Apparatus and process for forming a laid fibrous web with enhanced basis weight capability

An apparatus for forming an airlaid fibrous web on a moving surface, said apparatus having a longitudinal direction, a lateral cross-direction and a depth-wise z-direction, and said apparatus comprising:

• a contoured foraminous member section having a leading-edge portion, a trailing-edge portion, a first side portion, a laterally opposed second side portion, a lower-basis-weight section, and a higher-basis-weight section which is contiguous with said low-basis-weight section;
• a longitudinally extending, first side-masking member section which is located superjacent said first:
• side portion of the foraminous member, has a first inboard side wall surface with a first contoured edge portion, and is at least laterally movable relative to said foraminous member;
• at least a second, separately provided, contoured, longitudinally extending, side-masking member section which is located superjacent said second side portion of the foraminous member section, has a second inboard side wall surface with a second, contoured edge portion, and is at least laterally movable relative to said foraminous member section;
• and
• a first releasable attachment system for selectively holding at least said first side-masking member section at a substantially fixed position relative to said foraminous member section during a moving of said foraminous member section along said longitudinal direction;
• wherein
• said first side-masking member has a bottom surface profile along said longitudinal direction;
• said bottom surface profile provides a depth-wise contour with varying, non-constant dimensions along a z-directional thickness direction;
• and
• said bottom surface profile of said first side-masking member substantially matches a correspondingly adjacent surface profile of said foraminous member in said low-basis-weight and high-basis-weight sections of the foraminous member.

A method for forming an airlaid fibrous web on a moving surface, said method having a longitudinal direction, a lateral cross-direction and a depth-wise z-direction, said method comprising:

• a longitudinal moving of a contoured foraminous member having a first side portion, a laterally opposed second side portion, and a depth contour formed into a thickness of said foraminous member;
• a locating of a longitudinally extending, first side-masking member at a position which is superjacent said first side portion of the foraminous member, said first side-masking member having a first inboard side wall surface, and said first side-masking member being at least laterally movable relative to said foraminous member;
• a locating of at least a second, separately provided, longitudinally extending, side-masking member at a position which is superjacent said second side portion of the foraminous member, said second side-masking member having a second inboard side wall surface, and said second side-masking member being at least laterally movable relative to said foraminous member and relative to said first side-masking member;
• a selective holding of said first and second side-masking members with a releasable attachment system at substantially fixed positions relative to said foraminous member during said longitudinal moving of said foraminous member;
• a providing of said first side-masking member with a bottom surface profile along said longitudinal direction;
• a providing of said bottom surface profile with a depth-wise contour having varying, non-constant dimensions along a z-directional thickness direction;
• and
• substantially matching said bottom surface profile of said first side-masking member to a correspondingly adjacent surface profile of said foraminous member in said low-basis-weight and high-basis-weight sections of the foraminous member.

An apparatus for forming an airlaid fibrous web on a moving surface, said apparatus having a longitudinal direction, a lateral cross-direction and a depth-wise z-direction, and said apparatus comprising:

• a contoured foraminous member having a first side portion, a laterally opposed second side portion, and a depth contour formed into a thickness of said foraminous member, said depth contour having a lower-basis-weight section, and a higher-basis-weight section which is contiguous with said low-basis-weight section;
• a longitudinally extending, first side-masking member which
• is located superjacent said first side portion of the foraminous member,
• has a first inboard side wall surface,
• is at least laterally movable relative to said foraminous member, and
• has a bottom surface profile along said longitudinal direction,
• said bottom surface profile having a depth-wise contour with varying, non-constant dimensions along a z-directional thickness direction, and
• said bottom surface profile substantially matching a correspondingly adjacent surface profile of said foraminous member in said low-basis-weight and high-basis-weight sections of the foraminous member;
• at least a second, separately provided, longitudinally extending, side-masking member which
• is located superjacent said second side portion of the foraminous member,
• has a second inboard side wall surface,
• is at least laterally movable relative to said foraminous member, and
• has a bottom surface profile, along said longitudinal direction,
• said bottom surface profile of the second side-masking member having a depth-wise contour with varying, non-constant dimensions along a z-directional thickness direction, and
• said bottom surface profile of the second side-masking member substantially matching a correspondingly adjacent surface profile of said foraminous member in said low-basis-weight and high-basis-weight sections of the foraminous member;
• and
• a first releasable attachment system for selectively holding at least said first side-masking member at a substantially fixed position relative to said foraminous member during a moving of said foraminous member along said longitudinal direction;
• wherein
• said first and second side-masking members respectively provide first and second non-foraminous side walls located within said high-basis-weight pocket region of said foraminous member.