Corrugated board impregnation apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for impregnating a corrugated board comprising: a. conveyor means for continuously advancing a bundle comprising a plurality of corrugated boards in a given direction, with the fluted channels of said boards in substantially unidirectional alignment throughout said bundle; b. support means for continuously supporting said board bundle as it advances; c. compression means for continuously applying to the outer surfaces of the outermost members of said advancing boards bundle a compressive force sufficient to maintain the surfaces of adjoining boards in the bundle in tight abutment as the bundle is advanced, at least a portion of said compression means forming the walls of a trough, at least in the zone of impregnation, the bottom of said trough being defined by a surface of said advancing bundle which provides access to said aligned fluted channels of said boards, so as to provide communication between said trough and said aligned fluted channels, said trough walls being in tight abutment against at least the upper portions of the outer surfaces of the outermost members of said bundle; and d. liquid delivery means for continuously delivering an impregnating liquid into said trough whereupon said liquid passes into the fluted channels of the boards to impregnate the interior surfaces of said boards but without spilling onto the outer surfaces of said boards.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 further including: i. drying means sequentially following said liquid delivery means for continuously circulating a hot gas through the fluted channels of said board bundle as it continuously advances in order to drive off volatiles contained in the impregnating liquid; ii. curing means sequentially following said drying means for continuously circulating a hot gas through the fluted channels of said board bundle as it continuously advances at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to effectuate curing of the impregnant; and iii. humidification means sequentially following said curing means for delivering water into the fluted channels of said board bundle as it continuously advances.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 further including gas injection means for passing a gas through said fluted channels of said bundle, said gas injection means being disposed between said liquid delivery means and said drying means, said gas injection means functioning to flush out excess impregnating liquid from said fluted channels.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said conveyor means comprises: i. a pair of advancing endless friction belts each disposed to frictionally communicate with at least a portion of the lower outer surfaces of the outermost members of said bundle.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said compression means comprise: ii. a pair of substantially frictionless advancing endless belts each disposed to communicate with at least a portion of the upper outer surfaces of the outermost members of said bundle, the upper part of each frictionless belt extending beyond the upper outer surface of the outermost board of the bundle with which it communicates to form the walls of a trough, said trough communicating with the fluted channels of the bundle; and iii. means for compressing both the friction and frictionless belts against the outermost members of the bundle to maintain all of the members of the bundle in tight surface-to-surface abutment as the bundle continuously advances and to provide a substantially leakproof seal between the frictionless belts and the portions of the upper outer surfaces of the outermost members of the bundle with which they communicate.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said conveyor means comprises: i. an advancing endless friction belt disposed to frictionally communicate with at least a portion of the lower outer surface of the bundle; and wherein said compression means comprises ii. a flat stationary frictionless plate member and a flat movable frictionless plate member which is movable in a direction perpendicular to that in which said bundle is advancing, each of said plate members disposed to communicate with at least a portion of opposed outer surfaces of the bundle, each of said plate members extending beyond the upper outer surface with which each communicates to define the walls of a trough which communicates with the fluted channels of the bundle; and iii. means for compressing the movable frictionless plate against the outermost member of the bundle with which it communicates to effect compression of the advancing bundle between the stationary plate member and the movable plate member.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said support means comprises an endless advancing open mesh screen belt.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said fluid delivery means comprises: a. a constant heAd reservoir vessel; b. liquid feed conduit means communicating with said vessel; c. a liquid dispensing tank disposed above said trough which communicates with the fluted channels of said advancing bundle, said tank provided with at least one bottom opening of controllable dimensions for discharge of fluid into said trough; and d. conduit means for delivering liquid from said reservoir vessel to said tank.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said support means is an advancing open mesh wire belt and further including i. a receptacle vessel disposed beneath said advancing bundle and said open mesh wire belt in substantially vertical alignment with said liquid dispensing tank to collect liquid draining from the fluted channels of the advancing bundle and through the open mesh wire belt; and ii. means for recycling the contents of said receptacle vessel to said reservoir vessel.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said liquid dispensing tank contains a flat bottom having disposed therein a plurality of spaced substantially parallel slots, said slots disposed perpendicularly to the direction in which the bundle is advancing, the width of said slots being substantially that of the advancing bundle, and further including means for adjusting the thickness of said slot to a given dimension.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said drying means comprises: i. a gas feed conduit communicating with a surface of the advancing bundle which provides access to the fluted channels of the bundles; ii. means for supplying a gas to said gas feed conduit; iii. means for heating said gas; iv. a gas exhaust conduit communicating with a surface of the advancing bundle which provides access to the fluted channels of the bundle but which is opposed to the surface with which said feed conduit communicates, said feed and exhaust conduits being in substantially cooperative alignment on opposed edges of the advancing bundle.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein there is provided a plurality of feed and exhaust conduits, said feed and exhaust conduits alternating on each edge of the bundle to provide a countercurrent circulation through the fluted channels of the bundle.