Layer-forming apparatus, especially for the preparation of particle-board mats

An apparatus for the preparation of mats of particulate material, especially the formation of particle board by pressing of the mat, comprising:

• a hopper for receiving a supply of particulate material, said hopper including
• a dispensing conveyor forming a floor adapted to receive a pile of said material and advancing said pile horizontally in a given direction,
• a roller grate forming a wall of said hopper engageable with said pile upon the displacement thereof in said direction, said roller grate being inclined to the vertical and feeding particles from said pile in a cascade,
• means for feeding particulate material to said pile on said dispensing conveyor, and
• a leveling roller for controlling the height of said pile on said conveyor;
• classifying means beneath said roller grate for segretating said cascade of particulate material into relatively fine particles and coarser particles;
• metering means beneath said classifying means for advancing particles collected therefrom at a given rate, said metering means including
• a metering conveyor disposed below said classifying means and receiving said fine particles in a first layer and said coarser particles in at least one second layer on said first layer, said metering conveyor having a discharge end,
• a volume-metering roller disposed along said metering conveyor for regulating the volume rate of the flow of particles on said metering conveyor past said volume-metering roller,
• means for detecting the weight of particles per unit area on said metering conveyor,
• a weight-metering roller along said metering conveyor controlled by the last mentioned means for maintaining a predetermined weight of particles per unit area on said metering conveyor, and
• a cast-off roller at said discharge end of said metering conveyor for casting particles therefrom;
• a spreading head adjacent said discharge end of said metering conveyor for receiving the particles cast by said cast-off roller from said metering conveyor, said spreading head comprising an array of interdigitating disk rollers all driven in the same sense and with progressively increasing interdigitating spacing away from said discharge end, the particles on said discharge end being advanced along the top of said array away from said discharge end;
• a receiving surface displaceable beneath said spreading head for receiving the fine particles therefrom in a first layer and coarser particles therefrom in at least one further layer overlying said first layer, said surface being displaced in the direction of displacement of said particles on the top of said array;
• and
• an air sifter between said head and said surface for additionally separating fine from coarse particles.