Method and apparatus for chopping fibers

Claim 1

A method of preparing particulate glass fiber strand comprising: forming a plurality of continuous glass filaments from a glass fiber bushing; applying a size to said filaments; consolidating said filaments into one or more continuous glass fiber strands; passing said strand or strands into an attenuation zone, attenuating said strand or strands and the filaments associated therewith in said zone; passing the strand or strands from said attenuation zone to a cutting zone; feeding said strand or strands between cutting blades and a resilient surface capable of being depressed by said cutting blades, to thereby cut said continuous strand or strands into discrete lengths; controlling the vibration of the cutting blades while cutting said strand into discrete lengths by holding said blades in a mounting maintained between 0.002 to 0.004 inch greater than the width of the mounting section of said blades; and collecting said discrete lengths of glass fiber strand so formed.

Claim 2

A method of preparing particulate glass fiber strand comprising: forming a plurality of continuous glass filaments from a glass fiber bushing; applying a size to said filaments; consolidating said filaments into one or more continuous glass fiber strands; passing said strand or strands into an attenuation zone, attenuating said strand or strands and the filaments associated therewith in said zone; passing the strand or strands from said attenuation zone to a cutting zone; feeding said strand or strands between cutting blades and a resilient surface capable of being depressed by said cutting blades, to thereby cut said continuous strand or strands into discrete lengths; controlling the vibration of the cutting blades while cutting said strand into discrete lengths by holding said blades in a mounting maintained between 0.002 to 0.004 inch greater than the width of the mounting section of said blades; and collecting said discrete lengths of glass fiber strand so formed.

Claim 3

A method of preparing particulate glass fiber strand comprising: forming a plurality of continuous glass filaments from a glass fiber bushing; applying a size to said filaments; consolidating said filaments into one or more continuour glass fiber strands; passing said strand or strands into an attenuation zone, attenuating said strand or strands and the filaments associated therewith in said zone; passing the strand or strands from said attenuation zone to a cutting zone; feeding said strand or strands between cutting blades and a resilient surface capable of being depressed by the cutting blades, to thereby cut said continuous strand or strands into discrete lengths; controlling the vibration of the cutting blades while cutting said strand into discrete lengths by holding said blades in a mounting between 0.002 to 0.004 inch greater than the width of the mounting section of said blades; passing the discrete lengths of glass fiber strands onto a two-stage vibratory conveyor; vibrating the first stage of said conveyor to propel said discrete lengths of glass fiber strand along said first stage of said conveyor to the second stage of said conveyor; vibrating said second stage of said conveyor at a lower amplitude than said first stage of said conveyor; providing a foraminous section at the terminal end of said second stage of said vibratory conveyor to selectively isolate the preferred lengths of said glass fiber strands; and collecting the discrete lengths of glass fiber strand thus formed.

Claim 4

A method of preparing particulate glass fiber strand comprising: forming a plurality of continuous glass filaments from a glass fiber bushing; applying a size to said filaments; consolidating said filaments into one or more continuour glass fiber strands; passing said strand or strands into an attenuation zone, attenuating said strand or strands and the filaments associated therewith in said zone; passing the strand or strands from said attenuation zone to a cutting zone; feeding said strand or strands between cutting blades and a resilient surface capable of being depressed by the cutting blades, to thereby cut said continuous strand or strands into discrete lengths; controlling the vibration of the cutting blades while cutting said strand into discrete lengths by holding said blades in a mounting between 0.002 to 0.004 inch greater than the width of the mounting section of said blades; passing the discrete lengths of glass fiber strands onto a two-stage vibratory conveyor; vibrating the first stage of said conveyor to propel said discrete lengths of glass fiber strand along said first stage of said conveyor to the second stage of said conveyor; vibrating said second stage of said conveyor at a lower amplitude than said first stage of said conveyor; providing a foraminous section at the terminal end of said second stage of said vibratory conveyor to selectively isolate the preferred lengths of said glass fiber strands; and collecting the discrete lengths of glass fiber strand thus formed.

Claim 5

A method of preparing particulate glass fiber strand comprising: forming a plurality of continuous glass filaments from a glass fiber bushing; applying a size to said filaments; passing said filaments into a first attenuation means, attenuating said filaments by said first attenuation means; consolidating said filaments into one or more continuous glass fiber strands; passing said strand or strands into a second attenuation means, having a second attenuation means associated therewith; releasing said first attenuation means when said second attenuation means applies attenuative forces to said filaments and the strand or strands associated therewith; feeding said strand or strands between cutting blades and a resilient surface capable of being depressed by said cutting blades, to thereby cut said continuous strand or strands into discrete lengths; controlling the vibration of the cutting blades while cutting said strand into discrete lengths by holding said blades in a mounting between 0.002 to 0.004 inch greater than the width of the mounting section of said blades; and collecting said discrete lengths of glass fiber strand so formed.

