The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 09, 1998
Filed:
Apr. 16, 1997
James George Van Himbergen, Kimberly, WI (US);
Thomas George Olsen, Neenah, WI (US);
James Joseph Wiltzius, Ogden, UT (US);
John Wallace de Vos, Appleton, WI (US);
Leon Robert Flesburg, Neenah, WI (US);
Ryan Joseph Roth, Kimberly, WI (US);
Brian Keith Costelic, Greenville, WI (US);
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
A distinctive method and apparatus (20) for forming a composite fibrous web (22) includes a web supply (24, 25), which provides at least two appointed fiber layer sections (26, 28) of desired fiber material. Each of the layer sections (26, 28) has a selected composition. A fiberizer (30) disintegrates each of the fiber layer sections (26, 28) into individual, laterally adjacent fiber streams (32, 33) while substantially maintaining a lateral separation of the fiber streams while the fiber streams (32, 33) are moving through the fiberizer (30). A directing channel (34) delivers the fiber streams (32, 33) from the fiberizer (30) to a forming chamber (40). The forming chamber (40) is configured to substantially maintain the separation of the fiber streams. A foraminous forming surface (48) is disposed within the forming chamber (40), and is configured to receive each of the fiber streams (32, 33) to produce individual, fibrous web sections (76a, 76b) substantially corresponding to the individual fiber streams (32, 33). A transporter (60) removes the fibrous web sections (76a, 76b) from the forming surface (48), and an integrator (62) laterally displaces and superposes one of the fibrous sections (32, 33) onto another of the fibrous web sections to provide the composite fibrous web (22).