CA1176886A - Method of making recreped absorbent products - Google Patents

11~76~386 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Absorbent disposable tissue and towel products have recently become increasingly softer and smoother, while retaining or increasing their absorbent capacity. Consumers have become increasingly more conscious about the tactile properties of such products, which include facial and bathroom tissue, and household and industrial towels and wipers. Therefore, a number of processes have been proposed to produce products having increased softness and smoothness coupled with adequate absorbency characteristics.
For example, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,158,594 and 4,208,459, Becker et al, disclose a process ~and a product produced thereby) for forming a soft fibrous sheet material wherein a bonding material is applied to one surface of a web in a quantity of at least 1.4~ nonvolatile constituents in a "fine pattern", with the web being adhered to a creping surface and then differentially creped. The bonding material performs the dual function of adding strength to the debonded, creped sheet as well as serving as a creping adhesive.
The patterns disclosed may be in the form of a reticular pattern or a pattern of dots. The base sneet which is adhered to the creping cylinder in the fine pattern may have been previously either throughdried without compression or creped from a first creping cylinder. However, the cost of applying adhesive in a ii~7~886 quantity of 1.4~ based upon the dry web weight, when such adhesives cost on the order of $28.00 per ton of product, are enormous. Likewise, the costs involved in building, installing and operatlng a throughdrying apparatus are substantially greater than those required to operate a conventional Yankee dryer.
A somewhat different approach is taken in U.S. Patent No. 4,225,382 Kearney et al, wherein separate headboxes and forming zones are utilized to form separate layers of fibers, which are juxtaposed after dewatering the layers differentially. After the combined web is throughdried to at least 85~
consistency, it i9 creped from a creping cylinder to produce crepe folds which are equal in frequency and simultaneous in phase in each layer of the stratified web. Alternatively, a single headbox capable of forming distinct layers in a single operation may be utilized to produce the stratified web having differential consistency in the various layers upon juxtaposition.
Still another method of making an improved fibrous web is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,125,659, Klowak et al, wherein a fibrous web is uniformly adhered to a creping cylinder without substantial compression and is thereafter differentially adhered to the cylinder with the use of either a patterned pressure roll or an endless fabric. The pattern of the pressure roll or 117~8B6 fabric results in corresponding areas of the web becoming more firmly adhered to the creping surface than adjacent uncompressed areas of the web, such that the more firmly adhered areas are finely creped and the less firmly adhered areas are coarsely creped.
Lastly, U.S. Patent No. 4,166,001, Dunning et al discloses a method of forming a multiple layer web having outer layers of strongly bonded fibers separated by an intermediate layer of weakly bonded fibers, which, upon being creped and recreped, exhibit ply separation, with each layer shearing away from the other. The resulting product simulates a two-ply tissue in bulk a~d softness while being formed as a single ply.
While the act of creping a wet laid tissue web produces beneficial effects upon its tactile and absorbent properties, the web properties may be further , enhanced by creping a second time, as noted in a number of the patents above. However, Applicant has found that, without the addition of significant quantities of costly adhesives, a second full crepe reduces the tensile strength of a tissue sheet below acceptable levels. For instance, a tissue web may have a machine direction (md) tensile strength of 3500 grams, which is reduced to 1500 grams after a first overall crepe, which is above the expected target range of 1200 grams for commercially available tissues. However, after a second overall crepe i~76886 the md tensile strength will be reduced below this target figure. With the addition of signi~icant quantities of adhesive this strength may be increased into the acceptable range. While the purpose of the second crepe is to break or disrupt a greater number of hydrogen bonds than is possible with a single crepe, thereby increasing consumer perception of softness and s~oothness, this heretofore could only be accomplished at the expense of md tensile strength or increased adhesive costs to build up strength lost by reason of the second crepe.
An alternative method o~ producing a tissue web which has increased bulk, absorbency and softness is by "throughdrying" the sheet as first proposed in U.S. Patent No. 3,301,746, Sanford et al.
In this and a number of subsequent patents issued to the same assignee (the Procter & Gamble Co.), a process is disclosed whereby a tissue web is dried ; 20 without compaction, with a relatively dry sheet being adhered to a Yankee dryer at discrete knuckle points corresponding to the knuckles of an imprinting fabric. However, while the web produced by such a throughdrying process has qualities deemed desirable by consumers, the capital investment involved in building and maintaining such a throughdrying system are enormous.

