Apparatus for and methods of forming airlaid fibrous webs having a multiplicity of components

Claim 1

An apparatus for forming airlaid fibrous webs having a multiplicity of components each formed from a portion of a column of fibers, said apparatus comprising: splitting means for splitting a column of fibers into a multiplicity of fiber streams and for entraining each of the fiber streams in air so as to provide a multiplicity of streams of air-entrained fibers; first airlaying means having a first foraminous forming element for forming a first web component; first deposition means for directing a first stream of air-entrained fibers formed from a portion of the column of fibers from said splitting means to said first foraminous forming element of said first airlaying means and for depositing the fibers on said first foraminous forming element; second airlaying means having a second foraminous forming element for forming a second web component; second deposition means for directing a second stream of air-entrained fibers formed from a portion of the column of fibers from said splitting means to said second foraminous forming element of said second airlaying means and for depositing the fibers on said second foraminous forming element; and uniting means for uniting said first web component and said second web component so as to form an airlaid fibrous web.

Claim 2

An apparatus for forming airlaid fibrous webs having a multiplicity of components each formed from a portion of a column of fibers, said apparatus comprising: splitting means for splitting a column of fibers into a multiplicity of fiber streams and for entraining each of the fiber streams in air so as to provide a multiplicity of streams of air-entrained fibers; first airlaying means having a first foraminous forming element for forming a first web component; first deposition means for directing a first stream of air-entrained fibers formed from a portion of the column of fibers from said splitting means to said first foraminous forming element of said first airlaying means and for depositing the fibers on said first foraminous forming element; second airlaying means having a second foraminous forming element for forming a second web component; second deposition means for directing a second stream of air-entrained fibers formed from a portion of the column of fibers from said splitting means to said second foraminous forming element of said second airlaying means and for depositing the fibers on said second foraminous forming element; and uniting means for uniting said first web component and said second web component so as to form an airlaid fibrous web.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claims 1, 5 or 6 additionally comprising absorbent gelling material injection means connected to said first deposition means for mixing discrete particles of an absorbent gelling material with the primary stream of air-entrained fibers.

Claim 10

An apparatus for forming airlaid fibrous webs having a multiplicity of components each formed from a portion of a column of fibers, said apparatus comprising: splitting means for splitting a column of fibers into a multiplicity of fiber streams and for entraining each of the fiber streams in air so as to provide a multiplicity of streams of air-entrained fibers; a first laydown drum having a first foraminous forming element disposed about the periphery of said first laydown drum for forming a first web component; a dusting layer deposition chute connected to said splitting means for directing a dusting layer stream of air-entrained fibers from said splitting means to said first foraminous forming element; a dusting layer hood having a first sector and a second sector positioned downstream of said first sector, said dusting layer hood being connected to said dusting layer deposition chute and positioned adjacent a dusting layer portion of the periphery of said first laydown drum; a primary deposition chute connected to said splitting means for directing a primary stream of air-entrained fibers from said splitting means to said first foraminous forming element; an absorbent gelling material injection means connected to said primary deposition chute for mixing discrete particles of an absorbent gelling material with the primary stream of air-entrained fibers; a primary hood connected to said primary deposition chute and positioned adjacent a primary portion of the periphery of said first laydown drum and adjacent to and downstream of said dusting layer hood; a second laydown drum having a second foraminous forming element disposed about the periphery of said second laydown drum for forming a second web component; a second deposition chute connected to said splitting means for directing a second stream of air-entrained fibers from said splitting means to said second foraminous forming element; a second hood connected to said second deposition chute and positioned adjacent a portion of the periphery of said second laydown drum; and uniting means for uniting the first web component formed on said first laydown drum and said second web component formed on said second laydown drum so as to form an airlaid fibrous web.

Claim 11

An apparatus for forming airlaid fibrous webs having a multiplicity of components each formed from a portion of a column of fibers, said apparatus comprising: splitting means for splitting a column of fibers into a multiplicity of fiber streams and for entraining each of the fiber streams in air so as to provide a multiplicity of streams of air-entrained fibers; a first laydown drum having a first foraminous forming element disposed about the periphery of said first laydown drum for forming a first web component; a dusting layer deposition chute connected to said splitting means for directing a dusting layer stream of air-entrained fibers from said splitting means to said first foraminous forming element; a dusting layer hood having a first sector and a second sector positioned downstream of said first sector, said dusting layer hood being connected to said dusting layer deposition chute and positioned adjacent a dusting layer portion of the periphery of said first laydown drum; a primary deposition chute connected to said splitting means for directing a primary stream of air-entrained fibers from said splitting means to said first foraminous forming element; an absorbent gelling material injection means connected to said primary deposition chute for mixing discrete particles of an absorbent gelling material with the primary stream of air-entrained fibers; a primary hood connected to said primary deposition chute and positioned adjacent a primary portion of the periphery of said first laydown drum and adjacent to and downstream of said dusting layer hood; a second laydown drum having a second foraminous forming element disposed about the periphery of said second laydown drum for forming a second web component; a second deposition chute connected to said splitting means for directing a second stream of air-entrained fibers from said splitting means to said second foraminous forming element; a second hood connected to said second deposition chute and positioned adjacent a portion of the periphery of said second laydown drum; and uniting means for uniting the first web component formed on said first laydown drum and said second web component formed on said second laydown drum so as to form an airlaid fibrous web.

Claim 14

A method for forming airlaid fibrous webs having a multiplicity of components each formed from a portion of a column of fibers, said method comprising the steps of: providing a column of fibers; splitting said column of fibers into a multiplicity of streams of air-entrained fibers; directing a first stream of air-entrained fibers to a first airlaying means; depositing said first stream of air-entrained fibers on the first airlaying means to form a first web component; directing a second stream of air-entrained fibers to a second airlaying means; depositing said second stream of air-entrained fibers on the second airlaying means to form a second web component; and uniting said first web component and said second web component so as to form an airlaid fibrous web.

Claim 15

A method for forming airlaid fibrous webs having a multiplicity of components each formed from a portion of a column of fibers, said method comprising the steps of: providing a column of fibers; splitting said column of fibers into a multiplicity of streams of air-entrained fibers; directing a first stream of air-entrained fibers to a first airlaying means; depositing said first stream of air-entrained fibers on the first airlaying means to form a first web component; directing a second stream of air-entrained fibers to a second airlaying means; depositing said second stream of air-entrained fibers on the second airlaying means to form a second web component; and uniting said first web component and said second web component so as to form an airlaid fibrous web.

Claim 17

The method of claims 13 additionally comprising the step of: mixing discrete particles of an absorbent gelling material with said first stream of air-entrained fibers prior to depositing said primary stream of air-entrained fibers on the first airlaying means.

Claim 19

The method of claims 12, 13, 14 or 15 wherein the step of splitting the column of fibers into a multiplicity of streams of air-entrained fibers comprises the steps of: directing said column of fibers along the surface of a splitting member having a plurality of ports comprising a first port and a second port; directing a first column of air through a first conduit means past the first port; drawing a first portion of said column of fibers through the first port into the first conduit means so as to form a first fiber stream; entraining said first fiber stream in the first column of air; directing said first stream of air-entrained fibers downstream; directing a second column of air through a second conduit means past the second port; drawing a second portion of said column of fibers through the second port into the second conduit means so as to form a second fiber stream; entraining said second fiber stream in the second column of air; and directing said second stream of air-entrained fibers downstream.