoven web being formed on said supporting surface.

Claim 26

Apparatus as defined in claim 20, and further comprising fiber-removing means for removing fibers adhering to the inner faces of said sidewalls which face inwardly towards said supporting surface.

Claim 27

Apparatus as defined in claim 21, said fiber-removing means including at least one liquid-discharging tube associated with each of said sidewalls extending along said inner faces of the same.