Patent ID: 7653971

Claim:
A device for humidifying and compressing a batt of fibrous material comprising: (a) a rotating first drum adjacent a counter-rotating second drum, the first drum and the second drum forming a nip point for compressing and passing the batt; (b) the first drum having opposing ends, a perforated exterior surface and being internally divided into a plurality of open-ended compartments, the first drum being enclosed on both ends by a plurality of solid sides, at least one of said solid sides enclosing the first drum having an anterior passage positioned about the nip point for allowing the flow of air through the solid side into the compartments of the first drum as said compartments of the first drum rotate adjacent said anterior passage; (c) the second drum having opposing ends, a perforated exterior surface and being internally divided into a plurality of open-ended compartments, the second drum being enclosed on both ends by a plurality of solid sides, at least one of said solid sides enclosing the second drum having an anterior passage positioned about the nip point for allowing the flow of air from inside the compartments of the second drum through the solid side enclosing said second drum as said compartments of the second drum rotate adjacent said anterior passage; and (d) at least one fan for creating a flow of moist air through the anterior passage of said solid side enclosing the first drum into the compartments of the first drum as the compartments of the first drum rotate adjacent the anterior passage of said solid side enclosing the first drum, out of the compartments of the first drum through the perforated surface of the first drum across the nip point and through the perforated surface of the second drum into the compartments of the second drum as the compartments of the second drum rotate adjacent the anterior passage of said solid side enclosing the second drum and out of the compartments of the second drum through the anterior passage of said solid side enclosing the second drum thereby humidifying a batt as it traverses in the proximity of the nip point.