Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04C—STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS
  • E04C2/00—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels
  • E04C2/02—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials
  • E04C2/10—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials of wood, fibres, chips, vegetable stems, or the like; of plastics; of foamed products
  • E04C2/16—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials of wood, fibres, chips, vegetable stems, or the like; of plastics; of foamed products of fibres, chips, vegetable stems, or the like
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G24/00—Growth substrates; Culture media; Apparatus or methods therefor
  • A01G24/20—Growth substrates; Culture media; Apparatus or methods therefor based on or containing natural organic material
  • A01G24/22—Growth substrates; Culture media; Apparatus or methods therefor based on or containing natural organic material containing plant material
  • A01G24/23—Wood, e.g. wood chips or sawdust
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G24/00—Growth substrates; Culture media; Apparatus or methods therefor
  • A01G24/40—Growth substrates; Culture media; Apparatus or methods therefor characterised by their structure
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G24/00—Growth substrates; Culture media; Apparatus or methods therefor
  • A01G24/60—Apparatus for preparing growth substrates or culture media
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/42—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties characterised by the use of certain kinds of fibres insofar as this use has no preponderant influence on the consolidation of the fleece
  • D04H1/425—Cellulose series
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/54—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties by welding together the fibres, e.g. by partially melting or dissolving
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
  • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
  • E04B1/62—Insulation or other protection; Elements or use of specified material therefor
  • E04B1/74—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B27—WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL
  • B27N—MANUFACTURE BY DRY PROCESSES OF ARTICLES, WITH OR WITHOUT ORGANIC BINDING AGENTS, MADE FROM PARTICLES OR FIBRES CONSISTING OF WOOD OR OTHER LIGNOCELLULOSIC OR LIKE ORGANIC MATERIAL
  • B27N3/00—Manufacture of substantially flat articles, e.g. boards, from particles or fibres
  • B27N3/04—Manufacture of substantially flat articles, e.g. boards, from particles or fibres from fibres
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
  • E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
  • E04B1/62—Insulation or other protection; Elements or use of specified material therefor
  • E04B1/74—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls
  • E04B2001/742—Use of special materials; Materials having special structures or shape
  • E04B2001/745—Vegetal products, e.g. plant stems, barks
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A30/00—Adapting or protecting infrastructure or their operation
  • Y02A30/24—Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation
  • Y02A30/244—Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation using natural or recycled building materials, e.g. straw, wool, clay or used tires

