Abstract: A method of making a fabric-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet. A papermaking furnish is compactively dewatered to form a nascent web having an apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber. The dewatered web is applied to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed. The web is fabric creped from the transfer surface utilizing a patterned creping fabric. The fabric creping step occurs under pressure in a fabric creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping fabric. The creping fabric contacts the transfer surface and applies pressure to the web against the transfer surface such that the fibers of the web are redistributed on the creping fabric to form a web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights.

Abstract: A method of making a fabric-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet. A papermaking furnish is compactively dewatered to form a nascent web having an apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber. The dewatered web is applied to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed. The web is fabric creped from the transfer surface utilizing a patterned creping fabric. The fabric creping step occurs under pressure in a fabric creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping fabric. The creping fabric contacts the transfer surface and applies pressure to the web against the transfer surface such that the fibers of the web are redistributed on the creping fabric to form a web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights.

Abstract: A method of making a fabric-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet. A papermaking furnish is compactively dewatered to form a nascent web having an apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber. The dewatered web is applied to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed. The web is fabric creped from the transfer surface utilizing a patterned creping fabric. The fabric creping step occurs under pressure in a fabric creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping fabric. The creping fabric travels at a fabric speed that is slower than the transfer surface speed. The creping fabric contacts the transfer surface and applies pressure to the web against the transfer surface such that the fibers of the web are redistributed on the creping fabric to form a web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights.

Abstract: A method of making a fabric-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet. A papermaking furnish is compactively dewatered to form a nascent web having an apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber. The dewatered web is applied to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed. The web is fabric creped from the transfer surface utilizing a patterned creping fabric. The fabric creping step occurs under pressure in a fabric creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping fabric. The creping fabric travels at a fabric speed that is slower than the transfer surface speed. The creping fabric contacts the transfer surface and applies pressure to the web against the transfer surface such that the fibers of the web are redistributed on the creping fabric to form a web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights.

Abstract: An absorbent cellulosic sheet includes a papermaking-fiber reticulum. The papermaking-fiber reticulum includes a plurality of fiber-enriched regions that are oriented in a cross-machine direction (CD) of the sheet. The fiber-enriched regions have (i) a local basis weight and (ii) papermaking fibers that are oriented in the CD of the sheet. The papermaking-fiber reticulum also includes a plurality of linking regions that link corresponding ones of the fiber-enriched regions together in linking directions, the linking regions having (i) basis weights that are lower than those of the corresponding ones of the fiber-enriched regions and (ii) papermaking fibers that are oriented in the linking directions.

Abstract: An absorbent cellulosic sheet includes (i) a plurality of fiber-enriched pileated regions having fibers that are oriented in a direction transverse to a machine direction (MD) of the sheet, and (ii) a plurality of linking regions that link the fiber-enriched regions together. The linking regions have fibers that have an orientation that is offset from the orientation of the fibers in the plurality of fiber-enriched pileated regions.

Abstract: An absorbent cellulosic sheet includes a papermaking-fiber reticulum. The papermaking-fiber reticulum includes a plurality of fiber-enriched regions that are oriented in a cross-machine direction (CD) of the sheet. The fiber-enriched regions have (i) a local basis weight and (ii) papermaking fibers that are oriented in the CD of the sheet. The papermaking-fiber reticulum also includes a plurality of linking regions that link corresponding ones of the fiber-enriched regions together in linking directions, the linking regions having (i) basis weights that are lower than those of the corresponding ones of the fiber-enriched regions and (ii) papermaking fibers that are oriented in the linking directions.

Abstract: A method of making a cellulosic absorbent sheet. A cellulosic web is prepared from an aqueous papermaking furnish. The web is fabric-creped. The fabric-creping step forms a creped web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights including at least: (i) a plurality of fiber-enriched regions of a relatively high local basis weight, interconnected by way of (ii) a plurality of lower local basis weight linking regions. The drawable reticulum includes a cohesive fiber matrix capable of increasing in void volume upon drawing. The creped web is dried, while substantially preserving the drawable reticulum, to form a dried web, and the dried web is drawn. The drawing step increases the bulk of the dried web.

Abstract: A method of making a cellulosic absorbent sheet. A cellulosic web is prepared from an aqueous papermaking furnish. The web is fabric-creped. The fabric-creping step forms a creped web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights including at least: (i) a plurality of fiber-enriched regions of a relatively high local basis weight, interconnected by way of (ii) a plurality of lower local basis weight linking regions. The drawable reticulum includes a cohesive fiber matrix capable of increasing in void volume upon drawing. The creped web is dried, while substantially preserving the drawable reticulum, to form a dried web, and the dried web is drawn. The drawing step increases the void volume of the dried web.

Abstract: A method of making a fabric-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet. A papermaking furnish is compactively dewatered to form a nascent web. The nascent web is applied to a translating transfer surface and is fabric-creped from the transfer surface at a consistency of from about 30 to about 60 percent utilizing a creping fabric. The creping fabric travels at a fabric speed that is slower than the speed of the transfer surface. The nascent web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping fabric to form a creped web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights. The creped web is dried to form a dried web, and the dried web is drawn. The drawing step includes drawing the dried web between a first draw roll and a second draw roll.

