Patents by Inventor William Fowells

William Fowells 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).

  • Patent number: 6516472
    Abstract: Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein. The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott L. Gessner, J. Darrell Gillespie, Jared A. Austin, David D. Newkirk, William Fowells
  • Patent number: 6506698
    Abstract: The present invention provides a composite nonwoven fabric with a superior combination of extensibility, tensile properties and abrasion resistance. The composite nonwoven fabric (10) comprises at least one layer containing multipolymer fibers, with a plurality of bonds bonding the fibers together to form a coherent extensible nonwoven web (11). This coherent extensible nonwoven web (11) has a Taber surface abrasion value (rubber wheel) of greater than 10 cycles and an elongation at peak load in at least one of the machine direction or the cross-machine direction of at least 70%. A second extensible layer (12) is laminated to this coherent extensible nonwoven web (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Quantrille, Harold E. Thomas, Barry D. Meece, Scott L. Gessner, J. Darrell Gillespie, Jared A. Austin, David D. Newkirk, William Fowells
  • Patent number: 6465378
    Abstract: Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein. The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott L. Gessner, J. Darrell Gillespie, Jared A. Austin, David D. Newkirk, William Fowells
  • Patent number: 6448194
    Abstract: Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott L. Gessner, J. Darrell Gillespie, Jared A. Austin, David D. Newkirk, William Fowells
  • Publication number: 20010005662
    Abstract: Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein. The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville. Inc.
    Inventors: Scott L. Gessner, Darrell Gillespie, Jared A. Austin, David D. Newkirk, William Fowells
  • Publication number: 20010004574
    Abstract: Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein. The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Publication date: June 21, 2001
    Applicant: BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott L. Gessner, J. Darrell Gillespie, Jared A. Austin, David D. Newkirk, William Fowells
  • Publication number: 20010003693
    Abstract: Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein. The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Publication date: June 14, 2001
    Inventors: Scott L. Gessner, J. Darrell Gillespie, Jared A. Austin, David D. Newkirk, William Fowells
  • Patent number: 6207602
    Abstract: Nonwoven fabrics and fabric laminates are formed from continuous filaments or staple fibers of a select blend of specific grades of polyethylene and polypropylene which give improved fabric performance not heretofore recognized or described, such as high abrasion resistance, good tensile properties, excellent softness and the like. Furthermore, these blends have excellent melt spinning and processing properties which permit efficiently producing nonwoven fabrics at high productivity levels. The polymers are present as a lower-melting dominant continuous phase and at least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase dispersed therein. The lower-melting continuous phase forms at least 70 percent by weight of the fiber and comprises a linear low density polyethylene polymer of a melt index of greater than 10 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc. At least one higher-melting noncontinuous phase comprises a polypropylene polymer with melt flow rate of greater than 20 g/10 min.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: BBA Nonwovens Simpsonville, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott L. Gessner, J. Darrell Gillespie, Jared A. Austin, David D. Newkirk, William Fowells
  • Patent number: 5804286
    Abstract: A fabric comprising at least two layers wherein at least one layer is an extensible, bonded non-woven composed of a fiber comprising multiple different polymers such as a fiber comprising isotactic polypropylene, polyethylene and a block or grafted polyolefin copolymer or terpolymer which is at least partially miscible with said polypropylene and polyethylene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Fiberweb North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Quantrille, Harold E. Thomas, Barry D. Meece, Scott L. Gessner, J. Darrell Gillespie, Jared A. Austin, David D. Newkirk, William Fowells
  • Patent number: 5612123
    Abstract: Improved meltspinning productivity is achieved by employing polyolefin resins having key molecular weight distribution and rheological property parameters within predetermined ranges. These parameters include the molecular weight distribution breadth parameter, M.sub.z /M.sub.n ; and rheological property parameters of flow rate ratio, I.sub.10 /I.sub.2, and the power law index, n, of the regression analysis viscosity equation. These parameters additionally include one or both of the z-average molecular weight, M.sub.z, of the resin, or the second order constant, b.sub.2, of the regression analysis viscosity equation, and unless both of the latter two parameters are met, the parameters further include the die swell and the spinnability factor (determined from the relationship between die swell and MFR) of the resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Fiberweb North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott L. Gessner, William Fowells
  • Patent number: 5549867
    Abstract: Improved meltspinning productivity is achieved by employing polyolefin resins having key molecular weight distribution and rheological property parameters within predetermined ranges. These parameters include the molecular weight distribution breadth parameter, M.sub.z /M.sub.n ; and rheological property parameters of flow rate ratio, I.sub.10 /I.sub.2, and the power law index, n, of the regression analysis viscosity equation. These parameters additionally include one or both of the z-average molecular weight, M.sub.z, of the resin, or the second order constant, b.sub.2, of the regression analysis viscosity equation, and unless both of the latter two parameters are met, the parameters further include the die swell and the spinnability factor (determined from the relationship between die swell and MFR) of the resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Fiberweb North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott L. Gessner, William Fowells
  • Patent number: 4644045
    Abstract: Spunbonded nonwoven webs having excellent properties, particularly softness, can be made from linear low density polyethylene having a critical combination of certain key properties. These properties are percent crystallinity, cone die melt flow, die swell, relation of die swell to melt index, and polymer uniformity. The polyethylene is extruded through a spinneret at a temperature between about 185.degree. and 215.degree. C. and drawn through an air gun to form the spunbonded web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1987
    Assignee: Crown Zellerbach Corporation
    Inventor: R. William Fowells