Abstract: A stationary working surface of a one roll microcreper member is of plastic resin having low wear and friction properties. As a primary pressing member subject to concentrated force it is 0.040 inch thick. One or both opposed retarder members of a bladed microcreper are of the plastic. Thermoplastics meeting wear and friction limits, e.g. ultra high density polyethylene, are employed. Primary member extensions, some having openings, slots or holes serve as flexible retarders to engage treated material. Parallel slots, preferably formed by water jet cutting, defining machine-direction fingers provide particular advantages, often greatest when the fingers begin upstream of the creping cavity, and stated dimensional limits observed. By a load-spreading surface, the thermoplastic primary member is restrained without distortion. A primary member shown is sheet form, mounted between sheet metal members, one with a restraint surface. Sheet materials of polyolefins, wood pulp, etc.

Abstract: A stationary working surface of a one roll microcreper member is of plastic resin having low wear and friction properties. As a primary pressing member subject to concentrated force it is 0.040 inch thick. One or both opposed retarder members of a bladed microcreper are of the plastic. Thermoplastics meeting wear and friction limits, e.g. ultra high density polyethylene, are employed. Primary extensions, some having openings, slots or holes serve as flexible retarders to engage treated material. By a load-spreading surface, the thermoplastic primary member is restrained without distortion. By this surface being linear it slideably inserts into a mounting. By this surface being parallel to the roll axis the primary member is free for cross-machine thermal expansion. A primary member shown is sheet form, mounted between sheet metal members, one with a restraint surface. Sheet materials of polyolefins, wood pulp, etc.

Abstract: Wet wipe products are made from continuous wet wiping web material having thermoplastic fibers of type, concentration and dispersion capable of being heat-set to set the overall web material in a reformed shape. A succession of ridges and grooves is formed by passing the performed material through a dry creper apparatus in absence of adhesives, the action characterized by pressing the material with a stationary pressing surface to engage an advancing drive surface, the driven material bodily collapsing into a succession of adjacent ridges and grooves that increase the volume of the material. The wet wiping material is heat set in the ridge and groove configuration, enabling the ridge and groove configuration to be preserved when the wet wiping material is wetted and when squeezed and released. The self-restoring ridge and groove configuration provides stress concentrating edges and improves liquid delivery and wet wiping in a number of respects.

Abstract: A stationary working surface of a one roll microcreper member is of plastic resin having low wear and friction properties. As a primary pressing member subject to concentrated force it is 0.040 inch thick. One or both opposed retarder members of a bladed microcreper are of the plastic. Thermoplastics meeting wear and friction limits, e.g. ultra high density polyethylene, are employed. Primary extensions, some having openings, slots or holes serve as flexible retarders to engage treated material. By a load-spreading surface, the thermoplastic primary member is restrained without distortion. By this surface being linear it slideably inserts into a mounting. By this surface being parallel to the roll axis the primary member is free for cross-machine thermal expansion. A primary member shown is sheet form, mounted between sheet metal members, one with a restraint surface. Sheet materials of polyolefins, wood pulp, etc.

Abstract: A non-woven wet wipe product (22) comprising a sheet member, for use with a wet wiping agent (32), (18), the product comprising a segment of a non-woven self-supporting web (150) comprised of an assemblage of fibers including synthetic thermoplastic fibers and absorbent or adsorbent fibers, the non-woven web (150) being in a permanent, dry-creped, heat-set condition defining a succession of ridges (24) and grooves (26) in the overall body (30) of the web, the constituent thermoplastic fibers of the sheet member having been heat-set simultaneously during the imparting of the ridges and grooves to the web, the heat-set condition of the dry-creped thermoplastic fibers preserving the ridge and groove configuration during prolonged presence in the web of the wet agent (32). The wet wiping agent can be initially, prewet in the packaging, with liquid disposed through the body and on the surface of the dry-creped, heat-set sheet-form member and its constituent fibers.

