US3895089A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for preparing air-laid nonwoven webs from combined streams
Assignee: Johnson and Johnson
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Filing: 1973-04-04
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Granted: 1975-07-15
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Expires: 1993-04-04
Abstract
Abstract A process and apparatus for forming a wide variety of air-laid nonwoven webs, with the apparatus including plural pairs of spaced parallel oppositely rotating lickerins, each pair having a movable divider plate therebetween. The lickerins individualize fibers from separate fibrous sources, which may be similar or dissimilar, and high speed air streams are caused to flow past each individual lickerin, through a mixing zone between each pair of lickerins to form combined streams, and into a common mixing zone above a fiber collecting means to form a composite stream. The individualized fibers are doffed from the lickerins by the high speed air streams and are entrained therein, and divider plates between each pair of lickerins are adjustable through a range of positions for controlling the degree of intermixing of the entrained fibers in the combined streams. A further divider plate is mounted in adjustable relationship with respect to the common mixing zone to control the degree to which the combined streams and entrained fibers intermix in forming the composite stream. The air streams may be generated by a single suction source below the fiber collecting means, or by separate individually controlled suction sources on opposite sides of the further divider plates, which may be individually adjusted to further vary the web that is formed on the fiber collecting means. The further divider plate is preferably removably mounted so that a further material, such as a reinforcing material or an adhesive can be introduced into the composite stream and resulting web, if desired.
Inventors
- 👤 Prashant K Goyal
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 02:52
CPC Classifications
D; D21; D21H; D21H5/00; D21H5/26; D21H5/2607; D21H5/2628; D04; D04H; D04H1/00; D04H1/70; D04H1/72; D04H1/732; D04H1/736; D21H11/00; D21H13/00; D21H13/10; D21H13/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
287 words
THE METHOD OF FORMING A WEB OF NONWOVEN FIBERS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF SOURCES OF FIBERS, ROTATING A LICKERIN FOR EACH SOURCE OF FIBERS, FEEDING ACH SOURCE OF FIBERS INTO CONTACT WITH ITS RESPECTIVE LICKERIN WHEREBY EACH LICKERIN INDIVIDUALIZES FIBERS FROM ITS RESPECTIVE SOURCE, PROVIDING SEPARATE HIGH SPEED GASEOUS STREAMS TO DOFF AT LEAST SOME OF THE FIBERS FROM EACH LICKERIN AND TO ENTRAIN THE INDIVIDUALIZED FIBERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE GASEOUS STREAM, IMPELLING A FIRST PAIR OF THE GASEOUS STREAMS CARRYING ENTRAINED FIBERS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AT A FIRST COMMON REGION, LOCATING A FIRST MOVABLY MOUNTED WEB CONTROLLING MEMBER AT A PRESELECTED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST PAIR OF GASEOUS STREAMS TO CONTROL THE LOCATION OF THE COMMON REGION AND THE MANNER OF COMBINING OF THE INDIVIDUAL STREAMS OF THE FIRST PAIR OF GASEOUS STREAMS INTO A FIRST COMBINED STREAM, IMPELLING A SECOND PAIR OF THE ASEOUS STREAMS CARRYING ENTRAINED FIBERS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AT A SECOND COMMON REGION, LOCATING A SECOND MOVABLY MOUNTED WEB CONTROLLING MEMBER AT A PRESELECTED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND PAIR OF GASEOUS STREAMS TO CONTROL THE LOCATION OF THE SECOND COMMON REGION AND THE MANNER OF COMBINING OF THE INDIVIDUAL STREAMS OF THE SECOND PAIR OF GASEOUS STREAMS INTO A SECOND COMBINED STREAM, IMPELLING SAID FIRST AND SECOND COMBINED STREAMS CARRYING ENTRAINED FIBERS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AT A THIRD COMMON REGION, LOCATING A THIRD MOVABLY MOUNTED WEB CONTROLLING MEMBER AT A PRESELECTED POSITION RELATIVE TO AID FIRST AND SECOND COMBINED STREAMS TO CONTROL THE LOCATION OF THE THIRD COMMON REGION AND THUS AND TYPE OF WEV TO BE FORMED, AND CONVEYING AND DEPOSITING SAID FIBERS AT A DEPOSITING ZONE TO FORM A SINGLE WEB OF NONWOVEN FIBERS.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
287 words
THE METHOD OF FORMING A WEB OF NONWOVEN FIBERS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF SOURCES OF FIBERS, ROTATING A LICKERIN FOR EACH SOURCE OF FIBERS, FEEDING ACH SOURCE OF FIBERS INTO CONTACT WITH ITS RESPECTIVE LICKERIN WHEREBY EACH LICKERIN INDIVIDUALIZES FIBERS FROM ITS RESPECTIVE SOURCE, PROVIDING SEPARATE HIGH SPEED GASEOUS STREAMS TO DOFF AT LEAST SOME OF THE FIBERS FROM EACH LICKERIN AND TO ENTRAIN THE INDIVIDUALIZED FIBERS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE GASEOUS STREAM, IMPELLING A FIRST PAIR OF THE GASEOUS STREAMS CARRYING ENTRAINED FIBERS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AT A FIRST COMMON REGION, LOCATING A FIRST MOVABLY MOUNTED WEB CONTROLLING MEMBER AT A PRESELECTED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST PAIR OF GASEOUS STREAMS TO CONTROL THE LOCATION OF THE COMMON REGION AND THE MANNER OF COMBINING OF THE INDIVIDUAL STREAMS OF THE FIRST PAIR OF GASEOUS STREAMS INTO A FIRST COMBINED STREAM, IMPELLING A SECOND PAIR OF THE ASEOUS STREAMS CARRYING ENTRAINED FIBERS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AT A SECOND COMMON REGION, LOCATING A SECOND MOVABLY MOUNTED WEB CONTROLLING MEMBER AT A PRESELECTED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID SECOND PAIR OF GASEOUS STREAMS TO CONTROL THE LOCATION OF THE SECOND COMMON REGION AND THE MANNER OF COMBINING OF THE INDIVIDUAL STREAMS OF THE SECOND PAIR OF GASEOUS STREAMS INTO A SECOND COMBINED STREAM, IMPELLING SAID FIRST AND SECOND COMBINED STREAMS CARRYING ENTRAINED FIBERS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AT A THIRD COMMON REGION, LOCATING A THIRD MOVABLY MOUNTED WEB CONTROLLING MEMBER AT A PRESELECTED POSITION RELATIVE TO AID FIRST AND SECOND COMBINED STREAMS TO CONTROL THE LOCATION OF THE THIRD COMMON REGION AND THUS AND TYPE OF WEV TO BE FORMED, AND CONVEYING AND DEPOSITING SAID FIBERS AT A DEPOSITING ZONE TO FORM A SINGLE WEB OF NONWOVEN FIBERS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 in which the steps of locating said first and second controlLing members are performed by moving said first and second controlling members to a position within a range of positions having as extremes (a) a completely withdrawn position permitting said individual gaseous streams to intermix and (b) a completely extended position blocking the intermixing of said individual gaseous streams.