System and method for dry forming absorbent cores

An apparatus for dry forming a core composite comprising:

• a rotatable combining drum having a vacuum surface comprising one or more holes disposed substantially circumferentially around at least a portion of the combining drum;
• a vacuum chamber, disposed within the rotatable drum, having one or more vacuum passages forming a vacuum zone subadjacent at least a portion of the vacuum surface;
• a first casing sheet supply mechanism for supplying a first casing sheet to overlie the vacuum surface at a first location;
• a tow forming jet disposed adjacent the rotatable combining drum for supplying opened tow to overlie the first casing sheet at a second location, the opened tow exiting the tow forming jet at a tow break angle;
• a vibratory feeder disposed adjacent the rotatable combining drum for depositing particulate matter onto the opened tow at a third location;
• and
• a second casing sheet supply mechanism for supplying a second casing sheet to overlie the first casing sheet, the opened tow and the particulate matter at a fourth location, thereby forming an absorbent core composite.

An apparatus for dry forming a core composite comprising:

• a rotatable drum having a substantially cylindrical surface;
• a vacuum surface comprising one or more holes disposed substantially circumferentially around at least a part of the substantially cylindrical surface;
• a vacuum chamber, disposed within the rotatable drum, having one or more vacuum passages forming a vacuum zone subadjacent at least a portion of the vacuum surface;
• a first casing sheet supply mechanism for supplying a first casing sheet to overlie the vacuum surface at a first location;
• a fibrous material supply mechanism for supplying fibrous material to overlie the first casing supply at a second location;
• a particulate matter supply mechanism for depositing superabsorbent particles onto the fibrous material at a third location;
• and
• a second casing sheet supply mechanism for supplying a second casing sheet to overlie the first casing sheet, the fibrous material and the particulate matter at a fourth location, thereby forming an absorbent core composite having first and second casing sheets on either side of a mixture of superabsorbent particles and fibrous material;
• wherein the mixture of superabsorbent particles and fibrous material contains at least about 30% by weight superabsorbent particles.