Method for forming an air-laid web of dry fibers

Claim 1

A method of forming an air-laid web of dry fibers having a basis weight of from 7.5 to 50 lbs./2880 ft. 2 comprising: (a) forming a feed mat of dry fibrous materials having a controlled cross-directional profile; (b) compacting the feed mat to provide sufficient mat integrity to permit delivery to a remote point yet without sufficient compaction as to cause hydrogen bonding of fibers; (c) delivering the compacted feed mat to a forming head positioned over a moving foraminous forming surface; (d) dispersing the dry fibrous materials uniformly throughout the forming head in a rapidly moving aerated bed of individualized fibers, soft fiber flocs and aggregated fiber masses and in an environment maintained substantially free of fiber grinding and disintegrating forces; (e) continuously separating from the aerated bed a portion of the dry fibrous materials in the form of aggregated fiber masses having a bulk density in excess of 0.2 g./cc; (f) discharging said aggregated fiber masses from the forming head; (g) conveying the individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs from the forming head through a discharge opening at a fiber throughput rate of at least 0.5 lbs./hr. per square inch of discharge opening through an enclosed forming zone; (h) air-laying the individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs on the moving foraminous forming surface so as to form an air-laid web of randomly oriented dry individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs on the forming surface.

Claim 2

A method of forming an air-laid web of dry fibers having a basis weight of from 7.5 to 50 lbs./2880 ft. 2 comprising: (a) forming a feed mat of dry fibrous materials having a controlled cross-directional profile; (b) compacting the feed mat to provide sufficient mat integrity to permit delivery to a remote point yet without sufficient compaction as to cause hydrogen bonding of fibers; (c) delivering the compacted feed mat to a forming head positioned over a moving foraminous forming surface; (d) dispersing the dry fibrous materials uniformly throughout the forming head in a rapidly moving aerated bed of individualized fibers, soft fiber flocs and aggregated fiber masses and in an environment maintained substantially free of fiber grinding and disintegrating forces; (e) continuously separating from the aerated bed a portion of the dry fibrous materials in the form of aggregated fiber masses having a bulk density in excess of 0.2 g./cc; (f) discharging said aggregated fiber masses from the forming head; (g) conveying the individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs from the forming head through a discharge opening at a fiber throughput rate of at least 0.5 lbs./hr. per square inch of discharge opening through an enclosed forming zone; (h) air-laying the individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs on the moving foraminous forming surface so as to form an air-laid web of randomly oriented dry individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs on the forming surface.

Claim 13

The method of forming a quality web of air-laid dry fibers on a high speed production basis comprising the steps of: (a) forming a feed mat of fibers having a controlled cross-directional profile; (b) lightly compacting the feed mat to provide sufficient mat integrity to permit delivery to a remote point yet without sufficient compaction as to cause hydrogen bonding of the fibers; (c) delivering the lightly compacted feed mat to a forming head positioned over a forming surface; (d) dispersing the dry fibrous materials comprising the feed mat uniformly thoughout forming head in a rapidly moving aerated bed of individualized fibers, soft fiber flocs and aggregated fiber masses and in an environment maintained substantially free of fiber grinding and disintegrating forces; (e) continuously separating a substantial portion of those fibrous materials delivered to the forming head having a bulk density in excess of 0.2 g./cc. from the aerated bed so as to separate a substantial portion of the aggregated fiber masses from the aerated bed; (f) discharging such separated fibrous materials including the aggregated fiber masses contained therein from the forming head; (g) conveying the individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs from the forming head at a fiber throughput rate anywhere in the range of 0.5 lbs./hr./in. 2 to at least 1.50 lbs./hr./in. 2 through an enclosed forming zone towards the moving foraminous forming surface in a rapidly moving air stream; (h) air-laying the individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs on the moving foraminous forming surface so as to form an air-laid web of randomly oriented dry individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs on the forming surface; and, (i) moving the foraminous forming surface at a controlled and selected speed so as to produce an air-laid web having any specific desired basis weight in, lbs./2880 ft. 2 ranging from at least as low as 13 lbs./2880 ft. 2 to in excess of 40 lbs./28880 ft. 2 .

Claim 14

The method of forming a quality web of air-laid dry fibers on a high speed production basis comprising the steps of: (a) forming a feed mat of fibers having a controlled cross-directional profile; (b) lightly compacting the feed mat to provide sufficient mat integrity to permit delivery to a remote point yet without sufficient compaction as to cause hydrogen bonding of the fibers; (c) delivering the lightly compacted feed mat to a forming head positioned over a forming surface; (d) dispersing the dry fibrous materials comprising the feed mat uniformly thoughout forming head in a rapidly moving aerated bed of individualized fibers, soft fiber flocs and aggregated fiber masses and in an environment maintained substantially free of fiber grinding and disintegrating forces; (e) continuously separating a substantial portion of those fibrous materials delivered to the forming head having a bulk density in excess of 0.2 g./cc. from the aerated bed so as to separate a substantial portion of the aggregated fiber masses from the aerated bed; (f) discharging such separated fibrous materials including the aggregated fiber masses contained therein from the forming head; (g) conveying the individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs from the forming head at a fiber throughput rate anywhere in the range of 0.5 lbs./hr./in. 2 to at least 1.50 lbs./hr./in. 2 through an enclosed forming zone towards the moving foraminous forming surface in a rapidly moving air stream; (h) air-laying the individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs on the moving foraminous forming surface so as to form an air-laid web of randomly oriented dry individualized fibers and soft fiber flocs on the forming surface; and, (i) moving the foraminous forming surface at a controlled and selected speed so as to produce an air-laid web having any specific desired basis weight in, lbs./2880 ft. 2 ranging from at least as low as 13 lbs./2880 ft. 2 to in excess of 40 lbs./28880 ft. 2 .