Patent ID: 8757058

Claim:
A method of perforating a web having a Z-direction, a cross direction, and a machine direction, the method comprising the steps of: providing a discrete web perforator for forming individual perforations comprising fibers of the fibrous web; providing at least one additional web perforator for forming individual perforations comprising fibers of the fibrous web overstrained and extending in the Z-direction extending generally in the machine direction of the web; providing the discrete web perforator as a female roll having a pocket disposed in an outer surface thereof and a male roll having a plurality perforating elements extending outwardly from an outer surface thereof; having the perforating elements define web contacting edges and being positioned to be received within the pocket to produce the individual perforations in the fibrous material extending in the cross direction; closely spacing the perforating elements from the pocket by a distance selected to permit the perforating elements and the pocket to overstrain, but not cut, the fibrous web when disposed therebetween; transporting the web past the discrete web perforator and the at least one additional web perforator so the perforating elements extend a selected area of the web into the pocket to a predetermined depth causing fibers comprising the web to move apart and deflect in the Z-direction and outwardly from a plane formed by the machine and cross directions to form the individual perforations in the fibrous material extending generally in the cross direction; configuring the discrete web perforator and the at least one additional perforator to form the individual perforations in the fibrous material extending generally in the cross direction to produce a selected perforation design; and controlling the discrete web perforator and the at least one additional perforator to thereby produce the selected perforation design.