Pattern bonding and creping of fibrous substrates to form laminated products

Claim 2

A process for producing a laminated paper product from multiple substrate webs, comprising the steps of: (a) passing at least two highly bulked, low strength fibrous substrate webs, each having low internal fiber bonding such that the creping of the substrate will tend to separate and fluff up the fibers, into a nip between a gravure roller and an impression roller to form a laminate of the webs, the impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate of the webs is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the gravure roller having depressions which carry binding liquid in a pattern which underlies and registers with the raised areas on the impression roller such that binding liquid is absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate webs at these areas while the other areas of the laminate receive substantially no binding liquid; (b) applying the laminate of the webs to a heated, moving, creping surface with a pressure roller having raised areas and depressed areas to define a pattern therein, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the laminate being compressed only by the raised areas of the pressure roller as it is applied to the creping surface and adhered thereto with the binding liquid coated side against the creping surface; and (c) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.

Claim 3

A process for producing a laminated paper product from multiple substrate webs, comprising the steps of: (a) passing at least two highly bulked, low strength fibrous substrate webs, each having low internal fiber bonding such that creping of the substrate will tend to separate and fluff up the fibers, into a nip between a gravure roller and an impression roller to form a laminate of the webs, the gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to one side of the laminate and the impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate of the webs is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate webs at these areas; (b) applying the laminate of the webs to a heated, moving, creping surface with a pressure roller having raised areas and depressed areas to define a pattern therein, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the laminate being compressed only by the raised areas of the pressure roller as it is applied to the creping surface and adhered thereto with the binding liquid coated side against the creping surface; and (c) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.

Claim 4

A process for producing a laminated paper product from multiple substrate webs, comprising the steps of: (a) passing at least two highly bulked, low strength fibrous substrate webs, each having low internal fiber bonding such that creping of the substrate will tend to separate and fluff up the fibers, into a nip between a gravure roller and an impression roller to form a laminate of the webs, the gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to one side of the laminate and the impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate of the webs is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate webs at these areas; (b) applying the laminate of the webs to a heated, moving, creping surface with a pressure roller having raised areas and depressed areas to define a pattern therein, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the laminate being compressed only by the raised areas of the pressure roller as it is applied to the creping surface and adhered thereto with the binding liquid coated side against the creping surface; and (c) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.

Claim 5

A process of producing a laminated paper product from multiple substrate webs, comprising the steps of: (a) passing at least two highly bulked, low atrength fibrous substrate webs, each having low internal fiber bonding such that creping of the substrate will tend to separate and fluff up the fibers, into a nip between a gravure roller and an impression roller to form a laminate of the webs, the gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to one side of the laminate, and the impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate of the webs is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate webs at these areas; (b) rotating the impression roller and maintaining the compressed and uncompressed areas of the laminate in respective registry with the raised and depressed areas on the impression roller as it rotates; (c) passing the laminate on the impression roller into a nip formed between the impression roller and a moving, heated creping surface such that the raised areas of the impression roller press the once compressed areas of the laminate against the creping surface to adhere the laminate thereto with the binding liquid; and (d) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.

Claim 6

A process of producing a laminated paper product from multiple substrate webs, comprising the steps of: (a) passing at least two highly bulked, low atrength fibrous substrate webs, each having low internal fiber bonding such that creping of the substrate will tend to separate and fluff up the fibers, into a nip between a gravure roller and an impression roller to form a laminate of the webs, the gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to one side of the laminate, and the impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate of the webs is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate webs at these areas; (b) rotating the impression roller and maintaining the compressed and uncompressed areas of the laminate in respective registry with the raised and depressed areas on the impression roller as it rotates; (c) passing the laminate on the impression roller into a nip formed between the impression roller and a moving, heated creping surface such that the raised areas of the impression roller press the once compressed areas of the laminate against the creping surface to adhere the laminate thereto with the binding liquid; and (d) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.

