surfaces this recoil causes the various web fibers to be moved generally randomly in the space between the web faces more particularly the apparatus includes a thick elastomeric belt 40 which is carried by three idler rollers 41 42 and 43 the idler rollers hold the belt or blanket against a large drum 44 about a part of the periphery of the drum bar 45 serves to press the blanket against the drum surface to form a localized pressure nip axially across the drum surface the amount the blanket is wrapped around the drum is adjustable as is the nip bar pressure the various adjusting means are not shown but are known in the art as the belt 40 undergoes a reversal of its curvature in passing across the nip bar 45 the surface of the thick belt toward the drum is shortened and so moves slower than the drum surface this difference in surface speeds causes a compression of the web fibers while at the same time the nip bar exerts sufficient pressure to prevent buckling of the web as a whole the belt or blanket is not driven independently by its own support rollers but rather by the engagement with the drum which is driven by means not shown in the drawing the arc of contact of the belt must therefore be sufficient to provide the blanket drive since the amount of fiber upset is dependent upon the blanket contact or wrap as one of important parameters the arc must be sufficient to provide the desired results an alternative means may include mating rollers one elastomeric surfaced and one hard surfaced the hard surfaced roll is driven while the elastomeric surfaced roll is braked.