Therefore, a process is needed whereby the desirable product attributes of throughdried sheets are obtained without the capital investment or adhesive costs necessary with prior art processes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a third embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a fourth embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 iS a schematic representation of a layered headbox used with the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of an alternative method of recreping;
FIG. 7 iS an isometric view of the process of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a representation of a theoretical single creped web;
FIG. 9 is a representation of a theoretical web recreped according to the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a graph representing the relation-ship of tensile strength to softness/smoothness of a creped product;

1~'76886 FIG. 11 is a photomicrograph of a single creped tissue web; and, FIG. 12 is a photomicrograph of a web recreped according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The process of the present invention may be carried out on apparatus as shown in FIG. 1. A slurry of papermaking fibers is deposited from headbox 20 onto forming wire 22. The web 24 formed tkereby is partially dewatered by conventional means, such as vacuum boxes 26 prior to being affixed to the Yankee dryer 28. The web 24 may be affixed to the first Yankee dryer 28 by means of a pressure roll 30, which compresses the web against the Yankee with a force of approximately 400 pli. The web when affixed to the first dryer 28 has a fiber consistency of approximately 38~ which is increased to between about 65 to 95%
upon being removed from the dryer. The web is conventionally creped, as by doctor blade 32, resulting in a creped web 34 as has been produced for many years in the paper industry. Depending upon the consistency of the web at the point of application to the Yankee dryer 28, it may be necessary to apply adhesive (such as animal glue) to insure proper adhesion between the web and the dryer. It is to be understood that the papermaking machine thus far described is in all respects well known in the art and has been used by Applicant to produce .

