US2672076A - Apparatus for feeding reinforcing elements for incorporation in cementitious sheets - Google Patents

Description

March 16, 1954 A. MAGNANI 2,672,076

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING REINFORCING ELEMENTS FOR INCORPORATION IN CEMENTITIOUS SHEETS Filed July 9. 1951 N 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 l0 INVENTOR Qfsamb @nm/ ATTO R N EYS March 16, 1954 A. MAGNANI 2,672,076

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING REINFORCING ELEMENTS FOR INCORPORATION IN CEMENTITIOUS SHEETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 9, 1951 INVENTOR flKQfiQo Mk4) BY game hm hm @MMM M i) f ATTORNEYS March 16, 1954 A. MAGNANI APPARATUS FOR FEEDING REINFORCING ELEMENTS FOR INCORPORATION IN CEMENTITIOUS SHEETS 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 9.

INVENTOR @dfhM ATTORNEYS A. MAG'NANI 2,672,076 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING REINFORCING ELEMENTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 16, 1954 FOR INCORPORATION IN CEMENTITIOUS SHEETS Filed July 9. 1951 INVENTOR @KM /z ML Ms, %M

flan 24w; c Jazl ATTORNEY I a a: a m o I a O I 6 J \\C L I 0 m Patented Mar. 16, 1954 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING REINFORCING ELEMENTS FOR INCORPORATION IN CE- MENTITIOUS SHEETS Alessandro Magnani, Broni, Italy, assignor of onehalf to F. L. Smidth & Co. A/S, Copenhagen,

Denmark, a corporation of Denmark Application July 9, 1951, Serial No. 235,853

This invention relates to the production of reinforced cementitious sheets and is concerned more particularly with an apparatus for producing such sheets, which includes novel means for feeding the reinforcing elements to the sheet material, as the latter is being formed.

In the production of reinforced fibrous cementitious sheets, one method employed heretofore involves forming the sheets in th usual way and pressing them against the reinforcing elements to enclose the latter. This method is not satisfactory, because it has not been possible in sheets made as described to obtain the desired close contact between the sheet material and the reinforcement. In an alternative method, the reinforcement is applied on thesize roller on the board machine after the cementitious material has been deposited on the roller. This method is also unsatisfactory, because, when the sheet is unfolded to lie flat, the attachment between the reinforcement and the cementitious material is weakened.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a novel apparatus for incorporating reinforcing elements in cementitious sheets being produced by distribution of slurry on a traveling suction support by means of a reciprocating carriage. In the. new apparatus, the reinforcing elements are drawn from a supply by a pair of continuously driven feeding rollers and they pass between gripping rollers mounted on a second carriage, which is movable along a support. When the distributing carriage moves in the same direction as the support, the second carriage moves with the support and the gripping rollers thereon are stationary. When the distributing carriage returns to its initial position, it moves the second carriage ahead of it and, during such return movement of the second carriage, the gripping rollers are rotated at the proper rate by a roller on the carriage, which lies in contact with and is rotated by the support. The second carria e is provided with guides for the individual elements. which direct them, so that they will be imbedded in the cementitious material between th upper and lower-surfaces thereof.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional diagrammatic view of one form of the apparatus on the line l l of Fig. 3;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views on the lines 2-2 and 3 -3, respectively, of Fig. 1;

2 Claims. (01. 92-40) Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig.3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views on the lines 5-5 and 6-6, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of a modified form of the apparatus;

Fig. 8 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the carriage employed in the apparatus of Fig. 6 for feeding the reinforcing elements; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are sectional views on the lines 9-9 and Ill-Ill of Fig.7.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 comprises a suction support ll) of conventional construction, the support being hollow and having a porous top Illa and one or more suction connections II. The support is for the production of a corrugated sheet, and its top surface is formed with a series of longitudinal crests l2 separated by longitudinal furrows l3.

