Patent GB-1499076-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for packaging compressible fibrous batts and package of same
IPC: B65B27/12
Filed: 1976-03-12
Abstract: 1499076 Packing compressible fibrous batts; winding webs OWENS-CORNING FIBERGLAS CORP 12 March 1976 [9 June 1975] 09974/76 Headings B8M and B8R A package comprises a plurality of compressed batts each of rectangular shape, the batts being of resiliently compressible material arranged in end-to-end abutting relationship and wound successively into a spiral configuration, the batts being compressed radially in a direction towards the centre of the spiral, and securing means wrapped circumferentially around the outside of the spiral to hold the batts in the compressed spiral configuration. As shown, heat softened glass, or other flowable film-forming material, is fed from the forehearth 27 of a melting furnace 26 into fibreforming units 28 from which fibres are directed downwardly through a hood 30 where they are sprayed with binder. The fibres are deposited upon the upper flight 32 of a foraminous, endless belt conveyer 34 and collected as a layer of approximately the desired thickness while being acted upon by suction from a suction chamber 38. The fibre layer then passes between a pair of foraminous belts 42, 44 which compress the layer to the required thickness and convey it, through a heating chamber 48 partially to cure the fibres. Knives 50 trim the edges and sever the layer 46 into two side-by-side layers 52 which may be spaced apart by a plough, not shown. Backing sheets of adhesive-coated kraft paper from reels 56 may be applied to the layers 52 which are then severed by means 60 into batts 62, e.g. for building insulation. The batts are then fed to a detaining-and-collecting apparatus which includes first and second conveyer belts 80, 82 which run at a higher speed than a preceding conveyer 58 to space the batts by a distance of 6 to 12 feet. A set of stationary guides 86, 88 and a set of wire gates 90, each comprising a fixed and movable guide plate 92, 94 respectively, is controlled by electric eyes 96 and reflectors 98 which initiate a counter mechanism 100 so that the movable plates 94 sequentially move inwardly to close each of the gates 90, starting at the downstream end, to retain the first eight of the set of nine batts as they enter the respective gates 90, Fig. 2. When the last of the set of nine batts moves from between the fixed guides 86, 88 and past the electric eyes 96 the counter 100 initiates the sequential opening of the movable guides 94 in the downstream direction to deliver the set of nine batts in substantial abutting relation on to inclined suction conveyers 68 and into the winding loop 70 of an endless conveyer belt 72 which rotates anticlockwise at a slightly higher speed than the conveyer 68, in a machine frame 74. The conveyer 72 is controlled by tensioning means 76, the batts 62 being wound in spiral configuration and the size of the loop 70 increasing while still maintaining compression in the batts 62. As the last of the set of batts 62 is fed into the loop 70 tapes 166, 168 from a dispensing device 78 are fed up the inclined conveyer 68 into the loop 70 and around the outermost batts of each roll package. The counter assembly 100 can include eight commercially-available counters, one for each of the gates. The upstream end of each movable guide plate 94 is pivotally supported above a belt (102) of the conveyer 82 by a slotted arm 104, Fig. 9, which extends through a sleeve 106 carried by a post 110 so as to be vertically, and horizontally, adjustable to accommodate batts of different size. The downstream end of each plate 94 is correspondingly mounted for similar adjustments and is movable inwardly and outwardly by a pneumatic ram (136) controlled by flow control valves (150) and a four-way solenoid valve (152). Specification 1,475,198 is referred to.