Definitions

• Fibre product method and apparatus for manufacturing a fibre product
• the invention relates to a fibre product presented in the introductory part of the appended Claim 1, as well as to a method presented in the introductory part of the appended Claim 6 and to an apparatus for manufacturing a fibre product presented in Claim 13.
• Flax Linum usitatissimum
• Flax is a commonly cultivated plant in Europe, and the use of flax fibre has been known for a long time past, although its present share is relatively small of the total vegetable fibre production in the world. Flax is cultivated primarily in Russia, Tru, Lithuania, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and also in Finland, even though the area presently under cultivation there is relatively small. Flax is a natural fibre plant belonging to the group of so-called stem fibre plants.
• Flax fibres (linen) have been so far used as raw materials for textile products, either alone or in combination with other fibres. Flax fibres have good strength, but poor elasticity; for example, they are stiffer than cotton fibres. Because of the fibre properties, they are primarily used in textiles for the household or for interior decoration, such as towels and table cloths, as well as curtains and other interior decoration fabrics.
• the purpose of the invention is to increase the possible uses of flax or other stem fibre plants that are processed in a similar way, and also to increase the area for cultivation of flax which is a plant very suitable for cultivation in northern regions.
• Another purpose is to present a method in which separate processing steps that are often conducted at different locations will be rendered unnecessary.
• the product according to the invention is primarily characterized in what will be presented in the characterizing part of the appended Claim 1.
• the product incorporates both the actual flax fibres and the wooden splinters, "shives" which have a larger diameter and which have previously been removed in connection with manufacturing the fibre. Both of these components suit well together for products for different uses, such as hard pressed-to-shape pieces resembling primarily chip board, or more fluffy, mat-like products which can be used as insulating materials or cultivation substrates.
• the stalk parts of flax will be better utilized, i.e. the crop of raw material per hectare of cultivated land will increase. If necessary, suitable bond fibres will be used for reinforcing the structure of the product.
• Another purpose of the invention is to present a novel method and an apparatus for manufacturing a fibre product.
• the invention is primarily characterized in what will be presented in the characterizing parts of the appended Claims 6 and 13.
• For manufacturing the final product it will be sufficient to crush and treat the stalks mechanically to the extent that the product is sufficiently homogeneous.
• the formation of the product or prefabricated product into a structure in which the different components are approximately in their final positions in relation to each other, is best conducted with the dry method. Processing the raw material from the stalks into a product in which the elements are mixed with each other in their almost final positions is best conducted in the same continuous processing line, in which the material is carried by conveyors and a conveying medium from the point of feeding in the raw material up to product formation.
• Fig. 1 shows the stalk of flax plant used as the raw material in a cross section
• Fig. 2 shows schematically the structure of the finished product
• Fig. 3 is a general view of the raw material processing line
• Fig. 4 is a side view of the apparatus of step 1 of the processing line
• Fig. 5 is a side view of the apparatus of step 2 of the processing line
• Fig. 6 is a side view of the apparatus of step 3 of the processing line
• Fig. 7 is a side view of the apparatus of step 4 of the processing line.
• Fig. 8 illustrates schematically the principle of product formation.
• Figure 1 shows the stalk of flax in a cross section. It comprises an outermost surface layer A which contains chlorophyll, and a soft cortex layer B which contains glue-like pectin and accommodates fibre bun- dies C extending parallel to the stalk from the root to the top. Inside is the woody part D of the stalk, and innermost is the hollow centre E.
• the fibre bundles of the stalk are composed of a large number of small basic fibres which are kept together by pectin.
• the length of the basic fibre of flax is most commonly about 40 — 65 mm, and its diameter is in the range of 8 — 30 ⁇ m.
• Fig. 2 shows schematically the final product.
• the product incorporates both fibres 1 originating from fibre bundles C and small wood splinters, "shives" 2 originating from the woody part D of the stalk. These components have been mixed into a three-dimensional structure.
• the reference numeral 3 indicates synthetic bond fibres, such as thermoplastic fibres, which can be subjected to thermal treatment to form a three-di- mensional network to which said vegetal components are fixed partly by thermal bonding and which, on the other hand, keeps the components mechanically in position by forming a kind of cage to surround them.
• the finer material which has been formed of the other parts of the stalk by becoming ground, is separated from the raw materials constituting the final product.
• the products are suitable for uses in which no resiliency is required to their original form, i.e. for uses as "static" products.
