Structural members of composite wood material and process for making same
AssigneeBoard of Control of Michigan Technological University
InventorsAnders E. Lund, Gordon P. Krueger, Darrell D. Nicholas, Roy D. Adams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Structural members having strength properties comparable or superior to those of solid wood are made from a composite wood material comprised of elongated wood flakes bonded together with a binder. The grain direction of the flakes extend generally parallel to their longitudinal axis and the flakes are oriented so that the longitudinal axis of at least a majority is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the structural member. The structural member is formed as a solid one-piece unit or assembled from two or more structural components which are made from the composite wood material and are joined together in angular relationship with an adhesive.
Claims17
A method for making a structural member of a composite wood material and having an axis, said method including steps of:
- (a) providing elongated wood flakes having a grain direction extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, an average length of about 0.5 inch to about 3.5 inches, an average length to average width ratio of about 4:1 to about 10:1 and an average thickness of about 0.01 to about 0.05 inch,
- (b) admixing a binder with the wood flakes,
- (c) forming a layered mat of the resulting mixture with at least a majority of the wood flakes oriented such that the longitudinal axis thereof is generally parallel to the axis of the structural member to be formed from the mat, and
- (d) applying sufficient pressure on the mat to bond the wood flakes together and form the structural member.
A method for making an elongated structural member of a composite wood material and having at least two elongated, angularly related components, said method including the steps of:
- (a) providing elongated wood flakes having a grain direction extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, an average length of about 0.5 inch to about 3.5 inches, an average length to average width ratio of about 4:1 to about 10:1 and an average thickness of about 0.01 to about 0.05 inch,
- (b) admixing a binder with the wood flakes,
- (c) forming a layered mat of the resulting mixture for each of the components with at least a majority of the wood flakes oriented such that the longitudinal axis thereof is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the component to be formed from the mat,
- (d) applying sufficient pressure on the mats to bond the wood flakes together and form the respective component, and
- (e) bonding the components together to form the structural member.
A structural member made from a composite wood material and having an axis comprising:
- elongated wood flakes bonded together with a binder, said wood flakes having a grain direction extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, an average length of about 0.5 inch to about 3.5 inches, an average length to average width ratio of about 4:1 to about 10:1, an average thickness of about 0.01 to about 0.05 inch and at least a majority being oriented such that the longitudinal axis is generally parallel to the axis of said structural member.
An elongated structural member of a composite wood material including at least two elongated structural components bonded together in angular relationship, each of said structural components being comprised of:
- elongated wood flakes bonded together with a binder, said wood flakes having a grain direction extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof, an average length of about 0.5 inch to about 3.5 inches, and average length to average width ratio of about 4:1 to about 10:1 and an average thickness of about 0.01 to about 0.05 inch and at least a majority being oriented such that the longitudinal axis is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said structural component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.