Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
  • D01G—PRELIMINARY TREATMENT OF FIBRES, e.g. FOR SPINNING
  • D01G25/00—Lap-forming devices not integral with machines specified above
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/42—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties characterised by the use of certain kinds of fibres insofar as this use has no preponderant influence on the consolidation of the fleece
  • D04H1/4209—Inorganic fibres
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/42—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties characterised by the use of certain kinds of fibres insofar as this use has no preponderant influence on the consolidation of the fleece
  • D04H1/4209—Inorganic fibres
  • D04H1/4218—Glass fibres
  • D04H1/4226—Glass fibres characterised by the apparatus for manufacturing the glass fleece
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/70—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres
  • D04H1/74—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres the fibres being orientated, e.g. in parallel (anisotropic fleeces)

Definitions

• the invention relates to the field of the manufacture of mineral wool, of the type for example glass wool, and it relates more particularly to an installation for the manufacture of mineral wool comprising a station for distributing the mineral fibers on a conveyor belt of this installation.
• Mineral wool manufacturing facilities conventionally comprise several successive stations, including a fiber-drawing station, in which virgin or recycled mineral fibers are formed, a station for mixing or sizing the mineral fibers thus formed with a binder, for example under liquid form, a station for distributing the mineral fibers on a conveyor belt, a calendering station, and a crosslinking station in which the mat formed on the conveyor belt is transformed by heating by the presence of mineral fibers and binder to form the mineral wool.
• a fiber-drawing station in which virgin or recycled mineral fibers are formed
• a station for mixing or sizing the mineral fibers thus formed with a binder for example under liquid form
• a station for distributing the mineral fibers on a conveyor belt for a station for distributing the mineral fibers on a conveyor belt
• calendering station for distributing the mineral fibers on a conveyor belt
• a crosslinking station in which the mat formed on the conveyor belt is transformed by heating by the presence of mineral fibers and binder to form the mineral wool.
• the distribution station comprises means for guiding the assembly formed by the mineral fibers and the binder allowing this assembly to be distributed under suction, mainly following the aeraulics imposed by the settings of the tools.
• drawing to which jets of compressed air are added in order to macroscopically distribute the clusters of fibers on the conveyor belt and the mat thus formed is then directed towards an oven forming the calendering and crosslinking station, in which the The mattress is successively dried and then subjected to a specific heat treatment which causes the polymerization (or “hardening”) of the resin of the binder present on the surface of the fibres.
• the continuous mat of mineral wool is then intended to be cut to form, for example, panels or rolls of thermal and/or acoustic insulation.
• thermal and/or acoustic insulation performance of these panels depends in particular on the arrangement of the mineral fibers in the panel and therefore on the arrangement of the mineral fibers on the conveyor belt before their passing through the curing station. It is therefore understood that the configuration of the distribution station within the mineral wool manufacturing installation is essential.
• distribution stations configured to allow positioning of the fibers on the conveyor belt, with toothed rollers which prevent conglomerates of fibers formed in the mixture with the binder are placed as they are on the conveyor belt. The fibers thus separated are then sucked up via a suction box placed on the other side of the conveyor belt so as to be deposited on this conveyor belt.
• the present invention aims to to propose an installation which greatly improves the performance of thermal insulation by seeking, in addition to the absence of agglomerates of mineral fibers within the mat of mineral fibers, the optimization of the positioning of each of the mineral fibers within such a mat.
• the rollers are configured to ensure a longitudinal orientation of the mineral fibers on the conveyor belt, in particular by considering the distance between the rollers of the train of rollers and the surface of the conveyor belt on which the fibers are deposited. minerals after crossing the train rollers, this distance being hereinafter referred to as the vertical clearance.
• This longitudinal arrangement is particularly advantageous for the thermal performance of the mineral wool thus produced.
• the installation according to the invention is aimed in particular at the specific use of mineral fibers, the dimensions, lightness and flexibility of which, for example, are specific compared to other fibers such as wood fibers, which implies a specific positioning rollers relative to the conveyor belt to ensure that the mineral fibers can take a longitudinal orientation in the mineral fiber belt.
• a special feature of these mineral fibers consists in particular in the fact that they easily form agglomerates of fibers by sticking to each other, so that the average length of a mineral fiber to be considered can vary.
