Patent ID: 7311234

Claim:
An apparatus for reducing the Poisson lateral contraction in a web substrate proximate to said apparatus, said web substrate having a machine direction tension, the apparatus comprising: a surface having a machine direction, a cross-machine directional orthogonal to said machine direction, and a z-direction orthogonal to both said machine direction and said cross-machine direction; a plurality of holes disposed upon said surface, each of said holes being operatively connected to a source of positive pressure, said holes providing a fluid communication of said positive pressure through said surface to said web substrate proximate thereto; wherein each of said holes has a longitudinal axis associated thereto; wherein said longitudinal axis of a first of said holes has a first inclination relative to said z-direction; wherein said longitudinal axis of a second of said holes has a second inclination relative to said z-direction; wherein said longitudinal axis of a third of said holes has a third inclination relative to said z-direction; wherein said first, second, and third inclinations are different; and, wherein said first, second, and third holes are spaced in said cross-machine direction.