US1536399A - Process of making felted, fibrous, waterproof sheets - Google Patents

Description

May 5, 1925.

L. KIRSCHBRAUN PROCESS OF MAKING FELTED, FIBROUS, WATERPROOF SHEETS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 1 1918 HBRAuN May 5, 1925.

L. KIRSC PROCESS OF MAKING FELT-ED, FIBROUS, WATERPROOF SHEETS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 1 1918 L KIRSCHBRAUN PROCESS OF MAKING FELTED, F IBROUS,

May 5, 1925.

WATERPROOF SHEETS Filed July 18, 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Zwfi Patented May 5, 1925.

UNIT

LESTER KIRSCHBRAUN, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF MAKING .EEIETED, FIBROUS, WATERPROOF SHEETS.

Application filed July 18,

To all who! it may 1'01 :cc/'n.-.'

Be it known that I. TJI'IP IER IImscnnnaurz, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Evanston, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processcs'of Making Felted, Fibrous, ater-proof. Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in process of making waterproof felted fibrous sheets, and has among its salient objects to provide a process of making felted or sheeted waterproof product used as roofing or covering of various kinds and which consists essentially of a mixture of fibre, a normally adhesive bituminous binder, and an emulsifying agent, formed into a tough, solid, dry body; to provide a process which obviates the necessity of using as a base, prepared felt such as is used in the manufacture of asphalt shingles and similar elements; to provide a process of which the product may have a wide range as to its flexibility; rigidity, weight and toughness and in-which product a substantial body portion thereof can be made from relatively chea or waste material to rovide a rocess of the character referred to in which a substantial portion of the materials thereof may be such waste products as sawdust, clay,

and the like; to provide a process for forming a product of the character referred to in which the mixture may be fed in an aqueous vehicle or medium continuously to a felting or sheet forming apparatus and there formed into a sheet, and pressed, coated, dried and cut into any desired shape or size, all as a continuous operation; and in general to provide certain other improvements in processes of the character referred to.

In the drawings- Figs. 1, 1 and 1 taken together indicate more or less conventionally and diagrammatically,a paper making machine equipped with instrument alities for practicing the herein described process.

Referring to the drawings,---l designates an emulsifier adapted to receive asphalt, or

other bituminous binder, liquefied by heat,

an emulsifying agent such as clay, and water, and by proper agitation to emulsify' the asphaltin the water. Theemulsifier comprises a tank of any suitable construction, which is show; as provided with a rotating shaft 2, driven through gears 3 and 4 from any source of power. The shaft- 2 1918. Serial hTo. 245,470.

carries a series of agitator arms 5 cooperating with, stationary arms 6 secured to the side of the tank.

In preparing the emulsion, clay of a colliodal character is put in the emulsifier which has previously been charged with hot water, the proportions being such that a thick paste of doughy or viscous consistency is produced. Asphalt or other bituminous or pitchy binder, while liquefied by heat, is then slowly stirred into the paste, and water is gradually added from time to time to maintain the viscous working consistency. The added water is preferably warm or hot soas to keep the mass substantially at the approximate melting point of the asphalt. The agitation of these several ingredients disperses the asphalt in a very fine state of division throughout the aqueous medium containing the emulsifying agent. It is to be understood that emulsifying agents other than clay may be employed, provided an emulsion is produced, which is not of such sticky or adhesive character as to cause it to adhere to the paper making instrumentalities.

This batch contained in the emulsifier can be delivered to a heater 7 through pipe 8 controlled by valve 9. The heater 7 is of any construction adapted for converting fibrous stock fibre into pulp and is shown as provided with a-suitable beating roll or rolls 10 and 11. The pulp which I use may be made from any suitable fibrous material such as paper waste, tan bark, wood pulp,-

