Method of and apparatus for somewhat-to-highly viscous fluid spraying for fiber or filament generation, controlled droplet generation, and combinations of fiber and droplet generation, intermittent and continuous, and for air-controlling spray deposition

A method of controlling the generation of somewhat-to-highly viscous fluid fibers, droplets and combinations of the same, that comprises, extrudingly spraying a stream of such pressurized fluid through a fine orifice and along a predetermined direction in free flight, and simultaneously funneling a cone of pressurized air symmetrically about and against said stream through an opening surrounding said fine orifice, intersecting the same in its free flight below said orifice to control the nature, dimensions and pattern of the resulting fluid coating on surfaces disposed therebelow, said orifice being disposed recessed just above said air cone opening to effect the bonding of adjacent fluid droplets in the spray, commencing at the region of air-fluid stream intersection below said orifice, to form the same into fine fibers or filaments of fluid.

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1, 4 or 6 and in which one or more further air jets are directed from points circumferentially surrounding said air cone and directed against the air-controlled fluid stream but below the region of the conical air-fluid intersection, to control the contour and deflection of the fluid spray by trimming and/or fanning the spray.

A method of controlling the generation of somewhat-to-highly viscous fluid fibers, droplets and combinations of the same, that comprises, extrudingly spraying a stream of such pressurized fluid through a fine orifice and along a predetermined direction in free flight, and simultaneously funneling a cone of pressurized air symmetrically about and against said stream through an opening surrounding said fine orifice, intersecting the same in its free flight below said orifice to control the nature, dimensions and pattern of the resulting fluid coating on surfaces disposed therebelow, said orifice being disposed substantially flush with the said air cone opening to effect some bonding of adjacent fluid droplets in the spray, commencing at the point of air-fluid stream intersection below said orifice, to form some of the droplets into fine fibers or filaments of fluid and to maintain some in separated droplet or globule form, and adjusting the orifice position to vary the mix of fibers and droplets.

Apparatus for controlling the generation of somewhat-to-highly viscous fluid fibers, droplets and combinations of the same, said apparatus having, in combination, means for extrudingly spraying a stream of such pressurized fluid emitted through a fine nozzle orifice and along a predetermined direction;

• means for generating and funneling a cone of pressurized air symmetrically and simultaneously about and against said stream and intersecting the same along said direction and below said orifice;
• means for moving web surfaces past said orifice at variable line speeds;
• means for controlling said air to control the dimensions and pattern of the resulting fluid coating on said web surfaces moved past the said orifice, and means for adjusting both said fluid spraying means and said air-funneling means to produce flow rates of fluid and air that are proportional with the line speed of said surfaces moved past said orifice.

Apparatus for controlling the generation of somewhat-to-highly viscous fluid fibers, droplets and combinations of the same, said apparatus having, in combination, means for extrudingly spraying a stream of such pressurized fluid emitted through a fine nozzle orifice and along a predetermined direction;

• means for generating and funneling a cone of pressurized air symmetrically and simultaneously about and against said stream and intersecting the same along said direction and below said orifice, said air funneling means comprising a conical annular air chamber coaxially surrounding said nozzle and adjusted to direct pressurized air flowing through said chamber against the spray after it exits in free flight from the nozzle orifice;
• means for controlling said air to control the dimensions and pattern of the resulting fluid coating on web surfaces moved past the said orifice therebelow;
• and means for relatively adjusting the nozzle orifice and conical air funneling chamber opening to permit of operational positions with the nozzle orifice recessed within, substantially flush with, and extending outside said air funneling chamber opening, but with the air cone always intersecting the fluid spray in free flight after its extrusion from the nozzle orifice.

Apparatus for controlling the generation of hot melt viscous continuous fluid fibers or filaments on a web surface moving at variable speeds, said apparatus having, in combination, means for extrudingly spraying a stream of such pressurized hot melt fluid emitted through a fine nozzle orifice and along a predetermined direction toward the web surface;

• means for interacting pressurized air against said stream to generate continuous fibers or filaments along said direction, below said orifice and toward the web surface, and means for adjusting the flow rates of both said fluid and said air proportionally with web movement speed to produce substantially uniform patterns of the resulting fluid coating on the web surface moved past the said orifice therebelow over wide speed variations.

Apparatus for controlling the generation of hot melt viscous continuous fluid fibers or filaments moving on web surfaces, said apparatus having, in combination, means for extrudingly spraying a stream of such pressurized hot melt fluid emitted through a fine nozzle orifice and along a predetermined direction toward the web surface, said means including positive displacement hot melt metering pump means;

• means for interacting pressurized air against said stream to generate continuous fibers or filaments along said direction, below said orifice and toward the web surface;
• and means for positioning the positive displacement metering pump adjacent the nozzle head to minimize fluid capacitance effects.

A method of controlling the generation of somewhat-to-highly viscous fluid fibers, droplets and combinations of the same, that comprises, extrudingly spraying a stream of such pressurized fluid through a fine orifice and along a predetermined direction in free flight, and simultaneously funneling a cone of pressurized air symmetrically about and against said stream, intersecting the same in its free flight below said orifice to control the nature, dimensions and pattern of the resulting fluid coating on surfaces disposed therebelow, said orifice being disposed to effect the bonding of adjacent fluid droplets commencing at the region of air-fluid stream intersection below said orifice to form the same into fine continuous fluid fibers or filaments extruded and deposited in nondescript lateral crisscross pattern on said surfaces.

A method of controlled generation of fluid fibers, that comprises extrudingly spraying a stream of viscous fluid through a fine orifice, interacting flowing air with the stream as it leaves said orifice to cause the fluid of said stream to form fibers, and adjusting the flow rate of at least one of said fluid and said air to control characteristics of said fibers.

Apparatus for controlled generation of fluid fibers, comprising means for extrudingly spraying a stream of viscous fluid through a fine orifice, means for interacting flowing air with said stream as it leaves said orifice to cause the fluid of said stream to form fibers, and means for controlling at least one of the flow rates of said fluid and said air to control characteristics of said fibers.