Patents by Inventor Michael Alan Hermans

Michael Alan Hermans 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).

  • Publication number: 20130068867
    Abstract: The present invention provides tissue products having increased CD stretch, which may be manufactured using a process in which the nascent web is subjected to two distinct rush transfers. The first rush transfer occurs when the web is transferred from the forming fabric to the transfer fabric, i.e., the “first position,” and the second occurs when the web is transferred from the transfer fabric to the through-air drying fabric (TAD) fabric, i.e., the “second position.” The overall speed differential between the forming fabric and the TAD fabric may be, for example, from about 10 to about 50 percent, with the amount of rush transfer being divided between the first and second position in a manner sufficient to achieve the desired CD stretch and other sheet properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Samuel August Nelson, Mark William Sachs
  • Publication number: 20130068868
    Abstract: Spirally wound paper products are disclosed having desirable roll bulk, firmness and softness properties. The rolled products can be made from a multiple ply tissue webs formed according to various processes. Tissue webs having basis weights greater than about 40 grams per square meter were wound into rolls having a Kershaw roll firmness of less than about 9 mm and a roll bulk of greater than about 15 cc/g. Similarly, tissue webs having basis weights less than about 40 grams per square meter were wound into rolls having a Kershaw roll firmness of less than about 9 mm and a roll bulk of greater than about 18 cc/g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Samuel August Nelson, Paulin Pawar
  • Patent number: 8277609
    Abstract: The intrinsic tissue sheet properties of tissue sheets wound into a parent roll during manufacturing can be purposely varied in order to provide a z-directional gradient within the parent roll. For example, the moisture content of the tissue sheet can be made lower in the core region of the parent roll and greater in the outer region of the parent roll. Such gradients can ultimately provide more uniformity of the intrinsic property within the final tissue product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Richard Louis Underhill, Kenneth John Zwick
  • Patent number: 8262857
    Abstract: Tissue products are disclosed containing an additive composition. The additive composition, for instance, comprises an aqueous dispersion containing an alpha-olefin polymer, an ethylene-carboxylic acid copolymer, or mixtures thereof. The alpha-olefin polymer may comprise an interpolymer of ethylene and octene, while the ethylene-carboxylic acid copolymer may comprise ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer. The additive composition may also contain a dispersing agent, such as a fatty acid. The additive composition may be incorporated into the tissue web as the web is being formed. Alternatively, the additive composition may be topically applied to the web in a post processing operation. For instance, in one embodiment, the additive composition may be applied to the web as a creping adhesive during a creping operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Michael J. Rekoske, Thomas Joseph Dyer
  • Patent number: 8137505
    Abstract: A system and process for producing tissue webs is disclosed. The tissue webs are formed from an aqueous suspension of fibers and dried using a through-air dryer. During formation of the web, the web is transferred from a transfer fabric to a throughdrying fabric and then conveyed around a drying cylinder of a through-air dryer. In accordance with the present invention, a pressurized roll emits a gaseous stream through a pressurized zone that pushes and transfers a wet web from a transfer fabric to the throughdrying fabric. The amount of pressure used during the transfer can vary depending upon the particular application and may be used to control the bulk of the web. By using a pressurized transfer roll, the amount the throughdrying fabric is wrapped around the drying cylinder of the through-air dryer can be maximized for increasing the efficiency of the system and the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank S. Hada, Michael Alan Hermans, Ronald F. Gropp
  • Patent number: 7988828
    Abstract: Tissue webs, such as are useful for making bath tissue, can be surface-treated in a pattern with selected papermaking chemicals, such as debonders and strength agents, to selectively improve the directional properties of the resulting tissue product, particularly the cross-machine direction strength properties. The pattern can be applied to the tissue sheet by spraying the selected chemical outwardly through a pattern of open areas in the shell of a rotating hollow roll, where the pattern of open areas corresponds to the desired pattern of chemical deposited on the surface of the tissue web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Patrick Pachih Chen, Claudia H. Javenkoski, Robert Eugene Krautkramer, Daniel Robert Sprangers
  • Patent number: 7938932
    Abstract: A method of making soft, strong, high bulk tissue is disclosed. The method includes pre-conditioning a wet web by straining the wet web in the cross-machine direction prior to transferring the wet web to a throughdrying fabric. The pre-conditioned web provides improved sheet softness and conforms more readily to the surface contour of the throughdrying fabric, thereby creating greater caliper (bulk) in the resulting dried sheet. The bulk is maintained during a subsequent creping step by maintaining the dried sheet in registration with the throughdrying fabric when the dried sheet is applied to the surface of the creping cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Cristina Asensio Mullally, Stephanie Lee Berube, Frank Stephen Hada, Lacey Leigh Hansen, Jeffrey David Mathews
