Filtrona Richmond, Inc.

Michael W Spencer

Bennett Ward

David Bradley Harris

Raymond J Nelson

Jackie F Payne, Jr

Jackie Payne

Andreas Schneekloth

Roy B Pugh

Geoff Stoltz

Brian V Nutter

An ink absorbing substrate suitable for use in inkjet printing systems is provided. The substrate comprises at least one continuous fiber bonded to itself at points of contact to form a substantially self-sustaining structure for retaining ink. The continuous fiber preferably is a bicomponent fiber having a core material and a sheath material at least partially surrounding the core material. The core material preferably is a crystalline thermoplastic polymer and the sheath material preferably is low density polyethylene modified with a cycloolefin copolymer.

Porous substrate for ink delivery systems

A method and apparatus for incorporating an additive material into a fibrous web to be bonded into an elongated porous element by heating the fibers in a confined forming die with a heating medium adapted to bond the fibers to each other at spaced points of contact. An additive material is admixed with the heating medium and then the web of fibers is contacted with the heating medium/additive material mixture whereby the heating medium simultaneously carries the additive material into the fibrous web and heats the fibers to bond them into the porous element. The apparatus includes an adjustable venturi assembly through which the heating medium passes to create a pressure gradient adapted to aspirate a quantity of additive material and entrain a metered quantity of same in the heating medium. The method and apparatus are preferably used to uniformly inject a surfactant into a stream of steam for producing an ink reservoir for a writing or marking instrument from a web of melt blown bicomponent fibers having a sheath of polyethylene terephthalate.

Method and apparatus for applying additive to fibrous products and products produced thereby

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Richmond, VA, United States of America

Michael W Spencer