Production and application of fire resistant erosion control mat

Abstract

A fire resistant ground erosion control mat assembly. The mat assembly includes an inner layer of fire resistant milled stone mineral wool material with an upper and a lower layer of supportive nets. Each of the upper and lower nets consist of fire resistant milled mineral foraminous nettings to enable passage of light and water therethrough as a ground positioned emplacement of the inner layer.

Claims

1. An elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly comprised of: an elongated, fire resistant, light-transmissive lower, foraminous, supportive net; an elongated, fire resistant, light-transmissive upper, foraminous supportive net; an elongated, fire resistant, light-transmissive innermost layer sandwiched between the light-transmissive lower foraminous support net and the light-transmissive upper support net, and wherein the innermost layer is comprised of a rock wall vegetation supportive matrix, and wherein the light transmissive lower foraminous supportive net end of the light-transmissive foraminous upper supportive nets are each environmentally degradable.

2. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongated fire resistant light-transmissive lower foraminous supportive net is formed from an elongated single source fiber creating an elongated continuous three-dimensional matrix.

3. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongated fire resistant light-transmissive upper foraminous support net is formed from an elongated single source fiber creating an elongated continuous three-dimensional matrix.

4. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongated fire resistant light-transmissive upper foraminous support net and the elongated fire resistant light-transmissive lower foraminous support net are tack welded together at disparate locations thereon.

5. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the mat assembly is between about 0.1 to about 2.0 inches thick.

6. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 1, having a light-transmissivity thereacross of between about 30 to about 80%.

7. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the innermost layer of rock wool is comprised of a fiberized Basalt.

8. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongated fire resistant light-transmissive lower foraminous supportive net is comprised of an air and light-transmissive layer of metal selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, galvanized steel, aluminum and tin.

9. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the elongated fire resistant transmissive lower foraminous supportive net is comprised of an air and light-transmissive layer of fire resistant material selected from the group consisting of plastic or polyvinyl chloride.

10. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein the elongated fire resistant light-transmissive lower foraminous supportive net is comprised of a chain link arrangement having openings therethrough of a range of from about one quarter of an inch to 1 inch there cross.

11. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the fiberized Basalt is processed into a longer fiber by a melting of a slag of the Basalt through a treatment chamber.

12. The elongated, fire resistant light-transmissive ground erosion control mat assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein the longer fiber of the fiberized Basalt has a thickness of between about 0.01 inches to about 0.1 inches thick, and has a length of from about 0.25 inches to about 12 inches.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0034] FIG. 1 is an edge view of a multi-layered fire resistant erosion control mat constructed according to the principles of the present invention;

[0035] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the multi-layered fire resistant erosion control mat represented in FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 3 is a view of the multi-layered fire resistant erosion control mat represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, depicting a critical light-transmissive open area non-dense construction criteria for such mat;

[0037] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the manufacture of the fibrous core material of the fire resistant erosion control mat, prior to its final step in the construction of the multi-layered fire resistant erosion control mat; and

[0038] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the construction of the multi-layered fire resistant erosion control mat utilizing the fibrous core material depicted in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] Referring now to the details of the drawings, the present invention as shown in FIG. 1 comprises an elongated, flexible, fire-resistant, multi-layered mat 10 comprised of an elongated, fire resistant lower netting 12, an elongated fire resistant upper netting14 and an elongated, fire-resistant, light and air-penetrable inner layer 16.

[0040] The elongated, flexible, fire-resistant lower netting 12 is preferably comprised of a web of woven or roll-pressed or stamped, porous or foraminous, air and light transmissive layer of metal such as stainless steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, tin, or a fire resistant plastic or polyvinyl chloride material, as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2. Such lower netting 12 may also be comprised of a chain link type arrangement, having smaller openings of a range of one quarter inch to one inch across.

