US1139983A - Machine for making fiber insulating-sheets. - Google Patents

Description

J.E.LAPPEN. MACHINE FOR MAKING FIBER INSULATING SHEETS. APPHCAHON ruin MIYI5.I9I&

1,139,983. Patented May 18, 1915.

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l. E. LAPPEN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING FIBER INSULATING SHEETS.

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JAMEB E. LAPPEN, 0F WINONA, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOB '10 UNION FIBRE COMPANY, OF WINONA, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING FIBER INSULATING-SHEETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Application filed May 15, 1818. Serial No. 787,858.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, James E. LAPPEN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Winona, in the county of Winona and tate of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Fiber Insulating-Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements'm machines for making insulating sheets of fiber, having special reference to fiax, hem or jute fibers, but capable of being used wit other suitable fibers.

The objects of the invention are to rovide improved means for mterlacm an intertangling the fibers so as to ma e the sheets strong and coherent, and for washing the fiber during its progress through the machine and carrying away the impurities therein so as to prevent deterioration of the finished sheet, as well as to simplify the apparatus for making these sheets an make it more efiieient.

According to the method now use, the fibrous material from which such insulating sheets are made is first treated in a digester with an alkali solution to remove the gummy constituents. It is then delivered in a dam state upon a traveling apron which carries it first through water in a tank, where the fibers are distributed and interlaced in a horizontal lane by manual or mechanical means, and t on under a succession of rossuro instrumentalitics, such as rolls and ampers, to squeeze out the water and com )lete t e feltin of the fibers. This method oi manufacture, owever, does not adequately remove from the fiber the dirt and alkali which remain in it after its treatment in the digester, because the water in the tank is used over and over a in and soon becomes full of alkali and dirt from the fiber, so that the fiber remains impregnated with the alkali and other im urities when it leaves the tank. This ma es the product harsh, brittle, and discolored. urthermoro, in machines now commonly used there is no positive means for driving the fibers into the mat in a direction transverse to the plane thereof.

In order to overcome these defects and to attain the objects mentioned above, I have devised a machine wherein the fibers are not carried through atank of water, but are in common will not re-impregnate the fibers.

' longitudinal section throu carried on a foraminous apron underneath sprays or jets of water wh1ch are delivered upon it from above, and which not only drive the fibers downwardly across the lane of travel of the apron, but also wasi the alkali and dirt down throu h the openings therein. As the apron oes not travel through water but only receives the water from above the alkali when once washed from the fibers is carried off through the openings in the bottom of the apron and As the fiber mat is rather thick it will somewhat impede the downward tpassage of the water so that the fiber will o more or less submerged, particularly if the apron is depressed between its ends.

More particularly the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompan ing drawings showing the preferred embo iment of my invention, Figure 1 is a top view of the machine with some partsbroken away Fig. 2 is a cross section on line y-g of Fi 1; Fig. 3 is a the machine on line m-w of Fig. 1; Fig. is a bottom view of one of the rayers; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the apron s ats; and Fig. 6 is a cross section through the same on line ez of Fig. 5.

In the machine shown in the drawings, I have shown dofi'er mechanism A of a type well known in the art for delivering the fiber upon the traveling-apron B. This apron is an endless eonveyler consistin preferably of side s rocket c ains 2 and reverse slats 8 forms with a large number of holes 4 to permit the water to pass down through them. The apron asses over an idler roller 5 at the feed on of the machine and a driven roller 6 at the forward or delivery end of the machine. The roller 6 may be driven from the main drive pulley 7 by any suitable mechanism such as the gear 8 upon the shaft of the pulley 7 which meshes with a car 9 upon the shaft of the roller 6. The re ler 6 carries at each end sprocket teeth 10 which on e the s rocket chains 2 of the apron, an t ereby rive the apron.

The top reach of the apron travels from the roller 5 over a table 11, where it receives material from the feedingdevices. It th n passes down over sprockets 12 to the de- 'discharged with -more or erably lower love than the table 11 to a point near the delivery end of the machine,

whence they rise upon an incline to the roller (3. The apron is keptdepressed upon the horizontal portion of the ways by means of spaced undcrrunnin idler. sprockets 14 and 15, journaled in .tlie framework-and, like the sprockets 1'2, engaging the side sprocket chains ofthe apron, the sprockets l-l being placed near-the table.11 in close proximity .to the sprockets =12, and the sprockets 15 bein placed atthepoint where he ways'bcgintieir upward incline.

The apron runs between side walls -16 which extend well above'the waysso as-to prcventthe water which is'delivered upon the .fiber from escaping at .the sides. 'To protect the edges-0f the fiber matfrom being torn by the sprockets-Maud *15,=I have provided auxiliary side wallsor ,deckles 17 on the inner sidesof-these sprockets above the apron.

