Molded non-planar board and method and apparatus for making same

A non-planar board made by the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a dry board of consolidated cellulosic fibers, the board having two major faces;
• making a plurality of discontinuous incisions in surface regions on both major faces of the board to sever fibers in said surface regions and leaving the severed ends of said fibers substantially in place;
• and
• compressing the incised board in a die set bearing a pattern of a desired profile.

An apparatus for cutting discontinuous incisions into a face of a board of consolidated cellulosic fibers, said apparatus comprising:

• means for transporting said board linearly;
• a cylindrical cutter mounted above said transporting means, said cutter having a multiplicity of blades arrayed in circumferential alignment around the circumference of said cutter, said blades each comprising a first arcuate cutting edge capable of extending below the plane of a face of said board, and second and third cutting edges on the same plane as the first cutting edge and diverging from said first cutting edge to common base points between adjacent blades;
• and
• means for rotating said cutter in cutting engagement with said board face so fibers in a surface region of the fiberboard are severed and the severed ends of the fibers are left substantially in place.

A method of making a molded construction board with a density of about 60 to about 75 pounds per cubic foot, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a dry fiberboard of consolidated cellulosic fibers having a density of from about 10 to about 28 pounds per cubic foot;
• making a plurality of discontinuous incisions along each of a plurality of lines in a surface region of at least one face of the fiberboard;
• and
• compressing the incised fiberboard to a density of about 60 to about 75 pounds per cubic foot in a die set bearing a non-planar pattern of a desired molded profile.

A molded construction board with a density of about 60 to about 75 pounds per cubic foot, made by the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a dry fiberboard of consolidated cellulosic fibers having a density of from about 10 to about 28 pounds per cubic foot;
• making a plurality of discontinuous incisions in a surface region of at least one face of the fiberboard to sever fibers in the surface region and leaving the severed ends of the fibers substantially in place;
• and
• compressing the incised fiberboard to a density of about 60 to about 75 pounds per cubic foot in a die set beating a pattern of a desired molded profile.