Apparatus for the production of a continuous composite material

Claim 1

An apparatus for making a composite material comprising a web supply means for at least three continuous layers of sheet-like material, upper and lower rollers for feeding said layers, upper and lower comb-like guide elements, fusing means adjacent said feed rollers comprising upper and lower fusing tools, said guide elements disposed between said upper and lower rollers projecting toward said web supply means and having teeth-like extensions thereof extending rearwardly past said fusing means and spaces therebetween, said extensions of said upper guide elements having arcuate upper surfaces and flat lower surfaces, said extensions of said lower guide elements having arcuate lower surfaces and flat upper surfaces, said upper roller having arcuate segments and lands therebetween, adjacent and correspondingly arcuately shaped to said arcuate surface of said upper guide element, said lower rollers having arcuate segments and lands therebetween, adjacent and correspondingly arcuately shaped to said arcuate surface of said lower guide element, a space between said upper feed roller and said upper guide defining a first path for feeding said upper layer of said sheet-like material therebetween, a space between said upper guide and said lower guide defining a second path for feeding an intermediate layer of said sheet material therebetween, a space between said lower feed roller and said lower guide element defining a third path for feeding said lower layer of said sheet-like material therebetween, a space between said teeth-like extensions of said lower guide elements and said upper fusing tool defining an extension of said first path, a space between said teeth-like extensions of said upper guide element and said lower fusing tool defining an extension of said third path, said second path intercepting said first path in first linear zones between lands of the upper feed roller and the flat upper surfaces of the teeth-like extensions of the lower guide element and remaining co-extensive therewith until past said fusing means, said spaces between said extension of said upper guide element each coinciding with one of said first linear zones, said second path intercepting said third path in second linear zones, displaced laterally from said first linear zones, between lands of the lower feed roller and the flat lower surface of the teeth-like extensions of said upper guide element and remaining co-extensive therewith until past said fusing means, said spaces between said extensions of said lower guide element each coinciding with one of said second linear zones.

Claim 2

An apparatus for making a composite material comprising a web supply means for at least three continuous layers of sheet-like material, upper and lower rollers for feeding said layers, upper and lower comb-like guide elements, fusing means adjacent said feed rollers comprising upper and lower fusing tools, said guide elements disposed between said upper and lower rollers projecting toward said web supply means and having teeth-like extensions thereof extending rearwardly past said fusing means and spaces therebetween, said extensions of said upper guide elements having arcuate upper surfaces and flat lower surfaces, said extensions of said lower guide elements having arcuate lower surfaces and flat upper surfaces, said upper roller having arcuate segments and lands therebetween, adjacent and correspondingly arcuately shaped to said arcuate surface of said upper guide element, said lower rollers having arcuate segments and lands therebetween, adjacent and correspondingly arcuately shaped to said arcuate surface of said lower guide element, a space between said upper feed roller and said upper guide defining a first path for feeding said upper layer of said sheet-like material therebetween, a space between said upper guide and said lower guide defining a second path for feeding an intermediate layer of said sheet material therebetween, a space between said lower feed roller and said lower guide element defining a third path for feeding said lower layer of said sheet-like material therebetween, a space between said teeth-like extensions of said lower guide elements and said upper fusing tool defining an extension of said first path, a space between said teeth-like extensions of said upper guide element and said lower fusing tool defining an extension of said third path, said second path intercepting said first path in first linear zones between lands of the upper feed roller and the flat upper surfaces of the teeth-like extensions of the lower guide element and remaining co-extensive therewith until past said fusing means, said spaces between said extension of said upper guide element each coinciding with one of said first linear zones, said second path intercepting said third path in second linear zones, displaced laterally from said first linear zones, between lands of the lower feed roller and the flat lower surface of the teeth-like extensions of said upper guide element and remaining co-extensive therewith until past said fusing means, said spaces between said extensions of said lower guide element each coinciding with one of said second linear zones.