The cementitious. material in slurry form is discharged upon the support through. a nozzle l4 between a pair of distributing rollers IS on a carriage [6. The carriage is provided with rollers ll resting on the flat margins l8 of the top of the support and, during the operation of the apparatus, the carriage is reciprocatecl lengthwise of the support by an arm l9 oscillated by suitable means. The distributing rollers [5 of the carriage are shaped to conform with the corrugations in the top of the support and, as the carriage is reciprocated, the cementitious slurry is formed into layers, one upon another, to build up a sheet of the desired thickness on the support.

V The reinforcing elements in the formof wires 20, are drawn from coils 2| thereof and pass through tensioning devices 22, around guide rollers 23, and then through straightening devices 24, which remove irregularities from'the wires. From-the straightening devices, the wires pass to grooved idler wheels 25 mounted on a shaft 26 supported in bearings on a suitable structure 21. The wheels 25 are mounted with their planes of rotation convergent, so that the wires passing down and around th wheels are closer together leaving the wheels than when approaching them.

The reinforcement to be applied to the sheet formed on support II] in the apparatus of Fig. 1 is made up of a plurality of longitudinal wires 20 connected by wire cross strands. The wire for the cross strands is supplied from a coil 28 mounted on a suitable support 29, and the wire is drawn from the coil through a straightening device 30 by gripping means 31 on a rack 32 movable in guides 33 and longitudinally advanced and retracted by a driven gear 34. As the gear 34 rotates in one direction, it advances the rack 32 in the direction of the arrow and the gripping device pulls a length of the cross strand wire from coil 28 across the series of wires 2i! leaving the guides 23. When a cross strand 35 has thus been drawn across the longitudinal wires 26, the cross strand is cut by cutting means, including a pair of co-operating pivoted blades 36 operated by a pull rod 36a, and, at about the same time, the gripping device 3| engages a stop 31 and is sprung open. The cross strand is thus released and drops into notches in a plurality of arms 38 fast on a rock shaft 3t mounted in a support 3a and operated by a connecting rod 40 driven by suitable means. The levers receive; the cross strand before it reaches the longitudinal Strands and swing forward to deposit it upon those strands.

A carriage 4|: is mounted on rollers 42 traveling on rails 43 lying parallel to the lengths of the wires 20 extending from the straightening devices 24 to wheels 25, and the carriage is reciprocated on the rails by a suitably driven connecting rod 44. The carriage is provided with means for connecting each cross strand 35xto the group of longitudinal strands 20 and such means. may be elec tric welding devices, comprising .a plurality of stationary electrodes 45 lying beneath respective longitudinal strands 20 and cooperating with movable electrodes 46: attached to a bar 41 carried bybel l cranks 48 supported on brackets 49- on the carriage. The bell cranks are operable by connecting rods 50 to lower electrodes 46 toward stationary electrodes 45. As the carriage all moves toward levers 3B, the levers swing to de-. posit a cross strand 35 on wires 20 above the stationary electrodes 45. The carriage then moves along the wires 20 and, during such movement, the. electrodes 46 move down against the cross strand 3.5. lying on top of strands 20. and weld the cross strand to the longitudinal strands. When the welding has been completed, the movable electrodes rise and carriage 4i returns to receive the. next cross strand.

The reinforcement, in: the form of the network made up of longitudinal strands 2e connected by cross. strands 3.5, is to be introduced into the cementitious sheet formed on support Ill in such manner that the longitudinal strands lie at the bottom ofthe furrowsofthe sheet As the longitudinal strands are spaced farther apart than the adjacent furrows at the time the cross strands are connected thereto and the cross strands are to. conform to the cross-sectional shape ofthe sheet, the cross strands are bent between adjacent longitudinal strands. so that the network, as suppliedv to thesheet, will have a corrugated form corresponding to that of the sheet. The bending of the cross strands is effected by a plate. 51. pivoted at. its upper end on a support 52 andcarryingforming members. la extending between adjacent wheels 25. at the side ofshaft 26 where. the wheels have their smallest separation. The plate. 51 is swung toward and away from shaft 26 by levers 53 mounted in a shaft 54 on brackets 5-5 a suitable support, the shaft 54 having; an arm 56 operable by a suitably driven connecting; rod 51-. As the reinforcement network passes around wheels '25-, the forming members 5|=a are moved: in and out between the wheels and gradually bend the cross strands to the desired form.

