Improvements in Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing Cork-boards.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1894-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Method of and Apparatus for Manufacturing
Cork-boards.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM EDDY of No. 41, Park Row, New York in the
County and State of New York, United States of America, Writer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in the method of and apparatus for
manufacturing cork board, in which granulated cork, intermingled with loose
fibres, is compressed into a compact, tough, flexible board or sheet.
The invention consists in introducing loose fibres among mingled granules of cork,
and subsequently compressing the cork granules and fibre into a compact mass, and
the invention further consists in apparatus for carrying the above recited method
into practical effect.
The accompanying drawings represent, in vertical longitudinal section, an
apparatus for manufacturing the cork board.
The supporting frame is conveniently formed in two similar side frames, the one
furthest from the observer being denoted by A, and the similar one towards the
observer not being shown. Between the side frames, a series of upper and lower
compression rollers are journalled, and also suitable guide rollers for directing a
pair of endless belts in such a manner as to form a conduit between their adjacent
faces, for the admission, passage, and compression of the cork granules and fibre,
the said passage-way gradually diminishing in thickness from beginning to end.
The upper endless belt is denoted by B, and the lower endless belt by C. The
guide rollers at the end of the upper belt nearest the feed hoppers, are denoted
by b, b, and the compression rollers, under and partially around which the belt B
extends, are denoted by 62, 63 and 6.
The guide rollers for determining the position of the lower belt at a point
in front of the mouth of the feed hoppers, are denoted by c, c', and the compression
rollers over and partially around which the lower belt extends, and which coact
with the compression rollers engaged with the upper belt, are denoted by c³, c³
and c¹.
An adjustable belt-tightening roller D is provided for tightening the upper belt B,
and a similar belt-tightening roller D' is provided for tightening the lower belt C.
A shaft E is journalled to the side frames A, and provided with a band pulley e,
driven from a pulley g, on a shaft Q.
The shaft E carries a pinion e' which gears with a larger gear wheel F, fixed to
rotate with the roller ; and there is also a gear wheel f, fixed to rotate with said
roller c, which intermeshes with a gear wheel G, fixed to rotate with the roller b³;
and this, in turn, intermeshes with a gear wheel f₁, fixed to rotate with the
roller c; and this, in turn, intermeshes with a gear wheel g, fixed to rotate with the
roller ; and this, in turn, intermeshes with a gear wheel f³, fixed to rotate with
the roller ; and this, in turn, intermeshes with a gear wheel g', fixed to rotate with
the roller b*.
As a matter of economy in construction, and at the same time providing for the
same rate of travel of the curved surfaces of the several compression rollers, and
bringing those rollers located opposite each other upon opposite sides of the passage.
for the material nearer together, as the material advances along the passageway,
I find it expedient to gradually decrease the number of gear teeth fixed to rotate.

page_text: with each succeeding roller, and to make a corresponding decrease in the
circumference of the roller.
I find it desirable to feed the cork granules into the conduit between the belts in
layers composed of granules of varying sizes, and for this purpose I employ a
plurality of hoppers so arranged that the coarser granules of cork may be
distributed within the central portion of the mass that is to form the completed
board, and the finer granules in a layer along the surfaces or surface of such mass.
In the present instance, I have shown a group of four hoppers, the two central
hoppers for feeding the coarser granules, and the outer hoppers for feeding the
finer granules. The hoppers for feeding the coarse granules are denoted by H
and H', and those for feeding the finer granules are denoted by hand h
Intermediate of the hoppers H and H', I locate a blast tube I, for the purpose of
blowing loose fibres into and among the cork granules, the blast being the
means which I at present prefer to use for introducing the fibres. The particular
nature of the blast which I prefer to use is a hot air blast from a suitable supply,
not shown. The discharge mouth of the blast tube is located in such position with
relation to the hoppers for discharging the granulated cork, that the fibres will be
discharged at the central portion of the mass. The hopper K for supplying the
loose fibre, which may be cotton, wool fibre, or any other well known or suitable
fibre, is located intermediate of the hoppers H and H¹, and has a connection k with
the interior of the blast tube I. For the purpose of positively advancing the loose
fibre from the hopper K into the blast tube, I mount the feed roller k in position
to engage the loose fibre in the hopper K, and urge it forward into the blast tube.