• These products include pressed-to-shape hard products, such as hat racks of vehicles and ceiling materials. These usually have a density in the range from 600 to 650 kg/m 3 .
• the products are suitable for mat-like products with a low density, to be used as insulation materials or particularly as cultivation sub- strates. Such mat-like products can have a density as low as 20 — 50 kg/m 3 .
• a mat-like product with an even thickness it is also possible to manufacture a harder plate having an even thickness (density 350 — 450 kg/m 3 ) which can be used as insulation or building material.
• density 350 density 350 — 450 kg/m 3
• the density of products can vary from 20 to 650 kg/m 3 .
• Figure 3 shows schematically the beginning of the production line.
• the method for manufacturing of an at least semi-fabricated or intermediate product comprises the following steps:
• Step 3 shows the beginning of the production line, i.e. the pre-treat- ment section before transferring the raw material of the product onto the forming platform.
• Step 1 (V1) comprises an opening apparatus and a working apparatus
• step 2 (V2) comprises a metering apparatus
• step 3 (V3) comprises a mixing and separating apparatus
• step 4 (V4) comprises a levelling apparatus.
• the raw material, flax from which the seed-vessels have been removed, is supplied in dry bales or large bundles.
• the opening apparatus comprises a spiked belt 4 running in an upwards slanted direction, above which there is a horizontal spiked belt 5 running in the opposite direction and preventing the large stalk bundles from slipping from the gap between the conveyors.
• the upper end of the loop of the slanted belt 4 is followed by a feeding roll 6 for dropping the sufficiently opened bundles onto a conveyor 7.
• the stalks are already crushed to some extent.
• the crushed stalks are carried by the con- veyor 7 to the feeding device 8 of the actual treatment and separating apparatus.
• the feeding device consists of successive pairs of rollers, wherein the stalks are fed in through a gap between the spiked rollers that are situated on top of each other in the pairs of rollers forward towards the surface of a large, fast rotating drum 9 whose peripheral speed can exceed 1000 m/min.
• the drum is equipped with protrusions which take up crushed stalks.
• the periphery of the drum 9 carries stalks through narrow gaps which are formed between the spiked rollers 10, 11 , 12 placed along the periphery of the drum and the peripheral surface of the drum.
• the spiked rollers rotate all in the same direc- tion which is opposite to the rotation direction of the drum, wherein the direction of movement of opposite surfaces in the gaps is the same.
• the relative movement of the protrusions of the drum and the rollers is caused by the smaller surface velocities of the rollers, in the order of 30 to 100 m/min, wherein the movement of the protrusions of the rollers and the drum in the gaps brings about rubbing of the stalks and separation of the fibre bundles and the woody part of the stalk from each other, and breaking down of the woody parts into small wood splinters or shives.
• the other parts of the stalk are ground into finer particles which can be removed later on.
• the gaps between the rollers and the drum are decreased in the running direction of the periphery of the drum, and the distances between the tips of the protrusions in the gaps can be less than 2 mm.
• Figure 5 shows a metering apparatus.
• the fibres sucked in through the channel 13 are blown to the upper part of a metering silo.
• a set of rollers 15 for metering the material to a conveyor 16 running underneath them.
• This apparatus is also used for metering the other fibre material to the production line via a second metering silo 17, the fibre material being supplied to its upper part.
• the other fibre material consists preferably of a bond fibre which is a synthetic plastic material, particularly a heat-activated material.
• thermoplastic fibre such as polyethylene fibre
• the bond fibre can be supplied in e.g. about 2.5 to 7.5 wt-% on top of the basic material carried on the conveyor 16.
• the proportion of this blend fibre can be controlled by means of the rotation speed of the rollers in a set of rollers 18 in the lower part of the second metering silo 17.
• the conveyor 16 carries the basic material and the blend fibres into an apparatus whose structure and operation corresponds to the opening apparatus of Fig. 3 and which comprises a slanted spiked belt 19. This apparatus is used for mixing the basic material and the blend fibres, and simultaneously it opens larger clusters which cannot pass through the gap between the belts in the upper part of the slanted belt.
• FIG. 6 illustrates the mixing and separating apparatus, in which the basic material (fibres and wood splinters) are further mixed together and with the blend fibres supplied in the previous step.
• the apparatus has a slanted frame 20 accommodating an upwards slanted transfer line provided with successive pin rollers 21 rotating in the same direction at a high rotational speed (about 300 rpm).
• the pins 22 are ar- ranged between each other in the space between two successive rollers.
• the frame Underneath the transfer line formed by the rollers, the frame is provided with a chamber 23 which is connected to suction.
• the chamber is separated from the pin rollers 21 by curved screen plates 24 at the rollers, the finer material being sucked through the screen plates 24.
• the mesh size of the screen plates 24 can be adjusted according to each application.
