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US 6,583,074 B1Granted
Nonwoven metal fabric
AssigneeGlobal Material Technologies, Inc.
InventorsAlexander Krupnik, Terrence P. Kane, Kurt H. Schild
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nonwoven, metal fabric is formed by providing a mass of loose fibers with sufficient lubricating oil for them to be carded without disintegration of the fiber web. The fiber web is then lapped and needled to form a metal fabric of superior strength, density, and thermal insulation properties.
Claims17
A nonwoven metal fabric formed by:
- providing a mass of loose fibers having irregular cross-sectional diameters averaging 50 microns varying along the length of the fibers and having barbed, rough outer surfaces;
- applying a lubricant to said fibers in sufficient quantities so that said irregular cross-sections and barbed, rough outer surfaces retain said lubricant, said lubricant substantially coating said fibers;
- carding the lubricated fibers on a garnett to form a fiber web;
- lapping the fiber web to form multiple layers of said web;
- and
- needling the multiple layers to interengage the fibers of respective layers to form a coherent fabric.
3 more elements
A nonwoven metal fabric formed by:
- (a) carding a mass of lubricated, loose metal fibers having cross sectional diameters averaging 50 microns or greater to form a metal fiber web, the metal fibers having rough outer surfaces with cross-sections that vary irregularly along their lengths to form barbs, said fibers retaining a sufficient amount of lubricant to allow said barbed fibers to be carded and formed into a web without substantial disintegration of the fibers;
- (b) lapping the metal fiber web to form a layered metal fiber web;
- and
- (c) needle-punching the layered metal fiber web to interengage the fibers thereof to form a coherent non-woven metal fabric.
1 more element
A nonwoven metal fabric formed by:
- shaving a metal member with a succession of serrated blades while simultaneously applying a lubricant to form a mass of loose shavings in the form of metal fibers having rough outer surfaces and cross sections that vary irregularly along their lengths to form barbs that facilitate subsequent mutual interengagement of the fibers, the serrated blades selected so that the average diameter of the fibers is at least 50 microns, and the lubricant applied in sufficient quantity such that the rough outer surfaces of the fibers remain coated with lubricant, thereby allowing the 50 micron average diameter fibers to be carded without undue fracturing;
- separating the fibers from the mass;
- carding the fibers to form a fiber web;
- lapping the fiber web to form multiple layers;
- and needling the multiple layers together to interengage the fibers thereof to form a coherent nonwoven metal fabric.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.