Apparatus for sorting substrate components according to size, and method of sorting substrate components therewith

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A forming station (9) used to make a substrate. The forming station (9) has a forming chamber (40) which deposits particles (10) and fibers (11) from an air carrier onto a forming screen movable relative to the forming chamber (40). Inside the forming chamber (40) is at least one baffle (42) which creates a , velocity gradient and low pressure zone for the air carrier. Different sized components of the substrate have different momentums and thus are differently , affected by the velocity gradient and low pressure zone. This difference causes the different sized components to be sorted according to size. The sorted components are then distributed according to size within the substrate.