[0041] The elongated, flexible, fire-resistant upper netting 14 is also preferably comprised of a woven or roll-pressed or stamped, foraminous, porous, air and light transmissive layer of metal such as stainless steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, tin, or a fire resistant plastic or polyvinyl chloride material, as represented in FIGS. 2 and 3. Such upper netting 14 may also be comprised of a chain link (fence) type arrangement 18, having smaller openings 20 of a range of one quarter inch to one inch across.

[0042] The constructed mat assembly 10, as represented in FIGS. 1 and 3, has a preferable thickness T of about 0.1 to about 2.0 inches, and an open internal areas A (interstices) of zero to about 80 percent, preferably 30 to 80 percent, as measured by light transmissive or light transparency. A lamp 24 is shown in represented in FIG. 3 casting light rays 26 through the mat assembly 10, wherein 30 to 80 percent of those light rays 26 are allowed to pass all the way through, as 26L, onto a lower examination surface 35.

[0043] The elongated, fire-resistant, light and air penetrable inner layer 16 is comprised of an elongated fibrous matrix comprised preferably of a stone or rock wool material, such as for example, fiberized Basalt, a common treatable rock. Such a source fiber F, meaning for example, Basalt or other rock adaptable wool, vegetation-supportive matrix, is processed into longer fiber by a melting/treating of the slag or mineral, through a treatment chamber 28, as represented in FIG. 4.

[0044] This longer fiber is created by a grinding or milling roll arrangement 30 and spun or milled in a further chamber 32, so as to become a usable length of inner layer material 34. Those usable lengths of fire-resistant fiber 34 may be deposited as the inner layer on a fire-resistant lower web 36, and covered with an upper fire-resistant web 38 from a supply roll 40 as represented in FIG. 5, for the production of the fire-resistant mat assembly 10, after passing through a proper treatment works, such as an oven 42, wherein subsequently, treatment rollers, tack welding, stitching and binder application 44 are provided.

[0045] The upper and lower webs 14 and 12 in further embodiments may be comprised of for example, a wire mesh, synthetic extruded netting or synthetic yarn or a combination thereof, woven into a net. Such components are preferably fire resistant, for this particular embodiment, inasmuch as they initially contain and secure the inner layer for a sufficient length of time to establish proper ground positioning of the mat.

[0046] The source fiber F may be spun or otherwise processed into long yarns and used to replace the thread in a fire-resistant stitch bonded product. The source fiber may itself be spun or processed into long yarns and woven into a net that is utilized as a replacement for the upper and lower metallic earlier described netting, on a stitch bonded, tack welded or stapled multi-layered product. The source fiber may be spun into long yarns entangled or wrapped in conjunction with other components (steel mesh, synthetic mesh, etc) to form advantageous configurations of foraminous mats. The source fiber F may also be spun into long yarns woven into a continuous matrix or web that forms a three-dimensional array, absent fiber and stitching or inclusive of fiber and stitching.

[0047] Alternatively, such fiber matrix may be formed without either or both the upper and lower nets, by an adhesive binder, a thermoplastic resin, a heat welding, tack welding or heat treatment of the fibers F for insuring tacked fiber adhesion of the milled mineral wool or metallic wool (for example, steel wool) to one another at disparate locations thereon sufficient to form a flexible, ground-depositable layer of fire resistant, ground erosion minimizing protection, with or without either or both the upper and/or lower layer of fire-resistant or synthetic, or eventually degradable enclosure nets.

[0048] The fibers and yarns are preferably thicker and longer than the source fiber of the parent mineral wool. Dimensions may vary, however, are sufficient to develop a matrix, yarn or fiber to meet specification. Typically, the fill fiber has dimensions ranging from 0.01 inches to 0.1 inches thick and from 0.25 inches up to 12 inches in length. The finished yarn preferably ranges from 0.01 inches to 0.75 inches thick and from a few inches to tens of thousands of feet long.

[0049] The present inventive elongated mat is constituted by the Basalt or stone wool matrix and metalized or fire resistant upper and lower layers for long term enablement of sunlight to pass through, to resist the spread of fires, to reduce ground erosion, and especially to aid in the establishment.