Apparatus and process for transferring substrate material and particulate material

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring, at high speed and in a very effective and accurate and cost effective manner, particulate material from a first moving endless surface with reservoir(s) to a second moving endless surface carrying a substrate material, such as a nonwoven web material, and transferring said combination of substrate material with particulate material to a further apparatus unit; said second moving endless surface is adjacent and in communication with a first and a second vacuum chamber, with different vacuum pressures and/or different size. Also a process is provided, using the described apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for making a structure comprising a combination of a substrate material and a particulate material, the process comprising:
 depositing with a first endless moving surface comprising a reservoir comprising particulate material, contained by the reservoirs, onto a substrate material, carried by a second moving endless surface to form a combination of a substrate material and particulate material, in a receiving zone of the second moving endless surface; and providing simultaneously a first negative vacuum pressure in the receiving zone;   transferring the combination of the substrate material and particulate material through a transferring zone of the second endless moving surface, and   providing a second negative vacuum pressure in the receiving zone, wherein the ratio of the first negative vacuum pressure to the second negative vacuum pressure is at least 4:3.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first negative vacuum pressure is −6.5 kPa or less. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the second negative vacuum pressure is between −0.5 kPa and −5 kPa. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the first negative vacuum pressure is between −6.5 kPa and −20 kPa. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 applying a second substrate material to the combination of substrate material and particulate material;   folding the substrate material over the particulate material;   applying an adhesive to the combination of the substrate material and particulate material; and   cutting the combination of substrate material and particulate material.   
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the second substrate material is applied to the combination of substrate material and particulate material downstream of the transferring zone. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 6 , further comprising combining particular material and the second substrate.