Process for making a shaped fibrous article by a vacuum forming process and the shaped fibrous article made thereby
First Claim
1. A process for making a fibrous shaped article comprising,introducing a dilute aqueous slurry containing mineral wool fibers, a clay binder and other binders into a forming tank tangentially to the direction of circulation to toroidally circulate said slurry in said forming tank to maintain said solids substantially uniformly distributed therein, said slurry having between about 1 and 5% solids by weight,positioning a foraminous member in said circulating slurry in said forming tank so that said foraminous member is submerged in said slurry,applying a suction to an internal portion of said foraminous member and accreting a substantially uniform layer of said solids in said slurry on the outer surface of said foraminous member,maintaining said foraminous member submerged in said slurry while accreting said substantially uniform layer of said solids thereon,trimming the outer surface of said layer of accreted solids while said layer of accreted solids is on said foraminous member to form a shaped article having an inner surface with the configuration of the outer surface of said foraminous member and an outer surface of a preselected configuration,thereafter removing said shaped article from said foraminous member, anddrying said shaped article to remove substantially all of the liquid in the shaped article of accreted solids.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dilute slurry that includes mineral wool fibers, a clay binder, other binders and a flocculent is introduced into a forming tank at several elevations and with sufficient velocity to circulate toroidally therein. A mandrel having the desired configuration of one surface of the shaped article is lowered into the forming tank and rotated at a preselected speed. Vacuum is applied to the rotating mandrel and a substantially uniform layer of solids is deposited on the outer surface of the mandrel while the filtrate is withdrawn through an internal portion of the mandrel and conveyed to a filtrate recovery tank. After a layer of a preselected thickness is deposited on the outer surface of the mandrel, the mandrel is removed from the forming tank and vacuum is maintained on the mandrel to reduce the water content of the accreted fibers to between about 40 to 65% by weight water. Thereafter, while on the mandrel, the accreted fiber-shaped article is trimmed to provide an outer surface of a desired configuration. The trimmed article is thereafter sprayed with a coating material while vacuum is maintained on the mandrel so that the coating material penetrates the surface of the shaped article. The shaped article is thereafter removed from the mandrel and trimmed to provide a fibrous shaped article having a desired configuration and thickness.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A process for making a fibrous shaped article comprising,
introducing a dilute aqueous slurry containing mineral wool fibers, a clay binder and other binders into a forming tank tangentially to the direction of circulation to toroidally circulate said slurry in said forming tank to maintain said solids substantially uniformly distributed therein, said slurry having between about 1 and 5% solids by weight, positioning a foraminous member in said circulating slurry in said forming tank so that said foraminous member is submerged in said slurry, applying a suction to an internal portion of said foraminous member and accreting a substantially uniform layer of said solids in said slurry on the outer surface of said foraminous member, maintaining said foraminous member submerged in said slurry while accreting said substantially uniform layer of said solids thereon, trimming the outer surface of said layer of accreted solids while said layer of accreted solids is on said foraminous member to form a shaped article having an inner surface with the configuration of the outer surface of said foraminous member and an outer surface of a preselected configuration, thereafter removing said shaped article from said foraminous member, and drying said shaped article to remove substantially all of the liquid in the shaped article of accreted solids.
Specification