System for producing an air laid web

Apparatus for forming an air laid web of predetermined characteristics material comprising:

• supply means forming a stream of roughly graded material of first loose fibers and at least one of
• (a) second loose fibers
• (b) particles
• and for mixing the roughly graded material with air to produce an air-borne stream thereof;
• distributor means forming a recirculating air-borne stream of the roughly graded material adapted to receive the air-borne stream from said supply means, said distributor means including tumbler means causing at least a portion of the recirculating stream of roughly graded material to rotate in one direction and agitating means causing an internal portion of the recirculating stream to rotate in an opposite direction to that of said tumber means, said recirculating stream to have clumps of fibers, called nits;
• said tumbler means being a first fine grading means having a plurality of classification apertures extending therethrough being of a predetermined shape, number, and size as specifically related to the types of the roughly graded material desired in said webs of predetermined characteristic introduced to said distributor means;
• said agitating means adapted to cause flow through the classification apertures of a first finely graded material;
• a plurality of nit removal conduits communicating with said distributor means at spaced locations with reference to said recirculating air-borne stream to remove nits from said stream;
• air flow producing means causing the first finely graded material to become a directionalized air-borne stream;
• and
• a foraminous carrier movable in a direction transverse to the directionalized air-borne stream being arranged to be a second fine grade means for arresting predetermined sizes and shapes of the first finely graded material resulting in a translating arrested web of material of predetermined characteristics.

Distributor means for forming an air laid web of material having predetermined characteristics and where said means is supplied roughly graded material on a translating foraminous carrier comprising:

• a pair of spaced apart cup-shaped stationary end members axially aligned and having cavities facing towards each other;
• a cylindrical drum rotatably mounted between said end members, coaxial therewith, and generally having the same diameter as said end memers, said drum and said end members together defining a receptacle for temporarily containing said roughly graded material therein in an air-borne stream, said drum having a plurality of classification apertures extending therethrough around the circumference thereof to act as a first fine grading means and being of a predetermined shape, number, and size as specifically related to the types of the material introduced to said receptacle to produce said web of predetermined characteristics;
• inlet means operatively associated with one of said end members for introducing the air-borne stream of roughly graded material into said receptacle;
• a rotatable brush roll mounted within said receptacle and having an axis generally parallel to the axis of said drum;
• a plurality of wire-like members extending radially outwardly from said brush roll adapted to rotationally agitate the air-borne stream of roughly graded material within said receptacle upon rotation of said brush roll and arranged to direct the flow of said first finely graded material through the classification apertures;
• and
• air flow producing means causing the first finely graded material to become a directionalized air-borne stream whereby predetermined shapes and sizes of the first finely graded material are arrested on said translating carrier resulting in a second finely graded material web of predetermined characteristics.

A distributor unit for forming an air laid web of material having predetermined characteristics and where said means is supplied roughly graded material on a translating foraminous carrier comprising:

• first and second pairs of spaced apart cup-shaped stationary end members, each of said pairs being axially aligned and each of said end members having a cavity facing towards the cavity of the other of said end members, said first and second pairs being disposed along parallel axes, one of said end members being an upstream end member and one of said end members being a downstream end member, said upstream end member of said first pair positioned adjacent said downstream end member of said second pair, said downstream end member of said first pair positioned adjacent said upstream end member of said second pair;
• first and second cylindrical drums rotatably mounted, respectively, between said first and second pairs of end members, coaxial therewith, and generally having the same diameter as said end members, said drums and said end members defining, respectively, first and second receptacles for temporarily containing roughly graded material supported therein in an air-borne stream, each of said drums having a plurality of classification apertures extending therethrough around the circumference thereof being of a predetermined shape, number, and size as specifically related to the types of fibers and/or particles introduced to said respective receptacle, said receptacles enclosing upper regions and lower regions;
• inlet means operatively associated with said upstream end member for each of said pairs thereof for introducing an air-borne stream of the roughly graded material into said respective receptacle for flow towards said downstream end member;
• a rotatable brush roll mounted within each of said first and second receptacles and having an axis generally parallel to the axis of said respective drum;
• a plurality of wire-like members extending radially outwardly from each of said brush rolls adapted to rotationally agitate the fibers within said first and second receptacles upon rotation of each said respective brush roll and arranged to direct the flow of first finely graded material through the classification apertures;
• a first chute member connecting the upper regions within said first receptacle at said downstream end member of said first pair thereof with the lower regions within said second receptacle at said upstream end member of said second pair thereof;
• a second chute member connecting the upper regions within said second receptacle at said downstream end member of said second pair thereof with the lower regions within said first receptacle at said upstream member of said first pair thereof;
• and
• said first and second chute members enabling continuous circuitous flow of the air-borne stream of roughly graded material through said first and second receptacles.

Blending apparatus for mixing roughly graded material of at least one of first and second types of loose fibers and particles into a homogeneous mixture in preparation for introducing the roughly graded material to air forming apparatus comprising:

• a cylindrical container for confining a stream of air flowing between an inlet end and an outlet end;
• a pair of inlet ducts communicating with said container for introducing the roughly graded material into said container, said inlet ducts being angularly disposed relative to said container so as to direct flow of the roughly graded material toward said outlet end;
• a cone shaped container having major and minor ends and integrally mounted at its major end to said outlet end for receiving and homogeneously mixing the roughly graded material in the stream of air;
• and
• blower means mounted to said minor end of said conical shaped container to receive therefrom for further mixing the air supported mixture of the roughly graded material and for conveying the air supported mixture of the roughly graded material to the air forming apparatus.

In apparatus for producing an air laid web of material having predetermined characteristics comprising:

• a translating foraminous carrier;
• a distributor unit positioned above the carrier having inlet means for receiving an air-borne stream of roughly graded material and outlet means for directing flow of the air-borne stream outwardly thereof;
• means for redirecting portions of the air-borne stream which flow outwardly of said distributor unit to cause them to flow downwardly onto the surface of the carrier to form a homogeneous web of material;
• an air flow conductor surrounding said distributor unit for directing ambient air across said distributor unit and through said carrier, said conductor extending between an open enlarged end and an open reduced end, said reduced end extending across said carrier adjacent thereto and having an edge extending transverse to said carrier at a downstream zone at which said carrier moves beyond said reduced end, said edge being generally parallel to the surface of said carrier and spaced above said carrier by a sufficient distance to thereby define an exit opening for the web of material to pass through;
• the improvement comprising:
• a cylindrical seal roll extending transverse to the direction of movement of said carrier and generally coextensive with and proximate to the exit opening for confining air flow within said conductor;
• means rotatably mounting said seal roll about an axis generally parallel to said edge;
• and
• journal means pivotally mounting said seal roll for movement transverse of said carrier;
• and
• adjustable biasing means for controlling the pressure applied by said seal roll against the web of material formed on said carrier proximate to said edge.