Method and apparatus for making compressed composite bodies of plant particles and binder
OwnerAnton Heggenstallerinventor
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Abstract
A method of and apparatus for the cold extrusion of a mixture of plant particles and a binder, especially for the production of load-bearing beams and similar shaped bodies in which the plant particles are wood chips or the like, utilizes a plunger, ram or piston for displacement of the mixture into the extrusion passages (in which hardening can occur) under conditions such that the material flows during compaction and is compressed with a densification ratio of 2:1 to 4:1 (preferably 3:1), a plunger stroke of 400 to 800 mm (preferably 600 mm) and a velocity of the plunger between 0.04 and 1.5 meters per second (preferably 0.06 meters per second).
Claims12
A method of pressing a mixture of elongated particles and binder which comprises the steps of:
- feeding said mixture laterally into an elongated chamber through a gate;
- reciprocating a plunger in said chamber to drive the mixture into a forming passage having generally the configuration of a beam-shaped body to be extruded while permitting flow of said particles in the mixture compressed by said plunger, said gate being opened a plurality of times for each stroke of said plunger and the velocity of the plunger and the length of each stroke being such that a substantial proportion of said particles throughout the cross section of said passage are oriented in the direction of displacement of the mixture into said forming passage;
- and
- thereafter hardening the compacted mixture, said mixture being compacted by said plunger with a densification ratio between substantially 2:1 and 4:1, said plunger displacing said mixture at a velocity of substantially 0.04 to 1.5 meters per second, said mixture being compacted to a density upon hardening of 350 to 850 kg per m.sup.3, said plunger displacing said mixture with a stroke of 400 to 800 mm.
An apparatus for the extrusion pressing of a mixture of elongated swellable plant particles and a binder, comprising:
- an elongated filling chamber terminating in a progressively widening forming passage provided with cooling means;
- a plunger reciprocable in said chamber adapted to displace said mixture toward said forming passage and compact said mixture;
- loading means for feeding said mixture to said chamber;
- and
- a heated hardening passage with an inlet end slightly spaced from a discharge end of said forming passage for shaping the compacted mixture into a finished body, said inlet end having a cross section larger than that of said discharge end but smaller than that of an outlet end of said hardening passage remote from said forming passage.
An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said plunger has a pressing face with radially inwardly extending corrugations narrowing toward the center thereof.
An apparatus for the extrusion pressing of a mixture of elongated swellable plant particles and a binder, comprising:
- an elongated filling chamber terminating in a progressively widening forming passage provided with cooling means;
- a plunger reciprocable in said chamber adapted to displace said mixture toward said forming passage and compact said mixture;
- loading means for feeding said mixture to said chamber;
- and
- a heated hardening passage communicating with said forming passage for shaping the compacted mixture into a finished body, said hardening passage having a progressively widening first section with an inlet end slightly spaced from a discharge end of said forming passage, said inlet end having a cross section greater than that of said discharge end, said hardening passage further having a second section connected to said first section and provided with a substantially constant final cross section greater than that of said inlet end.
A method of pressing a mixture of elongated swellable plant particles and a binder, comprising the steps of:
- feeding said mixture into a chamber which terminates in a progressively widening forming passage having generally the profile of an elongated body to be produced;
- reciprocating a piston in said chamber, with a stroke whose length is of the order of magnitude of the length of said forming passage, to advance said mixture through said forming passage;
- cooling said mixture during its advance through said forming passage;
- transferring the advancing mixture from said forming passage into a longer and still wider hardening passage;
- and
- heating said mixture during its advance through said hardening passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.