Apparatus for forming a nonwoven web of criss-cross threads

Claim 1

Apparatus for forming a nonwoven web comprising, in combination, a rotatable serving ring having a central opening and carrying a plurality of thread supply cones, a support extending through said opening, an endless guide chain carried by guide sprockets journaled on the support for movement in unison with the serving ring, said guide chain defining an elongated loop lying in a plane spaced from and generally parallel to said serving ring and including a plurality of spaced-apart, outwardly projecting elements respectively defining eyes each carrying a thread fed from a respective supply cone on the serving ring, and a pair of endless web carrier chains lying in a common plane substantially transverse to said first plane and movable about respective upstream and downstream carrier sprockets in synchronism with said guide chain, said web carrier chains each having a plurality of spaced-apart, outwardly projecting hooks disposed to pass between respective ones of said eyes on said guide chain for alternately engaging threads carried by said eyes and for transporting said threads in crisscross fashion away from said guide chain, said upstream carrier sprockets each being located adjacent and at right angles to said guide sprockets so that said hooks and eyes are caused to intermesh at points where they are respectively passing around said sprockets thereby opening the spaces between adjacent ones of said projecting hooks and eyes to facilitate the engagement by said hooks of said threads fed from said eyes.