EP0149104B1 - Method and device for producing a mixture consisting of mineral fibres and hydraulic and inorganic binders - Google Patents

Abstract

Process and apparatus for the preparation of a mix composed of mineral fibers and of inorganic hydraulic binders in particle or liquid form. A bale of fibers is continuously defibrated. The fibers are continuously conveyed to the input end of a screw type conveyor-mixer. Binders are continuously added to the fibers during their travel. The resulting mix is discharged at the outlet end of the screw type conveyor-mixer.

Description

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a mixture composed of mineral fibers and hydraulic and inorganic binders in particles or liquids.

Such mixtures generally composed of slag wool or volcanic rock wool, cement and particulate silicate and oil are generally intended to be applied, after addition of water, by spraying onto a surface to achieve a coating with insulation, thermal or acoustic properties and fire protection.

Currently, for the preparation of such a mixture, a determined quantity of mineral fibers, a determined quantity of cement, a determined quantity of silicate and a determined quantity of oil are introduced into a drum. This drum is rotated for a determined time necessary to obtain the desired mixture and the mixture obtained is discharged. To obtain another quantity of mixture, these operations are repeated. It follows that this process, of the repetitive or sequential type, does not make it possible to obtain significant flow rates so that the costs of preparation of this mixture are relatively high.

Also known from patent FR-A-2 503 618 is an apparatus for mixing concrete and fibers which comprises a screw conveyor-mixer at the inlet of which the various substances to be mixed are introduced separately and independently.

The present invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of the state of the art and proposes another process for the preparation of a mixture composed of mineral fibers and hydraulic and inorganic binders in particles or liquids.

The invention relates to a method of the type known from FR-A-2 503 618 consisting in continuously feeding, by its input, a screw conveyor-mixer and in rotating the screw of this conveyor-mixer at a determined speed so as to continuously moving and mixing the fibers and binders and continuously discharging a substantially homogeneous mixture of fibers and binders at the outlet of the screw conveyor-mixer.

The preparation process in accordance with the present invention consists, with a view to feeding the screw conveyor-mixer, of continuously defibrating and in metered quantities a bale of fibers, in conveying the fibers coming from the bale at a determined speed. fibers up to the entry of the screw conveyor-mixer and to add continuously and in measured quantities the binders to the fibers during their transport to the entry of the conveyor-mixer.

Preferably, the method according to the present invention consists in defibrating the bale of fibers by moving the latter in the direction of at least one rotary roller with teeth which continuously defibrate said bale.

The method according to the present invention also consists in incorporating into the fibers, during their routing, for example cement and silicate.

The method according to the present invention also consists in incorporating into the fibers, during their routing in the conveyor-mixer with screws, oil.

The present invention also relates to a device for the preparation of a mixture composed of mineral fibers and hydraulic and inorganic binders in particles or liquids, for the implementation of the above process.

The device according to the present invention comprises a screw conveyor-mixer fed at its inlet with fibers and binders and at the outlet of which a substantially homogeneous mixture of fibers and binders can be discharged and is characterized in that it further comprises means for continuously supporting and moving at least one bale of fibers towards means for defibrating this bale of fibers continuously and in metered quantities, means for continuously transporting fibers at a fixed speed from the bale of fibers and means for continuously adding and in dosed quantities the binders to the fibers transported by said means of transport to the inlet of said conveyor-mixer with screws.

According to the present invention, said means for supporting the bale of fibers are preferably formed by a conveyor belt, the means for defibrating this bale being formed by at least one tooth roller towards which said conveyor belt moves the bale of fibers .

According to the present invention, said means for conveying said fibers to the inlet of the screw-mixer conveyor preferably comprising at least one belt conveyor.

According to the present invention, said means for adding the particle binders preferably comprise a reservoir for the binder and a screw conveyor for continuously bringing and discharging this binder on the path of the fibers.

According to the present invention, a series of nozzles making it possible to spray oil on the fibers in the screw-mixing conveyor can be provided.

• la figure 1 représente une vue en élévation de la chaîne de préparation;
• la figure 2 représente une vue transversale en élévation du dispositif représenté sur la figure 1;
• et la figure 3 représente une coupe selon III-III du dispositif représenté sur la figure 1.

The present invention will be better understood from the study of a device for the preparation of a mixture composed of mineral fibers, of cement and of silicate in particles and of oil, described by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by drawing on which:

• Figure 1 shows an elevational view of the preparation line;
• 2 shows a transverse elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1;
• and FIG. 3 represents a section on III-III of the device shown in FIG. 1.

The device shown in the figures and generally identified by the reference 1 comprises a horizontal conveyor belt 2 on which there is a ball 3 of mineral fibers such as slag wool or volcanic rock wool as well as two horizontal rollers 4 and 5 placed one above the other. The rollers 4 and 5 are provided at their periphery with teeth which make it possible to defiberate the ball 3 regularly and continuously when the latter is moved by the horizontal conveyor 5 in their direction.

At the end of the horizontal transporter 2, the fibers coming continuously from the bale 3 are discharged onto a belt conveyor 6 which continuously feeds the fibers onto the lower part of an inclined belt conveyor 7.

Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that on each side of the belt conveyor 7 are provided on the one hand a tank of particulate cement 8 and a tank of particulate silicate 9 which are provided at their base with screws 10 and 11 for transport and metering, the outlet conduits 12 and 13 of which open above the conveyor belt 7 so as to pour a metered quantity of cement and silicate there.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the belt conveyor 7 continuously pours the fibers, the cement and the silicate which have been added to it into a hopper 14 at the inlet of a screw mixer transporter 15 arranged horizontally. As can be seen in Figure 3, the screw conveyor-mixer 15 comprises two parallel screws 16 and 17. In the upper space of the screw conveyor-mixer 15 extends longitudinally a conduit 18 provided with a series of nozzles 19 oriented in the direction of the space between the screws 16 and 17. This conduit 18 is intended for spraying oil from a reservoir 20, by a pump 21.

In the screw conveyor-mixer 15, in the course of their journey, the mineral fibers, the cement and the silicate and the oil are mixed.

At the opposite end to the hopper 14, the screw mixer-conveyor 15 has two conduits 22 and 23 oriented downwards, these conduits 22 and 23 making it possible to pour the mixture obtained for example into bags. On these conduits 22 and 23 can also be provided dust suction means, these means having not been shown.

It can be seen in FIG. 2 that a large tank 24 for cement has also been provided, an elevating screw 25 allowing the cement to be brought continuously from the base of the tank 24 to the cement tank 8.

The device 1 shown in the figures and described above makes it possible to continuously obtain or prepare the desired mixture. Indeed, by adjusting the speed of movement of the conveyor 2 and the speed of rotation of the defibrating rollers 4 and 5, by adjusting the speed of rotation of the transport and metering screws 10 and 11, it brings to the end of the input 14 of the screw mixer-conveyor 15, via the belt conveyors 6 and 7, the quantity of fibers desired, the quantity of cement desired and the quantity of silicate desired. By adjusting the pump 21, the desired quantity of oil is sprayed, via the nozzles 19. It is understood that the length of the screw conveyor-mixer 15 is adapted to obtain at its outputs 22 and 23 a substantially homogeneous mixture, the quantities mentioned above taking account of the length of the screw conveyor-mixer 15.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, we see that the various elements constituting the device 1 are carried by posts and that the belt conveyor 7 is over a large part of its length surrounded by a fairing 26. Of course, the part bottom of the belt conveyor 7, the belt conveyor 6 and the assembly formed by the belt conveyor 2 and the defibrating rollers 4 and 5 could also be surrounded by a fairing.

The present invention is not limited to the example described above. Many alternative embodiments are possible without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims (9)

1. Process for the preparation of a mixture consisting of mineral fibres and of hydraulic and inorganic binders in particulate or liquid form, consisting of continuously feeding, at its entrance, a screw transporter and mixer and making the screw of this transporter mixer turn at predetermined speed so as to displace and mix continuously the fibres and the binders and to continuously remove from the screw transporter mixer a mixtures of fibres and binders which is substantially homogeneous, characterised in that it consists, seen from the feeding of the screw transporter mixer of removing fibres continuously and in measured quantities from a bale of fibres, directing the fibres at predetermined speed from the bale of fibres up to the entrance to the screw transporter mixer and adding continuously and in measured quantities the binders to the fibres in the course of their transport towards the entrance of the transporter mixer.

2. Process according to claim 1, characterised in that it consists of the removal of fibres from the bale of fibres by moving this bale in the direction of at least one rotating toothed roller which continuously removes fibres from the said bale.

3. Process according to claim 1, characterised in that it consists of incorporating cement and silicate in the fibres.

4. Process according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it consists of incorporating oil in the fibres when they are being directed in the screw transporter mixer.

5. Apparatus for the preparation of a mixture consisting of mineral fibres and hydraulic and inorganic binders in particulate or liquid form, for the carrying out of the process according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, comprising a screw transporter mixer (15) fed at its entrance with fibres and binders and at the exit of which a mixture of fibres and of binders which is substantially homogeneous can be removed, characterised in that it comprises, besides means (2) for supporting and moving continuously at least one bale of fibres (3) towards the means (4, 5) for removal of fibres from this bale continuously and in measured quantities, means (6, 7) for transporting the fibres originating from the bale of fibres (3) continuously and at predetermined speed and means (10, 11) for adding continuously and in measured quantities the binders to the fibres transported by the said means of transport (6, 7) towards the entrance of the said screw transporter mixer.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the said support means for the bale of fibres are formed by a conveyor belt (2), the said means for removal of fibres from this bale of fibres being formed by at least one toothed cylinder (4) towards which this conveyor belt (2) displaces the bale of fibres (3).

7. Apparatus according to one of claims 5 and 6, characterised in that the said means for transporting the fibres and the binders up to the entrance to the screw transporter mixer (15) comprise at least one conveyor belt (6, 7).

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 5 and 7, characterised by the said means for adding the said binders in particulate form to the fibres comprising a reservoir (8, 9) and a screw transporter (10, 11) for bringing and tipping out this binder continuously and in measured quantities onto the route of the fibres.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterised in that it comprises a series of nozzles (19) enabling spraying of the oil into the screw transporter mixer (15).

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