Matting article with process and apparatus for its production

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention is hereby claimed as follows: 1.
A process for the manufacture of a coherently self-bonded, low density matting article which comprises: melt-spinning a plurality of synthetic fiber-forming polymer filaments from a first set of spinning orifices with a diameter of at least about 0.
1 mm.
vertically downwardly for deposit onto a moving support intersecting the filaments substantially horizontally at a distance of about 3 to 20 cm.
below the spinning orifices, said moving support having an undulating peak and valley surface structure to receive and form the freshly melt-spun filaments from said first set of spinning orifices into a corresponding undulating peak and valley three-dimensional matting sheet structure with the filaments from adjacent spinning orifices overlapping and self-bonding with each other at random points of intersection; melt-spinning another plurality of synthetic fiber-forming polymer filaments from a second set of spinning orifices onto a second separate moving support having a substantially smooth and even surface structure to receive and form the freshly melt-spun filaments from said second set of spinning orifices into a substantially flat nonwoven web of overlapped filamentary loops self-bonding at random points of intersection, said nonwoven web being substantially thinner and exhibiting a substantially lower porosity than said matting structure; transferring said nonwoven web while still tacky from said second moving support directly onto the free surface of the matting sheet structure as the latter is carried while still tacky on said first moving support; lightly pressing said nonwoven web against the free surface of the matting sheet structure such that part of the tacky surface filaments in the contacting face portions of the web and the matting adhere to each other at mutual points of intersection; and cooling both the web and matting on said first moving support to firmly bond the adhered filaments to each other.
2.
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spun filaments of the matting and the nonwoven web have a diameter of more than about 0