US2348272A - Pulp product production - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1944.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1940 Y @H K E v H w L a 5% M R W R H V m O i s W E W M Hnn h nn I+|U||T Nb i Y O a I r .Q 5 a r i |lll|l|F|l V II: I P Ll R 3 3 0% nwn o L\ R NM 0 NR Q =0 4 Sheets-. Sheet 5 L. M. WILEY .PULP PRODUCT PRODUCTION Filed Sept. 9, 1940 INVENTOK, LEE M. WILEY flue-W 0 I 1 I I I May 9, 1944.

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PULP PRODUCT PRODUCTION Filed se t. 9,'194o 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 LE5 M WILEY dvamg W V 922/ Patented M... 9, 1944 PULP'PRODUCT PBQDUCTION Lee M. Wiley, Marion, 1116., asslgnor of one-third to Julian '1. Left and one-third to Keeley B Wiley, both of Marion, Ind. v

Application September 9, 1940, Serial No. 355,968

7 Claims.

, This invention relates to a method of fabricating liquid repellent and heat resistant structures such as relatively deep seamless containers, and the like, from sheet material of pulpcharacter and the additional products or ingredients associated with or incorporated in such shee material.

Articles which may be so fabricated are of various forms. y

This invention is a continuation-in-part of the invention disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 288,343, filed August 4, 1939, and entitled, "Sheet pulp container forming process and apparatus therefor," and the present invention is directed primarily to the process and product.

In the before mentioned application, there is disclosed one method of impregnating prime sheet pulp material of bleached or unbleached character fed from rolls to the impregnating and moistening mechanisms and then fed therefrom to apparatus for severing blanks from the sheet material for subsequent formation of .the several blanks into article formation. 7 The present invention may utilize stock of this character or may utilize stock wherein the impregnating materials are initially incorporated in the sheet at the time the pulp is formed into a sheet. I Such latter stock merely requires moistening to the desired degree. a

The process may be practiced, if desired, at

' the dry end of the paper sheet forming machine, in which event, the sheet is riot dried to the extent required for shipment but only to that required for operation in this invention. The invention disclosed herein, therefore, is capable of being applied to the end of a paper sheet making machine providing the stock from that machine has incorporated therein the proper materials and is of the proper moisture content, or the paper sheet from astandard machine may be fed to theiimpregnating mechanisms disclosed in the before mentioned application.

Either form of preliminary production may be utilized or any suitable form of preliminary production may be utilized, all without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The present. invention contemplates operating upon pulp material of sheet form which is sufficiently moist to make the stock pliable without cracking and which stock has incorporated therein or applied to the surface suitable sizing or resin to provide a proper understanding of the present invention, Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, of the aforesaid application Serial No. 288,343, disclosure appear herein as Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive. Inasmuch as the invention is primarily directed to ,a process and not to the specific apparatus illustrated herein by way of example only, and is directed to the product or material utilized, but brief referenced herein will be had to the specific apparatus disclosure duplicated by way of drawing illustration.

The full nature of the presentinvention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view through an embodiment representing the blanking and initial forming portions of the apparatus, the inter-.

Y mediate turret and associated portions of the apparatus whereinthe initial form of the article is obtained, and the conveyor structure for removing the initially formed articles for subsequent treatment.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the lastmentioned conveyor structure, the initial drier. structure and a second conveyor arrangement adapted to receive the initially formed. articles following initial and "free" drying when discharged from the first conveyor.

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view. through one form of finishing press and the second mentioned associated conveyor, the latter being operatively associated with the press for semi-final formation of the article and a second drier arrangement.

Fig. 4 illustrates the second mentioned conveyor I arrangement, the discharge end of the second mentioned drier, an article discharging means and an article receiving structure, by way of example only, inasmuch as the specific form of the present invention contemplates interposing, between the discharge of the second mentioned drier and the article discharging means, a final finishing press arrangement similar to that illusmaterial, including the necessary solvent or 501- vents, so that the finished product will beheat resistant and liquid repellent, and under certain instances may have sufiicient dielectric strength rendering same suitable for electrical insulationpurposes.

The present invention broadly is disclosed in the before mentioned application and copending continuation-impart.thereof, and for that reason trated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of two separable pairs of forms carried by the rotatable turret shown in Fig. 1, one pair being shown in open position and the other in the closed position.

-.while illustrated herein as in a common plane at 90 apart, it is to be understood they are faced to planes 90 apart.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a sheet with areas for present blanking purposes and openings formed by previous blankings suitably illustrated" therein.