11~7~i8~36 "creped wadding" for at least 50 years.
However, the product thus produced, while acceptable for many wiping purposes in the ~ast, now suffers in comparison to products made in accordance with many of the current papermaking technologies which produce tissues having a significantly increased consumer perception of softness and smoothness. There-fore, the creped web 34 is conveyed to a second Yankee dryer 36 and is affixed thereto at a pressure nip formed between pressure roll 38 and Yankee dryer surface 36. An imprinting fabric 40 is passed around pressure roll 38 so that the creped web 34 is impressed against Yankee dryer 36 in a pattern corresponding to the raised knuckle areas of imprinting fabric 40. In order to assure that proper adhesion is effected between the knuckled areas of fabric 40 and Yankee dryer 36, the fabric 40 may be "wrapped" about a portion of the dryer 36 between pressure roll 38 and roll 50.
The recreped tissue web 52 is creped from Yankee 36 by doctor blade 54 and rolled into a roll of finished product 56.
It has been found th~at imprinting fabrics in the range of from about lO meshes/in2 to about 150 meshes/in2 are acceptable for this purpose, with a preferred range of 25-lO0 mesh. The finer mesh fabrics produce a greater degree of adhesion of the creped sheet to the second Yankee and therefore produce a 11 7f~36 a greater number of "second crepes" per unit than would a coarse mesh fabric. Depending upon the product characteristics desired, a fabric of almost any mesh could be used-- an extremely fine mesh fabric producing a large number of very fine crepes (although also producing a greater degree of debulking) and a coarse fabric leaving most of the bulk in but producing a fewer number of relatively coarse crepes.
Adhesives may be required to adhere the web 34 to cylinder 36. An overall adhesive spray 42 may be applied either to the web 34 or cylinder 36, or the adhesive may be applied by a conventional rotogravure roll (not shown). Adhesives suitable for such use may be polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, starch or animal glue.
Additionally, while the present invention finds particular application to a process whereby a web is produced of cellulose fibers, such a web could be produced with a furnish comprising a combination of cellulosic and noncellulosic textile fibers.
An alternative configuration is shown in F~G. 2, wherein a headbox 58 lays a web 60 of paper-making fibers onto forming wire 62, which is partially dewatered thereon as by vacuum boxes 64. The relatively wet paper web 60 then passes through a standard belted press roll stack 66 which further dewaters _g_ il~7f~i886 the web to a fiber consistency of approximately 25 to 30%. The web 60 is fed into a second press roll stack 68 and adheres to one of the rolls 70 after being further dewatered to about 35%. The web 72 is there-after creped from roll 70 by a standard doctor blade 74 and conveyed to the Yankee dryer 76. The creped web 72 is affixed to the Yankee 76 at discrete points corresponding to the knuckles of fabric 78 which passes through a pressure nip formed between pressure roll 80 and Yankee dryer 76. The recreped web 90 is removed from Yankee dryer 76 by doctor blade 92 and reeled into a roll of finished product 94 for conversion into absorbent tissue products.
Both of the processes described above relating to FIGS. 1 and 2 may be performed on conventional papermaking machines to substantially increase the desirable product attributes with minimal capital investment. Depending upon the drying load expected of Yankee dryers 36 and 76, these may be provided as relatively small creping cylinders and may simply be added onto the end of a conventional creped wadding machine. Thé current invention may also produce significant benefits when utilized with a "throughdrying" machine as shown in FIG. 3. A
machine of this type may include, for example, headbox ~1~76886 96 which lays a web 98 of papermaking fibers on forming wire 100. The web 98 is transferred to a throughdrying fabric 110 which carries the web around a through - air drying cylinder 112, with the web 98 being thermally predried to a consistency of approximately 90% B.D. The thermally predried web is thereafter transferred to Yankee dryer 114 and adhered thereto with the addition of creping adhesives 116.
Preferably, the web is differentially adhered to the Yankee 114 by impressing the web 98 against the Yankee surface 114 with the raised knuckle areas of an imprinting fabric 118 at the location of a pressure roll 120. ~he creped web 122 is creped from Yankee 114 by doctor blade 124 and carrled to a second creping cylinder 126 and again differentially adhered thereto between imprinting fabric 128 and the surface of the cylinder 126. The web is affixed to the cylinder 126 at discrete points corresponding to the knuckles of fabric 128 between pressure roll 140 and cyllnder 126 by adhesive 130 applied to cylinder 126 or web 122 immediately prior to pressure roll 140. The recreped thermally predried web 142 is creped from cylinder 126 by doctor blade 144 and reeled into a roll of finished product 146.
When utilizing a pressure roll 38, 80 or 140 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, pressures in the range of from about 50 pli to about 100 pli may sufficiently adhere the web to the cylinder at the knuckle areas.
FIGS. 1 - 3 depict a process whereby the same side of the tissue sheet is recreped. Applicant has found that, when utilizing lower basis weight base webs, such as 7-1/2 pound per 2880 square feet, such a process produces maximum bulk and tactile qualities with a minimum of investment. Such basis weights are typically utilized as one ply of two-ply facial or bathroom tissue products. However, it is applicant's experience that when recreping a heavier basis weight web, such as a web suitable for one-ply tissue products (15 pounds basis weight) or for disposable towels (on the order of 25 to 30 pounds per 2880 square feet), the web is too thick and heavy for a second crepe on the same side of the web to optimize product quality.
In this case, the web must be "turned over" and the opposite side creped in order to obtain the ~aximum benefit of a second crepe. It i5 hypothesized that due to the high basis weight of the sheets, the second crepe cannot "strike through" the entire web thickness as it can in the lighter basis weight sheets and soften the side not creped, resulting in a very one-sided sheet having a soft side (the side creped) and a harsh side(not creped).
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, a web 148 is 11~7~886 laid down from headbox 150 onto foxming wire 152, partially dewatered, as by vacuum boxes 154 and carried to Yankee dryer 156 where it is adhered with compression onto the Yankee by pressure roll 158. A
first side of the web 160 is creped from the Yankee dryer 156 by doctor blade 162, and the web 160 is thereafter conveyed to a second creping cylinder 164 either above or beneath the first Yankee 156. A
second side of web 160 is adhered to the creping 10 cylinder 164 between impression fabric 166 and the surface of cylinder 164 at the location of pressure roll 168. If necessary, adhesive 170 may be utilized to adhere the discrete points of web 160 corresponding to knuckles of fabric 166 to the cylinder 164. The recreped web 180 is removed from cylinder 164 by doctor blade 182 and rolled into a roll of finished product 184.
As disclosed in U.S. Patent ~o. 4,166,001, jointly owned by the assignee of the present application, a multiple layer web having layers of fibers with different bonding characteristics may produce a finished product having desirable characteristics upon creping. Therefore, a headbox as shown in FIG. 5, generally designated 185, and having individual fiber stock inlets 186 A, B, and C, may be provided with any of the papermaking machines of FIGS. 1 through 4.

