Apparatus for laying a mat of fibrous material
AssigneeCompak Systems, Inc.
InventorMichael C. Barnes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for laying a mat of fibrous material which includes an upwardly inclined belt onto which the fibrous material is fed, one or more combing roller located above the belt, a stripping roller at the upper end of the belt for removing the material from the belt and passing it into a mechanism for laying the material into a mat. The angle of inclination of the incline belt and the position of the first combing roller as such that the material can build up to reach a critical angle of repose and then slide back down. A second combing roller located upstream of the first combing roller serves to comb the material to a constant depth, and the speed of the incline belt is adjustable to determine the amount of material leaving the incline belt and thus regulate the thickness of the formed mat.
Claims18
Apparatus for laying a mat of fibrous material comprising first conveyor means for conveying fibrous material along a first generally horizontal path of travel in a first direction, said first conveyor means having a discharge end, second conveyor means for conveying fibrous material along a second generally upwardly slightly inclined path of travel in said first direction, said second conveyor means having remote entrance and discharge ends, said second conveyor means entrance end being positioned adjacent said first conveyor means discharge end whereby fibrous material discharged from said first conveyor means discharge end is deposited upon said second conveyor means entrance end, first combing roller means positioned along and above said second conveyor means and between said second conveyor means entrance and discharge ends for combing fibrous material moving in said first direction in a second direction generally opposite to said first direction, said first combing roller means being further positioned adjacent a critical angle of repose of fibrous material built-up in an unconstrained and unconfined condition immediately downstream and adjacent said first combing roller means whereby such built-up fibrous material automatically slides back in said second direction along said second conveyor means, means adjacent said second conveyor end entrance end for detecting the unconstrained and unconfined material which has slid back in said second direction, and means responsive to said detecting means for discontinuing the operation of said first conveyor means to prevent the further discharge of fibrous material from said first conveyor means discharge end to said second conveyor means entrance end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.