Supported in any-suitable manner above the apron at a point.betweenthe depressing sprockets 14 and 15 are spraying pipes 19 which extend entirely across the machine. These pipes are connectediwith aivalved supply pipe 20, through which water is forced ,under pressure, and are closed-at their outer ends. The pipes-19 are formedin their underside with a row of holes 21, as shown in Fig. 3, so that, when the valve 22 in the supply pipe is opened, the water will be less force upon the fiber which is being carried alongon the apron, and will;pass downthrough the fiber and escape through the joints and'hole's in the apron. To collectand-carry off this dirty water before it falls on the lower reach of the apron I'have arranged-an inclined pan 23 which extends longitudinally of the machine between the upper and lower reaches of the apron. It is supported upon the framework C and at its lowercnd leads into a trough 24 having a drainpipe 25.

As the apron is carried up the inclined portion of the ways 18 it passes-under vertically reoiprooatory tampcrs 20,-which may be driven from any suitable source of power, and between the compression rollers 6 and 27, whereby to compact the intertwined fibers and expel the water therefrom. As these tampers and compression rollers are old in the art and form no part of the present invention no detailed description of them is necessary. After thefiber sheet'has been carried through the rollersdand 127. it is delivered from the appontopress rolls 28 and 29 which, likethe-tampers and the these ways to "the a the ways 13 under assume a position transverse through-thee enings in the apron, -of it will .col and seek and loosen the same.

seen that the water'cannot escape at the the depressed intermediate portion of the apron,

sure rolls whichexpel the remaining water andcomplete the felting of the fibers. By the term' water as used herein I mean to I endless 'foraminous convever said feeding instrumentality'to a point he- E-IQVV'thGZlQVBl .thercofandethcnnp again to 1 flY-lbe driven from any suitable source 0 power. From these press rolls it passes on to a suitable table or conveyor 30. In use the' fiber, which is usually in a soinewhat'wet and matted condition, is deposited by any convenient means upon the 'topreach o'f'the apron before it has passed off the table 11. It is then carried down along the depressed horizontal portion of the jets of water which are delivered from above through the spraying pipes 19. The water drives some of the fibers-down into the mat so that'they will to the plane of and turns others into all sorts of the apron,

so'that the fibers will become inpositions,

=tertangledand interlaced. As the mass of fiber is thick the water will not all make its way at once through the fiber and escape but much ect uponand about the fiber It will be sides of the apronon account of the deckles v17v and sideiwalls 16, nor off-the ends of the apron because the ends are raised above portion. Thus the apron, instead .of running through a tank, willitself constitute-a. sort of traveling tank, but one .to which fresh water is constantly supplied and from which the dirty water is constantly running 0E through I the openings in its bottom, carrying with it the alkali and other impurities washed from the fiber.

After passing along the depressed or tank the fiber is carried up the-inclinedportion of the ways, and in its passageup is-drainedof most of the free water carried.

along by it. It is then subjected to the action of the tampers and prosinclude any liquid which will act mechanicallvin substantially the same way as water. he-details of the-structure can be modilied --in various ways, without departing from-*the principle of the invention, the

scope-of which'is defined in the claims. 1 claim as my invention: '1. (In ainachine for making fiber insulatinp; sheets, the combination with a traveling foraminous apron adapted to carry loose ilbrousmaterial of means arranged above said felting instruinentaltity, and means arranged above the apron for deliverin jets of water thereon during the depresse portion of its travel. I

3. In a machine for making fiber insulating sheets, the combination with fiber feeding and fiber felting instrumentalities, of an endless foraminous conveyor apron adapted to carry fibrous stock from said fiber feeding instrumentality to said fiber felting instrumentnlity, means for depressing said apron intermediately of said instrumentalities, and means arranged above the apron for driving jets of water upon the depressed portion of the apron with sufiieient force to deflect and intertangle the fibers carried along thereby.

4. In a machine for making fiber insulating sheets, the combination with fiber feed- Ooplee a! this patent may be obtained (or Me cents each, by addressing the "dommissloner of Patents,

ing and fiber felting instrumentalities, of an endless foraminous conveyor apron traveling from said feeding instrumentality to said felting instrumentality, means for deressing said apron intermediately of said mstrumentalities, a sprayer arranged above the de ressed portion of the apron and adapte to discharge water thereon, and retaining walls on both sides of the apron for preventing the water from escaping at the s1 es.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature 30 in presence 0 two witnesses.

JAMES E. LAPPEN.

Witnesses:

An'rmm P. Ls'rrmor, H. Swanson.

Washington, D. 0."

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