Method and apparatus for manufacturing fiber-cement shingles

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING FIBER-CEMENT SHINGLES UTILIZING FREE-FLOWING MIXTURES OF FIBER, HYDRAULIC-CEMENT AND WATER, SAID METHOD COMPRISING DIVIDING A MASS OF SHINGLE GRADE ASBESTOS FIBRES INTO A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL FIBRES AND SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING SAID INDIVIDUAL FIBRES AT HIGH VELOCITY, DRIVING SAID INDIVIDUAL FIBRES AT SAID VELOCITY INTO AN AGITATING MIXTURE OF CEMENT AND WATER THEREBY FORMING A FREE-FLOWING MIXTURE OF HYDRAULICCEMENT AND WATER SURROUNDING INDIVIDUAL FIBERS OF SHINGLE GRADE FIBER, FLOWING SAID MIXTURE INTO A CONFINED SPACE OF PREDETERMINED VOLUME, INTERMITTENTLY AND RECURRENTLY FLOWING THE MIXTURE FROM SAID CONFINED SPACE TO DEPOSIT SUCCESSIVE, CONSTANT VOLUMES THEREOF ONTO A MOVABLE ENDLESS SURFACE IN SUCCESSIVE AREAS THEREOF AND INTERMITTENTLY AND RECURRENTLY REPLACING SUCCESSIVE BATCHES OF SAID MIXTURE INTO SAID CONFINED SPACE, INTERMITTENTLY AND RECURRENTLY MOVING SAID ENDLESS SURFACE IN TIMED RELATIONSHIP WITH FLOWING THE MIXTURE FROM SAID CONFINED SPACE TO ADVANCE SUCCESSIVE, CONSTANT VOLUMES OF THE MIXTURE ON SAID ENDLESS SURFACE TO A PREDETERMINED LOCATION, INTERMITTENTLY AND RECURRENTLY SUBJECTING SUCCESSIVE, CONSTANT VOLUMES OF SAID MIXTURE AT SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION AND IN TIME RELATIONSHIP TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ENDLESS SURFACE TO A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 1000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONFINING SAID SUCCESSIVE VOLUMES OF SAID MIXTURE WITHIN PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONAL LIMITS AS WELL AS SIMULTANEOUSLY EXTRACTING WATER FROM SAID MIXTURE IN EXCESS OF THE REQUISITE WATER TO HYDRATE THE CEMENT THEREBY TO FORM FIBER-CEMENT SHINGLES OF PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONS AND STRENGTH.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING FIBER-CEMENT SHINGLES UTILIZING FREE-FLOWING MIXTURES OF FIBER, HYDRAULIC-CEMENT AND WATER, SAID METHOD COMPRISING DIVIDING A MASS OF SHINGLE GRADE ASBESTOS FIBRES INTO A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL FIBRES AND SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING SAID INDIVIDUAL FIBRES AT HIGH VELOCITY, DRIVING SAID INDIVIDUAL FIBRES AT SAID VELOCITY INTO AN AGITATING MIXTURE OF CEMENT AND WATER THEREBY FORMING A FREE-FLOWING MIXTURE OF HYDRAULICCEMENT AND WATER SURROUNDING INDIVIDUAL FIBERS OF SHINGLE GRADE FIBER, FLOWING SAID MIXTURE INTO A CONFINED SPACE OF PREDETERMINED VOLUME, INTERMITTENTLY AND RECURRENTLY FLOWING THE MIXTURE FROM SAID CONFINED SPACE TO DEPOSIT SUCCESSIVE, CONSTANT VOLUMES THEREOF ONTO A MOVABLE ENDLESS SURFACE IN SUCCESSIVE AREAS THEREOF AND INTERMITTENTLY AND RECURRENTLY REPLACING SUCCESSIVE BATCHES OF SAID MIXTURE INTO SAID CONFINED SPACE, INTERMITTENTLY AND RECURRENTLY MOVING SAID ENDLESS SURFACE IN TIMED RELATIONSHIP WITH FLOWING THE MIXTURE FROM SAID CONFINED SPACE TO ADVANCE SUCCESSIVE, CONSTANT VOLUMES OF THE MIXTURE ON SAID ENDLESS SURFACE TO A PREDETERMINED LOCATION, INTERMITTENTLY AND RECURRENTLY SUBJECTING SUCCESSIVE, CONSTANT VOLUMES OF SAID MIXTURE AT SAID PREDETERMINED LOCATION AND IN TIME RELATIONSHIP TO THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ENDLESS SURFACE TO A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 1000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CONFINING SAID SUCCESSIVE VOLUMES OF SAID MIXTURE WITHIN PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONAL LIMITS AS WELL AS SIMULTANEOUSLY EXTRACTING WATER FROM SAID MIXTURE IN EXCESS OF THE REQUISITE WATER TO HYDRATE THE CEMENT THEREBY TO FORM FIBER-CEMENT SHINGLES OF PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONS AND STRENGTH.