Method for producing a high bulk paper web and product obtained thereby

A web of cellulosic fibers having a basis weight in the range of about 5 to about 45 pounds per ream, said web being bifacial and comprising a plurality of fiber-filled nubs, each of said nubs comprising a basal region that originates in the approximate plane of said web and extends through the thickness of said web to substantially define the thickness of the plane of said web at the location of said nub, and an apical region that projects from the plane of said web to substantially define a non-smooth surface of said web, and a network of fibers disposed substantially within the plane of said web and interconnecting and isolating said basal regions of said nubs from one another and substantially defining the thickets of said web in the area of said web intermediate said nubs, said basal region of each of said nubs having a diametral dimension that is not substantially greater than approximately the maximum length of individual cellulosic fibers of said web, a substantial number of the fibers in the apical region of each nub being oriented substantially acutely angularly out of the plane of said web, whereby each of said nubs is of substantially non-uniform fiber orientation within its boundaries, the mass distribution of said fibers of said web being such as to provide greater mass per unit area of fibers in each of said nubs than in said network, said web being formed by the deposition of a furnish of said cellulosic fibers in a flowable medium onto a woven pocketed forming fabric at rates of furnish flow and of withdrawal of flowable medium through said fabric which develop fluid shear conditions within the furnish as it is initially deposited onto said fabric such that the length dimension of substantial numbers of the fibers collected in the pockets of said forming fabric are oriented acutely angularly out of the plane of the web, and that said web exhibits enhanced absorbency, apparent bulk and resistance to collapse of said nubs while simultaneously developing sufficient tensile strength within said web to permit it to function as a tissue or towel and present substantially the appearance, drape and feel of a woven sheet.

A method for the manufacture of a cellulosic web from a furnish of cellulosic fibers containing said fibers in a flowable medium comprising:

• flowing said furnish from a source thereof onto a moving foraminous forming fabric having defined therein a plurality of outwardly-opening pockets which are bottomed by a portion of the foraminous structure of said fabric in a fashion that permits the movement into and the capture in said pockets of fibers and segments of fiber, simultaneously with the flowing of said furnish onto said forming fabric and while there is available to said forming fabric sufficient fibers to essentially fill each of said pockets in said fabric and further to form on that surface thereof which is exposed to said furnish a layer of said fibers, said layer of fibers defining land regions between adjacent fiber-filled pockets, withdrawing from said furnish through said fabric a portion of said flowable medium at a rate of withdrawal sufficient to cause substantial numbers of said fibers and segments thereof to become acutely angularly oriented within each of said pockets with respect to the plane of said web,
• maintaining said flow of furnish onto said forming fabric continuously during the formation of said web such that there is collected within said pockets a greater mass of fibers per unit area than the mass of fibers per unit area in said land regions which separate adjacent pockets, said fibers within each pocket being sufficient in number to substantially fill each pocket and with the fibers therein being sufficiently closely packed to provide lateral support one-to-another and impart strength to said web in each region of said web that contains one of said fiber-filled pockets, removing said formed web from said forming fabric without material mechanical working or said web to the extent that there is substantial disruption or destruction of the mechanical or chemical bonds formed between adjacent fibers in said web in the course of the formation thereof.