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said curing means comprises: i. a gas feed conduit communicating with an edge of the advancing bundle which provides access to the fluted channels of the bundles; ii. means for feeding the gas from the exhaust conduit of said drying means to said curing feed conduit; iii. a gas exhaust conduit communicating with an edge of the advancing bundle which provides access to the fluted channels of the bundle but which is opposed to the edge with which said curing feed conduit communicates, said curing feed and exhaust conduits being in substantially cooperative alignment on opposed edges of the advancing bundle.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said feed conduit of said curing means communicates with said feed conduit of said drying means whereby a portion of the hot gas fed to said drying means is diverted to said feed conduit of said curing means, and further including: i. recirculating conduit means for recirculating at least a portion of the exhaust gas from said drying means to said means for heating said gas and to the feed conduit of said dryer means; and ii. conduit means for supplying dryer exhaust gas to said feed conduit of said curing means, said conduit means communicating at one end with said exhaust conduit of said drying means and with the feed conduit of said curing means at the other end whereby the dryer exhaust gas supplied from said conduit means and a portion of the hot gas fed to the dryer supplied from said recirculating conduit means are admixed in said feed conduit of said curing means.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 3 further including: i. a vertically movable frame; ii. means for vertically moving said frame in an up and down direction; and iii. said compression means, saId liquid delivery means, said feed and exhaust conduits of said drying and curing means, and said humidification means being mounted on said frame to accommodate said items to varying heights of the bundle advancing through the apparatus.

Claim 17

Apparatus for continuously impregnating a corrugated board comprising: a. conveyor means for continuously advancing a bundle comprising a plurality of corrugated boards in a given direction, with the fluted channels of said boards in substantially unidirection vertical alignment throughout said bundle; b. support means for continuously supporting said board bundle as it advances, said support means comprising a continuously advancing endless belt of an open wire mesh; c. compression means for continuously applying to the outer surfaces of the outermost members of said advancing bundle a compressive force distributed over substantially said entire outer surfaces to maintain the surfaces of adjoining boards in the bundle in tight abutment as the bundle is advanced, at least a portion of said compressive means extending beyond the upper portions of the outer surfaces of the outermost members of the bundle to form the walls of a trough, at least in the zone of impregnation, the bottom of said trough being defined by the top surface of the advancing bundle which provides access to the aligned fluted channels of the boards so as to provide communication between said trough and said aligned fluted channels, said trough walls being in tight abutment against at least the upper portions of the outer surfaces of the outermost members of said bundle; d. liquid delivery means for continuously delivering an impregnating liquid into said trough whereupon said fluid passes into the fluted channels of the boards to impregnate the interior surfaces of said boards without spilling liquid onto the outer surfaces of the boards, said liquid delivery means comprising: i. a constant head reservoir vessel disposed above said advancing bundle; ii. liquid feed conduit means communicating with said reservoir vessel; iii. a liquid dispensing tank disposed above said advancing bundle having a flat bottom containing therein a plurality of substantially evenly spaced parallel slots of an adjustable thickness, the width of said slots being substantially the same as the width of the advancing bundle, said slots being disposed in a substantially perpendicular direction to the direction in which the bundle is advancing; and iv. conduit means for supplying liquid from said reservoir vessel to said dispensing tank; e. gas injection means sequentially following said liquid delivery means for continuously passing a gas through said fluted channels of said advancing bundle to purge excess impregnating liquid therefrom; f. drying means sequentially following said fluid delivery means for continuously circulating a hot gas through the fluted channels of said continuously advancing board bundle in order to drive off volatiles contained in the impregnating liquid, said drying means comprising: i. a first bank of conduits communicating with the upper surface of the advancing bundle which provides access to the fluted channels of the bundle, said first bank comprising a plurality of individual conduits, each alternate conduit being a feed and exhaust conduit respectively; ii. a second bank of conduits communicating with the lower surface of the advancing bundle, said lower surface being opposed to the surface which communicates with said first bank of conduits, said second bank comprising a plurality of individual conduits, each alternate conduit being a feed and exhaust conduit respectively; said two conduit banks disposed so as to supply a cooperating exhaust conduit for each feed conduit, said cooperating exhaust conduit communicating with a surface of the bundle opposed to its cooperating feed conduit thereby providing a countercurrent flow of gas through the fluted channels of the bundle; iii. a feed manifold Communicating with said feed conduits of said first and second bank of conduits; iv. means for supplying a gas to said feed manifold; v. means for heating said gas disposed in said feed manifold; vi. an exhaust manifold communicating with said exhaust conduits of said first and second bank of conduits; and vii. recirculating conduit means communicating at one end with said exhaust manifold and at the other end with said feed manifold for recirculating at least a portion of the exhaust gas to said heating means and said feed manifold; g. curing means sequentially following said drying means for continuously circulating a hot gas through the fluted channels of the advancing board bundle for a sufficient time and at a sufficient temperature to effectuate curing of the solids of the impregnating liquid, said curing means comprising: i. a feed conduit communicating with the top surface of the advancing bundle which provides access to fluted channels of the boards; ii. an exhaust conduit communicating with the bottom surface of the bundle; iii. conduit means communicating with said feed manifold of said drying means for supplying dryer feed gas to said feed conduit; iv. conduit means providing communication between said feed conduit and said exhaust manifold of said drying means for supplying exhaust gas from the dryer means to the feed conduit of the curing means so as to provide for mixing of dryer feed gas and dryer exhaust gas; and h. water spraying means disposed above the advancing bundle, and sequentially following said curing means, for delivering water to the fluted channels of the advancing board bundle.

