US2659412A - Means and method for producing a continuous sheet of integrated mica - Google Patents

Means and method for producing a continuous sheet of integrated mica Download PDF

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Publication number
US2659412A
US2659412A US201020A US20102050A US2659412A US 2659412 A US2659412 A US 2659412A US 201020 A US201020 A US 201020A US 20102050 A US20102050 A US 20102050A US 2659412 A US2659412 A US 2659412A
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United States
Prior art keywords
flakes
web
tank
mica
water
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Expired - Lifetime
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US201020A
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English (en)
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Moses D Heyman
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Individual
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Individual
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Priority to BE507802D priority Critical patent/BE507802A/xx
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to US201020A priority patent/US2659412A/en
Priority to GB28165/51A priority patent/GB696992A/en
Priority to FR1054213D priority patent/FR1054213A/fr
Priority to CH306315D priority patent/CH306315A/fr
Priority to US262508A priority patent/US2705456A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2659412A publication Critical patent/US2659412A/en
Priority to BE524907A priority patent/BE524907A/fr
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
    • B28D—WORKING STONE OR STONE-LIKE MATERIALS
    • B28D1/00—Working stone or stone-like materials, e.g. brick, concrete or glass, not provided for elsewhere; Machines, devices, tools therefor
    • B28D1/32—Methods and apparatus specially adapted for working materials which can easily be split, e.g. mica, slate, schist
    • B28D1/322—Splitting of the working materials
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
    • D21H—PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D21H13/00—Pulp or paper, comprising synthetic cellulose or non-cellulose fibres or web-forming material
    • D21H13/36—Inorganic fibres or flakes
    • D21H13/38—Inorganic fibres or flakes siliceous
    • D21H13/44—Flakes, e.g. mica, vermiculite

