Patent ID: 6866492

Claim:
In a gypsum board forming device comprising a supply of continuous sheet of inorganic fiber having random interstices between the fibers comprising said sheet, a gypsum slurry mixer including a gypsum delivery mechanism, at least one gypsum penetration station for penetrating a gypsum slurry into said random interstices between the inorganic fibers, a gypsum core delivery mechanism, a sheet joining mechanism for joining said continuous sheet of inorganic fiber to a core of gypsum, and a gypsum conveyor line, having a belt with a surface, for conveying formed gypsum board from the sheet joining mechanism, and a gypsum forming station assembly comprising: a) two laterally disposed edger shoes having at least one laterally disposed edger bar clamping element attached to said edger shoes; b) at least one laterally extending forming plate, having two ends, extending over a top surface of the formed gypsum board and between said edger bar clamping element so that the at least one forming plate rides over and smoothes said gypsum board top surface, at least a portion of said at least one forming plate having a plurality of micropore conduits connected to a source of pressurized water and terminating at the board contact surface of the at least one forming plate in a plurality of microporous apertures, wherein during operation, the microporous apertures provide a film of water over the top surface of the formed gypsum board, which in conjunction with the force exerted by the board contact surface of said at least one forming plate on said board surface, produces a very smooth front face surface thereon.