Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.

Little Rapids Corporation

James D Cotton

Gabriel Hamman Adam

John M Ito

Michael Tod Morman

Loyd G Kasbo, Deceased

Dennis Stein Everhart

Elizabeth Deibler Gadsby

Donald F Durocher

Richard M Peterson

Annette Snow Ludolf

Gary Nilo

Paul J King

John T Delanty

A beauty coil that is in the form of a rod which is comprised of a mass of continuous fibers which run the length of the rod. The fibers are held in a compressed state by an outer sheathing, which when removed, allows the fiber mass to expand or blossom prior to use.

Beauty coil and method

A drinking straw that purifies water by forced movement of water through the straw. The straw is composed of: 1) a filter plug made of a fibrous structure, the filter plug having sides, a first end, a second end, and a firmness sufficient to avoid collapse of the fibrous structure under a specified pressure drop; 2) a water purification material integrated in the fibrous structure; and 3) a liquid impervious wrapper covering the sides of the filter plug, the wrapper defining openings at the first and second ends of the filter plug.

Water purification device

Disclosed is a hydraulically entangled, autogenous-bonding, nonwoven composite fabric composed of a matrix of substantially continuous, thermoplastic polymer filaments and at least one substantially non-thermoplastic fibrous material integrated in the matrix so that the composite fabric is adapted to autogenously bond to itself upon application of heat. The hydraulically entangled, autogenous-bonding, nonwoven composite fabric may be suitable as infusion package material for applications such as, for example, tea bags and coffee filter pouches. Also disclosed is a method of making a hydraulically entangled, autogenous-bonding, nonwoven composite fabric.

Hydraulically entangled, autogenous-bonding, nonwoven composite fabric

There is disclosed an animal litter composition and a package for the composition. The composition constitutes decorticated flax straw which as been screened to particle sizes between about 10 and 22 U.S. Screen Mesh. The litter further includes a virucidal composition and a fragrance. The virucidal composition includes from about 0.05 to about 5 percent by weight based on the dry weight of the decorticated flax straw of a preferably anionic surfactant, and at least about 2 percent, based on the dry weight of the decorticated flax straw of at least one acid selected from a group consisting of citric, malic, and mixtures of the acids. The animal litter package constitutes a bag formed from a web of film, nonwoven/film laminates, film/paper laminate or wax/paper laminate in which the animal litter is contained prior to use. The bag can then be opened to serve as a litter box liner. Once the litter has been used, the edges of the bag can be regathered to form a bag for disposal of the litter.

Animal litter package

A structure for selectively absorbing an oily contaminant from an aqueous environment comprising a plurality of sheets of nonwoven oleophilic fibers arranged in superposition to form a generally rectangular parallelpiped shape, the configuration may be maintained in shape and has a major surface formed by sheet edges so that when contacting an oily containment, the contaminant is selectively absorbed into the structure through wicking action. These structures may be combined to form booms or the like and stacked in a particular configuration for easy storage, transportation and deployment.

Process for selectively absorbing oily contaminants

Animal litter composition and package

A structure for selectively absorbing an oily contaminant from an aqueous environment comprising a plurality of sheets of nonwoven oleophilic fibers arranged in superposition to form a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, the configuration may be maintained in shape and has a major surface formed by sheet edges so that when contacting an oily containment, the contaminant is selectively absorbed into the structure through wicking action. These structures may be combined to form booms or the like and stacked in a particular configuration for easy storage, transportation and deployment.

Structure for selectively absorbing oily contaminants and process

The present disclosure is directed to a nonwoven wiper having an oil capacity greater than about 500 percent by weight of oil to the weight of the web. The wiper includes a nonwoven web of fibers having at least one raised surface area which area has an aperture through the web. The fibers generally adjacent the aperture are substantially unconsolidated, i.e., not compacted together or fused. The disclosure also deals with a method of forming such a nonwoven wiper. The method includes the steps of: a) providing a nonwoven web; b) providing a nip roller arrangement including a first roller having a plurality of unheated pins and a second roller having a plurality of corresponding orifices; and c) passing the web through the nip roller arrangement to form a plurality of raised surface areas on the web with each of the surface areas defining an aperture where the fibers generally adjacent the aperture are substantially unconsolidated.

Nonwoven wiper having high oil capacity

The present invention is directed to preparation and dispensing of moist, hot towels which has become standard practice in international airline travel and is recognized as a desired passenger convenience. Limitations on cost, storage space, and airline attendant time have restricted the airlines' ability to make such a convenience more widespread. The present invention provides a compact, efficient means for containing, preparing and dispensing moist, hot towels that overcomes these drawbacks. As disclosed, the container of the invention includes a bottom formed at least partially of heat insulating material that is adapted to contain a stack of, for example, disposable towels and that has self-supporting sidewalls. A top cover is included that is similarly shaped, but of a slightly smaller dimension so that it will fit inside the cavity of the bottom. In use, the disposable towels are placed within the bottom cavity, and preferably using the cavity of the top, the desired amount of hot water is added to the towels. In cases where the bottom is less than full of towels, the top may be inverted and used to express excess water by pressing against the towels with the bottom tipped so as to drain the excess water. The hot, moist towels may then be dispensed one at a time. After use, the towels may be collected in the container, the top replaced and the entire contents discarded. Additional preferred embodiments disclosed are where the top and bottom are formed from expanded polystyrene, and have outwardly extending sides with the angle variation from vertical of the bottom sides in the range of up to 30.degree. and for the top sides is about 2.degree. to 10.degree. less.

Preparation and dispensing container for hot, moist towels

Dispensing carton for sheet material

Methods and systems for dispensing a plurality of serially connected separable wipers stacked in a carton is disclosed. Wiper folding techniques and carton dispensing port designs are employed to effect detaching a leading wiper from a trailing wiper in a manner enabling the trailing separable wiper to protrude through the port in a 'pop-out' fashion, poised in a state of readiness as the next wiper to be dispensed.

Growing community of inventors

Marietta, GA, United States of America

James D Cotton