Method of forming articles of fibrous materials

A method of forming articles from a strip-shaped felt of fibrous material containing heat-hardenable bonding material, comprising the steps of:

• supplying the felt longitudinally towards a pair of stationary forming surfaces which are spaced apart for receiving the felt therebetween, one of said forming surfaces being provided on an inner die and the other of said forming surfaces extending around said inner die with a gap therebetween;
• progressively altering the transverse shape of the felt by guiding the felt in direct sliding contact along a guide surface having a transverse shape which varies along the length of said guide surface;
• said guide surface causing the felt to wrap around said inner die as said felt approaches said gap between said forming surfaces;
• pulling the felt between said spaced forming surfaces so that said forming surfaces mold the cross-sectional shape of the felt by sliding contact with opposite sides of the felt;
• flowing hot gas, at a position beyond said inner die, into one side of the felt, through the entire thickness of the felt and out from the other side of the felt to cure the bonding material;
• the pulling of the felt being effected by gripping the molded and cured felt;
• and
• cutting the molded and cured felt into predetermined lengths.

A method of forming articles from a strip-shaped felt of fibrous material containing heat-hardenable bonding material, comprising the steps of:

• supplying the felt longitudinally towards forming surfaces which are spaced apart for receiving the felt in a gap therebetween;
• progressively altering the cross-sectional shape of the felt by direct sliding contact of the felt along a stationary guide surface before the felt passes between the stationary forming surfaces, said stationary guide surface having a cross-sectional shape which varies along the length thereof for adapting the cross-sectional shape of the felt to the shape of the gap;
• pulling the felt longitudinally between said spaced forming surfaces so that said spaced forming surfaces mold the cross-sectional shape of the felt by sliding contact with opposite side of the felt;
• flowing hot gas through the felt to cure the bonding material;
• the pulling of the felt being effected by gripping the molded and cured felt;
• and
• cutting the molded and cured felt into predetermined lengths.

A method of forming articles from a strip-shaped felt of fibrous material containing heat-hardenable bonding material, comprising the steps of:

• supplying the felt longitudinally towards forming surfaces which are spaced apart for receiving the felt therebetween and comprise an inner forming die and an outer forming die extending around the inner forming die with a gap between said inner and outer forming dies;
• progressively altering the cross-sectional shape of the felt during the advance of the felt towards said forming surfaces to wrap the felt around said inner die;
• pulling the felt longitudinally through the gap between said spaced forming surfaces so that said spaced forming surfaces mold the cross-sectional shape of the felt by sliding contact with opposite side of the felt;
• flowing hot gas into one side of the felt, through the entire thickness of the felt and out from the opposite side of the felt beyond said main forming die to cure the bonding material;
• the pulling of the felt being effected by gripping the molded and cured felt;
• and
• cutting the molded and curved felt into predetermined lengths.