Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
191 words
A method of making a fibrous, thermally insulating layer of coherent structure using an apparatus which includes a container having an interior and two opposite ends which are open; an outlet element having a perforated portion which covers a first of said two open ends of said container; and an inlet element which covers a second of said two open ends of said container, said inlet element including a channel which communicates with the interior of said container, said method comprising the steps of providing a quantity fibrous particles which have rounded shapes, combining said fibrous particles with a binder so as to form a fiber particle-binder mixture, entraining said fiber particle-binder mixture in a gas stream, and conveying said gas stream with said fiber particle-binder mixture entrained therein through the channel in said inlet element and into the interior of said container such that the fiber particle-binder mixture will deposit on said perforated portion of said second element and accumulate in the interior of said container until said container is completely filled with said fiber particle-binder mixture from its first end to its second end, thus producing said coherent structure.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
191 words
A method of making a fibrous, thermally insulating layer of coherent structure using an apparatus which includes a container having an interior and two opposite ends which are open; an outlet element having a perforated portion which covers a first of said two open ends of said container; and an inlet element which covers a second of said two open ends of said container, said inlet element including a channel which communicates with the interior of said container, said method comprising the steps of providing a quantity fibrous particles which have rounded shapes, combining said fibrous particles with a binder so as to form a fiber particle-binder mixture, entraining said fiber particle-binder mixture in a gas stream, and conveying said gas stream with said fiber particle-binder mixture entrained therein through the channel in said inlet element and into the interior of said container such that the fiber particle-binder mixture will deposit on said perforated portion of said second element and accumulate in the interior of said container until said container is completely filled with said fiber particle-binder mixture from its first end to its second end, thus producing said coherent structure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method as defined in claim 1, including the step of applying pressure against the fiber particle-binder mixture at the second end of said container so as to compact said fiber particle-binder mixture in the interior of said container.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said pressure is applied by moving a plate element against the fiber particle-binder mixture.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
82 words
The method as defined in claim 3, wherein said inlet element includes a coupling part in contact with the second end of said container and a removable feed part, wherein said step of conveying said gas stream with fiber particle-binder mixture entrained therein into the interior of said container is continued until the fiber particle-binder mixture fills at least a portion of said coupling part, and wherein the plate element is applied against the fiber particle-binder mixture located in said coupling part.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method as defined in claim 1, including the step of passing a fluid medium through the fiber particle-binder mixture in the interior of said container, said fluid medium being capable of hardening said binder.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as defined in claim 1, including the step of passing a heated gas through the fiber particle-binder mixture in the interior of said container to dry said fibers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as defined in claim 6, including the step of heating said container.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
80 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said step of providing said quantity of fibrous particles which have rounded shapes comprises vigorously agitating a volume of fibrous flakes in a vessel, each flake consisting of arbitrarily arranged short fibers, and simultaneously applying pulsating forces to at least part of the volume of flakes, so that the fibrous flakes are converted into fiber particles having a substantially rounded periphery and having a higher density than that of the fibrous flakes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said short fibers consist of a ceramic material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as defined in claim 9, wherein said short fibers consist of aluminum silicate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as defined in claim 9, wherein said binder consists of water glass.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
A fibrous, thermally insulating layer of coherent structure made by the method according to claim 1.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
Particles each having a substantially rounded shape and consisting of a number of arbitrarily arranged short fibers, made by the method according to claim 8.