The reinforcing network leaving wheels 25 passes between suitably formed friction rollers 53 driven by appropriate means and, beyond the rollers, the network passes through a cutting device comprising a fixed shearing blade 59, with which cooperates a shearing blade 60 mounted for movement in guides in brackets 61 and actuated by a bell crank 62 operated b a, Q l mecting rod 63 driven by suitable means. At intervals in the operation of the device, the movable blade 50 is lowered to sever the longitudinal strands of the network between adjacent cross strands.

The network enters a plurality of fixed guides 6 4 beyond the. cutting device, and the guides extend down between the crests of the support in such position that the longitudinal strands of the network arev delivered to the sheet in the furrows and in such position as to lie between the upper andlower surfaces of the sheet. The cross strands then lie within the crests and furrows of the sheet between the surfaces thereof.

In the operation of the apparatus, the support It is gradually advanced in the direction of its length beneath the reciprocating distributing carriage l 6, so. that the successivelayersof cemene. titious. material build up on the support. to form a sheetof the desired thickness. The forward end of the reinforcing network initially lies beneath the distributing carriage. and, .as the sheet is built up and fluid is, withdrawn therefrom through the. support, the material becomes compacted about, and in contact with the. reinforcement. As the support moves along, the reinforcement. moves with it partly by reason of the. reinforcement. being embedded in the. sheet and partly by the feeding action of friction rollers. 5.8. At thedee sired intervals, the reinforcement is .cutby the cutting blades 59, 6t and the. reinforcement is. again introduced into. the sheetv beneath the dis-i tributing carriage It with thec-ut. ends of the reinforcement spaced so. that the. sheet is formed with the sections withoutreinforcement.

If desired, the support til ma be. stationary, in which event the distributing carriage t6, is. both reciprocated. and gradually advanced along the support. Also, the. other elements; of the. ma? chine, such as the straightening devices it. the. means for connecting the cross strands. to. the longitudinal strands, the wheels 25, forming plate 51 and. rollers 58, are mounted ona carriage-a de vancingalongthe support at the samerate. of advance; asthe distributing carriagel I61 In the machine shown in Figs. 1-5, inc, the. reinforcing network made, up. of longitudinat strands. 2E and cross. stands 315'. includes only as many longitudinal strands as there are. furrows in the fini'shed sheet. S, and thelongitudina strands lie at .thefibottoms of the. fur-rows. It; will be evident that more longitudinal strands mayv be employed in producing the network, so that these strands will lie:- bQthi at the' bottoms. of the. furrowsand at the tops ofthe crestsiwith-e inthesheet, if desired.

In the machine shown in Figs. 1-1 0, inc., the suction support isof'the endless-type andv is made,- upof a plurality of hollow boxestS pivotally. con-. nected end to. end with the connections provided with rollers -86. The support is trainedabout driving wheels 6? of polygonal form and, in the upper stretch of the support leaving the top of one wheel and traveling to theother, the rollers 65 at first run on rails 68 on suitable bracket 69' attached to the ends of suction chambers-"Ill mounted on standards Ft. Iher-e aretwo suction chambers lying beneath the opposite edges of the upper horizontai stretch of theendless support, and each chamber is formed with one or eyeva'ove inbre longitudinal slots 12 in its top surface. The

boxes 65 are similarly provided with slots 65a through'their bottom walls, which register with the slots in the suction chambers as the boxes move along them. When the rollers 66 on the support run off rails 68, boxes 65 drop down slightly to rest upon the top of the suction chambers III, from which air is continuously withdrawn through pipes 13 attached to suitable suction means.

' The machine disclosed is for the purpose of making longitudinally corrugated sheets, and the top wall 14 of each box 65 is corrugated in the direction of the length of the support. The corrugated area of the top of each box 55 is porous and, at the sides of the porous area, the top of the box has flat margins, on which travel the rollers 75 on a distributing carriage I6 reciprocated lengthwise of the support by a suitably driven connecting rod 71. The carriage is formed with side walls 18 having slots to receive the shafts of distributing rollers 79, which are corrugated to correspond with the corrugations in the top wall 14 of the boxes 65 of the support. The cementitious slurry is discharged upon the support between rollers I9 through a nozzl 80 and, as the carriage l6 reciprocates, the slurry is distributed in layers on the top of the support until a sheet of the desired thickness is built up. ,During the building up of the sheet, moisture is continuousl withdrawn through the porous tops of boxes 65.

