Apparatus for manufacturing felted materials

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FELTED MATS FROM PARTICLE MATERIAL, COMPRISING PARTICLE SUPPLY MEANS HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING AND PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FEEDER DUCT AND DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DUCT FOR IMPARTING A SWINGING MOVEMENT THERETO, A BASE CONVEYOR FORMING A HORIZONTAL TOP SURFACE BENEATH SAID DUCT FOR SUPPORTING THE MAT TO BE FORMED, A DEVICE FOR PREPARING PARTICLE MATERIAL FOR FELTING, SAID DEVICE BEING INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE LOWER END OF SAID FEEDER DUCT AND SAID BASE CONVEYOR AND HAVING AN AUXILIARY CONVEYOR FORMING A SURFACE FOR RECEIVING THE PARTICLE MATERIAL FROM SAID DUCT DURING SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER, SAID DEVICE HAVING SPREADER MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTING PREPARED MATERIAL ONTO SAID BASE CONVEYOR, SAID TWO CONVEYOR SURFACES HAVING PARALLEL ADVANCING DIRECTIONS AND SAID DUCT HAVING A STROKE TRANSVERSE OF SAID DIRECTION, EACH OF SAID TWO CONVERYORS HAVING TWO LATERAL CONFINING WALL MEMBERS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID DIRECTION AND BEING TRANSVERSELY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ALONG EACH OF SAID CONVEYOR SURFACES, MEANS FOR VARYING THE MUTUAL SPACING OF SAID WALL STRUCTURES OF EACH OF SAID TWO CONVEYORS TO ADAPT THE ACTIVE WIDTH OF SAID AUXILIARY CONVEYOR TO THE ADJUSTED MAT WIDTH ON SAID BASE CONVEYOR, AND MEANS FOR VARYING THE STROKE WIDTH OF SAID FEEDER DUCT FOR ALSO ADAPTING IT TO SAID MAT WIDTH.