• mineral fibers alone may have an average length of less than 10 millimeters, but these mineral fibers entirely separated from the others may represent only a minimal part within the fibrous assembly arriving in the post of distribution relative to clusters of fibers whose average length, depending on an average number of mineral fibers forming these clusters, can be of the order of 20 to 30 millimeters. It is therefore advantageous to provide an installation that takes care of this particularity specific to mineral fibers, the presence of clusters of fibers also being able to be increased when the mineral fibers used are recycled fibers, with residues of binder joining together several of these mineral fibers.
• the installation according to the invention can be configured according to an average dimension of a length of fibers or clusters of fibers, in particular to adapt the vertical clearance value, that is to say the distance between the rollers of the roller train and the surface of the conveyor belt on which the fibers are deposited, and allow the vast majority of mineral fibers, whether alone or in clusters, to be correctly deposited on the conveyor belt.
• the distribution station has no fiber suction means, so that the distribution of the fibers is done only mechanically.
• the absence of such aeraulic means makes it possible to control the deposit of the mineral fibers on the conveyor belt and their orientation according to the cooperation of the rollers with the fiber mat.
• the train of rollers comprises a plurality of rollers arranged in parallel to each other, among which a proximal roller is arranged at one end of the train of rollers.
• the distribution station comprises means for mechanically guiding the mineral fibers in the direction of the proximal roller so that all the mineral fibers entering this distribution station are directed in the direction of the conveyor belt so that they fall on the proximal roller or between this proximal roller and the roller which is directly adjacent to it.
• a vertical clearance between this proximal roller and the conveyor belt is less than a threshold value depending on the average length of the mineral fibers processed by the installation.
• the notion of average length of the mineral fibers treated by the installation can indifferently extend to the average length of a single mineral fiber, when 'it is correctly separated from the other mineral fibers, or at the average length of an average mass of fibers agglomerated between them.
• the average length may more particularly be of the order of 20 to 30 millimeters, this value being more particularly representative of an observation made by the inventors of the average length of a cluster of mineral fibers present from representative way in the mineral fiber mattress.
• the vertical clearance is here measured between a peripheral surface of the proximal roller and the surface of the conveyor belt on which the mineral fibers are deposited.
• the rollers of the roller train can in particular be distinguished in that a proximal roller is arranged at a first end of the roller train, and more particularly the end closest to the feed device, in that a distal roller is disposed at the opposite end of the train of rollers and in that a plurality of central rollers are arranged successively between the proximal roller and the distal roller.
• the fibers driven by the rotation of the proximal roller and passing between the proximal roller and the central roller directly adjacent to the proximal roller are oriented by gravity in the direction of the conveyor belt, with a free end which hangs in the direction of the belt and an end which remains in contact with the roller.
• the average length of the mineral fibers and the vertical clearance of a value lower than the threshold value equal to this value of average length of the mineral fibers make it possible to ensure that the The free end of each mineral fiber passing through the train of rollers between the proximal roller and the directly adjacent central roller comes into contact with the mat while it is still in contact with the roller. In this way, the free end of the mineral fiber being driven longitudinally by the running of the conveyor belt, the mineral fiber is stretched and positioned longitudinally.
• the installation is in this particular sense in that the mats of mineral fibers obtained at the outlet of the distribution station have a volume density of mineral fibers which is lower than that of mats of other types of fibers, such as wood fibers by example.
• This volume density is obtained in particular by modulating the surface density via the control of a speed of movement of the conveyor belt which allows the deposit of a given number of mineral fibers in a given time.
• the mineral wool manufacturing installation comprises a conveyor belt arranged between the mineral fiber supply device and the mineral fiber distribution station so that mineral fibers at the outlet of the conveyor belt are adapted to fall by gravity onto the conveyor belt via a passage between the rollers of the roller train, the speed of movement of the conveyor belt being a function of the speed of movement of the conveyor belt and of a desired volume density of the mineral fibers in the fiber mat.
• the train of rollers extends mainly along an axis inclined with respect to the main elongation plane of the conveyor belt.
• each roller of the roller train extends its own distance from the conveyor belt, with a progressive increase in this distance considering the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, i.e. as one moves away from the proximal roller of the roller train.