In order that a more complete understanding of the process, the primary subject matter of this invention, may be obtained, certain explanations will be incorporated in the following description of the previously referred to apparatus illustrated by Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, which is suitable for performing said process. i

which passes-over the roller 61 and thence over the roller 58 and is fed between the guide 60. The waste passes between the members 83 and discharges to the container 86,' being reduced in size by means of the choppers 85. Between the guides 60 and the elements 83, the sheet has an intermittent movement in timed relation to machine operation. The initial movement following one operation is to advance the sheet the desired amount so as to present new areas from which additional blanks may be cut-see Fig. 6.

These blanks are out while the sheet is stationary. The blanks, while the sheet is stationary, are forced through openings in the dies 66 supported It will be understood there are two tiers of these die openings and associated therewith are two tiers of plungers 65 carried by thecrosshead I4.

The blanking mechanism is carried by the cross-: head 68. Thus, the blanking mechanism makes initial contact with the sheet for blank formation and then the crosshead I4 is advanced to draw the blanks thus formed through the confronting creasing structures 66 and 61 by pushing centrally on each formed, then are caused by plungers 65 to pass through die 64 and to seat in the external molds 92 shown in Fig. 5 in the lower left hand corner. These molds are carried by a turret 8I -see Fig. 1-which has intermittent and herein rotational movement.

Following the seating of .the blanks in partial formation in the molds 92 positioned as shownain Fig. 5 and in the left hand portion of Fig. 1,

reference being had to the turret, the plungers 6'5 45 are retracted to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the blanking die structure 68 is retracted as shown in Fig. 1. When these dies are free of the sheet, sheet movement is effected for the presentation of new areas for blanking and forming and during thi feeding movementof-the sheet, the

turret is indexed 90, as shown in Fig. 1. The

sheet waste passes'to receptacle 86 as described.

In the turret indexing movement, the mold' divided structure shown in the lower left hand por- 6 tion of Fig. 5 is assembled as shown in the upper right hand portion of Fig. 5. This is illustrated at station K in Fig. 1. In-juxtaposition to these then linearly aligned molds 82, thereis provideda dual crossheadarrangement, one of which is of neck ring character and, the other of which is of plunger character, there being*"as many neck ring and plungers as there are now linearly aligned mold cavities.

During the movement of the blanking die 68 to the right in Fig. 1, the neck ring I I0 advances to the mold. at station Kandengages the partially formed article and the mold. Quring the advancing movement of the plunger 66 in Fig. '1, the plunger II I in Fig. 1 similarly is advanced.

The retraction movements are similarly timed.

During the sheet advancing interval, the turret then moves the assembled and linearly aligned molds and included articles from station K to station 14. He e n the s ng cross ead I I camby structure 62 shown in Fig. 1, and by plungers 1 ing the forming plunger H8 is advanced during plunger advance at other stations to semi-complete the article. Retraction of the crosshead III and plunger H8 is correspondingly timed. During thenext sheet advancing movement, the turret 81 again indexes the previously mentioned mold structure to station M where the articles are discharged from mold 92.

A conveyor structure I21 carrying mushroomlike supports-see Fig. 1-is associated with elevating and lowering mechanism, illustrated as of swinging arm type and cam operable, so that when the articles are ejected from the molds 92 by means such a indicated at I25, the articles are supported by the then elevated mushroomlike supports I28-I29-I30 carried by conveyor I21, see dotted lines, Fig. 2. Then when the conveyor is lowered for mold clearance, see full lines Fig. l, the articles and mushroom-like supports are free oi. the molds. Upon subsequent operation, the turret 8I indexe from station M to initial station J and in that indexing movement, the mold arrangements separate from the closed arrangement shown in the upper part of Fig. 5 to the open arrangement shown in the lower part 1 said figure, thus completing the mold cycle upon the turret.

blank. The blanks thus partially Reference now will be had to Fig. 2. Therein there is illustrated a drier oven having the housing portion I60, adjustably controlled overhead vent arrangements I48I49, overhead baille I46, and adjustably controlled heat supply arrangements, Il3-I6 I-I at the bottom thereof. The conveyor I21 has its upper run entering the housing through the opening ML and thence passes upwardly to the top of the oven. In the oven the conveyor passes to and fro below the baflle as illustrated. Just above the lane of en trance to the conveyor, theconveyor passes out 5 This press is shown most clearly inFig. 3 and (J to movement relative thereto. It-is to be through an opposite opening I42 and i there associated with an article retainer arrangement I62 which holds the article on the mushroom supports until the mushroom supports are inverted. This member I62 is the cause of the inversion of said mushroom supports because the same are so supported that theyalways maintain, except at this portion of their travel, a predetermined and vertical position.

