Water barrier formed from a clay-fiber mat
AssigneeAmerican Colloid Company
InventorAlec W. White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a water barrier fabric, in flexible or rigid form, and article manufactured thereby, formed by dispersing a water-absorbent material, in powdered or granular form, among a mass of fibers during the formation of a loose mat of said fibers, to homogeneously disperse the powdered or granular water-absorbent material above, below and on each side of the fibers forming the mat, and thereafter densifying and structurally consolidating the mat, to secure the fibers in position surrounding and entrapping the water-absorbent material, such as by sewing, quilting, needle punching or otherwise bonding the fibers into a consolidated, structurally secure fabric at least partially filled with the powdered or granular water-absorbent material.
Claims45
An article of manufacture comprising a mat formed by incorporating a powdered or granular bentonite clay into a mat comprising a mass of fibers to blend the powdered or granular bentonite clay above, below and on each side of the fibers throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the mat and densifying and structurally consolidating the mat to secure the fibers in position surrounding or entraping or interlocking the bentonite clay to prevent substantial loss of the powdered or granular bentonite clay during handling and installation of the mat.
An article of manufacture comprising a mat formed by incorporating a powdered or granular material into a mat comprising a mass of fibers to blend the powdered or granular material above, below and on each side of the fibers throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the mat and densifying the structurally consolidating the mat to secure the fibers in position surrounding or entraping or interlocking the powdered or granular material to prevent substantial loss of the powdered or granular material during handling and installation of the mat;
- wherein the article contains a weight ratio of powdered or granular material to fiber with the range of about 5 to about 20 parts by weight of powdered or granular material per part of fiber.
An article of manufacture comprising a mat formed by incorporating a powdered or granular material into a mat comprising a mass of fibers to blend the powdered or granular material above, below and on each side of the fibers throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the mat and densifying and structurally consolidating the mat to secure the fibers in position surrounding or entraping or interlocking the powdered or granular material to prevent substantial loss of the powdered or granular material during handling and installation of the mat;
- wherein the article contains a weight ratio of powdered or granular material to fiber with the range of about 8 to about 15 parts by weight of powdered or granular material per part of fiber.
An article of manufacture comprising a mat formed by incorporating a powdered or granular material into a mat comprising a mass of fibers to blend the powdered or granular material above, below and on each side of the fibers throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the mat and densifying and structurally consolidating the mat to secure the fibers in position surrounding or entraping or interlocking the powdered or granular material to prevent substantial loss of the powdered or granular material during handling and installation of the mat;
- and
- an elongated reinforcing material aligned along the length of the article and encased therein between major upper and lower surfaces.
An article of manufacture comprising a mat formed by incorporating a powdered or granular material into a mat comprising a mass of fibers to blend the powdered or granular material above, below and on each side of the fibers throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the mat and densifying and structurally consolidating the mat to secure the fibers in position surrounding or entraping or interlocking the powdered or granular material to prevent substantial loss of the powdered or granular material during handling and installation of the mat;
- wherein the article includes a volume of a defined thickness containing essentially no powdered or granular material between fibers in said defined thickness such that the article is capable of venting gas laterally through said volume.
A method of manufacturing a fabric at least partially filled with a powdered or granular material dispersed throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the fabric comprising:
- depositing fibers onto a support surface to form a loose mat of fibers having spaces between adjacent fibers;
- depositing the powdered or granular material among the fibers such that the powdered or granular material is received in a portion of said spaces between adjacent fibers;
- compressing the fibers together to eliminate a substantial portion of said spaces that are not filled with said powdered or granular material;
- and
- securing the fibers together while the fibers are in the compressed state to structurally consolidate the fibers together and form a partially filled fabric and to lock the powdered or granular material in position between said fibers;
- wherein the fibers are secured together by needle punching a portion of the fibers to intertangle the fibers together sufficiently to structurally consolidate the fibers into a handleable fabric.