• the thickness of the mineral fiber mat present on the conveyor belt tends to increase considering the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, and the inclination of the train of rollers is calculated so that each roller is at a value of vertical clearance less than the chosen threshold value, by relative to the surface directly above this roll, considering the thickness of the mineral fiber mat which is supposed to be under this roll.
• the inclination of the train of rollers with respect to the main elongation plane of the conveyor belt is determined by an angle calculated according to the thickness of the mineral fiber mat intended to rest on the conveyor belt. , so that the vertical clearance is constant between each of the rollers and the upper surface of the mineral fiber mat.
• each roller of the roller train extends at a distance from the conveyor belt which is specific to it, with a progressive increase in this distance considering the direction of movement of the conveyor belt.
• the distribution station may include means for adjusting an inclination of the train of rollers and it may include alternatively or cumulatively means for adjusting the value of the vertical clearance between the train of rollers and the conveyor belt and/or the mineral fiber belt.
• the distribution station is equipped with a deflector means configured to guide the mineral fibers at the outlet of the feed device, and in particular at the outlet of the conveyor belt, as far as the conveyor belt.
• This deflector means can be movable to modify the zone of the train of rollers on which the mineral fibers and the associated binder are directed at the outlet of the conveyor belt.
• the distribution station comprises mechanical means for directing the mineral fibers into a zone of the train of rollers comprising the proximal roller.
• These mechanical means may in particular take the form of a tray forming a funnel, with a wide surface for receiving the fibers at the outlet of the feed device and in particular of the conveyor belt, and a narrower surface facing the conveyor belt, at the plumb of the proximal roller.
• the mineral fibers are directed by gravity onto the desired area of the train of rollers, so that they can then pass step by step from the proximal roller to the distal roller of the roller train.
• the rolls work sequentially for the fibers that do not pass directly between the first rolls, so that the fibers are evenly distributed over the length of the roller train.
• the deflector means can in this context consist of a wall of mechanical means whose determined inclination makes it possible to slide the mineral fibers with precision over the desired zone of the train of rollers, namely the proximal roller or in the immediate vicinity of this proximal roller. , or alternatively consist of a movable wall at the outlet of the previously mentioned funnel-forming tray, the inclination of which is adjusted by an appropriate actuator to direct the mineral fibers onto the proximal roller or close to it depending on the quantity of fibers present on the proximal roller.
• the rollers each have reliefs on the surface, arranged regularly along the axis of rotation of the rollers. It should be noted that by relief is meant both hollows and bumps, and more particularly grooves or prominences, intended to break the regular profile of the peripheral surface of the rollers, in order to ensure the attachment and/or the unhooking of the mineral fibers by these rollers.
• the rollers consist of toothed rollers, each tooth forming a radial projection of the roller body driven in rotation.
• At least one toothed roller comprises a plurality of teeth which are arranged annularly and are regularly distributed around the periphery of the roller.
• the radial dimension of the teeth can be considered for the calculation of the value of the vertical clearance of the corresponding roller, to ensure on the one hand that the teeth can make it possible to ensure simultaneous contact of the mineral fibers with the conveyor belt or the mattress. of fiber already formed and one of the teeth, with the aim of orienting the fibers longitudinally and to ensure on the other hand that the teeth can be in contact with the fibers previously deposited on the conveyor belt and likely not to be still correctly plated on the surface of the mineral fiber mat, in order to finalize the longitudinal orientation of the fibers minerals and in the thickness of the fiber mattress.
• the vertical clearance can be measured between the conveyor belt, or the mat of mineral fibers intended to rest on the conveyor belt, and the free radial end of the tooth closest to this conveyor belt.
• the vertical clearance can be measured between a radial end of a tooth of the proximal roller and the conveyor belt.
• At least one roller comprises a plurality of toothed rings arranged parallel against each other along the transverse axis of rotation of the corresponding roller.
• the device for supplying mineral fibers comprises means for supplying non-binding mineral fibers and a binder of the powder type or of the pre-bonded mineral fiber type, that is to say composed a core of mineral fiber and a coating encasing this core and comprising an uncured dried binder.