' The mechanism for feeding the reinforcement comprises a second carriage BI, in the side walls 82 of which are mounted shafts 83 and 84. Shaft 83 carries a pair of wheels 85, which run in the furrows in the top of the suction boxes 65, and shaft 84 carries wheels 85, which rest on the tops of the crests of the top walls of the boxes. The machine is constructed for producing a corrugated sheet having longitudinal reinforcing elements 8'! in the furrows and the carriage is provided with guides 88 lying above th furrows in the suction boxes.

The reinforcing elements 81 are drawn from a supply roll 89 by driven friction rollers 90 and pass to the guides 88 beneath a reciprocable cutting blade 9I movable in guides in a bracket 92 and operated by a driven lever 93. The portions of the guides beneath the blade are formed as anvils, with which the blade may cooperate to sever the elements 87. The reinforcing strands I leaving the guides pass beneath rollers 94 on shaft 84 and are pressed against those rollers by rollers 95 (Fig. 8) mounted in arms 96 pivoted on plates 91 rigidly attached to a cross bar 96 connecting the side members 82 on carriage 3|. Springs 99 attached to arms 96 and to plates 97 urge rollers 95 toward rollers 94, so that each strand is gripped between a pair of the rollers. The strands passing beneath rollers 94 enter lower guides I00 mounted on a cross bar IOI of,

the carriage. The guides I06 terminate close to the adjacent distributing roller 19 on car-riage I6, and lie in contact with the bottoms of the furrows in boxes 65 so as to feed the elements at the right elevation in relation to the sheet to be formed.

The carriage 8| is provided adjacent one end with a pair of dashpots I02, having spring pressed plungers I03 engageable by a part of carriage 16. At its other end, carriage 8| is provided with a bracket I64 engageable with a stop I05 on a part I06 of the frame structure.

In the operation of the apparatus shown in 6 Figs. 7-10, inc.-, the-endless set of boxes 65 is ad vanced continuously beneath nozzle and the carriage 16 which is continually reciprocated to distribute the cementitious slurry on the porous top surfaces of the boxes in the upper stretch of the support to form overlapping layers making up the final sheet. The reinforcing wires are fed from the supply roll and ultimately pass out through guides I00 so that they are embedded in the sheet as the latter is being built up. When the wires have been caught within the sheet and the distributing carriage I6 moves in the same direction as the sheet, the second carriage 8| having its rollers 85, 86 resting on top of the suction support moves forward with the support. During such movement of carriage 8|, the friction'rollers 96 feed the reinforcing wires at the rate, at which carriage 8| moves forward. The carriage 16 moves faster than the support in the direction of travel of the latter'andfduring the return of carriage I6, it engages plungers I63 on carriage SI and moves carriage 8| along the support in a direction opposite to the travel thereof. During such return movement of carriage BI, rollers 86 on the carriage roll on the support and simultaneously rolls 94, which are of the same diameter as rolls 86 and fast on the same shaft 84, are turned counterclockwise at such speed that the wires 81 are fed in the direction of travel of the support and at the same speed. The wires are, accordingly, fed to the sheet being formed on the support at the'proper rate regardless of the direction of movement of carriage 8|. f

At suitable intervals during the operation of the carriages and at the time that carriage 8| has made its full movement in the direction of travel of the support, the cutting blade BI is lowered to sever the wires. The severed lengths of the wires are fed along with the support by reason of the portions thereof embedded within the sheet and the ends of the wires to the rear of the blade are advanced by rollers and ultimately issue through guides I 00 to be embedded again within the sheet. If desired, the operation of the friction rollers 90 may be interrupted briefly by momentarily separating them as by cam action, so that a section of the sheet is formed without reinforcement and may be used for severing the sheet into smaller units. Alternatively, the rolls 90 may be driven at such a speed as to advance the wires 81 at a rate somewhat slower than the rate of travel of the suction support. After the wires have been embedded in the sheet, the difference between the speed of travel of the sheet and the rate, at which the wires are fed, causes the wires to be tensioned and, whenever the wires are cut, a section of the sheet without reinforcement is automatically formed.