Abstract: Apparatus for longitudinal compressive treatment of a continuous web of material. The apparatus comprises a cylindrical drive roll for advancing the web, a smooth-surfaced primary member to press the web against the drive roll, and a generally-stationary retarder downstream of the primary member to engage and retard the web before the web has left the drive roll. The retarder surface has a large multiplicity of parallel ridges and grooves set on a diagonal, and effective to cause longitudinal compression of the web and to cause the web to flow at an angle to the original direction of drive. The retarder surface also has a reorienting retarding surface, effective after the web advances incrementally at the angle, to effect further compression and to reorient the travel of the web to be generally parallel to the original direction of drive.

Abstract: Apparatus for longitudinal compressive treatment of a continuous web of material, comprising a cylindrical drive roll (100), a sheet form assembly (112, 114) to engage and press the web against the drive roll, and a sheet holder (200) for positioning the sheet assembly over the drive roll. A configuration stands from one face of the sheet assembly, the sheet holder defines a channel (21) transverse to the direction of motion of the web, the cannel being open at one of tis ends for insertion of the assembly endwise into the sheet holder by sliding motion in the transverse direction, and the channel is engageable with the standing configuration to retain and position the sheet assembly int eh longitudinal direction. This holding arrangement provides for simple installation, while accomodating thermal expansion and contraction of the sheet assembly during operation.

Abstract: Apparatus for longitudinal compressive treatment of a continuous web of material. The apparatus comprises a cylindrical drive roll for advancing the web, a smooth-surfaced primary member to press the web against the drive roll, and a generally-stationary retarder downstream of the primary member to engage and retard the web before the web has left the drive roll. The retarder surface has a large multiplicity of parallel ridges and grooves set on a diagonal, and effective to cause longitudinal compression of the web and to cause the web to flow at an angle to the original direction of drive. The retarder surface also has a reorienting retarding surface, effective after the web advances incrementally at the angle, to effect further compression and to reorient the travel of the web to be generally parallel to the original direction of drive.

Abstract: In a product including at least a first layer of fibers, the layer residing in a thickened, shortened microundulated state as a result of longitudinal micro-compressive treatment, the layer is characterized by being shortened at least 20% of its original length in the direction of treatment, there being at least 10 microundulations per inch in the layer in the direction of the treatment, the compressed-together relationship achieved by the treatment being substantially preserved in said product with adjacent microundulations in said layer residing with their sides abutting one another. The microundulated layer is shape-retentive and has stored mechanical energy capable, under activating conditions, to cause the product to expand. Products, and a method of producing such products, are also described. The products include superabsorbent assemblages, tampons, pads, cushions and liquid distributing and storage articles.

Abstract: Machines and methods for longitudinal compressive treatment of a web are shown. A retarder blade disposed adjacent a roll provides a web-contacting slide surface to which the longitudinally compressed web transfers and upon which it slides as it leaves the roll. This retarder blade has two spaced-apart roll-contacting regions disposed toward the roll, one of the roll-contacting regions being at the forward tip of the blade near the drive region and the second roll-contacting region being at a heel region spaced downstream. A pair of drive rolls defines a nip for driving the web forward, the surface of each of the rolls comprising a series of principle web-gripping grooves extending in only one direction helically about the roll axis. At the nip line of the rolls the angle of the grooves of one roll is inclined positively relative to the direction of travel of the web, and the angle of the grooves of the other roll is inclined negatively relative to the direction of travel of the web.

Abstract: The exterior of a compressed tampon, e.g. for absorbing menstrual discharge, is formed from a bat of substantially aligned absorbent fibers that have been preshortened in a microundulated state as a result of longitudinal compressive pretreatment. The preshortening, generally more than 20% of original length of the fibers, is selected to permit substantial recovery of original dimension, there being at least 10 of the microundulations per inch prior to incorporation in the tampon. The microundulations are shape-retentive (in the dry state) and reside with the sides of adjacent microundulations close together. Because of the pretreated state, the absorbent fibers have stored mechanical energy in a predetermined selected direction within the final tampon. They are highly moisture sensitive, responsive to small amounts of liquid to cause release of the mechanical energy and expansion in the given direction to cause rapid expansion of the exterior of the tampon.