• the conveyor belt is arranged within a separation tank also comprising means for separating the fibers. It is understood from this configuration that the mineral fibers and the associated binder are treated in a first separation draft stage in order to separate the largest fiber conglomerates and that the distribution station essentially has the function of distributing longitudinally in the mattress these fibers separated, if necessary by carrying out a separation finishing step for the few fibers which have not been separated from each other in the separation tank.
• FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of part of a mineral wool manufacturing installation, illustrating in particular the mineral fiber distribution station in accordance with one aspect of the invention
• Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the distribution station of Figure 1, according to the invention with a train of rollers and a conveyor belt which are arranged at a distance from each other to allow the rollers to orient the mineral fibers when deposited on the conveyor belt
• Figure 3 is a detail view of the train of rollers of Figure 2, in a top view;
• FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of part of a mineral wool manufacturing installation, illustrating in particular the mineral fiber distribution station in accordance with one aspect of the invention
• Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the distribution station of Figure 1, according to the invention with a train of rollers and a conveyor belt which are arranged at a distance from each other to allow the rollers to orient the mineral fibers when deposited on the conveyor belt
• Figure 3 is a detail view of the train of rollers of Figure 2, in a top view
• FIG. 1 is
• FIG. 4 is a representation in perspective of a toothed ring forming part of a toothed roller of the train of rollers of FIG. 3;
• FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of two toothed rollers of the train of rollers aimed at illustrating the cooperation of these rollers with a mat of mineral fibers formed on the conveyor belt;
• Figure 6 is a schematic representation of an alternative version of the distribution station of Figure 1, according to the invention with a train of rollers and a conveyor belt which are arranged at a distance from each other to allow rollers to orient the mineral fibers during deposit on the conveyor belt.
• the invention relates to the particular configuration of a station of a mineral wool manufacturing installation, and more particularly a mineral fiber distribution station configured to distribute mineral fibers in an appropriate orientation.
• Figure 1 a part of such a manufacturing plant 1 of mineral wool, for example glass wool, with different successive stations participating in the creation of an insulating blanket composed of mineral fibers and more particularly the station of specific distribution 2 according to the invention.
• mineral wool for example glass wool
• a first station comprises a fiber supply device 4 in which are mixed mineral fibers, virgin or recycled , and a binder capable of holding the fibers together when the mixture is heated at the end of installation.
• the recycled mineral fibers are, for example, mineral fibers manufactured for a blowing wool application, or even fibers transformed into wool mineral for thermal and/or acoustic insulation.
• the recycled mineral fibers already comprise a hardened binder which does not prevent it from being treated by the same process, namely by subsequently adding another binder.
• virgin mineral fiber may in particular designate here mineral fiber, in particular glass or rock wool fiber, obtained by internal or external centrifugation, the fibers of which are not bonded to each other by means of an organic binder.
• Virgin mineral wool fibers can be coated with a thin layer of size or lubricant.
• recycled mineral fiber designates here mineral fiber carrying on its surface an insoluble and infusible organic binder, already crosslinked.
• the mineral fibers present in the distribution station are a mixture of virgin mineral fiber and recycled mineral fiber, in any respective proportions.
• the fiber supply device comprises at the output a supply duct connected to a conveyor belt 8.
• the conveyor belt 8 is configured to move at a first running speed, which can be modified by an appropriate control instruction .
• the conveyor belt 8 has a fiber distribution end 9 which is arranged overhanging the distribution station 2 mentioned above.
• the distribution station 2 comprises at least one train of rollers 12 equipped with rollers 13 and a conveyor belt 14 on which is able to form, as the mineral fibers and the binder are deposited on the conveyor belt, a mattress of fibers 15.
• the train of rollers 12 is arranged on the path of the mineral fibers between the conveyor belt 8 and the conveyor belt 14.
• the train of rollers is formed of a plurality of rollers 13 arranged parallel to each other and capable of pivoting around axes of rotation parallel to each other.
• the distribution station 2 is configured to separate the mineral fibers 3 from each other for the mineral fibers which would not have been completely separated in the separation tank, in particular by the arrangement of the rollers in train of rollers within which the rollers 13, which rotate in the same direction of rotation, participate in directing part of the mineral fibers 3 between two neighboring rollers towards the conveyor belt and another part of the fibers towards the neighboring roller to advance along the train of rollers and be dumped further on the conveyor belt.