Claim 6

A method of preparing particulate glass fiber strand comprising: forming a plurality of continuous glass filaments from a glass fiber bushing; applying a size to said filaments; passing said filaments into a first attenuation means, attenuating said filaments by said first attenuation means; consolidating said filaments into one or more continuous glass fiber strands; passing said strand or strands into a second attenuation means, having a second attenuation means associated therewith; releasing said first attenuation means when said second attenuation means applies attenuative forces to said filaments and the strand or strands associated therewith; feeding said strand or strands between cutting blades and a resilient surface capable of being depressed by said cutting blades, to thereby cut said continuous strand or strands into discrete lengths; controlling the vibration of the cutting blades while cutting said strand into discrete lengths by holding said blades in a mounting between 0.002 to 0.004 inch greater than the width of the mounting section of said blades; and collecting said discrete lengths of glass fiber strand so formed.

Claim 7

A method of preparing particulate glass fiber strand comprising: forming a plurality of continuous glass filaments from a glass fiber bushing; applying a size to said filaments; passing said filaments into a first attenuation means, thereby attenuating said filaments by said first attenuation means; consolidating said filaments into one or more continuous glass fiber strands; passing said strand or strands into a second attenuation means, attenuating said strands in said second attenuation means; releasing said first attenuation means when said second attenuation means applies attenuative forces to said filaments, and the strand or strands associated therewith; feeding said strand or strands between cutting blades and a resilient surface capable of being depressed by said cutting blades, to thereby cut said continuous strand or strands into discrete lengths; controlling the vibration of the cutting blades while cutting said strand into discrete lengths by holding said blades in a mounting between 0.002 to 0.004 inch greater than the width of the mountinG section of said blades; passing the discrete lengths of glass fiber strands onto a two-stage vibratory conveyor; vibrating the first stage of said conveyor to propel said discrete lengths of glass fiber strand along said first stage of said conveyor to the second stage of said conveyor; vibrating said second stage of said conveyor at a lower amplitude than said first stage of said conveyor; providing a foraminous section at the terminal end of said second stage of said vibratory conveyor to selectively isolate the preferred lengths of said glass fiber strands; and collecting said discrete lengths of glass fiber strand so formed.

Claim 8

A method of preparing particulate glass fiber strand comprising: forming a plurality of continuous glass filaments from a glass fiber bushing; applying a size to said filaments; passing said filaments into a first attenuation means, thereby attenuating said filaments by said first attenuation means; consolidating said filaments into one or more continuous glass fiber strands; passing said strand or strands into a second attenuation means, attenuating said strands in said second attenuation means; releasing said first attenuation means when said second attenuation means applies attenuative forces to said filaments, and the strand or strands associated therewith; feeding said strand or strands between cutting blades and a resilient surface capable of being depressed by said cutting blades, to thereby cut said continuous strand or strands into discrete lengths; controlling the vibration of the cutting blades while cutting said strand into discrete lengths by holding said blades in a mounting between 0.002 to 0.004 inch greater than the width of the mountinG section of said blades; passing the discrete lengths of glass fiber strands onto a two-stage vibratory conveyor; vibrating the first stage of said conveyor to propel said discrete lengths of glass fiber strand along said first stage of said conveyor to the second stage of said conveyor; vibrating said second stage of said conveyor at a lower amplitude than said first stage of said conveyor; providing a foraminous section at the terminal end of said second stage of said vibratory conveyor to selectively isolate the preferred lengths of said glass fiber strands; and collecting said discrete lengths of glass fiber strand so formed.

Claim 13

An apparatus for forming and chopping glass fiber strand comprising: a glass fiber forming bushing from which continuous filaments are drawn; means for applying a size to said filaments; means for consolidating said filaments into one or more continuous glass fiber strands; a first wheel having a smooth flexible surface; a second wheel juxaposed and contacting said first wheel at the circumferential surfaces thereof, said first wheel and said second wheel providing attenuative forces to said glass fiber strand or strands and the filaments associated therewith; a third wheel having positioned thereon a plurality of cutting edges being mounted in a plurality of grooves provided on the periphery of said third wheel, said grooves being 0.002 to 0.004 inch greater in width than the width of the mounting portion of said cutting blades, said cutting blades being in contact with said first wheel at the circumferential surface thereof and below the point of contact of said first and second wheel, to thereby cut said glass fiber strand or strands into discrete lengths; means for rotating said first, second and third wheels; and means for collecting the particulate glass fiber bundles formed.

Claim 14

An apparatus for forming and chopping glass fiber strand comprising: a glass fiber forming bushing from which continuous filaments are drawn; means for applying a size to said filaments; means for consolidating said filaments into one or more continuous glass fiber strands; a first wheel having a smooth flexible surface; a second wheel juxaposed and contacting said first wheel at the circumferential surfaces thereof, said first wheel and said second wheel providing attenuative forces to said glass fiber strand or strands and the filaments associated therewith; a third wheel having positioned thereon a plurality of cutting edges being mounted in a plurality of grooves provided on the periphery of said third wheel, said grooves being 0.002 to 0.004 inch greater in width than the width of the mounting portion of said cutting blades, said cutting blades being in contact with said first wheel at the circumferential surface thereof and below the point of contact of said first and second wheel, to thereby cut said glass fiber strand or strands into discrete lengths; means for rotating said first, second and third wheels; and means for collecting the particulate glass fiber bundles formed.