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the production of integrated mica sheets formed from layers of thin virgin-faced flakes of mica arranged in random fashion with their surfaces in contiguous relation.
  • the present invention is an improvement of the means and methods disclosed in my Patents Nos. 2,405,576 and 2,490,129 and contemplates the provision of a novel apparatus and method for producing integrated mica sheets of indefinite length.
  • the present invention it is contemplated and it is an object thereof, to provide improved apparatus for continuously forming sheets of integrated mica of long indennite and commercial lengths, thereby, materially reducing the cost of production that attended the intermittent operation of my prior apparatus.
  • the mica flakes are borne in suspension in a liquid and are split in said liquid in disintegrator means such as disclosed in the mentioned patents.
  • the operation of said means is an intermittent one as disclosed in my pending application, Ser. No. 164,333, filed May 26, 1950, now U. S. Patent No. 2,612,889. It is desired that a specied amount of liquid, for a constant period j of time, and at a high and constant pressure, be delivered to the disintegrator means.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide, in sheet-forming apparatus, means for delivering to disintegrator means, exact amounts of liquid, at required pressure and at uniformly spaced intervals, thereby providing for uniformity of output of the disintegrator means and uniformity of mica-liquid proportion, the same resulting in uniformity of deposit of mica flakes when forming a sheet.
  • the invention further comprises the novel combination and organization of elements hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
  • Fig. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view of apparatus embodying the present invention.
  • Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 3 is a similarly enlarged vertical sectional view of classifier means employed in the invention.
  • Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed view of mica flake depositing means used in the apparatus.
  • Figs. 5 and 6 are broken cross-sectional Yviews taken on the respective lines 5 5 and 6 6 oi' Fig. 1.
  • Fig. 7 is a semi-diagrammatic view of conveyor means employed to form the mica sheet.
  • I'he apparatus illustrated in the drawing comprises, generally, means I0 for providing a source o1' mineraland impurity-free Water or other suitable liquid; means II for pumping said water at uniform intervals of time, in uniform amounts, and at a required unit pressure; disintegrator means I2 receptive of said intermittently supplied water and of mica pieces for splitting up said mica pieces into thin flakes; means I3 in the path 'of flow of the liquid-borne flakes discharged from the disintegrator means I2 for intercepting flakes that are too thick and/or too heavy, additionally splitting them, and then'returning them to they main flow of liquid-home ilakes; classifier means I4 receptive of said flow for effecting final selection of mica flakes of suitable thin size; means I5 receptive of the ilakes delivered by the classifier means I4 and for continuously forming a sheet of integrated mica; and means I6 for extracting the liquid resident among the flakes to render the same thoroughly cohesive.
  • water is the liquid medium in which the mica is split and in which the flakes are borne.
  • Other liquids that do not leave a residue upon evaporation may be used.
  • Examples of such alternative media are methyl alcohol, carbon tetrachloride, and aromatic solvents such as toluene, xylene, etc.
  • evaporative liquid medium is used in the appended claims to define such evaporative liquids.
  • the means I0 comprises a water inlet pipe I1 that is controlled by a valve I8.
  • a reservoir or tank I9 receives water from pipe I1.
  • a pipe 20 with a valve 2l therein open, conducts inlet Water directly to tank I9.
  • any of the conventional ion exchangers may be connected across pipe by a pipe 22 controlled by valves 23, substantially as shown. It is clear that by closing valve 2I and opening valves 23, water is purified by the ion exchanger and directed to tank I3.
  • the level of said tank is maintained by a solenoid valve 24 in pipe I1 and a oat-controlled switch 25 in said tank.
  • a predetermined level of water in tank I9 holds valve 24 closed and the same opens to permit inlet flow upon lowering of said level.
  • the simple arrangement shown provides for the optional supply of purified or non-puried water, as the case may be.
  • the means II essentially comprises a proportioning pumping unit 26 and a booster pump 21.
  • the latter pump is generally conventional and, by means of a valved pipe 28, draws water from tank I9 and delivers the same to a pipe 29 under a constant pressure which, in practice, is some one hundred fifty p. s. i.
  • the proportioning pump unit 26 comprises a pair of opposed cylinders 30 in which reciprocate pistons 3I under control of a constant-rise cam 32, said pistons, during their compression strokes, thereby discharging at a constant rate under a uniform pressure.
  • Pipe 23 connects to feed pipes 33 that have branches 34 to the discharge sides of cylinders 30. Check valves 35 in pipe 33 serve to prevent back flow to pipe 23.
  • pump 21 creates a constant pressure in pipes 29, 33, and 34, and in cylinders 30 so that occluded air in said cylinders is lowered to such minimum amounts that said cylinders, during the suction stroke of pistons 3l, will, at all times, fill with substantially the same amount of water. Consequently, assurance is had that said pistons will alternately deliver, for each stroke, the same amount of water under a uniform pressure. Since thereis pressure in the cylinders even during the intake or suction strokes, the pressure on cam 32 is minimized and the operation of pumping unit 2B is thereby Vrendered smooth and efllcient.
  • the disintegrator means I2 in the present apparatus, comprises a set of six disintegrators, two of which, designated 40, are larger than the other four, said disintegrators, as shown in Fig. 2, being arranged in pairs, on opposite sides of a mica flake flow chute or trough 4I.