cotton waste, grassy fibres, and hemp. After the fibre is beaten to a pulp, the pulp is delivered by means of pipes 12 and 13 and pump 14: to a stufi' chest 15-. This chest 15 is provided with a mechanical agitator 16 driven from any suitable source of power. The emulsion instead of being delivered to the beater 7 may be delivered direct to the stuff chest through pipe 17 controlled by valve 18. If the emulsion is delivered directly to the beater itis closely and thoroughly beaten into thorough admixture with the fibrous stock, and if it isdelivered directly to the stock chest it is there mixed with the stock in such a way as to thoroughly incorporate it with the latter. It will be desirable in many cases to add a filler to the mixture which may be of such relatively cheap materials as saw dust, ground cork or any suitable comminuted material. .It may be desirable to add. more clay to the ciently diluted with water to permit the stock to flow freely and the fibers to felt with each other, as is usual in the formation of a paper sheet. The various ma terials should be so mixed that the resulting stock shall be free of any tendency 'to be sticky or adhere to the machine It may be here noted that when the emulsified composition is formed,' the particles of the asphaltic or bituminous binder should be 1 so thoroughly and finely dispersed through the aqueous paste that the particles of the binder be efl'ectually separated from each other and surrounded by the clay and water.

manual manipulation. If properly emulsified it will have a smooth, soapy feeling andbe free from any tendency to exhibit adhesiveness. By the use of the term emul-' sion of an non-adhesive character I referto a composition having the character1st1cs herelnbefore referredto. The exact nature and character of emulsions is not entirely settled and various OPlIllOn have been expressed regarding the theory of emulsification. According to the present invention the asphalt, or analo ous pitchy material, while in a melted flui or semi liquid condition, is dispersed in 'very fine particles throughout the aqueous vehicle so that the minute particles of asphalt are separated from each other and held out of contact As the expression has. been used in the arts, the asphalt may besaid to-lconstitute the internal phase, and

with one another.

the water the external phase. I In any event, thecompositien, or dispersion, as I may termit, is non-adhesive and,

for example, can be readily washed oft-the hands, or off machinery with water. However, when the water is evaporated or removed, the particles of asphalt again revert to their adhesive and sticky condition. While it is true that the asphalt may he solid or semi-solid at ordinary atmospheric.

temperatures, it is in a heated fluid or semiliquid condition while being emulsified and resumes its normal solid or semi-solid con-- sistency when the dispersion is cold, without apparently altering the dispersion of, ,the asphalt particles so long as contained in the aqueous vehicle.. It is to be noted that this dispersion is of such a character that when it is mixed with the fibrous stock to and formed into a sheet, the asphalt under: goes no change in character on 'constitu-.

tron through the use of chemicals or otherre-agents. 1

After the bituminized stock is thoroughly mixed itis delivered to the sheet forming The operator may ascertain that 20 the emulsification has been sufiicient by roll 58.

mechanism through pipe 20 controlled by valve 21. The delivery end of the pipe 20 is provided with outlet 22 which is pref- 'roll 30.

As shown in Fig. 1, the apparatus is broken away to reduce the size of the drawings, although the endless screen or wire is .of sufficient length to allow the desired amounts of water to drain through the screen. To facilitate the removal of thewater from the sheet, I have shown; the

usual suction boxes 32 and intermediate pres. sure rolls 33, an additional suction pipe 34 being rovided to remove water if-desired.

- Inorming, the sheet passes over the foraminated wire or screen on to a fabric felt 35, which is trained around a series of rolls 36 and driven from any suitable source of power. Presser rolls 37 may also be provided. The newly formed sheet a is threaded up over the felt 38 to press rolls 39 and thence up over guide rolls 40 and 4=l.to a series of drying rolls 42. The felt38 serves to take up any surplus moisture and returns over rolls 43.

The felt 35 may be cleaned by-me'ans of rotating brushes 44 and suitable showers 45. The felt 38 can also be cleaned by brushes 46 and showers 47, and the screen by brushes 48 and showers 49. It Will be understood how'- ever, that oneof the important features of the present invention is that the mixture which is to be sheeted is 'of such character that it can be readily washed oif of the various. felts and will not stick thereto.

After the formed and driedfsheet leaves I provided with delivery pipe 52 forthe coating material such as ordinarily employed in the manufacture of prepared roofing, and presser rollers 53 which may be of an suitable construction If granular face roofing is being formed, the coated sheet can be fed beneath hopper 54 containing suitable granular material so as to coyer the face of the roofing. The sheet then coated and covered w1th granular material is passed between presser rolls 55 and thence over cooling rolls 56 to slitting knives 57 carried by The sheet which is now severed longitudinally may be cut transversely to form shingles or shingle strips by passing,

making shingles or shingle strips of prepared roofing such as asphalt shingles and. the like, but it is to he' understood that the sheet after having been formed may be treated in any desired manner, such for example, as having a design printed thereon,

etc., for use as flooring.