A method of manufacturing a fabric at least partially filled with a powdered or granular material dispersed throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the fabric comprising:
- depositing fibers onto a support surface to form a loose mat of fibers having spaces between adjacent fibers;
- depositing the powdered or granular material among the fibers such that the powdered or granular material is received in a portion of said spaces between adjacent fibers;
- compressing the fibers together to eliminate a substantial portion of said spaces that are not filled with said powdered or granular material;
- and
- securing the fibers together while the fibers are in the compressed state to structurally consolidate the fibers together and form a partially filled fabric and to lock the powdered or granular material in position between said fibers;
- wherein the weight ratio of powdered or granular material to fibers is in the range of about 5 to about 20 to 1.
A method of manufacturing a fabric at least partially filled with a powdered or granular material dispersed throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the fabric comprising:
- depositing fibers onto a support surface to form a loose mat of fibers having spaces between adjacent fibers;
- depositing the powdered or granular material among the fibers such that the powdered or granular material is received in a portion of said spaces between adjacent fibers;
- compressing the fibers together to eliminate a substantial portion of said spaces that are not filled with said powdered or granular material;
- and
- securing the fibers together while the fibers are in the compressed state to structurally consolidate the fibers together and form a partially filled fabric and to lock the powdered or granular material in position between said fibers;
- wherein the fibers are secured together by sewing the fibers together.
A method of manufacturing a fabric at least partially filled with a powdered or granular material dispersed throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the fabric comprising:
- depositing fibers onto a support surface to form a loose mat of fibers having spaces between adjacent fibers;
- depositing the powdered or granular material among the fibers such that the powdered or granular material is received in a portion of said spaces between adjacent fibers;
- compressing the fibers together to eliminate a substantial portion of said spaces that are not filled with said powdered or granular material;
- and
- securing the fibers together while the fibers are in the compressed state to structurally consolidate the fibers together and form a partially filled fabric and to lock the powdered or granular material in position between said fibers;
- wherein the powdered or granular material is bentonite clay.
A method of manufacturing a fabric at least partially filled with a powdered or granular material dispersed throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the fabric comprising:
- depositing fibers onto a support surface to form a loose mat of fibers having spaces between adjacent fibers;
- depositing the powdered or granular material among the fibers such that the powdered or granular material is received in a portion of said spaces between adjacent fibers;
- compressing the fibers together to eliminate a substantial portion of said spaces that are not filled with said powdered or granular material;
- and
- securing the fibers together while the fibers are in the compressed state to structurally consolidate the fibers together and form a partially filled fabric and to lock the powdered or granular material in position between said fibers;
- wherein the weight ratio of powdered or granular material to fibers is in the range of about 8 to about 15 to 1.
A method of manufacturing a fabric at least partially filled with a powdered or granular material dispersed throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the fabric comprising:
- depositing fibers onto a support surface to form a loose mat of fibers having spaces between adjacent fibers;
- depositing the powdered or granular material among the fibers such that the powdered or granular material is received in a portion of said spaces between adjacent fibers;
- compressing the fibers together to eliminate a substantial portion of said spaces that are not filled with said powdered or granular material;
- securing the fibers together while the fibers are in the compressed state to structurally consolidate the fibers together and form a partially filled fabric and to lock the powdered or granular material in position between said fibers;
- and
- securing a layer of a rigid material to the fabric to form a fabric capable of standing vertically against a wall prior to securing the fabric against said wall.
A method of impeding the flow of Radon gas comprising disposing an article of manufacture comprising a mat of fibers having a powdered or granular material distributed among the fibers throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the article and consolidated sufficiently to prevent substantial loss of the powdered or granular material during handling and installation between the Radon gas and an area to be protected from said gas.
A water submersible article of manufacture comprising a mat of fibers having a first powdered or granular material distributed among the fibers throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the article and consolidated sufficiently to prevent substantial loss of the first powdered or granular material during handling and installation, wherein the article further is loaded with a heavy, water-insoluble powdered or granular material distributed relatively uniformly to provide an overall mat specific gravity greater than 1.0.
An article of manufacture that is buoyant in water comprising a mat of fibers having a powdered or granular material distributed among the fibers throughout at least a portion of a thickness of the article and consolidated sufficiently to prevent substantial loss of the powdered or granular material during handling and installation, wherein the article further includes a buoyant material distributed essentially coextensive with a major surface of the article to provide buoyancy of the entire article on water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.