Machine for and continuous process of making molded tile

Claim 2

A continuous process of making molded ceiling tile comprising intermittently feeding a strip of fibrous glass wool having uncured binder thereon and a strip of facing material into a molding press having multi-cavity upper and lower die plates relatively movable toward and away from each other, molding the wool and facing material in the molding press into a cluster of molded tiles by clamping them between the upper and lower die plates under pressure while applying heat to cure the binder, said molding including the forming of a pair of oppositely projecting tabs on each of said tiles, feeding the cluster of molded tiles from the molding press into a severing press while feeding other portions of the strips attached to the cluster into the molding press, said feeding including drivingly engaging said tabs with movable driving means, and severing the cluster in the severing press from the strips and the molded tiles in the cluster into separate tiles arranged in a plurality of rows of tiles by operation of the severing press while molding another cluster of tiles in the molding press.

Claim 3

A process as claimed in claim 1 including removing the tiles from the severing press and placing them in a clustered arrangement on a conveyor while molding said another cluster of tiles in the molding press.

Claim 4

A process as claimed in claim 2 including repeating the steps thereof and conveying the tiles to a packaging station after clustered stacks of tiles have been formed.

Claim 5

A machine for making molded tile from facing material and fibrous glass wool having uncured binder thereon, comprising strip feeding means for intermittently feeding continuous strips of facing material and fibrous glass wool having uncured binder thereon, a molding press for intermittently receiving facing material and fibrous glass wool form the strip feeding means and successively molding it into successive clusters of tiles attached to the remainder of the strips in the strip feeding means with each molded tile in a cluster having a pair of oppositely extending tabs formed thereon during the molding, a severing press spaced from the molding press for successively receiving the clusters and severing them successively one at a time from those following while also severing them into separate tiles, and cluster driving means between the molding press and the severing press for drivingly engaging the tabs on the tiles in a cluster and thereby pulling clusters from the molding press while pulling the strips attached thereto from the strip feeding means into the molding press and feeding clusters into the severing press.

Claim 6

A machine for making molded tile from facing material and fibrous glass wool having uncured binder thereon, comprising strip feeding means for intermittently feeding continuous strips of facing material and fibrous glass wool having uncured binder thereon, a molding press for intermittently receiving facing material and fibrous glass wool form the strip feeding means and successively molding it into successive clusters of tiles attached to the remainder of the strips in the strip feeding means with each molded tile in a cluster having a pair of oppositely extending tabs formed thereon during the molding, a severing press spaced from the molding press for successively receiving the clusters and severing them successively one at a time from those following while also severing them into separate tiles, and cluster driving means between the molding press and the severing press for drivingly engaging the tabs on the tiles in a cluster and thereby pulling clusters from the molding press while pulling the strips attached thereto from the strip feeding means into the molding press and feeding clusters into the severing press.

Claim 7

A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the space between the molding press and the severing press is substantially equal to the length of one cluster of tiles.