The roller k is driven by means of a suitable belt from a drive shaft, not shown.
The hoppers for feeding the cork granules are made adjustable towards and away
from the lower belt, to regulate the amount of cork to be fed. The particular
means of adjustment which I have employed is that of a slot and set screw,
shown at L.
1 find it desirable to treat either the fibre or the cork granules with some adhesive
material, such, for example, as a solution of amber, and if, from any cause, the cork
granules should fail to feed as freely as desired, I accelerate the feed by the
introduction of a feed roller in the wall of the hopper, quite similar to the feed
roller herein before particularly referred to.
For the purpose of providing the board with a hard and glossy surface, I provide
a pair of polishing or surfacing rollers M aud M', geared together, and located in
position to receive the board after it passes from between the final compression
rollers. The polishing or surfacing rollers are driven at a higher rate of speed
than the board is fed, so as to produce a rubbing action on the surface. I drive
them by means of a pulley m fixed to rotate with one of the rollers, and connected
by a band m¹ with a suitable drive pulley q' on the shaft Q.
Heaters O and P are located, the former above and the latter below the adjacent
surfaces of the endless belts in front of the compression rollers, for regulating the
amount of heat which shall be found desirable for softening any adhesive matter
with which the cork granules may have been treated, and rendering them capable
of being more readily compressed into a fixed thin sheet. The upper heater O is
pivoted to the frame at one end, and is permitted to rest with its lower flat surface
on the upper belt, heating chambers o, o' being provided within the beater, for
supplying the heating medium, as, for example, steam. The lower heater P is
secured to the frame with its upper flat surface engaged with the lower belt, and
it is provided with one or more (in the present instance, three) chambers p, p',
and, for the reception of the heating medium, which may be steam.
The operation is as follows:-
The endless belts, having been set in motion, the cork granules are fed from the
hoppers in suitable quantities, and the hot air blast is set in operation, blowing the
fibres from the discharge end of the blast tube into the mass of cork granules, and
at the same time producing sufficient heat to soften any adhesive material with
which the fibres or cork granules may have been treated. The mass is carried

page_text: along between the heaters, and gradually brought into a more compact form,
until it reaches the compression rollers, where step by step it is further
compressed, until it finally issues from between the compression rollers 6* and c*,
into a compact, tough, flexible sheet of the desired thickness, and then passes on
between the surfacing rollers, to receive its hardened and polished surface.
It is obvious that the number of hoppers for distributing the cork granules may
be increased or diminished, at pleasure, and that the number of compression rollers
may be increased or diminished, and that other slight changes might be resorted to
in the form and arrangement of the several parts, without departing from the spirit
and scope of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The method of manufacturing cork-board, consisting in introducing layers of
granulated cork between continuously moving walls of a conduit, simultaneously
therewith introducing loose fibres among the cork granules, and subsequently
compressing the layers of cork and the fibres into a compact sheet or board.
2. The method of mauufacturing cork-board, consisting in feeding layers of
granulated cork between continuously moving walls of a conduit, simultaneously
therewith blowing loose fibres among the cork granules, and subsequently
compressing the layers of cork and the fibres into a compact sheet or board.
3. The method of manufacturing cork-board, consisting in introducing layers of
granulated cork between the continuously moving walls of a conduit, blowing loose
treated fibres among the cork granules as they are fed, submitting the commingled
fibres and cork granules to heat, and subsequently gradually compressing the mass
into a compact sheet or board.
4. The apparatus for manufacturing cork-board, comprising endless belts forming
a conduit between their adjacent faces, compression rollers engaged with the belts,
hoppers for delivering granulated cork between the belts, and a fibre discharging
tube having its mouth in proximity to the discharge ends of the hopper,
substantially as set forth.
5. The apparatus for manufacturing cork-board, comprising endless belts forming
a conduit between their adjacent faces, compression rollers engaged with the belts,
hoppers for discharging granulated cork between the belts, a hopper for supplying
loose fibres, and a blast tube having its discharge mouth in proximity to the
discharge ends of the cork supplying hoppers, and communicating with the hopper
for supplying loose fibres, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of August 1894.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.