Apparatus for fabricating honeycomb insulating material

Claim 2

Apparatus for fabricating honeycomb material, comprised of: stacking means for continuously stacking a plurality of elongated sections of continuous tubular material in layers one over another to form a collapsed panel of honeycomb material, said stacking means including a rotatable rack having an elongated flat surface thereon, the plane of which is parallel to the axis of rotation and is adapted for receiving thereon and retaining successive layers of said tubular material; and folding means for continuously forming a strip of flat, thin, flexible material into a tubular structure prior to stacking on said rack.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rack includes an elongated straight stack bed having two opposing flat sides for receiving thereon successive layers of tubular material as a continuous strip of said tubular material is wrapped lengthwise therearound and said stack bed being mounted on a drive shaft extending transversely through said stack bed for rotating said stack bed in a plane normal to the axis of said drive shaft.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, including guide means on the opposite lateral edges of said stack bed spaced-apart approximately the width of said tubular material for guiding successive layers of the tubular material uniformly and evenly onto previous layers as the stack bed rotates about the axis of the drive shaft.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: (a) drive means for pulling the continuous material from a source and toward said stacking means; (b) tension control means for maintaining a constant tension on said flexible material as it is continuously stacked on said stacking means, and said tension control means including: (1) a tightener roller positioned between said drive means and said stacking means, said tightener roller being biased to move away from said stacking means to tighten and take up slack in the length of material between said drive means and said stacking means.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1, including heat setting means for continuously setting the folds permanently in said flexible tubular structure.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1, including drive means for pulling the continuous strip of flexible film through said folding means and through said heat setting means.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6, including adhesive applicator means for applying adhesive material to the outer surface of said folded tubular material to adhere adjacent layers of said tubular material together when they are stacked on said rack.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1, including tension control means for maintaining a constant tension on said flexible material as it is continuously stacked on said stacking means.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said folding means includes initial crease means for pressing a pair of longitudinal, parallel creases in said flexible material to define the fold lines along which the lateral edge portions of the material will fold over the mid-portion of the material toward each other in forming the tubular structure.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said initial crease means includes a backing roller having a wide peripheral surface for supporting said film as it passes therearound and a pair of creaser wheels spaced-apart from each other and having sharp peripheral surfaces and biased to press against the material passing around the peripheral surface of said backing roller.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said folding means includes a fold block having an elongated slot extending therethrough with a width approximately equal to the width of said mid-portion of said material and a height of less than the width of said lateral edge portions of said material such that said material must be folded with the lateral edge portions over the midportion in order to pass therethrough.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said folding means includes a fold roller positioned between said initial crease means and said fold block and offset from a straight line therebetween to force said material to move along a curved path between said initial crease means and said fold block, said bend roller having a width approximately equal to the width of said mid-portion of said material and being positioned against said mid-portion to cause said lateral edge portions to begin to bend along said creases out of a common plane with said mid-portion.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 12, including another backing roller having a cylindrical peripheral surface around which said material passes after it emerges from said fold block in fully folded configuration, and a crimp roller positioned adjacent the peripheral surface of said backing roller and biased press heavily against the folded material on the peripheral surface of said backing roller to press folded material in the crease lines.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said heat setting means includes a relatively large diameter heated roller with a cylindrical peripheral surface over which said folded tubular material passes after emerging from said folding means, said heated roller being adapted to heat said folded tubular material.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 14, including brake means for maintaining a constant tension on said material as it passes over the peripheral surface of said heated roller.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said drive means includes a drive roller with a cylindrical peripheral surface positioned adjacent said heat setting means over which said material passes after emerging from said heat setting means, a press roller positioned adjacent the peripheral surface of said drive roller and biased to press said material onto the drive roller, and a motor connected to the drive roller for rotating same.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said adhesive applicator means includes a positive displacement pump connected to said drive means in such a manner that the adhesive discharged by the pump varies in direct proportion to the speed at which the drive means pulls the material through the apparatus, and a nozzle for continuously discharging the adhesive displaced by the pump onto an outer surface of the tubular material where it can effectively adhere adjacent layers of the tubular material together when stacked on the rack.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said nozzle includes two discharge ports in spaced-apart relation to each other such that each nozzle discharges a bead of adhesive material on opposite ones of the folded lateral edges of said material.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said tension control means includes a tightener roller positioned between said drive means and said stacking means, said tightener roller being biased to move away from said stacking means to tighten and take up slack in the length of material between said drive means and said stacking means.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 19, including speed control means connected to said tightener roller and to said drive means in such a manner that movement of said tightener roller away from said stacking means to take up slack in said material causes the drive means to slow down to reduce the speed of said material through the apparatus and movement of said tightener roller toward said stacking means causes said drive means to speed up to feed material through the apparatus at a faster rate of speed.

Claim 22

Apparatus for fabricating connected layers of material, comprising: (a) stacking means for continuously stacking a plurality of elongated sections of continuous material in layers one over another, said stacking means including a flat surface thereon adapted for receiving thereon and retaining successive layers of said material; (b) adhesive applicator means for applying adhesive to the surface of the material to adhere adjacent layers of said material together when they are stacked on said stacking means; (c) drive means for pulling the continuous material from a source and through said adhesive applicator means; and (d) folding means for continuously folding over the opposite lateral edges of the material onto one side thereof as the material is fed to the adhesive applicator means; and wherein (e) said adhesive applicator means includes two discharge ports in spaced-apart relation to each other such that each port discharges a bead of adhesive material on opposite ones of the folded lateral edges of said material.

Claim 23

Apparatus for fabricating connected layers of material, comprising: (a) stacking means for continuously stacking a plurality of elongated sections of continuous material in layers one over another, said stacking means including a flat surface thereon adapted for receiving thereon and retaining successive layers of said material; (b) adhesive applicator means for applying adhesive to the surface of the material to adhere adjacent layers of said material together when they are stacked on said stacking means; (c) drive means for pulling the continuous material from a source and through said adhesive applicator means; and (d) folding means for continuously folding over the opposite lateral edges of the material onto one side thereof as the material is fed to the adhesive applicator means; and wherein (e) said adhesive applicator means includes two discharge ports in spaced-apart relation to each other such that each port discharges a bead of adhesive material on opposite ones of the folded lateral edges of said material.

Claim 24

Apparatus for fabricating connected layers of material, comprising: (a) stacking means for continuously stacking a plurality of elongated sections of continuous material in layers one over another, said stacking means including a flat surface thereon adapted for receiving thereon and retaining successive layers of said material; (b) adhesive applicator means for applying adhesive to the surface of the material to adhere adjacent layers of said material together when they are stacked on said stacking means, (c) drive means for pulling the continuous material from a source and through said adhesive applicator means, (d) said adhesive applicator means includes: (1) a positive displacement pump connected to said drive means in such a manner that the adhesive discharged by the pump varies in direct proportion to the speed at which the drive means pulls the material through the adhesive applicator means, and, (2) a nozzle for continuously discharging the adhesive displaced by the pump onto an outer surface of the material where it can effectively adhere adjacent layers of the material together when stacked on the stacking means, (e) folding means for continuously folding over the opposite lateral edges of the material onto one side thereof as the material is fed to the adhesive applicator means; and wherein (f) said adhesive applicator means includes two discharge ports in spaced-apart relation to each other such that each adhesive applicator means discharges a bead of adhesive material on opposite ones of the folded lateral edges of said material.

Claim 25

Apparatus for fabricating connected layers of material, comprising: (a) stacking means for continuously stacking a plurality of elongated sections of continuous material in layers one over another, said stacking means including a flat surface thereon adapted for receiving thereon and retaining successive layers of said material; (b) adhesive applicator means for applying adhesive to the surface of the material to adhere adjacent layers of said material together when they are stacked on said stacking means, (c) drive means for pulling the continuous material from a source and through said adhesive applicator means, (d) said adhesive applicator means includes: (1) a positive displacement pump connected to said drive means in such a manner that the adhesive discharged by the pump varies in direct proportion to the speed at which the drive means pulls the material through the adhesive applicator means, and, (2) a nozzle for continuously discharging the adhesive displaced by the pump onto an outer surface of the material where it can effectively adhere adjacent layers of the material together when stacked on the stacking means, (e) folding means for continuously folding over the opposite lateral edges of the material onto one side thereof as the material is fed to the adhesive applicator means; and wherein (f) said adhesive applicator means includes two discharge ports in spaced-apart relation to each other such that each adhesive applicator means discharges a bead of adhesive material on opposite ones of the folded lateral edges of said material.

Claim 26

Apparatus for fabricating honeycomb material with continuous elongated flexible thin material comprising: folding means for continuously folding the lateral edge portions of said material over the mid-portion thereof toward each other to form a tubular flattened structure having one surface, defined by the folded over edge portions, facing in one direction and another surface, defined by the bottom face of the mid-portion, facing in the opposite direction; means for feeding said tubular structure into a closed loop with the successive length of one of said surfaces being laid against the preceding length of the other surface; and means for adhering said bottom face of the mid-portion to the folded over lateral edge portions.

Claim 27

Apparatus for fabricating honeycomb material with continuous elongated flexible thin material comprising: folding means for continuously folding the lateral edge portions of said material over the mid-portion thereof toward each other to form a tubular flattened structure having one surface, defined by the folded over edge portions, facing in one direction and another surface, defined by the bottom face of the mid-portion, facing in the opposite direction; means for feeding said tubular structure into a closed loop with the successive length of one of said surfaces being laid against the preceding length of the other surface; and means for adhering said bottom face of the mid-portion to the folded over lateral edge portions.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 23 including means for continuously setting the folds permanently in said tubular structure.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the material is a plastic polyester film and the means for setting the folds includes heating means for heating the tubular structure to a temperature where it substantially looses its elasticity and becomes sufficiently plastic to re-orient the molecular structure along the folds.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 25 including tension and speed control means for maintaining a constant tension on the film while the film is heated.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 24 including adhesive applicator means for continuously applying a bead of adhesive to each folded over lateral edge portions of the tubular structure before it is fed into said continuous loop.

Claim 33

The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising: (a) speed control means connected to said tightener roller and to said drive means in such a manner that movement of said tightener roller away from said stacking means to take up slack in said material causes the drive means to slow down to reduce the speed of said material through the apparatus and movement of said tightener roller toward said stacking means causes said drive means to speed up to feed material through the apparatus at a faster rate of speed.