  • Two sets, 42 and 43, of smaller disintegrators are successively nearer the discharge end of said chute.
  • Pipe 36 by means of a connecting pipe or pipes 44, feeds the larger disintegrators 40; said pipe 36 and connecting pipe or pipes 45, feeds disintegrators 42; and pipe 31, by means of connecting pipes 45, feeds disintegrators 43.
  • a valve 41 controls pipe 44, a valve 48 controls pipe 45, and a valve 48a controls pipe 46.
  • one or two of the three pairs of disintegrators 40, 42, and 43 may be connected to receive flow from pumping unit 26.
  • the larger disintegrators 40 When larger pieces are being fed into the apparatus, the larger disintegrators 40 are used. Smaller pieces entail the use of disintegrators 42 and 43. Since the operation of the disintegrators is an intermittent one, as controlled by the pulsations of the proportioning pump unit 2B, the jets 49 alternately span across the throats 50 that deilne the splitting chambers 5I of the disintegrators. When the jets are on, the level of water in funnels 52 rises due to the back pressure created by the barrier effect of the Jets. The head of water thus stored in the funnels displaces water in the chambers upwardly to float suspended akes therein upwardly until said water and suspended flakes are discharged at outlets 53 into chute 4I.
  • the mentioned pending application fully describes this action in which the phenomenonl wherein no water is discharged at 53 when the iets are on but wherein water is discharged when the jets are off. occurs.
  • the mica feed for disintegrators 40, 42 and 43 comprises a chute 54 for each disintegrator, a container 55 to supply each chute and a vibrating device 55. These items are freely suspended and device 53 is electrically controlled by a noat switch 51 influenced by the level of Water in each funnel 52.
  • a noat switch 51 influenced by the level of Water in each funnel 52.
  • the level of water in the tunnels 52 is the level at the bottom of outlets 53.
  • vibrators 56 are energized to institute feed of mica pieces from containers 55, through chutes 54 into said runnels,
  • feed of mica pieces is effected only when the water level in the funnels is high enough to actuate switches 51.
  • the disintegrators are designed to split mica to thicknesses of at least four microns. However, in practice, thicker pieces or flakes will issue from outlets 53 among those that are of suitable thickness.
  • the means I3 is provided to intercept such thicker and heavier flakes that are passing down chute 4I and to subject the same to an additional splitting phase. One-half to one per cent of mica flakes is present in the water flowing along chute 4I and of this mica, a relatively small percentage of unduly heavy ilakes will be washed along at the bottom of said chute. These heavier flakes are intercepted by a dam 53 at the bottom of chute 4I while the flakes in flotation pass thereover, A funnel 59 receives and directs such heavier flakes and the water bearing the same into a relatively small disintegrator 30. which functions in the same manner rastenia as the. earlier-described disintegrators and y wherein the iiakes are again subjected to splitf offset from the width, at one side, of said chute.
  • 4 comprises an outer box-like container es that has a sloping bottom 65, and a screen 66 that resides within container 64 with suitable clearance substantially as shown.
  • the frame supporting the classier is not shown.
  • the screen is aflixed thereto and is maintained stationary relative to the container which is vertically reciprocated on suitable guides by one or more eccentrics 51 that are driven by an electric motor 68.
  • the front wall 69 of screen 66 is impervious to water while the remaining walls are made of a mesh of a desired gauge. Therefore, Iiakes in the water in container 64 can enter screen 66 only through its mesh bottom and mesh sides.
  • the con tainer 64 When the classifier is in operation, the con tainer 64 is reciprocated some two hundred times a minute. Since, the lighter flakes descend or settle quite slowly, they nd themselves within screen 86, after being pushed therethrough when the oncoming flow washes them into discharge chute l0. The latter, it will be noted, is located substantially above the bottom of container bot tom 65. The heavier ilakes within the water in the container cannot find their way through the mesh of screen 65 and are depressed toward the bottom 65 where they flow along the slope thereoic to a discharge pipe 1
  • Disintegrator 12 discharges into a flexible hose 'it at the end of which is provided a ake collector 14 on the end of an arm 15 pivoted at 16. From time to time the accumulation in collector 1li is deposited in the laterally offset portion of chamber 62 to be joined to the main ilow. Since disintegrator 12 operates intermittently as do the earlier described disintegrators, a suitable timing device (not shown) may be employed to swing arm l to the upward position shown when the jets of this disintegrator are shown. It will be seen that all of the mica introduced in the apparatus is circulated and split and re-circulated and re-split until the same is reduced to the desired Hake size for incorporation in an integrated mica sheet.
  • 5 consists of an I open-topped and elongated tank 11 that has an upwardly sloping bottom 18 and is deepest at the end receiving the discharge of chute 1i?.
  • a relatively narrow transverse chamber 19 receives the flow from said chute and the same is located at said deeper end of tank 11.
  • the water level in tank 11 is maintained by an overllow trough f 88 substantially as shown.
  • Many experiments have shown that by discharging the flow of water and flakes through a static head of water, the flakes will settle evenly.
  • the chamber 19 denes such a static head since the same is confined by spaced vertical walls 8
  • is provided to receive the flakes that settle in chamber 19 and the vsame substantially comprises an inner ⁇ belt 82 and an outer belt 83.
