Attrition mill and method of fibrous web formation
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Corporation
InventorsEdward E. Werner, Jerome L. Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and method for forming a fibrous batt of controlled thickness and uniformity with fibers flowing from the discs of an attrition mill. The fibers are directed from the outlet of the mill in an air stream in a path of decreasing radius of curvature so that the fibers accelerate toward a collecting screen until they reach a forming chamber communicating the path with the screen. The acceleration of the fibers in the path prevents fiber contact and minimizes fiber contact with walls of the equipment thereby avoiding fiber agglomeration.
Claims12
Apparatus for forming a fibrous batt comprising an attrition mill having circular discs which rotate relative to each other and are adapted to act on fibrous material to separate and disintegrate the material, means for feeding an airborne stream of the fibrous material to said attrition mill, a forming chamber and a forming screen, a generally conical casing coaxial with the circular discs and enclosing the discs of the attrition mill and projecting from the area of the discs toward the forming screen and terminating in the forming chamber, a conical confine within the casing spaced from the wall of the casing forming an annular path of decreasing diameter from the attrition mill towards the forming chamber and screen for the conduct of fibers from the mill to the chamber so that fibers leaving the attrition mill discs under the influence of the air stream accelerate in the annular path as they move toward the chamber, said chamber being of such dimension that fibers passing therethrough to the screen from the annular path are slowed in their movement.
The method of producing a web of fibers which comprises the steps of subjecting a fibrous material to an attrition mill to provide a flow of substantially individual fibers from the mill, conveying the fibers in an air stream from the outlet of the mill in an annular path of decreasing radius of curvature so that the fibers accelerate in their passage through the path, collecting the fibers from the air stream and decreasing the velocity of the fibers immediately before collecting the fibers, said collecting of the fibers involving contacting a forming screen with said fiber containing air stream so that the air passes through said forming screen while fibers are collected on the screen in the form of a layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.