This discharge arrangement also is oscillatable and earn operable -see I68 and IB'I-so that the article, if of cup formation, may be discharged positively from the mushroom supports by means 236-2 31, if desired, and be received by a combination receiver and mold I64 carried by the conveyor arrangement I65. The lower run of the mushroom supporting conveyor I21 .from the discharge station N passes into the opening I42, thence, through the lower portion of the oven I46 and out through the opening IQI and back to the oscillatable support at station M-see Fig. l. The conveyor I65 from the station N-see Fig. 2- passes under the-roller I13 and over the roller I16 and into the opening III of a semi-finishing press structure I18, the mold I66riding on an diustable bed plate I19 ofthat press.

it includes, if desired, a first and second stage formation structure, one of which may be a plunger without ameck ring and the other which may be a plunger with a neck ring, both plungers having simultaneous movement and the neck ring having predetermined timed movement, the same operating in timed relation with the plungers shown in Fig. 1, because'the conveyors have timed under- 1 of the article is eifected.

the conveyors and sheet move when the plungers and neck rings are stationary and ,vice

' and fro from the upper end of the oven toward the bottom thereof; the articles during the inverted runs of said conveyor being retained in the molds, I64 by suitable guide and retainer arrangements illustrated insaid Figs. 3 and 4,

. and indicated by the numeral 2-09, see Fig. 4.

low entrance opening I91 and thence passes-see Fig. 3below the press shown in Fig. 3 and to the receiving station shown in Fig. 2 and indicated by the letter-N.

Reference now will be had to Fig. 4. In Fig. 4 there is shown a discharge arrangement at station Q. However,'as set forth in the copending application and as hereinafter specified in the preferred specific form of the invention, there is interposed between the discharge M and station Q another and finishing press arrangement substantially similar to that illustrated the left hand portion of Fig. 3 and herein the final finishing is effected by said second press. The

conveyor I65 after discharging from such a second finishing press may enter a third oven, if desired, or may pass directly to the discharge station Q. The articles then may be discharged from molds I65 into a suitable container 221 or asset forth in the aforementioned application, Serial No. 288,343, the articles may be discharged to other conveyor mechanism for other treatmerit, such as ornamentation in addition to formation.

Having thus briefly described one form of apparatus suitable for practicing the present process, one primary subject matter of the present invention, reference now will be had to the latter.

From the foregoing it will be understood the blank of pulp material suitably coated or impregnated or initially formed with certain ingredients included therein is successively formed into article formation at the various stations in connection with the turret arrangement. There is considerable moisture content present during this formation. Some of this moisture by reason of and in the initial formation of the. article is mechanically extruded from the stock being deformed. The article then is passed through the first oven which is at a temperature'suflicient to remove considerable excess moisture. not mechanically removed heretofore. This tempera* ture is insumcient to cause thermal reaction between the ingredients applied to the sheet or with which the sheet has been impregnated or which has been included in the sheet in its initial formation. The articles supported on these mushroom-like elements of the first conveyor arrangement permit the articles to be subjected to what may. be termed free drying in-this first oven. Free drying may be defined'as substantially drying at will while unconfined but mere y supported for transfer purposes.

After being free? dried the articles are subjected to a pressing operation which further mechanically consolidates the pulp and the addition products included therein orapplied thereto and also mechanically distributes the surface exposed portions of the latterto a greater degree and compacts the product to the desired rigidity,

size and shape.

. This first oven in effect evaporates the mois ture carrying agent, usually water, as well as'the solvent of the solution containing the ingredients other than the pulp. These may be resins or.

products of similar character or may be sizing materials. This evaporation or free 'drying usually leaves small granular parts of the solids, such as the resin et cetera, between and on the fibers of the pulp.- The second oven operating at a much higher'temperature causes .the size or resin materials to melt or flux and flow,'thus insuring substantially complete surface coating upon the interior of the article more especially, although such coating-on the exterior of the article is similarly melted and flowed. There thus results a substantially complete surface coating of the article and the article then may be discharged to a receiver as shown in Fig. 4.

. In many cases, however, it. is preferable to in-,

terpose between the discharge station Q-see Fig. 4and the second oven shown in the same figure, a final finishing press similar to that shown in the left hand portion of Fig. 3 and this press applies pressure to the article for consolidating the melted or fluxed size or resin on the surface of the article and consolidates the pulp body into its finished form, producing a product that is relatively rigid and which has a very smooth finish and which is heat resistant and liquid repellent and in special instances is of electrical insulation character. In many instances the second finishing press, when provided, is not required to be utilized.