  • both belts are trained over a relatively small pulley '84.
  • the opposite end of belt 82 is trained overa large driven pulley 85, and the same end of belt 83 is extended and trained over a pulley 86 that is driven at the same rate of speed as pulley 85 by a suitable motor 81 through a speed reducer or controller 88.
  • the latter is adjustable to obtain the rate of belt speed desired to. thereby, control the thickness of akes deposited from chamber 19 on to the upper run of conveyor means 8
  • the belt 82 is preferably formed of articulated metal links and is substantially non-stretchable.
  • Belt 83 is formed as a relatively thin woven nylon web that is superposed around belt 82 (at least as far as pulley 85) and is effectively supported thereby.
  • Idler pulleys 89 and 90 are employed to guide conveyor means 8
  • is provided to train nylon belt or web 83 around the major portion of pulley 86 and, preferably, is heated. 'Ihe cylindrical face of pulley 86 is perforated and vacuum through lines 92 is created in the inside of said pulley as in non-rotational chests 93. It will be seen that the upper run of the conveyor means 8
  • a vacuum plate or chest 94 is placed beneath the upper run of the conveyor means 8
  • the means i8 which comprises feed and pressure rolls 89 and an oven
  • apparatus for producing a continuous sheet of integrated mica means for splitting mica pieces immersed in an evaporative liquid to disintegrate said pieces into flakes that have naturally cohesive surfaces, an inclined chute receptive above its lowest point of a flow of said flakes and liquid from said splitting means, a continuously moving upwardly sloping endless conveyor including ⁇ an air-pervious web, a tank in one end of which the lower end of said conveyor is disposed, the upper end of the conveyor extending above and beyond the other end of said tank, a pair of transverse spaced walls in said tank above said lower end of the conveyor and defining a flake-settling chamber, means to conduct the flow from said inclined chute into the top of said settling chamber to effect deposit of flakes onto the upper side of said air-pervious web, the liquid of said flow entering said tank, overflow means to maintain the level of said liquid in said tank, and suction means effective on the under side of the web and upon the flakes located at the point the web leaves the liquid in the tank to bring said flakes out of the liquid in the
  • the upwardly sloping conveyor further including a nonstretchable belt over which the air-pervious web is disposed, the web, beyond said other end of the tank, leaving the belt, separate operativelyconnected pulleys over which said belt and web are trained. and variable-speed means to drive said pulleys to vary the speed of travel of the Letters 8 web to, thereby, vary the thickness of deposit of flakes from the settling chamber.
  • the upwardly sloping conveyor further including a non-stretchable belt over which the alrpervious web is disposed, the web, beyond said other end of the tank, leaving the belt, separate operativelyconnected pulleys over which said belt and web are trained, and suction means applied to the inner side of the pulley over which the web is trained and effective upon said web and the flakes thereon to extract residual moisture from among the flakes.
  • a continuously moving upwardly sloping endless conveyor including an air-pervious web, a tank in one end of which the lower end of said conveyor is disposed. the upper end of the conveyor extending above the other end of the tank, a pair of transverse walls in said tank above the lower end of the conveyor and defining a settling chamber receptive of a flow of liquid-borne finely split mica flakes and through Awhich the flakes settle and deposit on the upper side of said air-pervious web while the liquid of said flow enters said tank, overflow means to maintain the level of liquid in said tank, and suction means applied to and effective on the under side of the web and, through the web, on the flakes thereon, said suction means being located at the point where the web leaves the liquid in the tank and partially submerged in the liquid in the tank so as to hold the flakes on the web While passing out of said liquid.
  • Apparatus for producing a continuous sheet of integrated mica comprising, in combination, a sheet-forming unit comprising a liquid-containing tank and a continuously moving liquid-pervious conveyor web moving in the tank upwardly and outwardly therefrom, means to conduct a continuous flow of evaporating liquid, containing a suspension of thin mica flakes, to said tank.
  • a settling chamber in the tank receptive of said flow and through which the flakes in the liquid settle downwardly onto the web in overlapping sheet-forming relation, means in the flow-conducting means to pass to said chamber only relatively thin mica flakes to impart to the sheet substantially uniform texture, a suction device partly submerged in the liquid in said tank, applied to and effective on the web and, through the web, on the sheet of flakes thereon to hold said flakes on the web as the same moves out of the liquid in the tank, and suction and heat means applied to the web after the latter emerges from the tank and effective on the sheet thereon to extract moisture from the sheet to integrate the same.
  • overflow means to maintain the level of liquid in said tank constant to retain partial submersion of the suction device.
  • Apparatus according to claim 5 a variable speed drive for the web to control the thickness of the layer of akes deposited thereon.
  • the method according to claim 8 which includes additionally controlling the continuous now to provide a substantially uniform settling of the iiakes, and varying the rate of movement of the web to vary the thickness o1' the sheet formed thereon, as desired.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Paper (AREA)
  • Silicates, Zeolites, And Molecular Sieves (AREA)
US201020A 1950-12-15 1950-12-15 Means and method for producing a continuous sheet of integrated mica Expired - Lifetime US2659412A (en)

