Apparatus and method for making V-groove insulation
OwnerCharles M. Nelsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved method and apparatus for making V-groove insulation is disclosed. More particularly, the device of the present invention relates to an endless track fabrication and cutting system whereby prefabricated, sectioned lengths of insulation material are formed into continuously grooved insulation sheets of readily variable dimensions.
Claims22
An apparatus for the fabrication of grooved lengths of a given insulation material from sectional lengths of such material, said apparatus comprising in combination:
- a frame;
- a conveyor system comprising an endless belt disposed along the frame and adapted to travel in a longitudinal direction;
- feeding means situated at an upstream end of the conveyor system, and adapted to place sectional insulation lengths in an end-to-end, abutting relationship on the belt;
- a planing means disposed above and secured to said frame downstream from said feeding means, said planing means adapted to establish a desired thickness in said length as the lengths move longitudinally along said frame;
- a spraying system positioned along said frame above the belt, and adapted to apply an adhesive coating over the upper, exposed surface of said length of insulation material as they move downstream from said planing means;
- a backing device situated downstream from said spraying system and in transversely movable relation to said frame, said backing device comprising a backing spool and a contact arm arranged to position backing from said spool onto the upper surface of said insulation sheet such that the combination backing material and abutting insulation sections form a continuous integral sheet;
- and
- grooving means slidably disposed in a lateral direction relative to said frame and beneath said belt, said grooving means adapted to form a series of lateral grooves or notches in the underside of said integral sheet as it progresses longitudinally down said frame, said means also adapted to cut the integral sheet into prescribed lengths.
A process for the fabrication of a grooved length of insulation material from sectional ungrooved lengths of said material, said process comprising:
- positioning sectioned ungrooved lengths of a flat insulation material in an abutting relationship along a movable track conveyor, such that the material progresses downstream in a longitudinal direction along the conveyor;
- reducing the thickness of the sectional ungrooved lengths;
- preparing the upper surface of the sectional ungrooved lengths by automatically applying an adhesive solution to the upper surface of the sectional ungrooved lengths;
- automatically affixing a continuous length of backing material to the prepared surface such as to form a continuous integrated length of the insulation materials from the sectional lengths;
- forming a series of grooves or notches in the bottom of said material spaces along the integrated length where said spacing of the grooves or notches is determined by a microprocessor assembly;
- and
- severing the integrated length at selected intervals.
A method of increasing the flexibility of a length of inflexible, flat insulation which comprises:
- conveying a length of inflexible, flat insulation along a linear path;
- automatically applying backing to a first flat side of the length along a first portion of the linear path;
- cutting a first V-shaped linear notch into the length from the opposite flat side of the length and entirely across the length without severing the backing;
- and
- cutting a second such notch into the length which is spaced from the first notch where the spacing between the first and the second notch is achieved automatically by a microprocessor assembly.
The method of making flexible flat insulation from lengths of inflexible flat insulation which comprises:
- conveying at least two lengths of inflexible flat insulation in abutting end-to-end relation along a linear path;
- planing the length of insulation to a desired thickness;
- automatically applying backing to a first flat side of the lengths to hold the lengths together in said end-to-end relation;
- cutting a separate first linear notch into each such length from the opposite side of the length and entirely across the length without severing the backing;
- and
- severing the length and the backing at intervals determined by a microprocessor assembly.
Apparatus for increasing the flexibility of a length of inflexible insulation, which comprises:
- a conveyor to convey lengths of inflexible insulation along a linear path;
- an application at a first position along the linear path to continuously and automatically apply a layer of backing to a first side of a first such length as such lengths progress along said path;
- and
- a notcher at a second position along the linear path adapted to receive the backed first length and form a first linear notch into the length from the opposite side of the first length and entirely across the length without severing the backing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.