' Substantially all stock ,folding or fiuting mark- By the judicious use of included ingredients,

such articles in addition may be provided with high dielectric strength and thus be available for 59 electric insulationpurposes. In other words, an

article of this character may constitute an insulation type housing or container for electrical equipment, such as a wall switch and the like, by way of example only.

It is to be understood the second oven does not completely remove all the water from the stock. Usually what is commercially known as dry articles contain approximately 5% or 6% of moisture, and if desired, the finished products may contain that amount of moisture.

It also is to be understood that whenever and wherever desired, the plungers may be ofresilient character or may be of metal character and in n or which has been impregnated or coated with drying being insufllcient to cause reaction of the ingredients with reference to the pulp and then the final heating or' drying expelling the remainder of the moisture to the extent noted (commercialdryness) together with any and all other solvents, theingredients-associated with the pulp melting and flowing to form a finished surface or coating of the character described,

and whenever and wherever desired or required,-

such an article thus formed may'be further sub- Jected to the final pressure consolidation or ironing and finishing step with or without the application of heat.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered tube within, the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. The process of forming molded, liquid repellent-and heat resist-ant structures of a shape other than a fiat sheet including molding a fiat blank of paper pulp sheet to substantial container structure form, the sheetincluding coating material of size, resin or like character and liquid solvent such as'water, et cetera, such molding mechanically modifying the sheet to the approximate final shape of the structure and siniultaneously expressing a certain portion of the liquid ingsolvent to produce a commercially dry structure and to melt and flow the surface distributed from the structure, then free drying the structure to expel additional liquid from the structure and at a temperature insufiicient to thermally react upon the coating material, then pressure forming the structure into final form and compacting the coating material upon the structure, and then heating the final formed structure to a temperature sufficient to expel additional liquid to produce a commercially dry structure and to melt and flow the coating material upon the surface of the structure to form a continuous and homogeneous coating of liquid repellent and heat moisture from the structure but insuflicient to thermally affect the sizing, then pressing the partially dried and set in confined dished structure to smooth the structure into final form and simultaneously distribute the surface exposed size over the structure surface, and then heating the structure toan'appreciably higher temperature suilicient to remove additional moisture and siz size for substantially completely surface: coating of the dished structure.

3. In the art of forming molded structures of relatively deep cavity type and from fiat suitably moistened blanks of paper sheet pulp including size and the like including forming the structure by a plurality of successive pressure applications upon the blank, such formation including initial formation of pleating inthe structure side wall by pressure to the blank central portion and subsequent stock deformation and distribution by centrally and laterally applied pressure to eliminate evidence of the pleating, then free drying, the pressure formed structure at a'temperature insufilcient to cause thermal reaction of the size, then drying at a temperature sufllcient to cause thermal reaction of the size to melt, fiux and flow same upon the structure surface, but insuflicient to scorch the latter, and then pressure forming the size coated structure to final form,

4. In the art of forming molded dished structures from fiat sheet moist paper pulp including size and the like, the formation from flat sheet to dished structure form, subjection of the formed structure to two successive heats, the first heating in duration and temperature being insuflicient to thermally effect the size and the like but sufiicient for partially drying the formed nonfiat structure to the desired degree, the second heating in duration and temperature being sufiicient to melt and flow the size over the structure surface and to further dry the structure but insufilcient to scorch the same. and then pressure ironing and consolidating the formed pulp body and melted" surface following the sec-= ond heating.

5. In the art of forming molded dished struc--v tures from fiat sheet moist paper pulp including size and the like, the formation from fiat sheet to, dished structure form, subjection of the formed structure to two successive heats, the first heating in duration and temperature being insuilicient to thermally effect the size and the like but suflicient'for partially drying the formed nonfiat structure to the desired degree, the second heating in duration and temperature being sufficient to melt and flow the size over the structure surface and to further dry the structure but insuflicient to scorch the same, and by compacting by pressure the structure body size and the like between the heatings.

6. In the art of forming molded dished structures from flat sheet moist paper pulp including size and the like, the formation from fiat sheet to dished structure form, subjection of the formed structure to two successive heats, the first heating in duration and temperature being insufilcient to thermally effect the size and the like but sufficient for partially drying the formed nonflat structure to the desired degree, the second heating in duration and temperature being suflicient to melt" and flow the size over the structure surface and to further dry the structure but insuflicient to scorch the same, compacting by pressure the structure body size and the like between the heatings, and then ironing and con- .solidating the pulp body and melted surface following the second ,heating.

'1. A method as defined by claim 3, character- I ized by pressure forming the free dried structure prior to'thermal reaction dry LEE M. WILEY.

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