Claim 7

A process for producing a laminated paper product from multiple substrate webs, comprising the steps of: (a) passing at least two highly bulked, low strength fibrous substrate webs, each having low internal fiber bonding such that the creping of the substrate will tend to separate and fluff up the fibers, into a nip between a gravure roller and an impression roller to form a laminate of the webs, the gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to one side of the laminate, and the impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate of the webs is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate webs at these areas; (b) passing heated air through the binding liquid coated laminate to substantially dry it; (c) passing the dried laminate into a nip formed between a gravure roller and an impression roller, the gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to the side of the laminate opposite that to which binding liquid has previously been applied, and the impression roller having raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed by the impression roller, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate at these areas; (d) applying the laminate to a heated, moving creping surface with a pressure roller having raised areas and depressed areas to define a pattern therein, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the laminate being compressed only by the raised areas of the pressure roller with the binding liquid coated side of the laminate against the creping surface to cause the laminate to adhere thereto with the binding liquid; and (e) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.

Claim 8

A process for producing a laminated paper product from multiple substrate webs, comprising the steps of: (a) passing at least two highly bulked, low strength fibrous substrate webs, each having low internal fiber bonding such that the creping of the substrate will tend to separate and fluff up the fibers, into a nip between a gravure roller and an impression roller to form a laminate of the webs, the gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to one side of the laminate, and the impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate of the webs is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate webs at these areas; (b) passing heated air through the binding liquid coated laminate to substantially dry it; (c) passing the dried laminate into a nip formed between a gravure roller and an impression roller, the gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to the side of the laminate opposite that to which binding liquid has previously been applied, and the impression roller having raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed by the impression roller, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate at these areas; (d) applying the laminate to a heated, moving creping surface with a pressure roller having raised areas and depressed areas to define a pattern therein, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the laminate being compressed only by the raised areas of the pressure roller with the binding liquid coated side of the laminate against the creping surface to cause the laminate to adhere thereto with the binding liquid; and (e) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.

Claim 9

The process of claim 2 further including the steps of: (1) passing the creped laminate into a nip between a second gravure roller and a second impression roller, the second gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to the side of the laminate opposite that to which binding liquid had previously been applied, and the second impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate is compressed under the raised areas of the second impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed by the second impression roller, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the second gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the areas of the laminate compressed by the second impression roller to bond together the susbstrate webs at these areas; (2) applying the laminate to a heated, moving creping surface with pressure applied by a pressure roller having raised areas and depressed areas to defind a pattern therein, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the laminate being compressed only by the raised areas of the pressure roller with the binding liquid coated side of the laminate against the creping surface to cause the laminate to adhere thereto with the binding liquid; and (3) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.

Claim 10

The process of claim 3 further including the steps of: (1) passing the creped laminate into a nip between a second gravure roller and a second impression roller, the second impression roller providing binding liquid on its surface to the side of the laminate opposite that to which binding liquid had previously been applied, and the second impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the raised areas such that the laminate is compressed under the raised areas of the second impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed by the second impression roller, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the second gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the areas of the laminate compressed by the second impression roller to bond together the substrate webs at these areas; (2) rotating the second impression roller and maintaining the compressed and uncompressed areas of the laminate in respective registry with the raised and depressed areas on the second impression roller as it rotates; (3) passing the laminate on the second impression roller into a nip formed between the second impression roller and a moving, heated creping surface such that the raised areas of the second impression roller press the once compressed areas of the laminate against the creping surface to adhere the laminate thereto with the binding liquid; and (4) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.

Claim 11

The process of claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein the raised area of the impression roller is between 20% and 40% of the total area of the surface of the roller.

Claim 12

The process of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the binding liquid is capable of being cured to a hardened and insoluble state, and further including the step of curing the binding liquid in the creped laminate to thereby provide lines of strength in the laminate corresponding to the interconnected networks of cured binding liquid in the laminate.

Claim 13

The process of claim 5 or 6 wherein the binding liquid is capable of being cured to a hardened and insoluble state, and further including the step of curing the binding liquid in the creped web laminate to thereby provide lines of strength in the web laminate corresponding to the interconnected networks of cured binding liquid in the laminate.

Claim 14

The process of claim 8 wherein the binding liquid is heat curable, and wherein the step of curing the binding liquid comprises applying hot air to the creped web laminate for a time sufficient to cure the binding liquid.

Claim 15

The process of claim 10 wherein the binding liquid includes a mixture of ethylene vinyl acetate polymer and acrylic polymer.

Claim 16

The process of claim 9 wherein the binding liquid is heat curable to a hardened and insoluble state, and wherein the step of curing the binder liquid comprises applying hot air to the creped laminate for a time sufficient to cure the binding liquid.

