Introduction of fiber-free foam into, or near, a headbox during foam process web making

A method of producing a non-woven web of fibrous material, using a headbox, a moving foraminous element, and a surface of the headbox, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) feeding a first foam slurry of air, water, fibers, and surfactant into the headbox and into contact with the moving foraminous element;
• (b) passing a lubricant of a first substantially fiber free foam into contact with the surface of the headbox at a point remote from the foraminous element;
• and
• (c) withdrawing foam through the foraminous element to form a non-woven fibrous web on the foraminous element.

A method of producing a non-woven web of fibrous material, using a headbox, and a moving foraminous element, comprising the steps of:

• (a) feeding a first foam slurry of air, water, fibers, and surfactant into the headbox and into contact with the moving foraminous element;
• (b) withdrawing foam through the foraminous element to form a non-woven fibrous web on the foraminous element;
• and
• (c) passing a second, substantially fiber-free foam, into the headbox to provide a more uniform basis weight profile of the non-woven web produced.

A headbox assembly comprising:

• a headbox associated with a moving foraminous element;
• means for feeding a first foam slurry of air, water, fibers, and surfactant into the headbox and ultimately into contact with the moving foraminous element;
• means for withdrawing foam through the foraminous element to form a non-woven web on the foraminous element;
• and
• means for passing a second, substantially fiber-free foam, into the first foam slurry near where the first foam slurry is fed into the headbox.