Patent GB-867236-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus and method for manufacture of reinforced sheet material and reinforcement therefor
Inventor: HAVEMANN ROBERT ADDISON
IPC: D21H23/58
Filed: 1957-11-22
Abstract: 867,236. Laminating; making fabric of adhesively bonded threads; coating webs; coated fabrics; reinforced paper. ST. REGIS PAPER CO. Nov. 22, 1957, No. 36520/57. Classes 96 and 140. Unit lengths of strand-like material are formed, conveyed and applied transversely to other and longitudinally moving material by-forming a continuous length of the strand-like material into helical convolutions, moving the convolutions in a path, gripping each convolution at spaced apart points, severing the convolutions between these spaced apart points to divide the continuous length into unit lengths in generally loop form, drawing the lengths to taut linear form, and advancing them into contact with the longitudinally moving material while maintaining gripping engagement near to the severed ends of each length. The longitudinally moving material may be a web, e.g. of paper, or the strands may be sandwiched between two such webs. Alternatively it may be a plurality of strands moving across the strand lengths to form a mesh, in which case webs may also be applied on one or both sides. When a web is applied on one side only, further adhesive may be applied to the reinforced surface after the reinforcing strands. The product may be cut into strips of suitable width, and the free ends of the reinforcing strands cut off. As shown in Fig. 1, a circular rotatable turret 2 carrying a plurality of spindle assemblies 3, is mounted on a stationary table 1. Mounted above the spindle assemblies are endless belts 12, 13, 14 and other (not shown), which together with two cables (one shown at 17) define a generally hexagonal prism about which the strands 19, fed from the spindle assemblies 3, are wrapped as the turret rotates. At their lower ends the belts pass round sheaves 20 which are driven through connecting rods (not shown) from the cablecontacting sheaves 22, which are driven by the cables. The belts carry the strands 19 upwards in the form of continuous helical convolutions. Strand-receiving belts 23 and 24 are arranged to coincide with the upward paths of the cables, each of the strand-receiving belts being provided with a cable-receiving channel opening on to the face of the belt in a narrow resilient neck. The strand-receiving belts pass round sheaves 29 and the cables are contacted by rollers 31 which press the cables into the channels and so lock each convolution of the strands between the cables and strand-receiving belts. The strands are then severed between the two cables by a rotary knife 33, to form strand lengths 19a. The strand-receiving belts are then moved along divergent paths (see Fig. 10) round rollers 35, 36, 37 and 38 to pull out each strand length 19a to a straight line and then over sheaves 39, 40 which are independently adjustable vertically by means 41 and 42. One of the sheaves 39, 40 may be vertically displaced relatively to the other to increase effectively the length of path of one of the belts 23, 24 to compensate for the initially slantwise condition of strands 19a. The horizontally aligned strands are next passed between rolls 43, 44 where they are laminated between adhesive-coated webs 45 and 46. The shafts on which rolls 43 and 44 are mounted also carry sheaves over which pass respectively the cables and the belts, which here disengage and release the strands. The laminated sheet material may be wound up at 59. In a modification (not shown) longitudinally extending strands also are fed into the nip of rolls 43 and 44, from a creel through a perforated guide bar arranged to reciprocate across the web. In another modification (not shown) the reinforcing strands are laminated to a single web. In this case one combining roll 43 is replaced by a roll made up of a series of closely-spaced disclike members to press the exposed strands 19a into contact with the adhesively coated surface of the web passing round roll 44.