Apparatus for manufacturing elements by means of a hardenable binding agent to which a liquid is added

• US 4,369,025 A
• Filed: 06/13/1980
• Issued: 01/18/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: EPSI Brevets et Participations SA
• Original Assignee: EPSI Brevets et Participations SA
• Inventors: von der Weid, Francois P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, James R.
• Application Number:
  US06/159,228
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 425/115, 425/130, 425/145, 264/113, 264/128
• US Class Current: 425/115
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/16 for producing layered articles coating B28B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 13/02 Feeding the unshaped material to moulds or apparatus for producing shaped articles
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 5/027 the moulding surfaces being of the indefinite length type, e.g. belts, and being continuously fed feeding B28B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 7/465 Applying setting liquid to dry mixtures

Abstract

The invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing elements made of a hardenable binding agent, wherein this element is obtained by successive deposits of the dry binding agent in powder form, each deposit being followed by a wetting. The invention is applicable to the production of construction elements, such as plates, tiles, etc.

Claims

1. Apparatus for manufacturing solid strips of material from hardenable binding agent and a liquid, comprising;

endless belt conveyor means movable in one direction to support a length of said strip material;

a plurality of dispensing stations disposed above said conveyor belt means and along the length thereof, each station comprising;

first dispensing means to deposit a first uniform layer of dry powdered binding agent on said conveyor means while moving, said layer comprising a fraction of the thickness of the strip to be manufactured, and;

second dispensing means downstream of said first dispensing means to deposit an amount of said liquid necessary for the binding agent to set while the conveyor means is moving.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 which includes means to deposit a continuous length of supporting material on said conveyor belt means upstream of all of said dispensing stations, said supporting material being movable with said conveyor means to receive the materials deposited by the dispensing stations, and means for glueing together said supporting material and said deposited materials at the interface therebetween.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the surface of said endless belt conveyor means comprises a non-stick material, and means is provided for supplying a wetting material to said surface upstream of all of said dispensing stations.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, which includes means to apply a layer of coating material to the upper surface of the materials deposited on said conveyor means by said dispensing stations, means for glueing together said coating material and said deposited materials at the interface therebetween, and means downstream of the dispensing means for rolling said materials while the conveyor means is moving.

7. Apparatus as defined in either one of claims 1, or 5, wherein said means for dispensing hardenable binder in the form of dry powder is provided with elongated outlet means which extends transversely with respect to the width of the conveyor means or reciprocable table means, and includes doser means for regulating the flow of said dry powder.

8. Apparatus as defined in either of claims 1, or 5, wherein said means for dispensing liquid is provided with elongated outlet means extending transversely with respect to the conveyor means or reciprocable table means for adjusting the flow of said liquid.

5. Apparatus for manufacturing solid strips of material from hardenable binding agent and a liquid, comprising:

table means reciprocable in opposite directions in a predetermined path;

dispensing means disposed above said table means for depositing a succession of uniform layers of dry powered binding agent on said table means while moving, each said layer being a fraction of the thickness of the strip to be manufactured, and;

at least one dispensing means for depositing an amount of said liquid necessary for the finding agent to set on the exposed surface of the dry binding agent previously deposited on said table means.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, which includes two means for dispensing controlled amounts of said liquid on the surfaces of successive deposits of dry binding agent, said last-mentioned dispensing means being disposed at the respective opposite sides of the first-mentioned dispensing means with respect to the path of movement of said table, each supplying one-half the total quantity of liquid required for the manufactured strip.