• the pin rollers 21 rotate in a direction that next to the screen plates 24 their peripheries move in the direction of the upwards slanted transfer line and throw material against the screen plates by the effect of the centrifugal force.
• the material brought by the pins 22 of the first roller is transferred to be moved by the next roller by the effect of its pins 22 moving in the opposite direction. If the material is not suffi- ciently loose, it will be carried with the movement of the first roller against the transfer direction of the transfer line towards its beginning. In this separating apparatus, the finer material, whose proportion is generally 50 %, will be finally separated from the raw material.
• the proportion of the previously added blend fibres will be ap- proximately doubled, i.e. about 5 to 15 wt-% of the total mass of the product.
• the proportion of blend fibres can generally vary within the range from 3 to 50 weight percent.
• the material is sucked into a channel 25, and it is blown by a blower along a channel 26 to the levelling apparatus.
• Figure 7 shows a levelling apparatus intended for ultimately levelling out variations occurring in the material flow in the longitudinal direction.
• the material consisting of fibres and wood splinters is passed into a channel 26 extending in a slanted position above shafts 27 of different heights. Material falls from the channel into the shafts 27, and it is fed by separate distributing devices, such as sets of rollers 28, placed at the bottom of each shaft 27 and having advantageously an adjustable feeding rate, to a conveyor 29 running underneath them. From the end of the conveyor 29, the material is led through a channel 30 to product formation shown in Fig. 8.
• the heavier fraction falls at the first stage to a first shaft (first shafts) 27a.
• the lightest fraction i.e.
• the fluffiest fraction falls first to the later shafts or the last shaft 27b.
• the material flow supplied through the channel 26 and being non-homogeneous in relation to time, is divided into shafts 27, from which a material flow which is homogeneous in relation to time and contains a desired distribution of fractions of different weights, can be taken onto the conveyor 29.
• the desired fraction group is led through a channel 30 to further processing.
• Figure 8 shows an apparatus for the product formation step.
• the air flow blown along the channel 30 and carrying the fibres, wood splinters and blend fibres, is supplied by a feeding device 31 into a forming chamber 32 which is closed by a forming platform 33 moving in relation to the chamber and passing the air through.
• the air flow carrying material to the formation point on top of the platform is sucked into a chamber 34 on the other side of the platform.
• the product can be compressed at a later stage according to the final density desired for the product.
• These mat-like or sheet-like products can vary from porous mat-like flexible products into stiff plates.
• thermal binding is conducted, if the blend fibres are heat-activated fibres, such as thermoplastic fibres which are softened by the effect of heat into a gluing state and bind the structure when cooling down.
• the mat-like product formed on the forming platform can also be an intermediate or semi-fabricated product, which is later subjected to pressing to shape, wherein it will receive a shape deviating from the planar surface, i.e. it will be manufactured into a shaped piece deviating from a planar product. Also in pressing to shape, the binding properties of blend fibres can be utilized by heating and cooling.
• blend fibres can be utilized in the product so that they form a kind of network or "cage" surrounding the components of the vegetal raw material and holding the material (fibres and wood splinters) in place.
• the invention is not limited solely to the use of a heat-activatable blend fibre for binding the product, but the fibres and small wood splinters can be bound together also by other binding agents.
• the invention is suitable for the use of all flax species and varieties containing basic fibre and woody material in their stalks, but it can also be applied in the treatment of other stem fibre plants with a similar structure.
• the invention can also be applied directly to a flax which is stored after cutting into an intermediate depot, particularly in bales; in other words, no complicated pre-treatment steps, such as retting, are required.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Ecology (AREA)
• Forests & Forestry (AREA)
• Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Dry Formation Of Fiberboard And The Like (AREA)
• Debarking, Splitting, And Disintegration Of Timber (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=8546301

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (9)

Cited By (9)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (4)

• 1996
  • 1996-06-27 FI FI962667A patent/FI962667A/fi unknown
• 1997
  • 1997-06-27 AU AU32645/97A patent/AU3264597A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-06-27 EE EE9800458A patent/EE9800458A/xx unknown
  • 1997-06-27 EP EP97928292A patent/EP0907780A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1997-06-27 PL PL97330973A patent/PL330973A1/xx unknown
  • 1997-06-27 WO PCT/FI1997/000415 patent/WO1998001611A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1998
  • 1998-12-23 NO NO986128A patent/NO986128L/no not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1999
  • 1999-01-06 LT LT99-003A patent/LT99003A/lt unknown
  • 1999-01-14 LV LV990008A patent/LV12296A/xx unknown

Patent Citations (4)

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