Machine for forming a pattern on a nonwoven and process for manufacturing a sleeve for this machine

An apertured sleeve made of a bronze, brass or copper cloth, arranged in a non-perforating pattern in the form of bumps and hollows, said cloth being coated with a nickel or copper coating.

A machine for forming patterns on a nonwoven, said machine including a drum mounted to rotate and having an interior communicating with a vacuum source, the drum including a lateral surface provided with slits therethrough and surrounded by an apertured sleeve made of a bronze, brass, stainless steel or copper cloth, said sleeve forming non-perforating patterns in the form of bumps and hollows and being coated with a nickel or copper coating.

A process for manufacturing an apertured sleeve having patterns in the form of bumps or hollows embossed on a bronze, brass, stainless steel or copper cloth, comprising the steps of forming said cloth into a sleeve preform by welding together two opposed edges of the cloth, mounting said sleeve preform on a rotary support cylinder and immersing the sleeve preform in a nickel or copper electroplating bath to electroplate a nickel or copper coating thereon, and withdrawing said sleeve preform with said nickel or copper electroplated coating thereon from said bath to provide said apertured sleeve.