1~;'6886 As described in the '001 patent, a weakly bonded fiber stock supplied through inlet 186B, sandwiched between more highly bonded fiber stocks of inlets 186A
and C may produce a ply separable web upon creping.
The headbox of FIG. 5 would find particular application with the heavier basis weights envisioned in the machine of FIG. 4, wherein the opposing sides of the web thus formed are each creped, thereby increasing the likelihood of the outer plies shearing away from the inner ply formed by headbox 185.
While the once-creped sheet of FIGS. 1 through 4 is adhered to the second creping cylinder by an impression fabric which at least partially wraps the creping cylinder, the creped web 188 of FIG. 6 may be affixed to the creping cylinder 190 in the nip formed between pressure roll 192, impression fabric 194 and cylinder 190. In this case, pressure roll 192 may be provided with a pressure of approximately 150 pli. As in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the relatively dry creped web 188 may be affixed to cylinder 190 by suitable creping adhesive applied at 196.
As depicted schematically in FIG. 7, the relatively dry creped web Wc is adhered to the creping cylinder or Yankee dryer Y, as by use of a creping adhesive A applied as an overall spray, and compressed against the cylinder Y by impression fabric F. As depicted in FIG. 7, fabric F partially wraps the i~768~36 cylinder Y as it moves about pressure rolls R and R ' .
The creped web Wc is adhered to the surface of the cylinder Y only at the discrete locations Wk corresponding to the knuckles of fabric F, with a substantial portion of web Wc remaining uncompressed by fabric F and not adhered to cylinder Y.
A schematic representation of a tissue web 200 resulting from a conventional single creping process is depicted figuratively in FIG. 8. Of course, a creped web would not exhibit the regularity of crepe folds shown in FIG. 8, but this figure is intended for illustrative purposes only and should not be taken as an accurate depiction of an actual web.
The undulating sinusoidal nature of the creped web results from the scraping action of the doctor blade against the creping cylinder which compresses the web adhered to the cylinder and creates crepe "folds" upon ; the surface of the web. A typical wet-pressed web exhibiting high levels of interfiber hydrogen bonding is debonded as the doctor blade scapes the web from the creping cylinder, with these debonded areas typically alternating with non-debonded areas where the web has "popped" off the creping cylinder, creating the crepe fold. (see Holger Hollmark, Study of the Crepe Process in an Experimental Paper Machine, Swedish Forest Products Research Lab Report No. 144, Series B) Those portions of the web 202 which were adhered to the cylinder surface and which were scraped off are finely creped, producing li'76~386 a high level of debonding in those localized areas. This action results in relatively large areas 206 between the debonded areas 202 which have not been debonded and exhibit relatively coarse, stiff tactile properties.
The present invention involves utilizing the web of FIG. 8 and recreping it at discrete points over its entire surface. When the web of FIG. 8 is adhered to a creping cylinder overall, as with a plain pressure roll, the applicant has found that the web loses sufficient tensile strength that, unless the process is extremely closely monitored, in many instances the web will be too weak for use by consumers.
It is believed that this loss of strength results because the web is debonded a second time in essentially the same locations 202 as indicated from the first crepe in FIG. 8, thereby locally debonding the web to too great an extent in these locations and potentially weakening the sheet.
By contrast, a web produced according to applicant's invention, shown schematically in FIG. 9 is eminently suited for commercial sale and use. The recreped web 208, being basically the same base web 200 as shown in FIG. 8, exhibits the same localized areas of debonding 202 resulting from the first crepe. However, because the impression fabric compresses the creped web 208 only in localized areas corresponding to the fabric knuckles, the web 208 will be recreped i~7~886 at regular points 210 on the web tthese points 210 appear random when seen in partial cross-section) rather than in the same locations as the first crepe.
Therefore, there is a likelihood that a substantial number of those uncreped areas of web 208 will be contacted by a discrete knuckle of fabric F and be compressed against cylinder Y and be creped therefrom.
Therefore, the likélihood is that the same areas 202 will not be creped again to the same extent as would occur with a solid pressure roll, but additional points of debonding 210 will be provided in previously undebonded areas 206, which softens the sheet witnout reducing its tensile strength below commercially acceptable levels. Of course, random knuckle impressions 210 will occur in the areas previously creped, but the level of additional debonding in these areas 202 will be significantly reduced.
FIG. 11 is a photomicrograph of a typical creped tissue web shown in cross section. The sinusoidal nature of the web 220 is apparent, although not as regular as that depicted figuratively in FIG. 8. The degree of debonding in web 220 is relatively low; by Applicant's in-house subjective measurement, ~rom 35-50~
of the length of the web may exhibit detectable debonding.
FIG. 12, a photomicrograph of a base web similar to that of FIG. 11 which has been recreped with a fabric according to the present invention, also exhibits the sinusoidal wave pattern, but the web 222 exhibits 11~76886 considerably higher levels of debonding, on the order of 75% of its length. This increased level of debonding results in a sheet having increased consumer perception of softness and smoothness.
The graph of FIG. 10 illustrates the concept of the present invention. Applicant has determined that a tensile strength in the machine direction of at least 1200 grams is necessary for conventionally formed creped consumer tissue products. Applicant has likewise developed an internal softness/smoothness scale of 1 to 10, with acceptable product being rated at least a "6" softness/
smoothness, with exceptional product being somewhere between "7" and "8". All creped tissue products exhibit an inverse relationship between tensile strength and softness/smoothness, in that as one increases the strength of the web (thereby having less debonding~, one decreases the softness. Likewise, in order to increase softness/smoothness, one must sacrifice stength.
Heretofore, applicant had discovered that an exceptionally so t product could be obtained (rating an "8U) by simply recreping a previously creped sheet with a smooth pressure roll. However, due to the severe debonding noted above, such products fell below applicant's target strength level of 1200 grams (FIG. 10). On occassion, Applicant was successful in obtaining a tissue sheet meeting the target strength level after l~t~6886 recreping with a solid pressure roll, however this was accomplished under conditions where all process variables were relatively easily controlled. It would be exceedingly difficult to obtain such process precision on a commercial tissue machine 200 inches in width running in excess of 5000 feet per minute. With the use of a fabric to differentially adhere the previously creped sheets to the creping cylinder, the sheet having an "8" softness may be obtained while maintaining the necessary minimum strength of 1200 grams (although some strength is sacrificed to attain this softness/
smoothness level). The use of the fabric provides a mechanism of controlling the crepe of the previously creped sheet. The creping process need not be "fine tuned" to the point noted above, which would be necessary to produce the target strength on a commercial machine. Because the sheet is creped only in discrete locations, debonding of previously debonded areas will not be as severe as with a smooth pressure roll, - 20 resulting in a softer, smoother sheet requiring less precision to make.

