Patent ID: 6468453
Filing Date: 2002-10-22
Classification: B26F,B28B,B28D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of fabricating a fiber-cement soffit, comprising:placing a fiber-cement panel between a punch assembly and a support assembly, the punch assembly having a punch plate and a plurality of punches coupled to the punch plate, and the support assembly having a support plate with a plurality of holes; and forming a plurality of apertures in the fiber-cement panel at least substantially simultaneously by driving the punches at least substantially simultaneously through only a portion of the fiber-cement panel to penetrate the punches into the fiber-cement panel to an intermediate depth of the fiber-cement panel without passing the punches completely through the fiber-cement panel by ejecting frustoconical plugs from the fiber-cement panel; wherein, as the punches penetrate into the fiber-cement panel to the intermediate depth, the fiber-cement panel fractures along approximately conical paths to elect the frustoconical plugs from the fiber-cement panel.