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US 7,582,239 B2Granted
Method of agglomerating wet chopped fiber
AssigneeJohns Manville
InventorDarryl Thomason
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AssigneeJohns Manville
InventorDarryl Thomason
Estimating the term…
A new system and method for making agglomerates from material like wet chopped glass fiber strand segments is disclosed and the agglomerates so produced. Agglomerates, made by feeding wet chopped fiber strand segments into a wave chamber having a vibrating curved surface supporting a curved, dimpled liner working surface have improved density and flow characteristics compared with dry chopped strands, but it was discovered that the dimpled liner flexes during operation during vibration causing undesirable variation in properties like agglomerate size. In the invention the dimpled liner is backed up with a substantially non-compressible material and this results in agglomerates that have even better uniformity of flow and agglomerate diameters. Typical backing materials include a particulate material, an elastomer, a rididized elastomer, slurry or liquid, or wire or slivers of metal.
A method of agglomerating wet chopped fiber strand segments in an agglomerator having a curved, vibrating surface and a curved dimpled liner forming a working surface for the agglomeration covering at least a portion of the curved, vibrating surface, the agglomerator being a generally horizontal, non-rotating wave chamber comprising the elongated vibrating, curved working surface having one or more radii, said working surface having at least about 45 degrees on one side of an imaginary vertical centerline passing through the lowest point of said working surface, the improvement comprising using a layer of substantially non-compressible material between the curved, vibrating surface and the curved, dimpled liner to reduce or eliminate flexing of the curved, dimpled liner during vibration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.