Method for producing reinforced foam laminate structures

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PREPARING A FOAM SANDWICH PANEL HAVING INTERNAL REINFORCING RIBS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (1) ADVANCING TWO FACING SHEETS FROM A FEED POSITION THROUGH A COATING ZONE WHEREIN AT LEAST ONE OF THE MOVING SHEETS IS COATED WITH A THIN FILM OF POLYURETHANE FOAM-FORMING CHEMICALS; (2) DIRECTING THE MOVING SHEETS IN SPACED APART OPPOSING RELATIONSHIP, IN WHICH A COATED SURFACE FACES THE OPPOSING FACING SHEET, THROUGH A REINFORCEMENT FEEDING ZONE WHEREIN REINFORCING RIBS THAT ARE MOVING WITH THE SAME FORWARD SPEED AS THE SAID FACING SHEETS, AND THAT ARE LONGITUDINALLY DIRECTED AND DISPOSED OVER A MAJOR PORTION OF THE WIDTH OF THE SAID FACING SHEETS, ARE INTRODUCED INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SAID FACING SHEETS, AND INTO CONTACT THEREWITH, SAID REINFORCING RIBS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED SO AS TO EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY FROM ONE FACING SHEET TO THE OPPOSING FACING SHEET IN THE SANDWICH STRUCTURE AND BEING INSERTED BETWEEN SAID FACING SHEETS PRIOR TO SUBSTANTIAL GENERATION OF A RISING FOAM LAYER FROM SAID FOAM-FORMING CHEMICALS; (3) DIRECTING THE SAID FACING SHEETS AND THE SAID REINFORCING RIBS INTO A FOAM GENERATION AND SANDWICH BONDING ZONE WHEREIN THE FOAM-FORMING CHEMICALS GENERATE A FOAM CORE WITH THE GAS BETWEEN THE ADVANCING FACING SHEETS BEING DRIVEN BACKWARDLY TOWARD THE SAID REINFORCEMENT FEEDING ZONE, SAID FOAM CORE BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SAID FACING SHEETS TO FORM A FOAM SANDWICH AND BEING BONDED TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE SAID FACING SHEETS AND ALSO TO THE SAID REINFORCING RIBS WHICH EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY FROM ONE FACING SHEET TO THE OPPOSING FACING SHEET AND ARE BONDED THERETO; (4) ADVANCING THE SAID FOAM SANDWICH THROUGH A THICKNESS CONTROLLING ZONE WHEREIN A CONTROLLED PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE SAID FOAM SANDWICH; (5) ADVANCING THE SAID FOAM SANDWICH THROUGH A PANEL-CUTTING ZONE WHEREIN THE SAID FOAM SANDWICH IS CUT INTO PANELS OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH; AND (6) WITHDRAWING AT A PRODUCT WITHDRAWAL POSITION A FOAM SANDWICH PANEL HAVING INTERNAL REINFORCING RIBS.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PREPARING A FOAM SANDWICH PANEL HAVING INTERNAL REINFORCING RIBS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (1) ADVANCING TWO FACING SHEETS FROM A FEED POSITION THROUGH A COATING ZONE WHEREIN AT LEAST ONE OF THE MOVING SHEETS IS COATED WITH A THIN FILM OF POLYURETHANE FOAM-FORMING CHEMICALS; (2) DIRECTING THE MOVING SHEETS IN SPACED APART OPPOSING RELATIONSHIP, IN WHICH A COATED SURFACE FACES THE OPPOSING FACING SHEET, THROUGH A REINFORCEMENT FEEDING ZONE WHEREIN REINFORCING RIBS THAT ARE MOVING WITH THE SAME FORWARD SPEED AS THE SAID FACING SHEETS, AND THAT ARE LONGITUDINALLY DIRECTED AND DISPOSED OVER A MAJOR PORTION OF THE WIDTH OF THE SAID FACING SHEETS, ARE INTRODUCED INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SAID FACING SHEETS, AND INTO CONTACT THEREWITH, SAID REINFORCING RIBS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED SO AS TO EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY FROM ONE FACING SHEET TO THE OPPOSING FACING SHEET IN THE SANDWICH STRUCTURE AND BEING INSERTED BETWEEN SAID FACING SHEETS PRIOR TO SUBSTANTIAL GENERATION OF A RISING FOAM LAYER FROM SAID FOAM-FORMING CHEMICALS; (3) DIRECTING THE SAID FACING SHEETS AND THE SAID REINFORCING RIBS INTO A FOAM GENERATION AND SANDWICH BONDING ZONE WHEREIN THE FOAM-FORMING CHEMICALS GENERATE A FOAM CORE WITH THE GAS BETWEEN THE ADVANCING FACING SHEETS BEING DRIVEN BACKWARDLY TOWARD THE SAID REINFORCEMENT FEEDING ZONE, SAID FOAM CORE BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SAID FACING SHEETS TO FORM A FOAM SANDWICH AND BEING BONDED TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE SAID FACING SHEETS AND ALSO TO THE SAID REINFORCING RIBS WHICH EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY FROM ONE FACING SHEET TO THE OPPOSING FACING SHEET AND ARE BONDED THERETO; (4) ADVANCING THE SAID FOAM SANDWICH THROUGH A THICKNESS CONTROLLING ZONE WHEREIN A CONTROLLED PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE SAID FOAM SANDWICH; (5) ADVANCING THE SAID FOAM SANDWICH THROUGH A PANEL-CUTTING ZONE WHEREIN THE SAID FOAM SANDWICH IS CUT INTO PANELS OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH; AND (6) WITHDRAWING AT A PRODUCT WITHDRAWAL POSITION A FOAM SANDWICH PANEL HAVING INTERNAL REINFORCING RIBS.