• These mechanical guide means can take different forms among which a flexible conduit, a rigid tray forming a funnel as illustrated in my figure 6 or a guide ramp as illustrated in figures 1 and 2, these mechanical guide means consisting in guiding, in particular towards the proximal roller 131 and the immediately adjacent rollers, the mineral fibers falling by gravity into an environment where they are neither blown nor sucked.
• the distribution station is also configured to give these mineral fibers 3 a longitudinal orientation, that is to say parallel to the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, this longitudinal orientation of the mineral fibers 3 in the mat 15 being optimal in terms of thermal insulation.
• the conveyor belt 14 is extended by a conveyor belt, which takes the mat 15 composed of these mineral fibers 3 and the binding elements 5 to an oven not shown here and inside which they are heated to crosslink the binder.
• the pre-bonded fibers here are more particularly fibers composed of a core of mineral fibers, advantageously the same mineral fiber as the non-binding mineral fibers present and of a shell surrounding the core which is made with a pulverized and dried binder.
• the binder may in particular consist of a binder with a low formaldehyde content, preferably even without formaldehyde, for example binders based on biobased products.
• This type of binder is at least partially derived from a base of renewable raw material, in particular vegetable, in particular of the type based on hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated sugars.
• the binder is implemented via a pre-bonded mineral fiber, based on a mineral fiber similar to that treated elsewhere in the installation, makes it possible to treat the arrangement of the binder in the mineral fiber carpet in a similar way to that non-binding fibers.
• the fiber distribution station 2 comprises, in addition to the train of rollers 12 and the conveyor belt 14 mentioned above, at least one casing 18 and a support 20 of the train of rollers.
• the support 20 is configured so that the train of rollers 12 is inclined with respect to the conveyor belt 14.
• the rollers are arranged parallel to each other along an axis A of the train of rollers which is inclined with respect to a plane P in which extends the surface of the conveyor belt on which the mineral fiber carpet rests.
• means for adjusting the inclination of the rollers 100 can be provided and associated with the support 20 of the train of rollers to reduce or increase the angle of inclination a between the axis A of the train of rollers and the plane P of the conveyor belt.
• an inclination of the train of rollers with respect to the plane P of the conveyor belt of the order of 1° to 30°, preferably between 5 and 20°, may be provided.
• This inclination can be fixed throughout the mineral wool manufacturing process, the inclination value being chosen according to the thickness of the mineral fiber mat to be obtained at the end of the conveyor belt before curing.
• the operator orients the roller train support according to the desired inclination thanks to the inclination adjustment means 100, then the operator freezes the position of this support before the start of the manufacturing process.
• the inclination adjustment means 100 could be automated, with automatic control of the position of the distal end 202 of the support according to the inclination to be given to the train of rollers during the process, in particular if plant data is modified.
• the rollers 13 are driven in rotation, all in the same direction of rotation, so as to allow the progress of the mineral fibers 3 from one end to the other of the train of rollers, with a part of these fibers which pass between the rollers 13 to fall on the conveyor belt 14.
• An upper part of the rollers and a lower part of the rollers can be defined according to their position relative to a median plane of the train of rollers, the lower part being the part of the rollers closest of the conveyor belt and of the fiber mat, and the direction of rotation of the rollers can be defined such that the upper part of the rollers rotates from the first end to the opposite end of the support.
• the distribution station 2 in accordance with the invention has technical characteristics and a dimensioning of the various components of this station which are specific to an application to mineral fibers 3 glued with a binder 5 in the form powder or with pre-bound mineral fibres. Several of these characteristics are particularly visible in the representation of Figure 2.
• the distribution station 2 is configured to allow longitudinal orientation of the mineral fibers in the fiber mat.
• the vertical clearance DV between the proximal roller 131 of the roller train and the conveyor belt 14, that is to say the minimum distance between the components of this proximal roller 131 and the conveyor belt has a lower value at a threshold value depending on the type of fibers brought to be deposited on the conveyor belt, and therefore here depending on a dimension of the mineral fibers.
• the vertical clearance can in particular be measured between the outer peripheral surface of the proximal roller and the conveyor belt.
• the vertical clearance DV is here less than 30 millimeters.
