Controllably oriented fibrous product

Abstract

Abstract A nonwoven fibrous pad comprises a three-dimensional network of individual fibers having a surface textured with a pattern of undulating elevations separated by a respective pattern of undulating depressions. Bonding means interconnect the fibers where they cross and contact each other, and each of the elevations comprises a structural dome in which the ratio of cap wall unit weight to average web unit weight is less than 1.0. The method of making such a fibrous pad includes the step of subjecting an unbonded web of mechanically engaged fibers to successive forming operations between partly meshing, multiply cogged work members relocating fibers from the regions forming the peaks of the elevations to the regions forming the sidewalls thereof. Apparatus for producing a fibrous pad of the type described comprises a pair of fiber-orienting arrangements, one of which includes means forming a traveling cog surface and the other of which includes a plurality of synchronized cog members meshing successively with the cog surface. One of the fiber-orienting arrangements includes a plurality of closely laterally spaced cog elements having channels therebetween aligned generally with the direction of travel of the cog surface, and a conveyor belt arrangement is disposed partly in the channels and diverges from a meshed region of the fiber orienting arrangements for feeding a fibrous web into the orienting arrangements or stripping a processed web therefrom.

Inventors

• 👤 Ewald A Kamp

Bibliographic Details