It will be apparent that the degree of debonding from the second crepe will depend upon the mesh of the imprinting fabric used. A relatively coarse imprinting fabric in the range of 10-50 meshes/in.2 will cause the web to be adhered to the second creping cylinder in a relatively coarse pattern, therefore resulting in a coarse crepe and relatively less debonding. However, if a fabric mesh above 50, and particularly 100 or above is used, the web will be recreped in a very fine pattern resulting in a greater percentage of the sheet being debonded. The mesh of the imprinting fabric, therefore, may be utilized as a process control to determine the product qualities desired through the creping frequencies desired.
It will be appreciated that variations and modifications of the disclosed processes may ~e effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.

1. A method of forming a soft absorbent creped cellulosic web, comprising:
a) forming a wet web of cellulosic fibers from an aqueous stock slurry;
b) partially dewatering said web to remove a portion of the water therein, such that interfiber adhesion is enhanced within said web;
c) conveying said web to a first drying cylinder and affixing said web to said cylinder such that further interfiber adhesion is effected upon further dewatering;
d) creping said web from the first drying cylinder with a doctor blade, such that said interfiber adhesion is disrupted;
the improvement comprising:
e) conveying said web to a second drying cylinder and affixing said web thereto at the location of a nip formed between the second cylinder and an imprinting fabric having a pattern of raised knuckle areas thereon;
f) differentially compressing the web to the second cylinder with said imprinting fabric, said compression resulting in adhesion of said web to said cylinder being greatest in discrete points corresponding to the knuckles of said imprinting fabric, and;
g) differentially creping said web from the second cylinder.

