# US 10,309,040 B2 · Nonwoven-laying device and operating method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,040 B2 - Document ID: US10309040B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/035,014 - Filed: 2014-11-06 - Published: 2016-09-22 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-08 - Assignees: Autefa Solutions Germany GmbH - Applicants: Autefa Solutions Germany GmbH - Inventors: Andreas Meier - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309040B2 ## CPC - D01G 25/00: Lap-forming devices not integral with machines specified above (forming mats or batts of continuous filaments for non-woven fabrics D04H) - D01G: PRELIMINARY TREATMENT OF FIBRES, e.g. FOR SPINNING (winding or unwinding, conducting or guiding laps, webs, slivers or rovings in general, sliver or roving cans, depositing in sliver or roving cabs B65H; preparation of fibres for paper-making D21) ## Abstract A nonwoven fabric-laying device, in particular a cross-laying device, and an operating method are provided. The nonwoven fabric-laying device (1) is used for folding down and depositing a supplied fibrous sheet (3) to form a multi-layered nonwoven fabric (32) and, for conveying the sheet, has a plurality of linearly movably guided carriages (10 to 16) which are driven by a carriage drive and has a plurality of conveyor belts (7, 8) guided by means of the carriages (10 to 16). One or more carriages (10 to 16) are directly driven by an electric linear motor (19). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A nonwoven-laying device for folding down and depositing a fed fibrous web into a multilayer nonwoven, the nonwoven-laying device comprising: a nonwoven-laying device frame; a plurality of linearly movably guided carriages; a discharge conveyor having a discharge conveyor extent; a carriage drive arrangement driving the guided carriages and comprising one or more carriage drives with an electric linear motor; and a plurality of conveyor belts guided in movement via the plurality of carriages, wherein: the electric linear motor comprises a linear stator and a slider guided movably thereon; the linear stator is fastened to the nonwoven-laying device frame and is configured as a carrying component of the frame; the slider is connected to at least one of the carriages; frame parts of the nonwoven-laying device frame are arranged on both sides of the discharge conveyor; the linear stator extends beyond the extent of the discharge conveyor to the frame parts arranged on both sides thereof; the electric linear motor comprises a primary part with a coil array and a secondary part with a magnet array; and the slider is configured as the primary part and the linear stator is configured as the secondary part. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the carriages comprise two main carriages, which are mechanically uncoupled from one another and are movable independently from one another; the carriage drive arrangement comprises at least another carriage drive with another electric linear motor to provide at least two carriage drives of the main carriages; the respective carriage drive is controlled or regulated independently, with each of the carriage drives comprising at least one of the electric linear motor; the carriage drives of the main carriages are coupled for control and are coordinated with one another; the main carriages are driven, to perform parallel travel motions with identical direction of travel and different velocities of travel and with different path lengths, by the respective carriage drives. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the carriages comprise one or more auxiliary carriages for tensioning and/or supporting a conveyor belt. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the one or more auxiliary carriage comprises a carriage drive of its own with at least one electric linear motor and is connected with its associated main carriage for control. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the electric linear motor has a guide between the stator and the slider. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the guide is configured as a mechanical guide comprising a rail guide, or a magnetic guide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the carriage drive comprises the electric linear motor cooperating with a measuring device for one or more motion parameters comprising path, position, velocity and acceleration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the carriage is rigidly or movably connected to the slider via a connection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 5, wherein at least one driven carriage is guided and supported at the frame of the nonwoven-laying device via the guide of the electric linear motor or via a carriage guide of its own. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the carriage drive has the electric linear motor and another electric linear motor to provide two parallel electric linear motors for each of the carriages. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one carriage has a carriage frame with lateral frame sides for the end-side mounting of the one or more deflecting devices comprising at least one deflection roller, wherein at least one frame side is connected to the electric linear motor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one carriage, frame, forms an integral assembly unit with the slider of the electric linear motor, whereby a part of the carriage frame is configured as the slider of the electric linear motor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of the carriages has a holding device, which fixes the fibrous web at a deflecting device comprising a deflection roller, with an electric field. ### Claim 14 A method for operating a nonwoven-laying device, the method comprising the steps of: folding down and depositing a fed fibrous web into a multilayer nonwoven, with the nonwoven-laying device; providing the nonwoven-laying device with a plurality of linearly movably guided carriages driven by a carriage drive, a plurality of conveyor belts guided in movement with the carriages, a nonwoven-laying device frame, and a discharge conveyor having a discharge conveyor extent; providing the carriage drives with an electric linear motor comprising a linear stator and a slider guided movably thereon; fastening the linear stator to the nonwoven-laying device frame with the linear stator configured as a carrying component of the frame; connecting the slider to at least one of the carriages; arranging frame parts of the nonwoven-laying device frame on both sides of the discharge conveyor; extending the linear stator beyond the extent of the discharge conveyor to the frame parts arranged on both sides thereof; providing the electric linear motor with a primary part with a coil array and a secondary part with a magnet array with the slider configured as the primary part and with the linear stator configured as the secondary part; and driving one or more carriages by the electric linear motor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the electric linear motor drives the carriage directly. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the carriages comprise a main laying carriage driven by the electric linear motor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the electric linear motors of a plurality of carriages are coupled with one another for control for coordinating the travel motions of the carriages and their drive motions are coordinated with one another. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 2, wherein: the conveyor belts are configured as endless, flexurally elastic and circulatingly driven belts, with each of the belts being guided via deflecting devices at each of the carriages; the conveyor belts run parallel in the area between the main carriages and clamp the fibrous web between them; and the parallel conveyor belt sections and the fibrous web received and clamped in between the parallel conveyor belt sections are guided from an upper carriage of the carriages directly to a lower carriage of the carriages. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the coil array has a plurality of controllable energized electromagnetic coils; and the magnet array has a plurality of magnets, which magnets alternate in polarity and are arranged axially in a row. ### Claim 20 (depends on 2) A nonwoven-laying device in accordance with claim 2, wherein: the main carriages are guided and supported via the respective carriage drive; and the stator is configured as a support, and the main carriages are supported and guided at the stator via the connected slider.