Mold system and apparatus for producing a composite panel

Claim 2

In a system for pRoducing a composite panel comprised of a plank, a foamed backer affixed to the back face of said plank and an envelope of moisture impermeable material covering the exterior surface portions of said backer, the combination of endless upper and lower conveyors disposed in superimposed relation to each other with the lower and upper reaches of the upper and lower conveyors respectively arranged to form a traveling mold for curing and finally molding into shape a foamable admixture that forms the said backer, means for applying a foamable admixture in preselected amounts to the back face of said plank, means for feeding the plank covered with the foamable admixture toward the said traveling mold, means disposed adjacent the entry end of the traveling mold for directing an envelope towards and then folding the said envelope including the opposed side edges thereof about the foamable admixture on the back face of said plank in a continuous and progressive fashion, means for actuating said conveyors, and means on said conveyors cooperating to form the traveling mold, said last mentioned means including flights on the conveyors and opposing side edge dam elements affixed to the flights of one of the conveyors and provided with portions for simultaneously engaging the opposed side edges of both said envelope and said plank in order to iron the envelope into place against the foamable admixture during the curing of the admixture in said mold and for holding the opposed side edges of said envelope in a predetermined overlapped relation relative to certain portions of said plank so as to control the flow of the excess backer forming material in a direction away from said plank.

Claim 3

In a system as set forth in claim 1 including means for preheating said plank prior to introduction of said plank into said traveling mold.

Claim 4

In a system as set forth in claim 1 in which said foamable admixture applying means comprises a spray device.

Claim 5

In a system as set forth in claim 1 including means for applying an adhesive coating to the back face of said plank prior to the application of the foamable admixture thereto in order to assist in the attachment of the foamable admixture thereto.

Claim 6

In a system as set forth in claim 4 including means for curing said adhesive coating.

Claim 7

In a system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said conveyors are provided with track means for holding the conveyors in alignment with each other.

Claim 8

In a system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said edge dam elements is secured to a separate conveyor flight and wherein portions of adjoining edge dam elements are advanced in overlapping relationship.

Claim 9

In a system as set forth in claim 1 in which each of said edge dam elements includes stepped ironing surfaces.

Claim 10

In a system as set forth in claim 8 in which the ironing surfaces of an edge dam element face inwardly and are disposed at an angle to the conveyor flight to which it is attached.

Claim 11

In a system as set forth in claim 1 in which said envelope directing means includes roll means for scoring said envelope so as to facilitate the folding of the edges thereof about the foamable admixture.

Claim 12

In a system for producing a composite panel and the like comprised of a channel-shaped metal plank, a foamed backer affixed to the back face of the plank web and an envelope of moisture impermeable material covering the exterior surface portions of said backer, the combination of endless upper and lower conveyors disposed in superimposed relation to each other with the lower and upper reaches of the upper and lower conveyors respectively arranged to form a traveling mold for curing and finally molding into shape a foamable admixture that forms said backer, means for applying a foamable admixture in preselected amounts to the back face of the web of said plank, means for feeding the plank covered with the admixture and in an inverted condition toward the mold, means disposed adjacent the entry end of the traveling mold for directing the envelope towards and then folding the said envelope about the foamable admixture on the back face of the web of the inverted plank in a continuous and progressive fashion, means for actuating said conveyors, means on said conveyors cooperating to form the traveling mold and said last mentioned means including flights on the conveyors and opposing side edge dam elements affixed to the flights on one of the conveyors and provided with portions for simultaneously engaging the opposed side edges of both the envelope and said plank in order to iron the envelope into place against the foamable admixture during curing of the same in said mold and for holding the opposed side edges of said envelope in a predetermined overlapped relation relative to certain portions of said plank so as to control the flow of the excess backer forming material in a direction away from said plank and spacer means on one of the conveyors for contacting certain portions of the plank.

Claim 13

In a system for producing a composite panel and the like comprised of a channel-shaped metal plank, a foamed backer affixed to the back face of the plank web and an envelope of moisture impermeable material covering the exterior surface portions of said backer, the combination of endless upper and lower conveyors disposed in superimposed relation to each other with the lower and upper reaches of the upper and lower conveyors respectively arranged to form a traveling mold for curing and finally molding into shape a foamable admixture that forms said backer, means for applying a foamable admixture in preselected amounts to the back face of the web of said plank, means for feeding the plank covered with the admixture and in an inverted condition toward the mold, means disposed adjacent the entry end of the traveling mold for directing the envelope towards and then folding the said envelope about the foamable admixture on the back face of the web of the inverted plank in a continuous and progressive fashion, means for actuating said conveyors, means on said conveyors cooperating to form the traveling mold and said last mentioned means including flights on the conveyors and opposing side edge dam elements affixed to the flights on one of the conveyors and provided with portions for simultaneously engaging the opposed side edges of both the envelope and said plank in order to iron the envelope into place against the foamable admixture during curing of the same in said mold and for holding the opposed side edges of said envelope in a predetermined overlapped relation relative to certain portions of said plank so as to control the flow of the excess backer forming material in a direction away from said plank and spacer means on one of the conveyors for contacting certain portions of the plank.

Claim 14

In a system as set forth in claim 11 including means for preheating said plank prior to introduction of said plank into said mold.

Claim 15

In a system as set forth in claim 11 in which the foamable admixture applying means comprises a spray device.

Claim 16

In a system as set forth in claim 11 including means for applying an adhesive coating to the back face of the web of said plank prior to the application of the foamable admixture thereto in order to assist in the application of the foamable admixture to the back face thereof.

Claim 17

In a system as set forth in claim 14 including means for curing the adhesive coating.

Claim 18

In a system as set forth in claim 11 wherein each of the said conveyors are provided with track means for holding the conveyors in alignment with each other.

Claim 19

In a system as set forth in claim 11 wherein each of the side edge dam elements is secured to a separate conveyor flight and wherein portions of the adjoining edge dam elements are arranged in overlapping relationship.

Claim 20

In a system as set forth in claim 17 wherein an edge dam element includes stepped ironing surfaces.

Claim 21

In a system as set forth in claim 18 wherein the ironing surfaces of the edge dam element face inwardly and are disposed at an angle to the conveyor flight to which it is attached.

Claim 22

In a system as set forth in claim 11 in which the envelope directing means includes roll means for scoring the envelope so as to facilitate the folding of the side edges thereof about the foamable admixture.