US 6,883,213 B2Granted

Apparatus for producing non-woven fabric

AssigneeHunter Douglas Inc.

InventorsWendell B. Colson, Kevin M. Dann

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An apparatus for applying weft yarns in a cross direction to warp yarns assembled on a beam in parallel aligned relationship and having an adhesive scrim thereon includes a supply roll of the warp yarns on such a beam which are fed downstream of the apparatus by first laying the warp yarns onto a transfer belt to reduce the tension in the yarns and controlling them for application of the weft yarns. A transfer belt and warp yarns are first folded between folding bars into a cylindrical configuration where they are formed around the perimeter of an elongated mandrel having a heated section at its upstream end and a cooling section at its downstream end. Weft yarns are wrapped around the warp yarns and the supporting transfer belt within a rotating tube having a plurality of longitudinally and circumferentially spaced spools of weft yarn disposed on its outer surface.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An apparatus for wrapping weft yarns around a cylindrically configured warp sheet of warp yarns comprising in combination:

an elongated tube rotatable about its longitudinal axis, said tube circumferentially surrounding said cylindrically configured warp sheet of warp yarns such that said warp yarns can be moved linearly in a downstream direction through said rotatable tube, means for moving said warp sheet of warp yarns linearly through said rotatable tube, a plurality of spools of weft yarn secured to said tube in circumferentially spaced relationship, guide systems for confining and guiding said weft yarns in an upstream direction to an upstream location on said tube, a lay down member at said upstream location for receiving weft yarns from said spools and depositing the weft yarns on said warp sheet as said tube is rotated and said warp sheet is moved linearly past said upstream location, and a weft yarn tensioning system for creating substantially uniform tension in said weft yarns before they are deposited onto said lay down member, said tensioning system including at least one driven roller for engagement with at least some of said weft yarns to advance said weft yarns that are in engagement therewith in an upstream direction at a predetermined speed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/918,641Filed 12 Aug 2004 · continuation in part
Priority: 12 Jan 1999
Published: US 2005/0044677 A13 Mar 2005
Granted: 26 Apr 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B29C 53/8016
Specially adapted for winding and joining: storing, feeding or applying winding materials, e.g. reels, thread guides, tensioners
B32B 5/26
One layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer: another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary
B32B 37/1027
Characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure: pressing using at least one press band
B65H 81/00
Methods, apparatus, or devices for covering or wrapping cores by winding webs

Family

Application60/115,600Us provisional application · filed 12 Jan 1999
Application60/154,717Us provisional application · filed 20 Sep 1999
Application60/155,364Us provisional application · filed 20 Sep 1999
Application60/155,365Us provisional application · filed 20 Sep 1999
PCTUS00/00571Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Jan 2000
Application10/621,084Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Jul 2003
US 2005/0044677 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Mar 2005
Application09/869,941Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2004/0074591 A1Published application
US 7,056,403 B2Related patent
US 6,883,213 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.