It may be desirable in certain instances to put a granular facing over the sheet and dispense with the coating. This may be done by impressing granular material on the sheet through the hopper 61 while the sheet is still in sufliciently plastic condition to permit the granular or powdered material to become partially embedded in and adhere to the sheet. In other cases it may be desirable to give a color or luster to the roofing and this can be accomplished by covering the granular facing of the roofing after. it is applied with a'film of silicate of soda and apigment or dye, the pigment or dye giving the desired color.

In order to more readily practice the invention the following proportions of ingredients have been found satisfactory in the manufacture of fully saturated roofing felt. To 33 parts dry weight of fibrous stock is added an emulsion composed of -parts by weight of asphalt emulsified with 12 parts by Weight of colloidal clay contained in an aqueous vehicle. It will be understood that these proportions will vary depending upon the nature of the stock and the degree of saturation with asphalt desired in the finished sheet. Of course, during the sheetforming operation the particles of binder will be distributed among and. deposited on the fibres in the sheet during the felting of the same.

By the term bituminous applied to the binder I mean to include those natural and artificial asphalts or other residual products of petroleum, coal tar pitch, or other pitches and analogous fusible pitchy or resinous substances, which are normally adhesive or of such an adhesive character that they will not normally in an aqueous medium pass over a paper forming machine Without sticking thereto unless they are converted to a non-adhesive state. M

I claim as my invention:

1. The process of making afelted water resistant sheet consisting'in so treating a normally adhesive bituminous water proof binding medium as to render it non-adhesive, mixing it with a fibrous pulp in an aqueous vehicle, passing the mlxture over a paper formmg machlne and'feltmg the fibres, and drying the sheet to cause the binding medium to resume its adhesive condition.

2. The process of forming a water resist-' ant felted sheet, consisting in treating a normally adhesive bituminous binder toform a non-adhesive dispersion, comprising the binding material suspended in finely divided particles in water containing an emulsifying agent, then mixing the dispersion with fibre held in an aqueous vehicle, then felting the stock so formed on a paper forming machine and removing the water to restore the binder toitsadhesive condition.

3. The process of forming a water resistant felt which consists of liquifying a bituminous binder with heat, forming an aqueous paste of water and colloidal clay, then mixing the liquified binder with said paste to produce a non-adhesive dispersion in which the binder is in a state of fine dis persion, mixing said dispersion with fibrous material in an aqueous vehicle, then felting the stock so formed on a paper forming machine, and finally removing the Water to restore the binder to its adhesive condition.

4. The process of forming a water resistant felted sheet consisting inliquifying a bituminous binder by heat, liquifying colloidal clay with Water to form a paste, mixing said binder and said paste to produce a nonadhesive emulsion or dispersion in which the binder is finely dispersed, mixing such dispersion with fibrous material contained in an aqueous vehicle in sufficient proportion finally to produce a Water resistant sheet, then felting the stock so formed on a paper forming machine, and finally drying said sheet.

5. The process ofmaking a felted water resistant sheet consisting in so treating a normally adhesive water proof binding medium to form an emulsion containing the binder, an emulsifying agent and water so as to render the binder non-adhesive, mixing it with a fibrous pulp in an aqueous vehicle and in suflicient proportion finally to produce a substantial saturation of the'sheet therewith, passing the mixture over a paper forming machine and felting the fibres, and drying the sheet to cause the binding medium to resume its adhesive condition.

6. The process of forming a water resistant felted sheet, consisting in mixing a water proof adhesive bituminous binder, an emulsifying agent and water to produce a non-adhesive composition, mixing fibrous materi-al in an aqueous vehicle with such proportion ofsaid compositionfinally to produce a substantial saturation of said sheet with said binder, then felting the stock so formed on a paper forming machine, and finally removing the Water to restore the binder toits adhesive condition.

cles out of contact with one another, then mixing this composition with fibrous material in an aqueous vehicle, then felting the stock so formed on a paper forming machine and removing the water to permit the binder to reassume its adhesive state and unite with the fibres.

8. The process of forming a water resist- 1 ant felted sheet, consisting in treating an adhesive bituminous binder to form a nonadhesive dispersion comprising the binder suspended in finely divided particles in emulsified form, mixing said dispersion with a sufiicient quantity of fibre, to permit of felting, held in an aqueous vehicle, then felting the stock so formed on a paper forming machine and removing the water for restoring the binder to its adhesive condition.

9. The process of forming a Water resistant felted sheet consisting of so treating a bituminous binder with water and an agent as to form a non-adhesive composition in which the binder will be held in finely dispersed particles out of contact with one an-.

other, mixing this composition with a fibrous stock. in an aqueous vehicle, feeding said mixture to a paper, or web forming mechanism and forming a felted sheet while the binder is still in 'a non-adhesive condition and removing the water and causing the binder to reassume its adhesive state and unite with the fibres.

10. The process of forming a water re- 40 sistant felted sheet, consisting in making a non-adhesive emulsified dispersion from anadhesive water proof bituminous binder, an emulsifying agent and water, thoroughly incorporating this dispersion with a fibrous pulp, flowing the stock so formed while the dispersion is still in a non-adhesive condition over mechanism for felting the fibres,

and then removing the water from and drying the sheet so formed whereby said binder will reassume its adhesive condition and unite with the fibres.

11. A process of forming a water resistant felted sheet on a paper forming machine,

-consisting in mixing a normally adhesive bituminous binder 'with an emulsifying agent to form an emulsified composition in which the'binder is held in finely divided particles out of contact with one another, then mixing this composition with fibrous 69 stock, then felting the stock-so formed on suitable felting machinery, removing the water, the proportion .of binder being in excess of 10%v by-weight of the finished product. 12. A process of making. a felted waterreliquify the same,

sistant sheet, consisting in so treating a normally adhesive bituminous binder as to renresistant sheet, consisting in so treating a normally adhesive bituminous-binder as to render it non-adhesive by causin theparticles to be held apart from each 0t er by the action of a suitable material, mixing such bitumen while non-adhesive with fibrous pulp in an aqueous vehicle, passing such mixture over a paper forming machine so as to cause the fibres to interlock and interlace, and merely by removing the water and application of heat to cause the binder to take an adhesive form and unite with the 14. A process of making a felted water resistant sheet consisting in so treatinga waterproof bituminous binder as to render it non-adhesive, mixing the same ,with fibrous pulp in an aqueous vehicle, holding the particles of the binder apart in an aqueous vehicle by the action of a third substance, passing the mixture over a paper forming machine so as to cause the fibres to interlock and interlace and then removing the water.

15. The herein described process, which comprises mixing in water paper-making stock and an emulsion containing water-- proofing material and clay,

a paper-making machine a sheet from said mixture.

16. The herein described proces, which comprises mixing in water paper-making stock and an emulsion contaim'ngbituminous waterproofing material and clay, and forming on a paper-making machine a sheet from said mixture.

and forming on 17. The herein described process, which comprises mixing in .water paper-making stock an an emulsion containing asphalt and clay, and forming on apaper-makmg v machine a sheet from said'mixture.

18. The herein described process comprising mixing in water, paper-making stock and an emulsioncontaining waterproof ma terial at least semi-solid at normal atmosheric teniperat'ures and clay, and in form?- mg on a paper-makingmachine a sheet from said mixture.

19. The herein described'process, which;

consists in producing an emulsion by heat-- in a normally adhesive waterproof binder so idv at atmospheric tem eratures to in ifying said liqmfied n t an emul iQing-fiagent and water, so that the binder constitutes 21-. The herein described process, which comprises mixing in Water, paper-making stock and a non-adhesive emulsion containing bituminous waterproofingmaterial emulsified with clay, and forming on a paper-making machine asheet from said mixture.

22. The herein described process, which comprises mixing in water, paper-making stock and a non-adhesive emulsion containing asphalt and clay, and forming on a paper-making machine a sheet from said Hi lxture.

LESTER KIRSOHBRAUN.

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