In the apparatus shown in Figs. 7-10, inc., the reinforcing wires are fed only to the furrows within the sheet, but, if desired, carriage 8| may be provided with additional guiding means, so that the wires may be fed for embedding in the sheet both at the tops of the crests and at the bottoms of the furrows. Also, the apparatus may include the means employed in the apparatus of Fig. 1 for connecting cross strands to the longitudinal strands to form a network reinforcement which, if the sheet is of corrugated form, will be given a corresponding corrugated form by the use of wheels similar to wheels 25, and forming members similar to members 5Ia.

In the apparatus illustrated and described, the reinforcement made up of longitudinal strands,

with or without cross strands connected thereto ter als, ted-11mm ource 01 su ply, in.- troduced into the sheet. as the latter being built. up on th su t on support. and. then v r d at intervals If de ir d, pr -cut l ngths of th reinfor ment. may e deposited upon the sheet at h p per ime; uring he for at on ofthe sheet, In a ap ratus. p ra g. to s pp y such ore-cut engths or the reiniomement, t e

cementifious slur y is supp ied to th su por at spaced; newts-by se arate nozzles and a di t ibuting: eanr as reciprocating; alon the supp rt is providedat each nozzle The carria es; are spa ed at distan e. su h. that the ngths of min -Force.- ment-m y b advan ed i oma, upply nd f upon that part. Of the sheet formed by the ct on of. the fi t carr a e. t rv w ich h remaind r of t she t is f rmed a ve th r in.- .foncement'by the; action of. t e ond carria mi im:

1. apparatus for producing a reinforced cementitious sheet, which comprises a suction support, e s or advancing the supp t in the dire ion, o ts en th m ans for d p s t cement t ous materia pon the suppo and means. or in a plurality f reinfor in e e merits. l n thw and. d p sit n t m in, spa ed re ation, up n. he heet le gthwi her o nludin uides or the resp tiv elements sp d lateral y across the. support, p i s; of oll rs rippin t e e ements nd r at b e. t advanc hemhrou h. their uide nd, s t of ol er to one gr nnin roller of each. and rotatable therewith, the rollers of said set bein in contact. w th the suction support; ad- Vance of the deposits; means: nd bein rotated throu h s id ontact.

2.. An pparatus; for producin a e forced cementitious sheet. which. compr ses a, suction supp t means tor adv nc n the support in the direction of; its length, means for deposibmg cementitious material upon the support, and means for feeding a plurality of reinforcing elements lengthwise and depositing them in spaced relation, upon the; sheet lengthwise thereof. including guides for the respective elements spaced laterally across the support, a'shaft extending transv rs lyof-the. su tion u po t, a s t of roller fast on the shaft and engaging respective elements, a ur i f sprin .inr sse iv mllers, 00- op rating with those, n t e shaft to g ip the elements, and a. second set of rollers fast. on the shaft and in contact with the suction support, the rollers of said, second set being rotated thrQuehsaid contact with the support.

ALESSANDRQ MAGNANI.

References Cited in the file of this, patent. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name, Date 101,750 Mann Apr. 12,1870 1,071,822 Storey Sept. 2,1913 1,968,124 Cate July 31, 1934 2,011,440 Dorn et a1. Aug. 13, 1935 2,017,339v Bryant Oct. 15, 1935 2,175,066 Riley g Oct. 3, 1939 2,146,296 Heye Feb. '7, 1939 2,182,968 Lunsford. Dec. 12, 1939 2,382,171 Pomykala Aug. 14, 1945 2,390,174 Roemer Dec. 4, 1945 2, ,39 Mueller Mar- 29', 1,9 9 2,577,103 Brian Dec. 4, 1951 2,578,581 Nash r Dec, 11, 195.1

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 376,993 Italy Dec. 4, 1 9-39

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