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method as set forth in claim 2 in which the step of locating said third controlling member is performed by moving said third controlling member to a position within a range of positions having as extremes (a) a completely withdrawn position permitting said first and second combined streams to intermix and (b) a completely extended position blocking the intermixing of said first and second combined streams.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 in which the fiber depositing step is performed by applying a suction to a foraminous fiber receiving member, whereby said fibers are retained at a relatively high velocity prior to being deposited on the fiber receiving member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said suction applying step is performed by locating a single suction applying member generally centrally below said third controlling member and below said fiber receiving member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein said suction applying step is by locating first and second suction applying members below said fiber receiving member and below and on opposite sides of said third controlling member, and separately adjusting said first and second suction applying members.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
322 words
The method of forming a web of nonwoven fibers upon a foraminous fiber collecting means in a fiber depositing zone comprising the steps of providing a plurality of sources of fibers, rotating a lickerin for each source of fibers, feeding each source of fibers into contact with its respective lickerin whereby each lickerin individualizes fibers from its respective source, providing separate high-speed gaseous streams to doff at least some of the fibers from each lickerin and to entrain the individualized fibers in their respective gaseous stream, impelling a first pair of the gaseous streams carrying entrained fibers along converging flow paths and toward one another at a first common region, locating a first movably mounted web controlling member at a preselected position relative to said first pair of gaseous streams to control the location of the common region and the manner of combining of the individual streams of the first pair of gaseous streams into a first combined stream, impelling a second pair of the gaseous streams carrying entrained fibers along converging flow paths and toward one another at a second common region, locating a second movably mounted web controlling member at a preselected position relative to said second pair of gaseous streams to control the location of the second common region and the manner of combining of the individual streams of the second pair of gaseous streams into a second combined stream, impelling said first and second combined streams carrying entrained fibers along flow paths and toward one another at a third common region, said last mentioned flow paths converging toward one another and toward said depositing zone, whereby at least some of the fibers from said first and second combined streams are intermixed with one another, and applying suction to said foraminous fiber collecting means to convey said fibers along said flow paths and to deposit said fibers at said depositing zone to form a single web of non-woven fibers.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
322 words
The method of forming a web of nonwoven fibers upon a foraminous fiber collecting means in a fiber depositing zone comprising the steps of providing a plurality of sources of fibers, rotating a lickerin for each source of fibers, feeding each source of fibers into contact with its respective lickerin whereby each lickerin individualizes fibers from its respective source, providing separate high-speed gaseous streams to doff at least some of the fibers from each lickerin and to entrain the individualized fibers in their respective gaseous stream, impelling a first pair of the gaseous streams carrying entrained fibers along converging flow paths and toward one another at a first common region, locating a first movably mounted web controlling member at a preselected position relative to said first pair of gaseous streams to control the location of the common region and the manner of combining of the individual streams of the first pair of gaseous streams into a first combined stream, impelling a second pair of the gaseous streams carrying entrained fibers along converging flow paths and toward one another at a second common region, locating a second movably mounted web controlling member at a preselected position relative to said second pair of gaseous streams to control the location of the second common region and the manner of combining of the individual streams of the second pair of gaseous streams into a second combined stream, impelling said first and second combined streams carrying entrained fibers along flow paths and toward one another at a third common region, said last mentioned flow paths converging toward one another and toward said depositing zone, whereby at least some of the fibers from said first and second combined streams are intermixed with one another, and applying suction to said foraminous fiber collecting means to convey said fibers along said flow paths and to deposit said fibers at said depositing zone to form a single web of non-woven fibers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method as set forth in claim 7 in which the steps of locating said first and second controlling members are performed by moving said first and second controlling members to a position within a range of positions having as extremes (a) a completely withdrawn position permitting said individual gaseous streams to intermix (b) a completely extended position blocking the intermixing of said individual gaseous streams.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as set forth in claim 7 including the further Step of introducing a further web component at said third common region.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as set forth in claim 9 in which the step of introducing a further web component is performed by introducing a perforate medium at said third common region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as set forth in claim 9 in which the step of introducing a further web component is performed by introducing a treating substance at said third common region.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2624079A
Cited
US3768118A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-07-14 | 1979-01-13 | 1979-07-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-07-14 | 1983-01-13 | 1983-07-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-07-14 | 1987-01-13 | 1987-07-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |