US1803779A - Platen support for heat processing machines - Google Patents

Description

May 5, 1931. J. A. STEVENS 1,803,779

PLTEN SUPPORT FOR HEAT PROCESSING MACILINES Filed Aug. 14, 192s 5 sneetsheet 1 Il I' Il Il II lIl l Il II L L-l II ll H/ll'll Il May 5, `1931. J. A. STEVENS 1 1,803,779

PLATEN SUPPORT FOR HEAT PROCESSING MACHINES Filed Aug. 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR May 5, 1931. 1. A. Sfax/Em; l 1,803,779

PLATEN SUPPORT FOR HEAT PROCESSING MACHINES INVENTQR Patented May 5, 1931 UNITED STATES moana PATENT OFFlCE JOHN A. STEVENS, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UPSON COMPANY,

OF LOCKPORT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK 'TIO 'PLATEN SUIPORT" FOR HEAT PROCESSING MACHINES Application filed August 14, 1928. Serial No. 299,562.

My present invention relates to the manufacture of sheets, slabs, boards, and similar products, particularly when composed in whole or in part of material originally in the plastic state, and which requires an application of heat and pressure during its formative stage, and the invention has for its object to provide a simple economical, elicient and convenient machine for accomplishing this work. The improvements are directed in part towardthe provision of opposed upper and lower heating elements with means for adjustably and resiliently supporting them so that their distance apart regulating the thickness of the product and also the pressure which it undergoes may be easily and quickly adjusted.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more ully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings:

s Fig. 1 is a rather diagrammatic side view or outline view of the sheet forming machine showing the application thereto of heating and pressure elements vconstructed in accordance with and illustrating ne embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of a portion of the platen section of the machine showing one platen unit complete;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the machine showing a side view of one of the Aplaten units;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the platens adjusted to a different relationship;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a washer or shim that is used for purposes of adjustment.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Although its advantages and functions are not necessarily limited to such use, the present machine representing one embodiment or application of the invention, has been specially designed for the manufacture of a special wallboard, preferably composed of two outer paper facings, or liners, as they are called, and a cellular lire-resisting and insulating mineral body of substantial thickness therebetween. It has been discovered that a mixture having as the principal ingredient sodium silicate and a. filler of finely comminuted or powdered dolomitic limestone provides a suitable body between the paper walls for the purposes of producing such a product. Such a mixture is intiunescent in character, and puffs upinto a cellular or sponge-like consistency when coniined and subjected to a proper degree of heat. lt can later be hardened and dried and assumes a solid texture, in which state it ishard and relatively stid without being brittle.'V My invention contemplates producing such a '70 board continuously in a moving strip or sheet that isy linally cut into lengths.

To lirst describe in general the mode of manufacturing such a board in accordance with my invention, and assuming that a board with two facings or liners is to be made (though one liner alone may be used or none at all resulting in a solid plastic product) I provide a supply of paper consisting of two strips which are brought together one upon another and a suitable amount of the plastic material fed between them. This laminated mass is passed between a pair of upper and lower heated platensl which present smooth walls of considerable extent and whose separation regulates the thickness of the product. These platens are heated by steam or otherwise, but if by steam, then a pressure of from 125 to 20() pounds may be used, the speed of passage of the material between them being' a factor in determining the pressure used. From the platens the sheet passes in a formative and relatively soft state immediately into a closely adjacent hardening oven where it is treated by direct contact with a heated gas. l prefer to use hot air. ln this oven the sheet hardens and it becomes set suiiiciently so that it can be manipulated without danger of injury or distortion. l am, therefore,able

to place and do place just beyond this hard- 100 ening oven a feeding device preferably in the form of a pair of driven feed rolls, which draw the material all the way from its source at the feed end of the machine through the platens, past a slitting and trimming device located between the platens and the hardening oven, and through the hardening oven. Just beyond the feed rollers the sheet may be severed by a suitable cutting device into the desired lengths. `With its manipulationfrom this point on this invention is not concerned, and hence only such portion of the machine is shown.

Referring more particularly to theV drawings, and to Fig. 1. thereof, 1 indicates a suitable bed or base frame having at the feed end thereof paper rolls 2'and 3 for the supply of liners. The plastic material is fed from a conventionally shown hoppert between rolls 5 and 6 beneath it. The paper from Vroll 2 passes over the top of roll 6 and thence around and under it in a reverse direction. The paper from roll 3 passes over roll 5 and thence under roll 6 continuing in the same direction, so that the plastic material is deposited in suitable quantities between the two liners X and Y, and is held between them as the threeply mass passes into the platen section.

The platens of this section arc'inade of a plurality of upper units 7 and lower units 8 spaced apart for the desired thickness. the sheet enierges as shown at XY from the end of this section, its edges areftrinnnedby suitable trimming devices 9, and it may be slit by another' cutter indicated conventionally at 10 in Fig. 1 into two strips, if desired. It then immediately passes into an oven-11', where the hardening takes place. Just beyond this oven are the feed rollers 12 suitably driven, which pull the sheet through all of the travel above described to this point.

As before indicated, my invention is particularly concerned with the construction, arrangement, and manipulation of the platen elements 7 and 8 relatively to each other to regulate boththe thickness of the sheet or board and the amount of pressure applied thereto. Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the lower platens 8 are laid side by side to present a` substantially continuous table or under surface. They extend transversely of the ma chine and are supported at their ends by projecting perforated lugs 13 resting on sleeves lil surrounding upstanding guide rods 14" which pass through the lugs and which guide rods are suitably adjustably bolted to the main frame 1 by suitable lag and locl nuts 15. rIlhese under platens may be leveled and aligned by means of shims or washers placed beneath the sleeves 11i.

The upper platens 7 are preferably slightly separated from each other as shown, and are arranged to be raised and lowered in parallelism with reference to the table constituted by the lower platens 8. For this purpose they are made in sections, as best shown in Fig. 2. As indicated in that figure there are in the present instance four platens to a unit, and they are connected together by a pair of relatively transverse I-beams 22 bolted thereto at 23. Connecting these I-beams at an intermediate balancing point is a cross beam 24 provided with a central lifting eye 25 for the attachment of raising and lowering connections, which form no part of the present invention and which constitute the Subj ect matter of a separate application being filed concurrently herewith.

These upper platens 7 are similar to the lower plat-ens 8 except that they are, of course, finished olf on the lower side instead of the upper side. They are provided with perforated lugs26 at their ends which also engage over and are adapted to slide vertically upon the guide rods 14a. Above the lugs 13 of the lower platen are provided sleeves 27 on the lrods upon which rest compression coil springs 28 surrounding therods and which in turn support the lugs 26 of the upper platens 7. These springs are 'of such tension as to support the weight of the upper platens and the upper platen section at a minimum degree of separation from the lower vplatens 8, and again shims may be used to regulate this separation by interposing them either between the sleeves 27 and the lower platen lugsl or between the ends ofthe springs and their abutting surfaces. I prefer the latter position.l

These shims are preferably of the shape shown 'in Fig. 7 enabling one or more of them to be slipped under the spring 28 in the manner indicated at 19 in Fig. 4. Compare the separation of the upper and'lower platens in this ligure with that in Figure 5, where no' shims are present. v

VBoth upper and lower platens are heated by steam through inlet and exhaust connections 20 and 21, the supplyV pipes to which are notv shown because they are not material f to a disclosure of the present invention.

' Cheek plates are provided alongv the ends of the lower platen to conline the edges of the traveling sheet that is being formed both as a guiding medium and to prevent, in a measure at least, plastic material from exud- -ing before it is hardened suiiciently tohold its own form. In the` presentV instance these consist of wooden or metallic strips 18'suitably secured to the lower platen table.

With the platens constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention as above described in a machine of this character, and

particularly one operating on the character of u materials that I have set forth as an instance of its use or applica-tion, the compression exerted by the weight of the upper platen on the board or sheet that is being formed, and

the thickness of the latter can be nicely and conveniently regulated. Jams are prevented or can be readily relieved at a given point, and the floating nature of the resiliently supported upper platens promotes the easy riding ot the sheet as it is pulled through the machine by the pull or feed rolls.

In Figure 5 I have shown a slight modilication in the manner of mounting the lower platen 8 so that it may also be resiliently supported. To this end a spring 29 similar to the spring 28 is substituted for the sleeve 14 which renders the lower platen table less rigid, and gives it a slight elasticity in its movement or engagement with the sheet that renders it less harsh to the passage of the latter through the machine.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a heat processing machine for sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, an upper platen element, and means independent of said platen elements for drawing sheet material continuously between said elements, of a resilient support for one of said platen elements to maintain it properly spaced 'from the other element.

' 2. In a heat processing machine 'for sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, an upper platen element, and means independent of said platen elements for drawing. sheet material continuously between said elements, of a resilient support for the upper platen element to maintain it properly spaced from the lower element.

3. In a heat processing machine for sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, an upper platen element, and

means independent of said platen elements for drawing sheet material continuously between said elements, of a resilient support 'for the lower platen element to maintain it properly spaced from the upper element.

4. In a heat processing machine tor sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, an upper platen element, and means independent ot' said platen elements for drawing sheet material continuously between said elements, of a resilient support for each platen element yieldingly spacing them the proper distance from each other.

5. In a heat processing machine for sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, an upper platen element and means for drawing sheet material continuously between the same, of a support having guides thereon, lugs on one of the platen elements movable vertically on the guides and springs associated with the latter upon which said platen element rests.

6. -In a heat processing machine for sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, an upper platen element and means for drawing sheet material continuously between the same, of a support having guides thereon cooperating with one of the platen elements, springs associated with the guides and upon which said platen element rests and means for raising and lowering an abutting surface of the spring.

7. In a heat processing machine for sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, an upper platen element and means for drawing sheet material continuously between the same, oi a resilient support tor one of said platen elements to maintain it properly spaced from theV other element, and means extending along the end of one platen element to coniine the edges of the sheet and limit the closing together of the platen elements.

8. In a heat processing machine for sheets and boards, the combination of a pair of spaced platens, a support for one of the platens, means for maintaining a minimum distance between the platens while permitting one to movein a direction away from the other, guide means for the movable platen serving to hold it against movement transversely of the other platen, and means arranged to operate independently of said platens for drawing the sheets therebetween.

9. In ay heat processing machine for sheets andy boards, the combination with a platen element, of a second pla-ten element movable toward and away from the first mentioned element to vary the spacing between said elements, stop means to limit the motion of said second element toward said first named element, and means independent of said platen elements for drawing sheet material through the space between said elements.

10. In a heat processing machine for sheets and boards, the combination with a lower platen element, of. an upper platen element movable toward and away from the lower element to vary the spacing between said elements, stop means to limit the downward motion of said upper element toward said lower element to hold said elements a predetermined distance apart, and means independent of said platen elements for drawing sheet material through the space between said elements.

JOHN A. STEVENS.

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