US 7,971,616 B2 · Apparatus for producing non-woven fabric

Abstract

An apparatus for applying weft yarns in a cross direction to warp yarns having an adhesive scrim thereon includes the warp yarns on 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. The warp yarns are fed upstream from a spool along a rotating tube on which they are mounted and pass through a tensioning apparatus to unify the tension in the various yarns running along the tube. The uniformly tensioned weft yarns pass through individual nozzles around the circumference of the rotating tube where the yarns are deposited onto the adhesive scrim. After the weft yarns are deposited on the warp yarns, the transfer belt moves the fabric having warp and weft yarns across a cooling section of a mandrel where the adhesive is set.

Claims12

Dependent claims

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

an elongated tube rotatable about its longitudinal axis, said tube circumferentially surrounding said cylindrically configured 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 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, and a laydown 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.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

12/271,183Filed 14 Nov 2008 · division

Priority

12 Jan 1999

Published

US 2009/0070974 A119 Mar 2009

Granted

5 Jul 2011

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification24 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

PCT/US00/00571Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Jan 2000

Application10/621,084Parent of this division · filed 15 Jul 2003

Application11/403,303Parent of this division · filed 13 Apr 2006

US 2009/0070974 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 Mar 2009

US 7,468,113 B2Parent of this division

US 7,056,403 B2Parent of this division

Application09/869,941Parent of this continuation-in-part

Application10/621,084Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2004/0074591 A1Published application

US 2006/0180265 A1Published application

US 7,971,616 B2This patent

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

Apparatus for producing non-woven fabric

Life of this patent

Apparatus for producing non-woven fabric

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12