Apparatus for manufacture of structural panel

Claim 1

Apparatus for manufacture of structural panel from substantially stiff substantially straight elongated fiber-bundle strands of the rinds of grass selected from the group consisting of surgarcane and sweet sorghum, the strands of length such that most have a stalk node thereon, comprising: means for coating the strands with an uncured binder; a perforated belt conveyor extending away from the coating means, the conveyor having opposite receiving and discharge ends; means between the coating means and the receiving end to deposit the coated strands onto the receiving end in a substantially compressible loose pile with the strands oriented in random directions in substantially parallel planes; a perforated belt press extending along a portion of, spaced from, and movable with the conveyor, the press having an upstream end downstream of the receiving end of the conveyor and converging with the conveyor in a downstream direction to press the pile to a final thickness with the strands still randomly oriented in substantially parallel planes and with substantial voids to allow air flow therethrough; and curing means entirely downstream of the converging portions of the perforated belt press and conveyor which move air substantially freely through the press and conveyor and the pile therebetween at said final pile thickness thereby to interconnect each strand with other strands at a multiplicity of contact points along its length; whereby structural panel with substantial open voids throughout and density no greater than about 0.25 g/cc may be produced.