Claim 18

Apparatus for continuously impregnating a corrugated board comprising: a. conveyor means for continuously advancing a bundle comprising a plurality of corrugated boards in a given direction, with the fluted channels of said boards in substantially unidirection vertical alignment throughout said bundle; b. support means for continuously supporting said board bundle as it advances, said support means comprising a continuously advancing endless belt of an open wire mesh; c. compression means for continuously applying to the outer surfaces of the outermost members of said advancing bundle a compressive force distributed over substantially said entire outer surfaces to maintain the surfaces of adjoining boards in the bundle in tight abutment as the bundle is advanced, at least a portion of said compressive means extending beyond the upper portions of the outer surfaces of the outermost members of the bundle to form the walls of a trough, at least in the zone of impregnation, the bottom of said trough being defined by the top surface of the advancing bundle which provides access to the aligned fluted channels of the boards so as to provide communication between said trough and said aligned fluted channels, said trough walls being in tight abutment against at least the upper portions of the outer surfaces of the outermost members of said bundle; d. liquid delivery means for continuously delivering an impregnating liquid into said trough whereupon said fluid passes into the fluted channels of the boards to impregnate the interior surfaces of said boards without spilling liquid onto the outer surfaces of the boards, said liquid delivery means comprising: i. a constant head reservoir vessel disposed above said advancing bundle; ii. liquid feed conduit means communicating with said reservoir vessel; iii. a liquid dispensing tank disposed above said advancing bundle having a flat bottom containing therein a plurality of substantially evenly spaced parallel slots of an adjustable thickness, the width of said slots being substantially the same as the width of the advancing bundle, said slots being disposed in a substantially perpendicular direction to the direction in which the bundle is advancing; and iv. conduit means for supplying liquid from said reservoir vessel to said dispensing tank; e. gas injection means sequentially following said liquid delivery means for continuously passing a gas through said fluted channels of said advancing bundle to purge excess impregnating liquid therefrom; f. drying means sequentially following said fluid delivery means for continuously circulating a hot gas through the fluted channels of said continuously advancing board bundle in order to drive off volatiles contained in the impregnating liquid, said drying means comprising: i. a first bank of conduits communicating with the upper surface of the advancing bundle which provides access to the fluted channels of the bundle, said first bank comprising a plurality of individual conduits, each alternate conduit being a feed and exhaust conduit respectively; ii. a second bank of conduits communicating with the lower surface of the advancing bundle, said lower surface being opposed to the surface which communicates with said first bank of conduits, said second bank comprising a plurality of individual conduits, each alternate conduit being a feed and exhaust conduit respectively; said two conduit banks disposed so as to supply a cooperating exhaust conduit for each feed conduit, said cooperating exhaust conduit communicating with a surface of the bundle opposed to its cooperating feed conduit thereby providing a countercurrent flow of gas through the fluted channels of the bundle; iii. a feed manifold Communicating with said feed conduits of said first and second bank of conduits; iv. means for supplying a gas to said feed manifold; v. means for heating said gas disposed in said feed manifold; vi. an exhaust manifold communicating with said exhaust conduits of said first and second bank of conduits; and vii. recirculating conduit means communicating at one end with said exhaust manifold and at the other end with said feed manifold for recirculating at least a portion of the exhaust gas to said heating means and said feed manifold; g. curing means sequentially following said drying means for continuously circulating a hot gas through the fluted channels of the advancing board bundle for a sufficient time and at a sufficient temperature to effectuate curing of the solids of the impregnating liquid, said curing means comprising: i. a feed conduit communicating with the top surface of the advancing bundle which provides access to fluted channels of the boards; ii. an exhaust conduit communicating with the bottom surface of the bundle; iii. conduit means communicating with said feed manifold of said drying means for supplying dryer feed gas to said feed conduit; iv. conduit means providing communication between said feed conduit and said exhaust manifold of said drying means for supplying exhaust gas from the dryer means to the feed conduit of the curing means so as to provide for mixing of dryer feed gas and dryer exhaust gas; and h. water spraying means disposed above the advancing bundle, and sequentially following said curing means, for delivering water to the fluted channels of the advancing board bundle.