  • Publication number: 20110073695
    Abstract: Bath tissue rolls are provided with indicia or a visual cue representing the number of sheets remaining on the roll so the user better knows in advance when the remaining number of sheets on the roll is getting low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Simona Michele Hartley, Kanchan Dnyanesh Patkar, Suzanne Kim Vanderloop
  • Patent number: 7871493
    Abstract: A method of making an environmentally-friendly tissue sheet for conversion into a single-ply roll product, such as bath tissue or paper towels, is disclosed. The method utilizes numerous process aspects that are determined to minimize energy consumption, which is about 100 grams CO2 equivalent emissions or less per 38 square feet of tissue, while at the same time producing a tissue roll product having desirable roll bulk, firmness and absorbency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, David Vincent Spitzley, Daniel Scott Westbrook
  • Publication number: 20100319863
    Abstract: A method of making soft, strong, high bulk tissue is disclosed. The method includes pre-conditioning a wet web by straining the wet web in the cross-machine direction prior to transferring the wet web to a throughdrying fabric. The pre-conditioned web provides improved sheet softness and conforms more readily to the surface contour of the throughdrying fabric, thereby creating greater caliper (bulk) in the resulting dried sheet. The bulk is maintained during a subsequent creping step by maintaining the dried sheet in registration with the throughdrying fabric when the dried sheet is applied to the surface of the creping cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Cristina Asensio Mullally, Stephanie Lee Berube, Frank Stephen Hada, Lacey Leigh Hansen, Jeffrey David Mathews
  • Patent number: 7828932
    Abstract: Multi-ply tissue products are disclosed. The multi-ply tissue products contain tissue webs that have raised areas and depressed areas. The tissue webs may be constructed so as to be relatively non-compressive and may have a resilient three-dimensional structure. During production, in one embodiment, the tissue webs may be produced without being subjected to any substantial compression, such as a calendering process. Although not necessary in all applications, in one embodiment, the tissue webs may be combined such that the depressed areas contact each other to form the multi-ply product. The tissue webs, for instance, may comprise a through-air dried web in which the raised areas and the depressed areas are molded into the web. Tissue products made according to the present invention have enhanced absorption characteristics. For instance, the tissue products can have an interply absorbency of greater than about 3 g/g after 30 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, James Monroe Perkins, Young Ko, Arvinder Pal Singh Kainth, Laura Leigh Boudrie, James Leo Baggot, Michael John Smith
  • Publication number: 20100263817
    Abstract: Tissue products are disclosed containing an additive composition. The additive composition, for instance, comprises an aqueous dispersion containing an alpha-olefin polymer, an ethylene-carboxylic acid copolymer, or mixtures thereof. The alpha-olefin polymer may comprise an interpolymer of ethylene and octene, while the ethylene-carboxylic acid copolymer may comprise ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer. The additive composition may also contain a dispersing agent, such as a fatty acid. The additive composition may be incorporated into the tissue web as the web is being formed. Alternatively, the additive composition may be topically applied to the web in a post processing operation. For instance, in one embodiment, the additive composition may be applied to the web as a creping adhesive during a creping operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Michael J. Rekoske, Thomas Joseph Dyer
  • Patent number: 7807022
    Abstract: A method of making soft, strong, high bulk tissue is disclosed. The method includes pre-conditioning a wet web by straining the wet web in the cross-machine direction prior to transferring the wet web to a through drying fabric. The pre-conditioned web provides improved sheet softness and conforms more readily to the surface contour of the through drying fabric, thereby creating greater caliper (bulk) in the resulting dried sheet. The bulk is maintained during a subsequent creping step by maintaining the dried sheet in registration with the through drying fabric when the dried sheet is applied to the surface of the creping cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Cristina Asensio Mullally, Stephanie Lee Berube, Frank Stephen Hada, Lacey Leigh Hansen, Jeffrey David Mathews
  • Publication number: 20100229419
    Abstract: A system and process for producing tissue webs is disclosed. The tissue webs are formed from an aqueous suspension of fibers and dried using a through-air dryer. During formation of the web, the web is transferred from a transfer fabric to a throughdrying fabric and then conveyed around a drying cylinder of a through-air dryer. In accordance with the present invention, a pressurized roll emits a gaseous stream through a pressurized zone that pushes and transfers a wet web from a transfer fabric to the throughdrying fabric. The amount of pressure used during the transfer can vary depending upon the particular application and may be used to control the bulk of the web. By using a pressurized transfer roll, the amount the throughdrying fabric is wrapped around the drying cylinder of the through-air dryer can be maximized for increasing the efficiency of the system and the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Publication date: September 16, 2010
    Applicant: KIMBERLY-CLARK WORLDWIDE, INC.