2. The improvement as recited in Claim 1, further comprising imprinting said web with an imprinting fabric having a mesh size of from 10 meshes/in2 to 150 meshes/in2.

3. The improvement as recited in Claim 1, further comprising imprinting said web with an imprinting fabric having a mesh size of from 25 meshes/in2 to 100 meshes/in2.

4. The improvement as recited in Claim 1, further comprising adhering the web to the second cylinder at a pressure nip , said pressure nip being formed by an imprinting fabric wrapped around a pressure roll and the second cylinder.

5. The improvement as recited in Claim 4, further comprising providing said pressure nip with a pressure from about 50 pli to 100 pli.

6. The improvement as recited in Claim 1, further comprising partially wrapping said impression fabric around said second cylinder without the use of a pressure roll.

7. The improvement as recited in Claim 1, further comprising creping said web from the first cylinder when said web has been dried to a fiber consistency from about 35% to about 95%, and creping said web from the second cylinder when said web has been dried to a consistency of at least 95%.

8. The improvement as recited in Claim 7, further comprising creping said web from the first cylinder when said web has been dried to a fiber consistency of from about 65% to about 95%, and creping said web from the second cylinder when said web has been dried to a consistency of at least 95%.

9. The improvement as recited in Claim 1, further comprising adhering said web to the second cylinder by applying adhesive overall to said cylinder upstream of said web or to said web prior to adhesion of said web to the second cylinder.

10. The improvement as recited in Claim 9, further comprising applying said adhesive to the second cylinder or to said web in a random spray with a spray boom.

11. The improvement as recited in Claim 9, further comprising applying said adhesive overall to the second cylinder or to said web by use of rotogravure roll having at least 200 cells/in2 such that said adhesive substantially covers the web surface and adheres the web surface to the second cylinder overall.

12. The improvement as recited in Claim 9, further comprising applying said adhesive as a mixture of polyvinyl acetate and polyvinyl alcohol.

13. The improvement as recited in Claim 1, further comprising providing said first drying cylinder as a steam heated Yankee dryer, said web being thermally dried by adhesion to said dryer.

14. The improvement as recited in Claim 1, further comprising providing said first drying cylinder as one half of a press roll pair, said web being dried by compression of said web between said press rolls.

15. A double creped fiberous web produced by the process of Claim 1.

16. A method of forming a soft absorbent creped cellulosic web comprising:
a) forming a multi-layer wet web of cellulosic fibers from an aqueous stock slurry, said layers comprising fibers of different bonding characteristics;
b) partially dewatering said web to remove a portion of the water therein, such that said layers exhibit different levels of interfiber adhesion upon dewatering;
c) conveying said web to a first drying cylinder and affixing said web to said cylinder such that further interfiber adhesion is effected upon further dewatering;
d) creping said web from the first drying cylinder with a doctor blade, such that said interfiber adhesion is disrupted and said layers of fibers at least partially delaminate from one another;
the improvement comprising:
e) conveying said web to a second drying cylinder and affixing said web thereto at the location of a nip formed between the second cylinder and an imprinting fabric having a pattern of raised knuckle areas thereon;
f) differentially compressing the web to the second cylinder with said imprinting fabric, said compression resulting in adhesion of said web to said cylinder being greatest in discrete points corresponding to the knuckles of said imprinting fabric, and;
g) differentially creping said web from the second cylinder such that said layers are at least partially delaminated from one another.

17. The improvement as recited in Claim 16, further comprising imprinting said web with an imprinting fabric having a mesh size of from 10 meshes/in2 to 150 meshes/in2.

18. The improvement as recited in Claim 16, further comprising adhering said web to said second cylinder at a pressure nip, having a pressure from about 100 pli to about 150 pli said pressure nip being formed by an imprinting fabric wrapped around a pressure roll of the second cylinder.

19. The improvement as recited in Claim 16, further comprising partially wrapping said impression fabric around said second cylinder without the use of a pressure roll.

