Apparatus and process with a vibratory angled plate and/or fixed horizontal plate for forming fiber-reinforced cementitious panels with controlled thickness

A fiber reinforced cementitious panel production line comprising:

• a moving carrier web,
• a support frame for supporting the moving carrier web, wherein the panel is transported on the moving carrier web having a direction of travel relative to the support frame,
• a means for applying a facer on a fiber laden cementitious slurry on the moving carrier web, the means for applying the facer placed across the width of a forming surface of the moving carrier web,
• a horizontal thickness control device for controlling thickness of a formed, but not yet set, fiber reinforced cementitious panel comprising fiber laden cementitious slurry comprising cementitious material and embedded chopped fibers on the moving carrier web, the means for applying the facer upstream of the horizontal thickness control device,
• wherein the horizontal thickness control device comprises
• a rigid horizontal top forming plate, wherein the rigid horizontal top forming plate has a flat bottom surface, an upstream end and a downstream end, and
• a forming plate mounting frame for mounting the rigid horizontal top forming plate in a horizontal orientation over the support frame for the moving carrier web, wherein the rigid horizontal top forming plate is mounted to the forming plate mounting frame, and
• a flat, rigid support bed under the rigid horizontal top forming plate, adapted and configured sufficient to support the fiber laden cementitious slurry and withstand downward force exerted by the rigid horizontal top forming plate with deflection less than 0.03 inches,
• the forming plate mounting frame for fixedly, but adjustably, maintaining height of the rigid horizontal top forming plate over the moving carrier web and maintaining the rigid horizontal top forming plate parallel relative to the moving carrier web, to fixedly locate the flat bottom surface at a height in a range of 0.1 to 2 inches over the moving carrier web to provide a fixed gap between the lower surface of the rigid horizontal forming plate and the moving carrier web,
• wherein the upstream end of the flat bottom surface extends across the moving web transversely, relative to direction of travel of the moving web,
• wherein the downstream end of the flat bottom surface extends across the moving web transversely, relative to direction of travel of the moving web, and
• wherein the entire flat bottom surface is capable of contacting the facer on the fiber-laden slurry when carried on the moving carrier web.

A process for making fiber reinforced cementitious panel comprising:

• transporting a fiber laden slurry for a panel on a moving carrier web, the moving carrier web supported by a support frame, wherein the panel is transported on the moving carrier web having a direction of travel relative to the support frame,
• applying a facer on a fiber laden cementitious slurry on the moving carrier web, across the width of a forming surface of the moving carrier web to cover the forming surface,
• passing the facer covered forming surface under a horizontal thickness control device for controlling thickness of a formed, but not yet set, fiber reinforced cementitious panel comprising fiber laden cementitious slurry comprising cementitious material and embedded chopped fibers on the moving carrier web,
• wherein the thickness control device comprises
• a rigid horizontal top forming plate, wherein the rigid horizontal top forming plate has a flat bottom surface, an upstream end and a downstream end, and
• a forming plate mounting frame for mounting the rigid horizontal top forming plate in a horizontal orientation over the support frame for the moving carrier web, wherein the rigid horizontal top forming plate is mounted to the forming plate mounting frame, and
• a flat, rigid support bed under the rigid horizontal top forming plate, adapted and configured sufficient to support the fiber laden cementitious slurry and preferably withstand downward force exerted by the rigid horizontal top forming plate with deflection less than 0.03 inches,
• controlling thickness of the formed, but not yet set, fiber reinforced cementitious panel by contacting the facer covered formed, but not yet set, fiber reinforced cementitious panel comprising fiber laden cementitious slurry with a bottom surface of the rigid horizontal top forming plate;
• the mounting frame for fixedly, but adjustably, maintaining height of the rigid horizontal top forming plate over the moving carrier web and maintaining the plate parallel relative to the moving carrier web, to fixedly locate the flat bottom surface at a height of 0.1 to 2 inches over the moving carrier web,
• wherein the upstream end of the flat bottom surface extends across the moving web transversely, relative to direction of travel of the moving web,
• wherein the downstream end of the flat bottom surface extends across the moving web transversely, relative to direction of travel of the moving web.