Patent ID: 8438704
Filing Date: 2013-05-14
Classification: D01G,D04H

Abstract:
1. A process for making a fibrous structure, the process comprising the steps of: a) providing a fibrous material in the form of roughly graded material; b) providing a plurality of apertured, cylindrical drums; each of the drums having an inlet and being rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis, and wherein the inside of each drum comprises one or more rotatable needle rolls, each needle roll having a longitudinal axis arranged in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the corresponding apertured, cylindrical drum; and each needle roll having a shaft and a plurality of needles extending radially outwardly from the shaft; c) providing a foraminous carrier underneath the plurality of apertured, cylindrical drums, wherein the apertured, cylindrical drums are positioned consecutively one after the other such that the longitudinal axis of each drum is transverse to the moving direction of the foraminous carrier; d) providing a low-pressure below the foraminous carrier; e) supplying the roughly graded material into the apertured, cylindrical drums through the inlet of each drum, wherein the roughly graded material is transported in an air-stream; f) rotating the roughly graded material inside the apertured, cylindrical drums, whereby the roughly graded material is agitated within the drums by the needle rolls, thereby separating the fibers, and transporting the fibers through the apertures of the drums, wherein the roughly graded material is introduced into the rotatable, apertured, cylindrical drums at a total fiber throughput of from about 70 kg/h to about 420 kg/h; and g) drawing the fibers onto the foraminous carrier whereby the fibers are deposited to form a fibrous structure on the foraminous carrier, the fibrous structure having a width of from about 4 cm to about 25 cm.