Aerodynamic forming hood and method of operation

Abstract

An aerodynamic forming hood is provided for supplying a substantially uniform distribution of fibers in a downward laminar airstream for the deposition of the fibers on one or more forming surfaces. The hood is formed by a rectangular housing having opposed elongated downwardly diverging side walls and short downwardly diverging end walls. The housing has a smaller rectangular open top end through which a supply of fibers is released in an airstream which enters into the housing. The forming surfaces are disposed at a larger bottom forming end of the housing. The side walls and end walls in the top part of the hood are provided with elongated horizontal apertures. Controllable suction boxes are connected to the apertures for the controlled evacuation of air and fibers through the slots to substantially eliminate the formation of air turbulence and hence boundary layer separation in the airstream inside the housing to obtain the said laminar airstream with a substantially uniform distribution of fibers therein.