Pulp molding method and apparatus

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A MOLDED PULP ARTICLE HAVING ALL PORTIONS THEREOF ADJACENT A GENERAL PLANE, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES SUCKING A LAYER OF PULP ONTO A SUCTION MOLD PROVIDING A FORAMINOUS MOLD SURFACE HAVING A CORRESPONDING GENERAL PLANE BY APPLYING SUCTION THROUGH SAID SURFACE WHILE SAID MOLD IS IMMERSED IN A PULP SLURRY, WITHDRAWING SAID MOLD AND LAYER FROM SAID SLURRY, PRESSING AN IMPERVIOUS SLIGHTLY FLEXIBLE MATING DIE ELEMENT PROVIDING A SMOOTHING SURFACE HAVING A CORRESPONDING GENERAL PLANE AGAINST SAID LAYER ON SAID MOLD SURFACE IMMEDIATELY AFTER SAID MOLD HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM SAID SLURRY AND WHILE MAINTAINING SAID SUCTION, BOWING SAID DIE ELEMENT TO A SLIGHTLY DISHED CONDITION TO BOW SAID SMOOTHING SURFACE IN ONE DIRECTION FROM ITS GENERAL PLANE PRIOR TO PRESSING SAID MATING DIE AGAINST SAID LAYER AND THEN BOWING SAID DIE ELEMENT TO AN OPPOSITE SLIGHTLY DISHED CONDITION TO BOW SAID SMOOTHING SURFACE FROM ITS GENERAL PLANE IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHILE IN CONTACT WITH SAID LAYER AND WHILE THE GENERAL PLANES OF SAID SURFACES ARE MAINTAINED PARALLEL SO THAT SAID SMOOTHING SURFACE IS PROGRESSIVELY MOVED IN OPPOSED DIRECTIONS INTO CONTACT WITHSAID LAYER AND IS THEN PROGRESSIVELY PEELED IN OPPOSED DIRECTIONS FROM SAID LAYER, AND WITHDRAWING SAID DIE ELEMENT FROM CONTACT WITH SAID LAYER WHILE CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN SAID SUCTION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A MOLDED PULP ARTICLE HAVING ALL PORTIONS THEREOF ADJACENT A GENERAL PLANE, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES SUCKING A LAYER OF PULP ONTO A SUCTION MOLD PROVIDING A FORAMINOUS MOLD SURFACE HAVING A CORRESPONDING GENERAL PLANE BY APPLYING SUCTION THROUGH SAID SURFACE WHILE SAID MOLD IS IMMERSED IN A PULP SLURRY, WITHDRAWING SAID MOLD AND LAYER FROM SAID SLURRY, PRESSING AN IMPERVIOUS SLIGHTLY FLEXIBLE MATING DIE ELEMENT PROVIDING A SMOOTHING SURFACE HAVING A CORRESPONDING GENERAL PLANE AGAINST SAID LAYER ON SAID MOLD SURFACE IMMEDIATELY AFTER SAID MOLD HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM SAID SLURRY AND WHILE MAINTAINING SAID SUCTION, BOWING SAID DIE ELEMENT TO A SLIGHTLY DISHED CONDITION TO BOW SAID SMOOTHING SURFACE IN ONE DIRECTION FROM ITS GENERAL PLANE PRIOR TO PRESSING SAID MATING DIE AGAINST SAID LAYER AND THEN BOWING SAID DIE ELEMENT TO AN OPPOSITE SLIGHTLY DISHED CONDITION TO BOW SAID SMOOTHING SURFACE FROM ITS GENERAL PLANE IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHILE IN CONTACT WITH SAID LAYER AND WHILE THE GENERAL PLANES OF SAID SURFACES ARE MAINTAINED PARALLEL SO THAT SAID SMOOTHING SURFACE IS PROGRESSIVELY MOVED IN OPPOSED DIRECTIONS INTO CONTACT WITHSAID LAYER AND IS THEN PROGRESSIVELY PEELED IN OPPOSED DIRECTIONS FROM SAID LAYER, AND WITHDRAWING SAID DIE ELEMENT FROM CONTACT WITH SAID LAYER WHILE CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN SAID SUCTION.