Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Jared A Austin

Thomas P Van Iten

A method and apparatus for forming non-woven webs by separating fibers from a compacted sheet or sheets of the fibers utilizing a lickerin. The method and apparatus include provision for attaining substantially individual fibers from a compressed sheet of short papermaking fibers such as wood pulp or cotton linters, and also fibers from a compacted sheet of longer fibers such as rayon, and blending the long and short fibers together into a non-woven web in the continuous operation of the lickerin and associated equipment. For the purpose of obtaining the short (1/4 inch and less) papermaking cellulosic fibers of wood pulp or the like the nose of the feed bar for the compacted short fibers is spaced a considerable distance from the working circumference of the lickerin such that the compacted sheet tip vibrates and the feed of the sheet of short fibers is substantially radially of the lickerin. Additionally, when forming a composite of long and short fibers the short fibers are freed by the lickerin in the course of lickerin rotation in advance of the freeing of the longer fibers.

Fiberization of compressed fibrous sheets via Rando-Webber

A tampon is provided having an absorbent core made of a plurality of discrete plies of a blend of cellulosic material and superabsorbent fibers and having an absorbent layer overwrap and a fluid permeable cover surrounding the absorbent material. The absorbent layer is located on both the top and bottom surfaces of the absorbent core and contains staple textile fibers.

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Appleton, WI, United States of America

Jared A Austin