Formation of sheet material using hydroentanglement
First Claim
1. A method of forming a reconstituted leather sheet material for use in place of natural sheet leather, the method comprising:
- providing a body formed by a web or webs of predominantly waste leather fibres, the fibres comprising leather fibres produced by mechanical disintegration of waste leather using textile reclaiming methods;
using hydroentangling jets to hydroentangle the leather fibres in the body while the body is supported on a porous conveyor so as to form the reconstituted leather sheet material wherein the hydroentanglement of the leather fibers is the primary mechanism for holding the leather fibres together through the entire thickness of the body, and wherein the hydroentangling includes an early pass at relatively high jet pressure to entangle interior leather fibres of the body with each other, followed by additional hydroentangling passes at relatively lower pressures to entangle the leather fibres in outer regions of the body with each other.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Artificial leather sheet material is made by hydroentanglement of waste leather fibers. A web of the fibers is advanced on a porous belt high pressure water jet heads in a number of successive hydroentanglement steps. Screens have apertures which allow deep penetration of the water jets into the web while thin screen portions between the apertures act to interrupt the jets allow deep penetration of the water jets into the web while thin screen portions between the apertures act to interrupt the jets and limit formation of furrows. Deflector plates are provided alongside water jet heads to remove re-bounding water.
32 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of forming a reconstituted leather sheet material for use in place of natural sheet leather, the method comprising:
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providing a body formed by a web or webs of predominantly waste leather fibres, the fibres comprising leather fibres produced by mechanical disintegration of waste leather using textile reclaiming methods; using hydroentangling jets to hydroentangle the leather fibres in the body while the body is supported on a porous conveyor so as to form the reconstituted leather sheet material wherein the hydroentanglement of the leather fibers is the primary mechanism for holding the leather fibres together through the entire thickness of the body, and wherein the hydroentangling includes an early pass at relatively high jet pressure to entangle interior leather fibres of the body with each other, followed by additional hydroentangling passes at relatively lower pressures to entangle the leather fibres in outer regions of the body with each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification