Synthetic panel and method

A method for producing a plurality of polymeric foamed material panels comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a block of polymeric foamed material having a defined surface and a pair of opposed ends;
• (b) cutting the polymeric foamed material of step (a) with a plurality of cutters in a generally perpendicular direction from the defined surface until each cutter reaches a respective preconfiguration cut point;
• (c) cutting subsequently with each cutter from the respective preconfiguration cut point of each cutter a respective brace-receiving slot in the polymeric foamed material such that said brace-receiving configuration terminates in said opposed ends;
• (d) cutting, after said cutting step (c), the polymeric foamed material of step (c) with said plurality of cutters to produce a plurality of polymeric foamed material structures having a plurality of brace-receiving slots;
• and
• (e) sliding a plurality of brace members into the brace-receiving slots of the polymeric foamed material structures of step (d) to produce a plurality of polymeric foamed material panels, each of said polymeric foamed material panels having at least one of said brace members.

A method for producing a plurality of polymeric foamed material structures having slots for receiving stud members comprising the steps of:

• (a) cutting a polymeric foamed material with a plurality of cutters in a first direction until each of said cutters has moved a respective first distance in the polymeric foamed material;
• (b) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in a second direction the polymeric foamed material of step (a) until each of said cutters has moved a respective second distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (a);
• (c) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in said first direction the polymeric foamed material of step (b) until each of said cutters has moved a respective third distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (b);
• (d) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in a third direction the polymeric foamed material of step (c) until each of said cutters has moved a respective fourth distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (c);
• (e) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in said first direction the polymeric foamed material of step (d) until each of said cutters has moved a respective fifth distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (d);
• (f) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in said second direction the polymeric foamed material of step (e) until each of said cutters has moved a respective sixth distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (e);
• (g) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in a fourth direction the polymeric foamed material of step (f) until each of said cutters has moved a respective seventh distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (f);
• (h) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in said third direction the polymeric foamed material of step (g) until each of said cutters has moved a respective eighth distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (g);
• (i) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in said fourth direction the polymeric foamed material of step (h) until each of said cutters has moved a respective ninth distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (h);
• (j) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in said second direction the polymeric foamed material of step (i) until each of said cutters has moved a respective tenth distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (i);
• (k) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in said first direction the polymeric foamed material of step (j) until each of said cutters has moved a respective eleventh distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (j);
• (l) cutting subsequently with the plurality of cutters in said third direction the polymeric foamed material of step (k) until each of said cutters has moved a respective twelfth distance in the polymeric foamed material of step (k);
• and
• (m) cutting, after said cutting step (l), in said first direction the polymeric foamed material of step (l) with the plurality of cutters to produce a plurality of polymeric foamed material structures having a plurality of slots.

A method for producing a plurality of polymeric foamed material structures comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a polymeric foamed material having a defined surface and a pair of opposed ends
• (b) cutting with a plurality of cutters a said polymeric foamed material in a generally perpendicular direction from the defined surface until each cutter reaches a respective first cut point;
• (c) cutting subsequently with each cutter from the respective first cut point a respective path in the polymeric foamed material of step (b) until each cutter reaches a respective second cut point;
• (d) moving each of said plurality of cutters from said respective second cut point to a respective off-set position in the polymeric foamed material of step (c);
• (e) retracing generally with each cutter said respective path of each cutter, while each cutter remains in said respective off-set position of step (d) such that a respective slot is formed by each cutter in the polymeric foamed material of step (d);
• and
• (f) cutting the polymeric foamed material of step (e) with the plurality of cutters until the cutters have cut through the polymeric foamed material of step (e), producing a plurality of polymeric foamed material structures having slots terminating in said opposed ends.

A method for producing a plurality of polymeric foamed material structures having brace-receiving slots comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a block of polymeric foamed material in a generally stationary position having a defined surface and a pair of opposed ends;
• (b) moving from said defined surface a plurality of cutters through the generally stationary block of polymeric foamed material of step (a) in a generally perpendicular direction of travel;
• (c) interrupting the movement of the plurality of cutters from said generally perpendicular direction of travel through the generally stationary blocks of polymeric foamed material to move the cutters in at least one direction of travel which differs from said generally perpendicular direction of travel such that each cutter produces a respective brace-receiving slot in the polymeric foamed material terminating in said opposed ends;
• and
• (d) continuing said moving step (b) of said plurality of cutters in said generally perpendicular direction of travel, while intermittently interrupting the movement of the plurality of cutters from said generally perpendicular direction of travel to move the cutters in at least one direction of travel which differs from said generally perpendicular direction of travel such that each cutter produces at least one additional respective brace-receiving slot in the polymeric foamed material, until said plurality of cutters have moved completely through the generally stationary block of polymeric foamed material after which a plurality of polymeric foamed material structures are produced with each polymeric foamed material structure having a plurality of brace-receiving slots.

A method for producing a plurality of polymeric foamed material panels comprising the steps of:

• (a) cutting a polymeric foamed material in a first direction with a plurality of cutters generally moving in unison;
• (b) cutting subsequently the polymeric foamed material of step (a) in a second direction with said plurality of cutters generally moving in unison;
• (c) cutting, after said cutting step (b), the polymeric foamed material of step (b) in said first direction with said plurality of cutters generally moving in unison;
• (d) cutting, after said cutting step (c), the polymeric foamed material of step (c) in a third direction with said plurality of cutters generally moving in unison wherein said third direction is generally opposite to said second direction;
• (e) cutting, after said cutting step (d), the polymeric foamed material of step (d) in said first direction with said plurality of cutters generally moving in unison until said cutters have cut through the polymeric foamed material of step (d) to produce a plurality of polymeric foamed material structures having brace-receiving configurations;
• and
• (f) sliding brace members into the brace-receiving configurations of said polymeric foamed material structures of step (e) to produce a plurality of polymeric foamed material panels with each polymeric foamed material panel having one of said brace members.

A method for producing a polymeric foamed material structure having a slot comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a polymeric foamed material having a defined surface and a pair of opposed ends
• (b) cutting with a cutter the polymeric foamed material in a generally perpendicular direction from the defined surface until reaching a preslot cut point;
• (c) cutting subsequently a first path in the polymeric foamed material with the cutter from the preslot cut point until reaching a first cut point;
• (d) moving the cutter in the polymeric foamed material of step (c) a predetermined distance from the first cut point to a second cut point;
• and
• (e) cutting subsequently from the second cut point a second path in the polymeric foamed material of step (d) with the cutter until the cutter reaches a postslot cut point to produce a polymeric foamed material structure having a slot terminating in said opposed ends.

A method for producing at least one polymeric foamed material structure having at least one slot comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing at least one hot wire cutter;
• (b) cutting with the hot wire cutter of step (a) a polymeric foamed material until the hot wire cutter reaches at least one respective preslot cut point;
• (c) cutting subsequently with the hot wire cutter from the respective preslot cut point of step (b) at least one respective path in the polymeric foamed material of step (b) until the hot wire cutter reaches at least one first cut point;
• (d) forming with the hot wire cutter in the polymeric foamed material of step (c) at least one respective off-set path communicating with the respective path of step (c) to form at least one slot within the polymeric foamed material of step (c) said at least one respective path has at least one respective path length, and said at least one respective off-set path communicates with the at least one respective path along the at least one respective path length of the at least one respective path, such that the at least one respective path and the least one respective off-set path together form the at least one slot within the polymeric foamed material of step (c);
• and
• (e) cutting subsequently the polymeric foamed material of step (d) with the hot wire cutter until the hot wire cutter has cut through the polymeric foamed material of step (d), producing at least one polymeric foamed structure having at least one slot.