Scott Paper Company

Aris Constantine Spengos

Henry J Norton

Joel P Gotchel

Lawrence Vaalburg

A method for forming a fibrous structure from a fibrous feed by: (1) directing the feed into engagement with projections on a rotating fiberizing drum for separating fibers from the feed; (2) directing the separated fibers to a release zone at which they are released from the periphery of the drum for subsequent conveyance to a foraminous forming surface upon which the fibrous structure is formed; and (3) sealing the outer periphery of the drum in a region between the fiber release zone and the region in which the fibrous feed is directed into engagement with the fiberizing drum by directing a gas against the outer periphery of the drum with a force component in a direction opposed to the direction of rotation of the drum and at a static pressure of at least about two atmospheres to provide a gas velocity which is sufficiently high to remove air trapped between the projections of the drum as the drum is being rotated. Preferably the fibrous feed includes textile-length fibers greater than 1/4 inch in length, and the method includes the step of providing a seal pad in engagement with the outer periphery of the drum in a region that is spaced apart, in the direction of rotation of the drum, from the region on the outer periphery against which the gas is directed.

Method for forming fibrous structures

The invention resides in a method of forming a nonwoven web by employing a forming apparatus which includes a fiberizing roll for separating fibers from a feed mat and entraining them in a gaseous medium, a foraminous forming surface through which the gaseous medium passes and upon which the fibers are condensed to form a fibrous web, and a formation duct between the fiberizing roll and the forming surface for defining a flow path for the gaseous suspension of fibers from the fiberizing roll to the forming surface; the improvement wherein the formation duct includes front and back, substantially planar inner surfaces which may slightly converge in a direction from the fiberizing roll to the forming surface, but preferably diverge at an angle of up to about 41/2 degrees when the forming surface is a curved surface of a cylindrical drum, and up to about 11/2 degrees when the forming surface is a linear surface of a forming belt; the formation duct being inclined to the forming surface to define an incidence angle with the forming surface in the range of from about 10.degree. to about 30.degree. . The invention also resides in a method of forming a nonwoven web by employing the above-described apparatus.

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Wallingford, PA, United States of America

Aris Constantine Spengos