Patents by Inventor DELLON R. THOMPSON

DELLON R. THOMPSON has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • APPARATUS FOR MAKING DIMENSIONALLY STABLE NONWOVEN FIBROUS WEBS
    Publication number: 20010055631
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for tentering nonwoven webs during annealing. The nonwoven web of thermoplastic fibers is restrained on a tentering structure at a plurality of tentering points distributed across an interior portion of the web, rather than just along its edges. The nonwoven web is annealed while restrained on the tentering structure to form a dimensionally stable nonwoven fibrous web, dimensionally stable up to at least the heatsetting temperature. The annealed nonwoven fibrous web is then removed from the tentering structure. In one embodiment, the tentering structure restrains the nonwoven fibrous web in a non-planar configuration during the annealing process. The tentering structure includes a plurality of tentering points projecting distally from a tentering support. The tentering points are positioned to be engaged with an interior portion of the web, thus restraining the web during annealing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 1999
    Publication date: December 27, 2001
    Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: DELLON R. THOMPSON, DAVID A. OLSON, PAMELA PERCHA