Method for depositing particulate material into a pad of fibrous material in a forming chamber

A method of forming a non-woven pad of fibrous material with particulate material interspersed throughout a predetermined portion of the thickness thereof, comprising:

• introducing fibrous material into a chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
• applying a vacuum in said chamber to draw said fibrous material onto a conveyor moving between said inlet and said outlet of said chamber, said fibrous material forming a non-woven pad on said conveyor which progressively increases in thickness from said inlet of said chamber toward said outlet of said chamber, said non-woven pad having a bottom surface resting atop said conveyor and a top surface which slopes upwardly relative to said conveyor from said inlet of said chamber toward said outlet thereof;
• dispensing particulate material from a dispenser means located within said chamber above said conveyor at a predetermined location along said upwardly sloping top surface of said non-woven pad, said particulate material intermixing with said fibrous material being drawn onto said conveyor at said predetermined location to from a layer of intermixed fibrous material and particulate material within a predetermined portion of the thickness of said non-woven pad while maintaining another portion of the thickness of said non-woven pad substantially free of particulate material.

A method of forming a non-woven pad of fibrous material with a second material interspersed throughout a predetermined portion of the thickness thereof, comprising:

• introducing fibrous material into a chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
• applying a vacuum in said chamber to draw said fibrous material onto a conveyor moving through said chamber, said fibrous material forming a non-woven pad having a bottom surface resting atop said conveyor and a top surface which slopes upwardly relative to said conveyor from the inlet toward the outlet of said chamber;
• intermittently dispensing the second material from a dispenser means located within said chamber at a predetermined position along said upwardly sloping top surface of said non-woven pad, said second material being intermixed with a portion of said fibrous material being drawn onto said conveyor to form a layer of intermixed second material and fibrous material within a predetermined portion of the thickness of said non-woven pad at spaced locations along the length of said non-woven pad while maintaining another portion of the thickness of said non-woven pad substantially free of said second material.

A method of forming a non-woven pad of fibrous material with a second material interspersed throughout a selected portion of the thickness thereof, comprising:

• introducing fibrous material into a chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
• applying a vacuum to draw said fibrous material onto a pad support moving in a first direction within said chamber, said fibrous material forming a non-woven pad on said pad support which increases in thickness in said first direction of movement of said pad support;
• dispensing a second material from a dispenser means located within said chamber at a predetermined position relative to said non-woven pad being formed on said pad support to intermix the second material with a portion of said fibrous material being drawn onto said pad support at said predetermined location within said chamber to form a layer of intermixed fibrous material and second material within a predetermined portion of said thickness of said pad while maintaining another portion of said thickness of said pad substantially free of said second material.

A method of forming an on-woven pad of fibrous material with a second material interspersed throughout a predetermined portion of the thickness thereof, comprising:

• introducing fibrous material into a chamber;
• applying a vacuum to draw said fibrous material onto a pad support moving in a first direction within said chamber, said fibrous material forming a non-woven pad on said pad support which increases in thickness in said first direction of movement of said pad support;
• intermittently intermixing said second material with a portion of said fibrous material being drawn onto said pad support at a predetermined position within said chamber to form a layer of intermixed second material and fibrous material within a predetermined portion of the thickness of said non-woven pad at spaced locations along said non-woven pad while maintaining another portion of the thickness of said non-woven pad substantially free of said second material.