Claim 17

The process of claim 12 wherein the binding liquid includes a mixture of ethylene vinyl acetate polymer and acrylic polymer.

Claim 18

The process of claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein the raised areas on the impression roller define a rectilinear network pattern which surround depressed areas having a quadrangular shape.

Claim 19

The process of claim 1 wherein the interconnected network of areas compressed in the laminate defines a rectilinear network pattern.

Claim 20

The process of claim 1, 2, 4 or 5 wherein the step of applying the laminate to the creping surface includes passing the laminate having a coating of binding liquid thereon into a nip between a pressure roller and the moving creping surface.

Claim 21

The process of claim 16 wherein the pressure roller has raised areas and depressed areas to define a pattern therein, with the web laminate being compressed by the raised areas of the pressure roller.

Claim 22

The process of claim 1 wherein the surface with binding liquid thereon has binding liquid uniformly distributed over it.

Claim 23

The process of claim 1 wherein the surface with binding liquid thereon has the binding liquid in a pattern which matches and registers with the pattern in which the laminate is pressed against the surface.

Claim 24

The process of claim 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 in which each gravure roller has a uniform surface composed of cells acting as reservoirs for binding liquid, the binding liquid being absorbed substantially through the areas of the laminate which are compressed against each gravure roller, and coated on the surface of the areas of the laminate which are not so compressed.

Claim 25

The process of claim 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 in which each gravure roller has depressions on its surface acting as reservoirs for binding liquid and arranged in a pattern which matches and registers with the raised areas of the impression roller which presses the laminate against the gravure roller, the areas of the gravure roller between the pattern areas being smooth so as not to pick up binding liquid, such that the binding liquid is substantially absorbed through those areas of the laminate which are compressed against the gravure roller while the remainder of the laminate receives no binding liquid from the gravure roller.

Claim 26

A process for producing a laminated paper product from multiple substrate webs, comprising the steps of: (a) passing at least two highly bulked, low strength fibrous substrate webs, each having low internal fiber bonding such that creping of the substrate will tend to separate and fluff up the fibers, into a nip between a gravure roller and an impression roller to form a laminate of the webs, the gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to one side of the laminate, and the impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the reaised areas such that the laminate of the webs is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate webs at these areas; (b) rotating the impression roller and maintaining the compressed and uncompressed areas of the laminate in respective registry with the raised and depressed areas on the impression roller as it rotates; (c) passing the laminate on the impression roller and another substrate web into a nip formed between the impression roller and a moving, heated creping surface such that the raised areas of the impression roller press the once compressed areas of the laminate against the additional substrate web and the creping surface to cause the binding liquid to migrate into the additonal substrate web and bond together the substrate webs at these areas, and adhering the laminate with the additional substrate to the creping surface with a creping adhesive; and (d) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.

Claim 27

A process for producing a laminated paper product from multiple substrate webs, comprising the steps of: (a) passing at least two highly bulked, low strength fibrous substrate webs, each having low internal fiber bonding such that creping of the substrate will tend to separate and fluff up the fibers, into a nip between a gravure roller and an impression roller to form a laminate of the webs, the gravure roller providing binding liquid on its surface to one side of the laminate, and the impression roller having a resilient surface with raised areas defining an interconnected network and depressed areas between the reaised areas such that the laminate of the webs is compressed under the raised areas of the impression roller and the remainder of the laminate is left substantially uncompressed, the height of the raised areas above the depressed areas selected to be greater than the uncompressed thickness of the substrate webs, the binding liquid on the surface of the gravure roller being absorbed substantially through the compressed areas of the laminate to bond together the substrate webs at these areas; (b) rotating the impression roller and maintaining the compressed and uncompressed areas of the laminate in respective registry with the raised and depressed areas on the impression roller as it rotates; (c) passing the laminate on the impression roller and another substrate web into a nip formed between the impression roller and a moving, heated creping surface such that the raised areas of the impression roller press the once compressed areas of the laminate against the additional substrate web and the creping surface to cause the binding liquid to migrate into the additonal substrate web and bond together the substrate webs at these areas, and adhering the laminate with the additional substrate to the creping surface with a creping adhesive; and (d) creping the laminate by removing it from the creping surface with a creping blade such that the bulk of the laminate so creped is greater than the sum of the individual bulks of the substrate webs.