Method for forming fiber web for compression molding structural substrates for panels and fiber web

Claim 1

A method of forming a fiber web for use in compression molding structural substrates for panels and the like, including the following steps: (a) forming a layer of natural fibers; (b) covering the layer with a layer of synthetic plastic fibers; (c) gravity dropping the fibers to mix them; (d) depositing a resinous molding powder on a surface of the mixture of fibers; (e) re-mixing the powder and fibers; and (f) reforming a mat which is needled and cut.

Claim 2

A method of forming a fiber web for use in compression molding structural substrates for panels and the like, including the following steps: (a) forming a layer of natural fibers; (b) covering the layer with a layer of synthetic plastic fibers; (c) gravity dropping the fibers to mix them; (d) depositing a resinous molding powder on a surface of the mixture of fibers; (e) re-mixing the powder and fibers; and (f) reforming a mat which is needled and cut.

Claim 3

A method of forming a fiber web for use in compression molding structural substrates for panels and the like, including essentially the steps of: (a) forming a relatively thick mat of substantially evenly distributed random oriented natural organic fibers with the mat being generally horizontally arranged; (b) covering the upper surface of the mat with a relatively thin layer of generally evenly distributed, randomly oriented synthetic plastic fibers; (c) conveying the combined fiber mat to the upper end of an open blending chamber and gravity dropping the fibers into the chamber for loosely mixing such fibers together; (d) collecting the fibers at the lower end of the chamber upon a conveyor belt to form a relatively evenly distributed, randomly oriented fibrous web and moving the web to the upper end of a control chamber and gravity dropping the web fibers into the control chamber to produce a fluffy mass of intermixed fibers which gravity falls out of the bottom of the control chamber; (e) conveying the fluffy fibers exiting from the lower end of the control chamber to a picker roller to again mix the fibers and to form a new, relatively thick web of mixed fibers; (f) conveying such new web beneath a source of powdery, uncured, resinous molding material and gravity distributing such powdery material upon the surface of the web and continuing conveying the web to a second picker roller assembly for further mixing the fibers and simultaneously mixing and evenly distributing the resin within the fibrous mass and to reform the fibers into a final, relatively wide and thick web; (g) passing the web through a needler which rapidly and continuously needles through the web for mechanically interlocking the fibers to each other and simultaneously further disbursing the powdery material through the web; (h) and thereafter removing the web so that it may be cut to size and shape and used in a compression molding process involving the application of heat and pressure within an enclosed cavity mold to form a relatively stiff, board-like structural substrate for panels.

Claim 4

A method of forming a fiber web for use in compression molding structural substrates for panels and the like, including essentially the steps of: (a) forming a relatively thick mat of substantially evenly distributed random oriented natural organic fibers with the mat being generally horizontally arranged; (b) covering the upper surface of the mat with a relatively thin layer of generally evenly distributed, randomly oriented synthetic plastic fibers; (c) conveying the combined fiber mat to the upper end of an open blending chamber and gravity dropping the fibers into the chamber for loosely mixing such fibers together; (d) collecting the fibers at the lower end of the chamber upon a conveyor belt to form a relatively evenly distributed, randomly oriented fibrous web and moving the web to the upper end of a control chamber and gravity dropping the web fibers into the control chamber to produce a fluffy mass of intermixed fibers which gravity falls out of the bottom of the control chamber; (e) conveying the fluffy fibers exiting from the lower end of the control chamber to a picker roller to again mix the fibers and to form a new, relatively thick web of mixed fibers; (f) conveying such new web beneath a source of powdery, uncured, resinous molding material and gravity distributing such powdery material upon the surface of the web and continuing conveying the web to a second picker roller assembly for further mixing the fibers and simultaneously mixing and evenly distributing the resin within the fibrous mass and to reform the fibers into a final, relatively wide and thick web; (g) passing the web through a needler which rapidly and continuously needles through the web for mechanically interlocking the fibers to each other and simultaneously further disbursing the powdery material through the web; (h) and thereafter removing the web so that it may be cut to size and shape and used in a compression molding process involving the application of heat and pressure within an enclosed cavity mold to form a relatively stiff, board-like structural substrate for panels.

Claim 7

A method of forming a fiber web for use in compression molding structural substrates for panels and the like, including essentially the steps of: (a) forming a relatively thick mat of substantially evenly distributed, random oriented natural, organic fibers covered by a relatively thin layer of generally evenly distributed randomly oriented synthetic plastic fiber. (b) mixing the fibers of the relatively thick mat together into a loose mixture; (c) collecting the loose fiber mixture and again re-mixing the fibers by gravity dropping them through a chamber to produce a fluffy mass of intermixed fibers; (d) blowing the intermixed fibers upon a picker roll to again mix the fibers and to form a relatively thick web of mixed fibers; (e) distributing a powdery, uncured, resinous molding material upon a surface of the web, and conveying the web upon a second picker roll for mixing the fibers and simultaneously mixing and evenly distributing the molding material within the fibrous mass and to reform the fibers into a relatively wide and thick web; (f) passing the web through a needler which rapidly and continuously needles through the web and mechanically interlocks the fiber to each other; (g) and thereafter removing the web so that it may be cut to size and shape and used in a compression molding process involving the application of heat and pressure within an enclosed cavity mold to form a relatively stiff, board-like structural substrate for panels.

Claim 8

A method of forming a fiber web for use in compression molding structural substrates for panels and the like, including essentially the steps of: (a) forming a relatively thick mat of substantially evenly distributed, random oriented natural, organic fibers covered by a relatively thin layer of generally evenly distributed randomly oriented synthetic plastic fiber. (b) mixing the fibers of the relatively thick mat together into a loose mixture; (c) collecting the loose fiber mixture and again re-mixing the fibers by gravity dropping them through a chamber to produce a fluffy mass of intermixed fibers; (d) blowing the intermixed fibers upon a picker roll to again mix the fibers and to form a relatively thick web of mixed fibers; (e) distributing a powdery, uncured, resinous molding material upon a surface of the web, and conveying the web upon a second picker roll for mixing the fibers and simultaneously mixing and evenly distributing the molding material within the fibrous mass and to reform the fibers into a relatively wide and thick web; (f) passing the web through a needler which rapidly and continuously needles through the web and mechanically interlocks the fiber to each other; (g) and thereafter removing the web so that it may be cut to size and shape and used in a compression molding process involving the application of heat and pressure within an enclosed cavity mold to form a relatively stiff, board-like structural substrate for panels.