US 7,487,573 B2
Device for dry forming a web of fibers
Alessandro Celli, Lucca (Italy)
Assigned to A Celli Nonwovens S.p.A., Porcari, Lucca (Italy)
Appl. No. 10/529,819
PCT Filed Oct. 15, 2002, PCT No. PCT/IT02/00657
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Mar. 31, 2005,
PCT Pub. No. WO2004/035919, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 29, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2006/0085951 A1, Apr. 27, 2006
Int. Cl. D01G 25/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 19—304 38 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for dry forming a web of fibers, the device comprising:
a fiber distribution head;
a forming wire adjacent to said fiber distribution head, said fiber distribution head being located on one side of said forming wire, said forming wire being movable in a forming wire direction;
a suction means located on another side of said forming wire such that said suction means is located opposite said head;
a screen mesh;
a chamber defined within said fiber distribution head, said chamber receiving a flow of gas, said gas including fibers suspended therein, said chamber having a bottom opening closed by a portion of said screen mesh, said portion of said screen mesh extending substantially parallel to said forming wire, said portion of said screen mesh being disposed opposite said forming wire, said portion of said screen mesh having a surface disposed opposite an interior of said chamber; and
agitator members arranged within said chamber, said agitator members being arranged adjacent to said screen mesh, said agitator members agitating and distributing the fibers on said surface of said portion of said screen mesh, said screen mesh being continuous and movable along a closed path around said chamber, said portion of said mesh screen being movable along a path which is essentially parallel to a path of said forming wire, said agitator members comprising a plurality of rotating shafts, each rotating shaft being parallel to another rotating shaft and to said screen mesh, each rotating shaft being orthogonal to said forming wire direction, each of said rotating shafts having shaped profiles for agitating the fibers in said chamber, each rotating shaft having an axis of rotation, each rotating shaft being rotatable about said axis of rotation.