Patent ID: 8590582

Claim:
An apparatus for making a structure that comprises particulate material supported or enclosed by a substrate material, including: a) a particulate material feeder for feeding particulate material to: b) a first moving endless surface with a direction of movement (MD) and with a plurality of reservoirs, said surface being adjacent said particulate material feeder, said first moving endless surface and reservoirs thereof being for receiving said particulate material from said particulate material feeder and for transferring it directly or indirectly to: c) a second moving endless surface, being said substrate material or being a moving endless surface carrying said substrate material, for receiving said particulate material directly or indirectly from said first moving endless surface ; and d) a three-dimensional plate, for applying pressure on part of said particulate material and for guiding said particulate material into said reservoirs, said plate being positioned adjacent said particulate material feeder and adjacent said first moving endless surface, said plate having a first plate face adjacent said first moving endless surface, said plate face having at least: i) a first surface area substantially parallel to said first moving endless surface, said first area being for applying pressure on said part of said particulate material present between said first surface area and said first moving endless surface; ii) a second surface area neighboring said first surface area, positioned downstream from the first surface area (in MD), said second surface area being non-parallel to said first moving endless surface and leading from said first surface area towards said first moving endless surface, said first surface area and said second surface area being connected to one another under an angle, said second surface area having an average angle with said first moving endless surface from about 10° to about 80°; and iii) a third surface area, neighboring said second surface area, being downstream from said second surface area (in MD), said third surface area being substantially parallel to said first moving endless surface and in closer proximity thereto than said first surface area.