Patent ID: 7690904

Claim:
An installation for producing a nonwoven fabric, comprising a spun-bonding tower depositing a mat of filaments onto a first conveyor, the first conveyor being arranged to deliver the mat to transfer means for causing the mat of filaments to pass onto a first movable conveying element for supporting the mat during consolidation, the mat being free of prior consolidation, and consolidation means for consolidating the mat supported on the first movable conveying element by entanglement, characterized in that the transfer means for causing the mat of filaments to pass onto the first movable conveying element comprise a second movable conveying element having a device for the application of a vacuum which maintains the mat on an outer surface of the second movable conveying element, the first conveyor and the first movable conveying element each include an elongate generally flat run along which the mat is conveyed and supported, the first conveyor is more air-permeable than the first movable conveying element, and the consolidation means include fluid impingement of the mat with the lesser air-permeability of the first movable conveying element more fully supporting the mat as compared with the first conveyor to improve the filament entanglement by the fluid impingement and to thereby enhance consolidation and preservation of the ratio of the tensile strength in the length direction to the tensile strength in the breadth direction.