Priority Applications (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE507802D BE507802A (en, 2012) 1950-12-15
US201020A US2659412A (en) 1950-12-15 1950-12-15 Means and method for producing a continuous sheet of integrated mica
GB28165/51A GB696992A (en) 1950-12-15 1951-11-30 Improvements in means and method for producing a continuous sheet of integrated mica
FR1054213D FR1054213A (fr) 1950-12-15 1951-12-10 Procédé et installation pour la production d'une feuille continue de mica cohésionné
CH306315D CH306315A (fr) 1950-12-15 1951-12-14 Procédé pour la fabrication d'une feuille continue de mica et installation pour la mise en oeuvre de ce procédé.
US262508A US2705456A (en) 1950-12-15 1951-12-20 Apparatus for intermittently delivering liquid in uniform amounts, at a uniform rate, and under constant pressure
BE524907A BE524907A (fr) 1950-12-15 1953-12-08 Appareil servant a delivrer d'une maniere intermittente du liquide en quantites uniformes et sous pressions constantes.

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US201020A US2659412A (en) 1950-12-15 1950-12-15 Means and method for producing a continuous sheet of integrated mica

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US2659412A true US2659412A (en) 1953-11-17

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US201020A Expired - Lifetime US2659412A (en) 1950-12-15 1950-12-15 Means and method for producing a continuous sheet of integrated mica

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US (1) US2659412A (en, 2012)
BE (1) BE507802A (en, 2012)
CH (1) CH306315A (en, 2012)
FR (1) FR1054213A (en, 2012)
GB (1) GB696992A (en, 2012)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2703598A (en) * 1952-08-05 1955-03-08 Integrated Mica Corp Mica sheeting apparatus
US2915477A (en) * 1957-07-12 1959-12-01 Siemens Ag Method for producing mica pulp
US3001571A (en) * 1957-08-05 1961-09-26 Minnesota Mining & Mfg Synthetic mica flakes and structures
US3087482A (en) * 1958-02-25 1963-04-30 Mycalex Corp Of America Method and apparatus for making reconstituted synthetic mica sheet
US4391734A (en) * 1981-02-28 1983-07-05 Standard Oil Company (Indiana) Mineral treatment and composition
US4391733A (en) * 1981-08-28 1983-07-05 Standard Oil Company (Indiana) Mineral treatment and composition

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1913877A (en) * 1928-06-22 1933-06-13 Continental Diamond Fibre Co Mica sorting apparatus
US2077720A (en) * 1935-05-28 1937-04-20 Johns Manville Felted product and method of making the same
US2405576A (en) * 1943-06-03 1946-08-13 Integrated Mica Corp Integrated mica and method of making the same
US2490129A (en) * 1945-09-17 1949-12-06 Integrated Mica Corp Method and apparatus for fabricating mica

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1913877A (en) * 1928-06-22 1933-06-13 Continental Diamond Fibre Co Mica sorting apparatus
US2077720A (en) * 1935-05-28 1937-04-20 Johns Manville Felted product and method of making the same
US2405576A (en) * 1943-06-03 1946-08-13 Integrated Mica Corp Integrated mica and method of making the same
US2490129A (en) * 1945-09-17 1949-12-06 Integrated Mica Corp Method and apparatus for fabricating mica

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2703598A (en) * 1952-08-05 1955-03-08 Integrated Mica Corp Mica sheeting apparatus
US2915477A (en) * 1957-07-12 1959-12-01 Siemens Ag Method for producing mica pulp
US3001571A (en) * 1957-08-05 1961-09-26 Minnesota Mining & Mfg Synthetic mica flakes and structures
US3087482A (en) * 1958-02-25 1963-04-30 Mycalex Corp Of America Method and apparatus for making reconstituted synthetic mica sheet
US4391734A (en) * 1981-02-28 1983-07-05 Standard Oil Company (Indiana) Mineral treatment and composition
US4391733A (en) * 1981-08-28 1983-07-05 Standard Oil Company (Indiana) Mineral treatment and composition

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE507802A (en, 2012)
FR1054213A (fr) 1954-02-09
GB696992A (en) 1953-09-09
CH306315A (fr) 1955-04-15

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