Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing a crimp-bonded fibrous cellulosic laminate. The process includes the steps of: 1) providing at least two superposed plies of a fibrous cellulosic material; 2) passing the superposed plies through a crimp roll arrangement including a rotating crimp element and a rotating anvil element; and 3) applying a pressure load against the rotating elements sufficient to crimp bond the fibrous cellulosic material plies into a laminate. The crimp element has protruding members configured in a discontinuous pattern aligned on an axis that is parallel to the cross-machine direction to provide a substantially continuous uniform area of localized surface contacts between the rotating crimp and anvil elements across the width of the plies. Also disclosed is an overall crimp-bonded fibrous cellulosic laminate and an apparatus for crimp-bonding multiple superposed plies of a fibrous cellulosic material.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 23, 1995
Date of Patent:
April 22, 1997
Assignee:
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Inventors:
Harry E. Clark, Cynthia W. Henderson, Robert C. Marcinek, Frances W. Mayfield, Thad W. Perkins, Jorg F. Voss