Apparatus for exerting continuous pressure

Claim 2

In an apparatus for the continuous compression of a material forming chipped wood, molded fiber board and similar plates or to vulcanize rubber conveyor belts or the like, said apparatus including a pair of spaced steel belts which are mounted under tension on a plurality of heated rollers and between which the material to be compressed is disposed, the improvement wherein: said plurality of rollers are arranged in a row with adjacent ones of said plurality of rollers being laterally offset in height with respect to one another, said pair of steel belts alternately loop the individual rollers of said plurality of rollers of said row, and said lateral offset in height being such that said pair of steel belts alternately loop said plurality of rollers by less than 180*.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein at least some of said plurality of rollers are adjustable relative to the adjacent roller to servE as pressure rollers for the material passing therebetween.

Claim 4

The apparatus defined in claim 1 further including heating means disposed adjacent said pair of steel belts between said offset rollers.

Claim 5

The apparatus defined in claim 1 further including additional roller means associated with each of said steel belts for maintaining said belts under tension.

Claim 6

In an apparatus for the continuous compression of a material to form chipped wood, molded fiber board or similar plates or to vulcanize rubber conveyor belts and the like, wherein the material being compressed is disposed between two endless steel belts said apparatus including a first horizontal row of heated rollers having a first of said endless steel belts mounted thereof for rotation therewith, a second horizontal row of heated rollers positioned beneath said first row of rollers and having a second of said endless steel belts mounted thereon for rotation therewith, and means for maintaining each of said steel belts under tension, the improvement wherein the rollers of said first horizontal row of rollers are laterally offset with respect to the rollers of said second row of rollers with each roller of said first row of rollers partially extending between an adjacent pair of rollers of said second row of rollers, said rollers of said first row of rollers extending between adjacent rollers of said second row of rollers to an extent such that said first and second steel belts alternately loop said rollers of said first and second rows by less than 180*.

Claim 7

In an apparatus for the continuous compression of a material to form chipped wood, molded fiber board or similar plates or to vulcanize rubber conveyor belts and the like, wherein the material being compressed is disposed between two endless steel belts said apparatus including a first horizontal row of heated rollers having a first of said endless steel belts mounted thereof for rotation therewith, a second horizontal row of heated rollers positioned beneath said first row of rollers and having a second of said endless steel belts mounted thereon for rotation therewith, and means for maintaining each of said steel belts under tension, the improvement wherein the rollers of said first horizontal row of rollers are laterally offset with respect to the rollers of said second row of rollers with each roller of said first row of rollers partially extending between an adjacent pair of rollers of said second row of rollers, said rollers of said first row of rollers extending between adjacent rollers of said second row of rollers to an extent such that said first and second steel belts alternately loop said rollers of said first and second rows by less than 180*.

Claim 8

The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein at least some of said rollers of said second row of rollers are adjustable in an oblique linear direction toward the adjacent roller of said first row of rollers in order to provide for adjustment of the space there-between and hence the pressure exerted on the material between said steel belts.

Claim 9

The apparatus defined in claim 5 further including heating means disposed adjacent said steel belts between adjacent rollers of one of said rows of rollers for heating the material between said steel belts.

Claim 10

The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein only the last roller of said first row of rollers is adjustable in the vertical direction the rotational axes of the remaining rollers of said first row being fixed.

Claim 11

The apparatus defined in claim 5 wherein said tensioning means includes a further roller associated with each of said steel belts.