• Such a vertical clearance value again smaller than that which could be implemented in applications to wood fibers, makes it possible to ensure that the mineral fibers, after having crossed the train of rollers, remain in contact with the roller at one of their ends when they come to rest on the conveyor belt. As will be detailed below, this makes it possible to ensure a longitudinal orientation of the fibers on the conveyor belt, parallel to the axis of advancement of the conveyor belt.
• Means for adjusting the vertical clearance 150 can be provided to adjust, at least at the start of the mineral wool manufacturing process, the value of the vertical clearance DV and adapt it according to the average fiber lengths intended to fall on the train of rollers 12 via the conveyor belt 8 and the mechanical guide means 19.
• vertical clearance adjustment could take another form.
• the vertical clearance adjustment means 150 here comprise a plate 151 secured to the proximal end 201 of the support 20, said plate 151 being mounted on a rail 152 secured to an upright of the casing 18.
• the vertical displacement of the plate 151 along the rail 152 makes it possible to adjust the vertical position of the proximal end 201 of the support 20 and therefore the position of the proximal roller 131 relative to the conveyor belt 14 which remains fixed to it.
• the position of the proximal end 201 of the support 20 is fixed by fixing the plate to the upright of the casing.
• the train of rollers 12 is inclined in accordance with what has been mentioned.
• the characteristic concerning the maximum vertical clearance DV mentioned for the proximal roller namely a maximum distance at which the proximal roller 131 extends from the surface of the conveyor belt 14 on which the mineral fibers that this proximal roller carries can be deposited, can be reproduced for each of the rollers of the train of rollers 12 by considering this time the surface of the fiber mat 15 rather than the surface of the conveyor belt 14, the train of rollers 12 being configured so that the fibers which the central rollers 133 and the distal roller 132 drive are deposited on a mat of mineral fibers already present on the conveyor belt.
• Another characteristic of the installation and of the distribution station is specific to the use of mineral fibers, namely the speed of movement VI 4 of the conveyor belt 14.
• This speed of movement VI 4 makes it possible on the one hand to drive and to stretch the mineral fibers 3 still in contact with the roller 13 which participated in the crossing by the mineral fibers of the train of rollers, and it is calculated to allow the production of mats of mineral fibers having a density of fibers of less than 40 kg /m3.
• the speed of movement of the conveyor belt can be of the order of 5 to 100 meters per minute.
• it can also be considered the speed of movement V8 of the conveyor belt 8 bringing the mineral fibers into contact with the train of rollers and the difference in movement speeds between the conveyor belt and the conveyor belt.
• Figure 3 makes the support 20 of the train of rollers more particularly visible.
• the support frame 20 has a rectangular shape, with two long sides 21 perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rollers and two short sides 23 connecting these long sides. On the long sides are arranged holding yokes 25 of the motorized drive means 24 and rotation bearings 26 associated with each of the rollers 13, with alternately on the same long side a yoke and a rotation bearing.
• Each roller 13 may in particular be formed by a plurality of toothed rings 28 pressed against each other along the axial dimension of the roller.
• a ring 28 may comprise a ring body 280 able to be secured to the rotation shaft of the roller and a toothed peripheral portion 282, and these two parts of the ring may advantageously be made of two different materials from one part to the other.
• the toothed portion can for example be molded onto the ring body, with hooking means by complementarity of shapes.
• Each ring of teeth 22, and in particular when it is formed by a toothed ring 28 visible in FIG. 4, comprises teeth 22 regularly distributed angularly, here twenty in number, the teeth thus being characterized by an angular pitch, here of the order of 18°, between two successive teeth on the circumference.
• Each tooth 22 projects from an outer surface of the ring, a radial dimension DR of the tooth being measured between the free end 222 of the tooth and the outer surface of the ring.
• the teeth 22 are in particular dimensioned so that their free ends 222 can comb the mineral fibers 3 not yet plated on the surface of the mineral fiber mat 15, when the teeth pass during their rotation between the conveyor belt and the median plane of the train of rollers comprising the axes of rotation of the rollers.
• This configuration allows a deposition of the mineral fibers on the conveyor belt with the ends of the mineral fibers which are in contact simultaneously with the conveyor belt and the rollers, which avoids having to release the fibers at a distance from the conveyor belt as in the prior art and that these are then deposited as they please, under the effect of gravity, on the conveyor belt.
