A process for making a continuous web of a longitudinally corrugated fibrous material includes passing the web between a rigid cylinder having circumferential grooves that are flanked and shaped to define a substantially corrugated profile on substantially on the entire thickness of the web, and a presser which has an external layer made of an elastically compressible material and which is maintained adherent to the rigid cylinder so as to cause the continuous web to penetrate into the grooves and thus obtain the corrugations, At the same time, the continuous web is subjected to a reduction of the speed of the surface in contact with the presser with respect to the speed of the surface in contact with the rigid cylinder so as to have a longitudinally corrugated pattern on both surfaces and transverse ripples at least at the corrugated surface that was in contact with the rigid cylinder.

A process for making a continuous web of a longitudinally corrugated fibrous material includes passing the web between a rigid cylinder having circumferential grooves that are flanked and shaped to define a substantially corrugated profile on substantially on the entire thickness of the web, and a presser which has an external layer made of an elastically compressible material and which is maintained adherent to the rigid cylinder so as to cause the continuous web to penetrate into the grooves and thus obtain the corrugations, At the same time, the continuous web is subjected to a reduction of the speed of the surface in contact with the presser with respect to the speed of the surface in contact with the rigid cylinder so as to have a longitudinally corrugated pattern on both surfaces and transverse ripples at least at the corrugated surface that was in contact with the rigid cylinder.

A forming device for gathering the width of a traveling web is disclosed. The forming device includes opposing arrays of flute-forming bars that can be interlaced to define therebetween a longitudinal flute-forming labyrinth effective to reduce the width of a web traveling therethrough by a preselected take-up ratio. The flute-forming bars are curved beginning at an entry end of the forming device such that they converge in a lateral direction as they proceed in the machine direction. In this manner, individual elements of the web traveling between the respective arrays in the machine direction follow contour lines along the curved bars or between adjacent ones of the curved bars so that no such element crosses any flute-forming bar in the cross-machine direction as the web travels and is fluted. A corrugating die for introducing a near-net shape to the intermediate-fluted web is also disclosed, as are a corrugating line incorporating these operations and methods for its operation.

A forming device for gathering the width of a traveling web is disclosed. The forming device includes opposing arrays of flute-forming bars that can be interlaced to define therebetween a longitudinal flute-forming labyrinth effective to reduce the width of a web traveling therethrough by a preselected take-up ratio. The flute-forming bars are curved beginning at an entry end of the forming device such that they converge in a lateral direction as they proceed in the machine direction. In this manner, individual elements of the web traveling between the respective arrays in the machine direction follow contour lines along the curved bars or between adjacent ones of the curved bars so that no such element crosses any flute-forming bar in the cross-machine direction as the web travels and is fluted. A corrugating die for introducing a near-net shape to the intermediate-fluted web is also disclosed, as are a corrugating line incorporating these operations and methods for its operation.

An apparatus for introducing transverse trapezoidal corrugations into a traveling web is provided, and includes a plurality of corrugating rollers for imparting corrugations to the web. In disclosed embodiments four such rollers are provided in a roller train defining respective first, second and third nips therebetween, wherein the teeth of the first and second rollers have rounded distal faces and those of the third and fourth rollers have flattened distal faces. Methods of yielding a trapezoidal corrugated web also are disclosed.

An apparatus is provided for producing longitudinally corrugated product. The apparatus includes a guide roll for guiding a web of medium material, wherein at least a portion of the guide roll is adapted to be arranged at an angle relative to another portion of the guide roll. The apparatus further includes a plurality of flute forming bars oriented generally along a longitudinal axis of the web to define a first corrugating labyrinth effective to longitudinally corrugate the web to an intermediate geometry. The apparatus further includes a pair of corrugating rollers that cooperate to define, at a nip therebetween, a second corrugating labyrinth effective to longitudinally corrugate the web to a substantially final geometry. The apparatus further includes a web travel pathway for the web that follows a path around a portion of the guide roll, through the first corrugating labyrinth, and through the second corrugating labyrinth.

An apparatus is provided for producing longitudinally corrugated product. The apparatus includes a guide roll for guiding a web of medium material, wherein at least a portion of the guide roll is adapted to be arranged at an angle relative to another portion of the guide roll. The apparatus further includes a plurality of flute forming bars oriented generally along a longitudinal axis of the web to define a first corrugating labyrinth effective to longitudinally corrugate the web to an intermediate geometry. The apparatus further includes a pair of corrugating rollers that cooperate to define, at a nip therebetween, a second corrugating labyrinth effective to longitudinally corrugate the web to a substantially final geometry. The apparatus further includes a web travel pathway for the web that follows a path around a portion of the guide roll, through the first corrugating labyrinth, and through the second corrugating labyrinth.

An apparatus for introducing transverse trapezoidal corrugations into a traveling web is provided, and includes a plurality of corrugating rollers for imparting corrugations to the web. In disclosed embodiments four such rollers are provided in a roller train defining respective first, second and third nips therebetween, wherein the teeth of the first and second rollers have rounded distal faces and those of the third and fourth rollers have flattened distal faces. Methods of yielding a trapezoidal corrugated web also are disclosed.

A device for configuring foil for use in cooking food comprising a base portion comprising first and second portions, a first plurality of elements operatively associated with the first portion; and a second plurality of elements operatively associated with the second portion; at least one of the first or second plurality of elements operating to move for entry of foil therebetween; the first and second plurality of elements operating to configure foil as the foil passes between the first and second plurality of elements. A method of cooking using configured foil.

A device for configuring foil for use in cooking food comprising a base portion comprising first and second portions, a first plurality of elements operatively associated with the first portion; and a second plurality of elements operatively associated with the second portion; at least one of the first or second plurality of elements operating to move for entry of foil therebetween; the first and second plurality of elements operating to configure foil as the foil passes between the first and second plurality of elements. A method of cooking using configured foil.