Slurry distribution system and method
AssigneeUnited States Gypsum Company
InventorsAlfred C. Li, Christopher C. Lee, Christopher Nelson, Cesar Chan, James Wittbold, Weixin D. Song
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A slurry distributor for use in a continuous manufacturing process includes an inlet opening and a shaped duct adapted to receive a flow of slurry provided at the inlet opening. The shaped duct has a parabolic guide surface adapted to redirect the flow of slurry. An outlet opening in fluid communication with the shaped duct is adapted to discharge the flow of slurry from the slurry distributor.
Claims15
A slurry distributor for use in a continuous manufacturing process, the slurry distributor comprising:
- an entry segment defining an inlet opening;
- a shaped duct in fluid communication with the inlet opening;
- and
- an outlet defining an outlet opening in fluid communication with the shaped duct;
- wherein the shaped duct includes a parabolic guide surface adapted to redirect a flow of slurry moving from the inlet opening through the shaped duct to the outlet opening from an inlet direction to an outlet direction, and wherein a cross-sectional flow area of the outlet opening is in a range from greater than to 400% of a cross-sectional flow area of the inlet opening.
A method for providing a slurry to an advancing web, the method comprising:
- passing a flow of aqueous gypsum slurry in an inlet flow direction through an inlet of a slurry distributor having a shaped duct with a parabolic guide surface such that the parabolic guide surface redirects the flow of slurry from the inlet flow direction to an outlet flow direction toward an outlet opening of the slurry distributor;
- and
- discharging the flow of the aqueous gypsum slurry from the outlet in the outlet flow direction upon an advancing web of cover sheet material, wherein a cross-sectional flow area of the outlet is in a range from greater than to 400% of a cross-sectional flow area of the inlet, and wherein the outlet flow direction of the flow of the aqueous gypsum slurry discharging from the outlet is substantially parallel to a line of travel of the advancing web of cover sheet material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.