Abstract: An absorbent cellulosic sheet includes a papermaking-fiber reticulum. The paper-making-fiber reticulum includes a plurality of fiber-enriched regions that are oriented in a cross-machine direction (CD) of the sheet, and the fiber-enriched regions have (i) a local basis weight and (ii) papermaking fibers that are oriented in the CD of the sheet. The paper-making-fiber reticulum further includes a plurality of linking regions that link corresponding ones of the fiber-enriched regions together in linking directions. The linking regions have (i) basis weights that are lower than those of the corresponding ones of the fiber-enriched regions and (ii) papermaking fibers that are oriented in the linking directions.

Abstract: A method of making a cellulosic web having an elevated absorbency includes forming a nascent web having a random distribution of fiber orientation from a papermaking furnish, non-compactively drying the nascent web to a consistency of from about 30 to about 60 percent, thereafter, transferring the nascent web to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed, and fabric-creping the nascent web from the transfer surface at a consistency of from about 30 to about 60 percent utilizing a creping fabric, the fabric-creping step occurring under pressure in a fabric creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping fabric, such that the nascent web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping fabric to form a creped wet web. The creped wet web is dried while the web is held in the creping fabric.

Abstract: An absorbent fabric-creped cellulosic web includes a plurality of fiber-enriched regions of a relatively high local basis weight, interconnected by way of a plurality of lower local basis weight linking regions. The fiber-enriched regions comprise a plurality of microfolds with fold lines extending transverse to the machine direction (MD).

Abstract: A method of making a fabric-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet includes applying a jet of papermaking furnish to a forming wire, the jet having a jet velocity and the forming wire moving at a forming wire velocity. The papermaking furnish is compactively dewatered to form a nascent web. The nascent web is applied to a transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed. The nascent web is fabric-creped from the transfer surface at a consistency of from about 30 to about 60 percent utilizing a creping fabric that is traveling at a fabric-creping speed, the fabric-creping speed being slower than the transfer surface speed, and the fabric-creping step occurring under pressure in a fabric creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping fabric, such that the nascent web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping fabric to form a creped web. The creped web is dried.

Abstract: A method of making a fabric-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet includes compactively dewatering a papermaking furnish to form a nascent web having a random distribution of papermaking fiber, applying the nascent web to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed, fabric-creping the nascent web from the transfer surface at a consistency of from about 30 to about 60 percent utilizing a patterned creping fabric that is traveling at a fabric-creping speed that is slower than the transfer surface speed, the fabric-creping step occurring under pressure in a fabric creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping fabric, such that the nascent web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping fabric to form a creped web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights.

Abstract: An absorbent fabric-creped cellulosic web includes a plurality of fiber-enriched regions of a relatively high local basis weight, interconnected by way of a plurality of lower local basis weight linking regions. The fiber-enriched regions comprise a plurality of microfolds with fold lines extending transverse to the machine direction (MD).

Abstract: A method of making a fabric-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet. A papermaking furnish is compactively dewatered to form a nascent web. The nascent web is applied to a translating transfer surface and is fabric-creped from the transfer surface at a consistency of from about 30 to about 60 percent utilizing a creping fabric. The creping fabric travels at a fabric speed that is slower than the speed of the transfer surface. The nascent web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping fabric to form a creped web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights. The creped web is dried to form a dried web, and the dried web is drawn. The drawing step includes drawing the dried web between a first draw roll and a second draw roll.

Abstract: A method of making a cellulosic absorbent sheet. A cellulosic web is prepared from an aqueous papermaking furnish. The web is fabric-creped. The fabric-creping step forms a creped web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights including at least: (i) a plurality of fiber-enriched regions of a relatively high local basis weight, interconnected by way of (ii) a plurality of lower local basis weight linking regions. The drawable reticulum includes a cohesive fiber matrix capable of increasing in void volume upon drawing. The creped web is dried, while substantially preserving the drawable reticulum, to form a dried web, and the dried web is drawn. The drawing step increases the bulk of the dried web.

Abstract: A method of making a cellulosic absorbent sheet. A cellulosic web is prepared from an aqueous papermaking furnish. The web is fabric-creped. The fabric-creping step forms a creped web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights including at least: (i) a plurality of fiber-enriched regions of a relatively high local basis weight, interconnected by way of (ii) a plurality of lower local basis weight linking regions. The drawable reticulum includes a cohesive fiber matrix capable of increasing in void volume upon drawing. The creped web is dried, while substantially preserving the drawable reticulum, to form a dried web, and the dried web is drawn. The drawing step increases the void volume of the dried web.

Abstract: A method of making a fabric-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet. A papermaking furnish is compactively dewatered to form a nascent web having an apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber. The dewatered web is applied to a translating transfer surface. The web is fabric-creped from the transfer surface at a consistency of from about 30 to about 60 percent utilizing a creping fabric, under pressure, in a fabric creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping fabric. The fabric is traveling a fabric speed that is slower than the speed of the transfer surface. The web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping fabric to form a web with a drawable reticulum having a plurality of interconnected regions of different local basis weights. The web is dried and the web is drawn. The step of drawing the web preferentially attenuates the fiber-enriched regions of the web.