20. A double creped fibrous product produced by the process of Claim 16.

21. A method of forming a soft absorbent creped cellulosic web, comprising:
a) forming a wet web of cellulosic fibers from an aqueous stock slurry;
b) partially dewatering said web to remove a portion of the water therein, such that interfiber adhesion is enhanced within said web;
c) conveying said web to a first Yankee dryer and affixing said web to said dryer;
d) creping said web from the first Yankee dryer with a doctor blade, such that said interfiber adhesion is disrupted;
e) conveying said web to a second Yankee dryer and an imprinting fabric having a pattern of raised knuckle areas thereon;
f) differentially compressing the web to the second cylinder with said imprinting fabric, said compression resulting in adhesion of said web to said cylinder being greatest in discrete points corresponding to the knuckles of said imprinting fabric, and;
g) differentially creping said web from the second cylinder with a doctor blade.

22. The improvement as recited in Claim 21, further comprising creping said web from said first Yankee dryer when said web is at a fiber consistency of from about 65% to about 95%, and creping said web from said Yankee dryer when the web has been dried to a fiber consistency of at least 95%.

23. The improvement as recited in Claim 21, further comprising imprinting said web with an imprinting fabric having a mesh size of from 10 meshes/in2 to 150 meshes/in2.

24. A double creped fibrous web produced by the process of Claim 21.

25. A method of forming a soft absorbent creped cellulosic web, comprising:
a) forming a wet web of cellulosic fibers from an aqueous stock slurry;
b) partially dewatering said web to remove a portion of the water therein, such that inter-fiber adhesion is enhanced within said web;

c) conveying said web to a press roll stack and further dewatering said web by compression between said press rolls, such that further interfiber adhesion is effected;
d) creping said web from one of said press rolls with a doctor blade, such that said interfiber adhesion is disrupted;
the improvement comprising:
e) conveying said web to a second drying cylinder and affixing said web thereto at the location of a nip formed between the second cylinder and an imprinting fabric having a pattern of raised knuckle areas thereon;
f) differentially compressing the web against the second cylinder with said imprinting fabric, said compression resulting in adhesion being greatest in discrete points corresponding to the knuckles of said imprinting fabric, and;
g) differentially creping said web from the second cylinder.

26. The improvement as recited in Claim 25, further comprising creping said web from said press roll when said web has been dried to a fiber consistency of from about 35% to about 40%, and creping said web from said second cylinder when said web has been dried to a fiber consistency of at least 95%.

27. The improvement as recited in Claim 25, further comprising imprinting said web with an imprinting fabric having a mesh size of from 10 meshes/in2 to 150 meshes/in2.

28. A double creped fibrous web produced by the process of Claim 25.

29. A method of forming a soft absorbent creped cellulosic web, comprising:
a) forming a wet web of cellulosic fibers from an aqueous stock slurry;
b) partially dewatering said web to remove a portion of the water therein, such that interfiber adhesion is enhanced within said web;
c) conveying said web to a first drying cylinder and affixing a first side of said web to said cylinder such that further interfiber adhesion is effected upon further dewatering;
d) creping said first side of said web from the first drying cylinder with a doctor blade such that said interfiber adhesion is disrupted;
e) conveying said web to a second drying cylinder and affixing a second side of said web thereto at the location of a nip formed between the second cylinder and an imprinting fabric having a pattern of raised knuckle areas thereon;
f) differentially compressing the second side of the web to the second cylinder with the imprinting fabric, said compression resulting in adhesion being greatest in discrete points corresponding to the knuckles of said imprinting fabric, and;
g) differentially creping the second side of the web from said second cylinder.

30. A method of forming a soft absorbent creped cellulosic web, comprising:

a) forming a wet web of cellulosic fibers and thermally predrying said web without compaction thereof;
b) conveying said uncompacted thermally predried web to a first drying cylinder;
c) creping said web from the first drying cylinder with a doctor blade;
the improvement comprising:
d) conveying said creped web to a second drying cylinder and affixing said web thereto at the location of a nip formed between the second cylinder and an imprinting fabric having a pattern of raised knuckle areas thereon;
e) differentially adhering the web to the second cylinder with said imprinting fabric, said adhesion being greatest in discrete points corresponding to the knuckles of said imprinting fabric, and f) differentially creping said web from the second cylinder.

31. A double creped fibrous product produced by the process of Claim 30.