• the simultaneous contact of the mineral fibers with the conveyor belt or the fiber mat and one of the rollers allows the fibers to be stretched and positioned in an optimal longitudinal position for the thermal insulation of the mineral wool obtained after crosslinking of the mat. of fibers.
• This longitudinal arrangement of the mineral fibers on the conveyor belt can be even better ensured when the rollers have teeth and these are positioned and sized to comb the surface of the mat of mineral fibers and more particularly the mineral fibers likely to protrude from this surface of the mattress, in a combing direction opposite to that of the direction of movement of the conveyor belt.
• FIG. 5 schematically represents the action of the rollers, here toothed rollers, on the fibers to orient them longitudinally.
• the proximal roller 131 is arranged at a distance from the conveyor belt 14 such that a vertical clearance DV is less than a minimum value chosen according to the dimensions of the mineral fibers 3 intended to be deposited on the conveyor belt 14
• the value of the angle of inclination of the elongation axis of the train of rollers 12 with respect to the surface of the conveyor belt makes it possible to ensure that the other rollers are arranged so that an equivalent vertical clearance DV , that is to say less than the minimum value chosen according to the dimensions of the mineral fibers 3, is formed between the roller and the upper surface of the mat of fibers formed on the conveyor belt in line with said roller.
• the rollers are dimensioned, and where appropriate the teeth forming radial projections of the roller body, and arranged at a distance from the conveyor belt so that the first mineral fiber 31 is deposited on the conveyor belt or on first mineral fibers already present on the belt while one end of this first mineral fiber is still in contact with a part of the proximal roller 131, here a tooth 22.
• the mineral fibers are in simultaneous contact with the roller and the mat conveyor, or the fiber mat present on the conveyor belt, at the time of their deposit on the conveyor belt.
• the fibers driven by the rotation of a roller and passing between this roller and the central roller directly adjacent to this roller are oriented by gravity in the direction of the conveyor belt, with a first free end which hangs in the direction of the belt and a second end which remains in contact with the roller.
• the average length of the mineral fibers determined as being substantially of the order of 30 millimeters as mentioned above, and the vertical clearance of a value less than this value of average length of the mineral fibers, here 30 millimeters, make it possible to ensure that the free end of each mineral fiber passing through the train of rollers between the proximal roller and the directly adjacent central roller comes into contact with the carpet while it is still in contact with the roller. In this way, the free end of the mineral fiber being driven longitudinally by the running of the conveyor belt, the mineral fiber is stretched and positioned longitudinally.
• the mineral fibers are stretched by the movement of the conveyor belt which, in the example illustrated, brings a first free end 31a of the first mineral fiber 31 into a direction and by the rotation of the roller which in the example shown tends to bring the second free end 31b in the other direction or which tends at least to retain this second free end 31b.
• Each mineral fiber thus deposited on the conveyor belt or on the fiber mat takes on a main longitudinal orientation, with the first free end 31a pressed against the fiber mat. It may result from the removal of the mineral fiber once released by the roller, as illustrated in Figure 5 for a second mineral fiber 32, that the second free end 32b of this second mineral fiber remains raised and is not pressed against the surface of the fiber mat.
• the arrangement of the train of rollers, with central rollers and the distal roller which are arranged according to a vertical clearance less than the threshold value mentioned above, makes possible a function of combing this second mineral fiber, and more generally of the whole mineral fibers not yet plated on the surface of the mineral fiber mat, the rotational movement of the lower part of the roller, and in particular of the teeth 22, tending to push the second end of the teeth towards the conveyor belt.
• the installation comprises a separation tank in which the conveyor belt can be arranged and which comprises means of separation, here not represented, which allow a first step of separation of the fibers, in particular to avoid large agglomerates of fibers.
• These separating means may in particular consist of toothed rollers and/or blowing means.
• the fiber separation tank is configured so that the fibers treated by the separation means enter a fiber supply conduit connecting the separation tank to the distribution station mentioned above.
• the fiber supply conduit can be configured to allow the fall by gravity of the fibers treated by the separation means.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)

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• 2022
  • 2022-03-02 EP EP22711276.0A patent/EP4301914A1/de active Pending

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