Michael J Hermans, 61Tomahawk, WI

6454904, Sep 24, 2002

Jun 30, 2000

09/607712

Michael Alan Hermans - Neenah WI
Frank Stephen Hada - Appleton WI

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

D21F 1100

162205, 162207, 162290, 162297

A tissue sheet is made using a modified wet pressing process employing an integrally sealed air press. After initial formation and conventional vacuum dewatering, the wet web may be conformed to the surface contour of a relatively coarse fabric to give the web a textured surface. By creating a pressure differential across the web, the air press noncompressively dewaters the wet web to a consistency of about 30 to about 40 percent prior to a heated drying cylinder. The web may be dried to substantially preserve its three-dimensional, throughdried-like texture. The process provides a web having an exceptionally high degree of bulk and absorbency not expected in wet-pressed products.

6551461, Apr 22, 2003

Jul 30, 2001

09/918128

Michael Alan Hermans - Neenah WI
Charlcie Christie Kay Leitner - Appleton WI
Frank Stephen Hada - Appleton WI
Ronald Frederick Gropp - St. Catharines, CA
Marek Parszewski - New London WI

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

D21F 518

162207, 162109, 162290, 34 86, 34122, 34123, 34131, 34452, 34513, 34604, 34629

The energy efficiency of a throughdrying papermaking process is improved by recycling exhaust air from one or more throughdryers to further heat the web at various places in the process.

6579418, Jun 17, 2003

Jul 5, 2001

09/899314

Jeffrey Dean Lindsay - Appleton WI
Michael Alan Hermans - Neenah WI
Frank Stephen Hada - Appleton WI

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

D21F 300

162198, 34242, 34405, 162252, 162262, 162263, 422292, 422295, 422297, 8101, 811551

Pressurized web treatment systems include a moving web that passes through a pressurized treatment chamber having a sealing assembly with a leakage control system. Leakage control is achieved by the cooperative effect of localized leak detectors and leak reduction means that applies a local sealing force on the seal assembly responsive to a signal from the leak detectors such that increased sealing occurs in the vicinity of the leak. In particular, an air press for paper web dewatering has improved efficiency by virtue of the leakage control system, which features local leak detectors and local force generation means associated with a flexible seal assembly to reduce leakage at the edges of the stationary plenum of the air press. Local leak detection can be based on sonic measurement with microphones, detection of escaping tracer gas, optical signals, and other means. Other embodiments of web treatment systems include those for continuous production of activated carbon fabrics and steam and chemical treatment of textiles and other fibrous webs.

6585855, Jul 1, 2003

May 11, 2001

09/854145

Robert A. Drew - Sherwood WI
Patricia Riedl - Menasha WI
Peter J. Allen - Neenah WI
Brian Klaubert - Tulsa OK
Paul Arnold - Liverdun, FR
Susan E. Smith - Appleton WI
Michael A. Hermans - Neenah WI
Phil S. Lin - Oshkosh WI

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

D21H 2700

162109, 162111, 428153, 428154

A process for increasing the tactile properties of a base web without adversely effecting the strength of the web is disclosed. In one embodiment, the process includes the steps of placing a base web between a first moving conveyor and a second moving conveyor. The conveyors are then wrapped around a shear-inducing roll which creates shear forces that act upon the base web. The shear forces disrupt the web, increasing the softness and decreasing the stiffness of the web. The shear-inducing roll typically has a relatively small diameter. In some applications, more than one shear-inducing roll may be incorporated into the system. Base webs made according to the present invention have been found to have improved void-volume and fuzz-on-edge properties.

6607638, Aug 19, 2003

Jun 28, 2002

10/185614

Robert A. Drew - Sherwood WI
Patricia Riedl - Menasha WI
Peter J. Allen - Neenah WI
Brian Klaubert - Tulsa OK
Paul Arnold - Liverdun, FR
Susan E. Smith - Appleton WI
Michael A. Hermans - Neenah WI
Phil S. Lin - Oshkosh WI

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

D21F 1100

162204, 162117, 162123, 162125, 162197

A process for increasing the tactile properties of a base web without adversely effecting the strength of the web is disclosed. In one embodiment, the process includes the steps of placing a base web between a first moving conveyor and a second moving conveyor. The conveyors are then wrapped around a shear-inducing roll which creates shear forces that act upon the base web. The shear forces disrupt the web, increasing the softness and decreasing the stiffness of the web. The shear-inducing roll typically has a relatively small diameter. In some applications, more than one shear-inducing roll may be incorporated into the system. Base webs made according to the present invention have been found to have improved void-volume and fuzz-on-edge properties.

6610173, Aug 26, 2003

Nov 3, 2000

09/706149

Jeffrey Dean Lindsay - Appleton WI
Mark Alan Burazin - Oshkosh WI
Fung-jou Chen - Appleton WI
Michael Alan Hermans - Neenah WI
Philip Sim Lin - Oshkosh WI
Kenneth Curtis Larson - Appleton WI

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

D21H 2702

162109, 162111, 162112, 162113, 162117, 162123, 162125, 162127, 162129, 162130

An improved method for imprinting a paper web during a wet pressing event is disclosed which results in asymmetrical protrusions corresponding to the deflection conduits of a deflection member. In one embodiment, differential velocity transfer during a pressing event serves to improve the molding and imprinting of a web with a deflection member. Improved deflection members are also disclosed. Improved tissue webs produced are also disclosed having useful sets of physical and geometrical properties, such as a pattern densified network- and a repeating pattern of protrusions having asymmetrical structures.

6610619, Aug 26, 2003

Dec 28, 2000

09/750407

Charles E. Friedbauer - Marysville WA
Michael A. Hermans - Neenah WI
John C. Bolt - Appleton WI
Michael C. Johnson - Appleton WI

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

D03D 1502

442320, 139383 A, 139425 A, 139 42, 162109, 1623582, 1623584, 162900, 162901, 162902

A method of imparting bulk and/or visual aesthetics to a tissue basesheet involves pressing the basesheet with a felt having a raised pattern on it so that the pattern becomes inherent in the sheet. A pattern is stitched into a carrier layer which is joined to a substrate to form the felt. As the basesheet is pressed into the felt, the raised pattern displaces fibers in the sheet, effectively inducing the pattern in the basesheet. The novel felt with a raised patterned layer is also disclosed.

6660362, Dec 9, 2003

Nov 3, 2000

09/705684

Jeffrey Dean Lindsay - Appleton WI
Mark Alan Burazin - Oshkosh WI
Fung-jou Chen - Appleton WI
Michael Alan Hermans - Neenah WI
Philip Sim Lin - Oshkosh WI
Kathryn Sirovatka Padon - Neenah WI

Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. - Neenah WI

B32B 310

428131, 428137, 428142, 428196, 442 59, 427510, 162902

Improved deflection members are disclosed for imparting texture to a web through the use of pressing, imprinting, or related technologies, In one embodiment, such deflection members include fabrics having raised elements that contact the web and deflection conduits, wherein the deflection member comprises geometries and/or materials capable of creating asymmetrical domes, either through contact in a compression nip or by imprinting the web onto the Yankee dryer. Deflection members of the present invention can include those with elastomeric components in the raised elements, those comprising asymmetrical geometries in the raised elements, those comprising two or more subsets of raised elements having different material properties or geometries, and other fabrics with novel construction and materials.