Method of making biaxially oriented nonwoven fabrics

A method of making biaxially oriented nonwoven fabrics having areas of low fiber density and high fiber density wherein a majority of the fibers in said low fiber density areas are oriented in a direction substantially normal to the fibers in the directly adjacent high fiber density areas and a majority of the fibers in said high fiber density areas that lie directly adjacent said low fiber density areas are oriented in a direction substantially parallel with the contours of the configuration of the adjacent low fiber density areas, comprising:

• preparing an aqueous slurry of a stock of blended long and short fibers, said long fibers being at least one-half inch in length or more and said short fibers being less than one-half inch in length;
• maintaining said stock of fibers in an agitated state;
• causing a flow of said stock to pass into a headbox, and stabilizing same therein;
• passing said stabilized stock flow onto a moving fourdrinier screen having liquid-impervious resist areas thereon of a particular contour;
• causing a majority of said long and short fibers in said stock flow to locate outside said liquid-impervious resist areas said majority of fibers that lie directly adjacent said liquid-impervious resist areas orienting themselves in a direction substantially parallel with the contours of said resist areas;
• simultaneously causing, by the water's diverging action between liquid pervious and impervious areas, a minority of said long and short fibers in said stock flow to locate across said liquid impervious resist areas, said minority of said long and short fibers orienting themselves in a substantially cross direction normal to the axis of said liquid impervious resist areas;
• securing said biaxially oriented nonwoven fabric in said orientation as described herein;
• carrying said biaxially oriented nonwoven fabric on said moving fourdrinier screen toward a pick-up means for collecting the thusly formed fabric;
• and,
• collecting said fabric on said pick-up means.