Method for producing a lofted mat

The method of forming a lofted mat comprising:

• supplying a plurality of streams of polymeric material;
• attenuating said streams of material into filaments through the action of a stream of fluid moving from an attenuation means;
• said filaments being entrained in said fluid moving from said attenuation means, said filaments having non-uniform, residual stresses established therein;
• moving said stream of fluid and filaments along a first surface positioned intermediate said attenuation means and a foraminous surface;
• directing said stream of fluid and filaments into said foraminous surface obliquely oriented with respect to said first surface such that a first portion of said fluid separates from the filaments and passes through said foraminous surface and a second portion of said fluid moves said filaments along the foraminous surface:
• controlling the relative amounts of said first portion and said second portion of the fluid separating at the foraminous surface to control the movement of the filaments therealong;
• collecting said filaments in a randomly dispersed, substantially uniform layer having a first thickness;
• passing said layer through crimp inducing means adapted to permit said residual stresses to release to crimp said filaments to form said lofted mat having a generally uniform second thickness greater than said first thickness.