    Inventors: Frank S. Hada, Michael Alan Hermans, Ronald F. Gropp
  • Patent number: 7785443
    Abstract: Tissue products are disclosed containing an additive composition. The additive composition, for instance, comprises an aqueous dispersion containing an alpha-olefin polymer, an ethylene-carboxylic acid copolymer, or mixtures thereof. The alpha-olefin polymer may comprise an interpolymer of ethylene and octene, while the ethylene-carboxylic acid copolymer may comprise ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer. The additive composition may also contain a dispersing agent, such as a fatty acid. The additive composition may be incorporated into the tissue web as the web is being formed. Alternatively, the additive composition may be topically applied to the web in a post processing operation. For instance, in one embodiment, the additive composition may be applied to the web as a creping adhesive during a creping operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Michael J. Rekoske, Thomas Joseph Dyer
  • Publication number: 20100163197
    Abstract: Soft tissue sheets, such as bath tissues, are provided with increased dispersibility and fiber opacity efficiency, while maintaining suitable strength, by the addition of acid-treated seed fibers to the fiber furnish.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Kristina Fries Smits, Michael Alan Hermans
  • Patent number: 7726349
    Abstract: A tissue sheet having a deep discontinuous pocket structure provides improved durability as measured by the ratio of the cross-machine direction tensile energy absorbed to the cross-machine direction tensile strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Cristina Asensio Mullally, Michael Alan Hermans
  • Patent number: 7721464
    Abstract: A system and process for producing tissue webs is disclosed. The tissue webs are formed from an aqueous suspension of fibers and dried using a through-air dryer. During formation of the web, the web is transferred from a transfer fabric to a throughdrying fabric and then conveyed around a drying cylinder of a through-air dryer. In accordance with the present invention, a pressurized roll emits a gaseous stream through a pressurized zone that pushes and transfers a wet web from a transfer fabric to the throughdrying fabric. The amount of pressure used during the transfer can vary depending upon the particular application and may be used to control the bulk of the web. By using a pressurized transfer roll, the amount the throughdrying fabric is wrapped around the drying cylinder of the through-air dryer can be maximized for increasing the efficiency of the system and the process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank S. Hada, Michael Alan Hermans, Ronald F. Gropp
  • Publication number: 20100078141
    Abstract: Tissue webs, such as are useful for making bath tissue, can be surface-treated in a pattern with selected papermaking chemicals, such as debonders and strength agents, to selectively improve the directional properties of the resulting tissue product, particularly the cross-machine direction strength properties. The pattern can be applied to the tissue sheet by spraying the selected chemical outwardly through a pattern of open areas in the shell of a rotating hollow roll, where the pattern of open areas corresponds to the desired pattern of chemical deposited on the surface of the tissue web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Patrick Pachih Chen, Claudia H. Javenkoski, Robert Eugene Krautkramer, Daniel Robert Sprangers
  • Patent number: 7662256
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to paper products having great softness and strength and methods of making the paper products. The paper products are formed from one or more paper webs that can be made according to various methods. In one embodiment, the paper web is an uncreped through-air dried web. According to the present invention, at least one side of the paper web is treated with a bonding material according to a preselected pattern and creped from a creping surface. Through the process, a two-sided tissue web is formed having a smooth side and a textured side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Inventors: Michael Alan Hermans, Mike T. Goulet, Mark Hassman, Rebecca C. Mohr, Jeffrey J. Johnson, Maurizio Tirimacco, Jeffrey Dean Lindsay