Skin Stiffness Characteristics and Loft Control Production System and Method with Variable Moisture Content in Input Fiberglass Media

Abstract

A heating system is provided having a plurality of heated zones, with at least a first zone and a second zone. The first zone receives variable input moisture fiberglass over a first conveyor system and comprises a first compression system above the first conveyor system. Each zone has a fire box at the top and an exhaust stack. Heated air is up drafted through the bottom of the first zone, where the heated air flows from the bottom through the conveyor belt, through the fiberglass media, through the tensioned compression chain, and out the exhaust stack of the first zone. The first zone establishes fiberglass loft, with the second zone providing cure of the fiberglass.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A method for processing fiberglass media, comprising: providing fiberglass media onto a lower conveyor chain in a first heated zone; positioning the fiberglass media between the lower conveyor chain and an upper compression conveyer belt; in the first heated zone, providing heated air upward through a lower conveyer chain, the fiberglass media, the upper compression conveyer belt, and into a first return air plenum; setting a height of the upper compression conveyer belt to set a loft of the fiberglass media; providing the fiberglass media into a second heated zone; in the second heated zone, providing heated air upward through the lower conveyer chain, the fiberglass media, and into a second return air plenum; and removing the fiberglass media from the second heated zone.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the temperature of the first heated zone is between three hundred degrees Fahrenheit and five hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein: the temperature of the second heated zone is between two hundred seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit and five hundred degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature of the second heated zone is at least twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit lower than the temperature of the first heated zone.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein setting the height of the upper compression conveyer belt comprises raising or lowering the upper compression conveyer belt in twenty seconds or less.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein setting the height of the upper compression conveyer belt comprises raising or lowering the upper compression conveyer belt in less than three seconds.

19. The method of claim 14, comprising setting the height of the upper compression conveyer belt between inch and 5 inches.

20. The method of claim 14, comprising recirculating air in the first heated zone.

21. The method of claim 14, comprising recirculating air in the second heated zone.

22. The method of claim 14, comprising controlling a tension of the lower conveyor chain.

23. The method of claim 14, comprising controlling a tension of the upper conveyor chain.

24. The method of claim 14, comprising synchronizing a speed of the upper compression conveyor belt with a speed of the lower conveyor chain.

25. A method for processing fiberglass media, comprising: driving a lower conveyor in a first heated zone and a second heated zone; driving an upper conveyor in the first heated zone; providing fiberglass onto the lower conveyor; setting a height of the upper conveyer relative to the lower conveyor to set a loft of the fiberglass media; tensioning the upper conveyor; tensioning the lower conveyor; and adjusting a position of the upper conveyor with respect to the lower conveyor.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising: supplying hot air through a distribution duct below the lower conveyor; directing the hot air through the fiberglass; and receiving the hot air through a return air plenum.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising: recirculating at least 50 percent of heated air in the first heated zone; and recirculating at least 50 percent of heated air in the second heated zone.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first heated zone is between three hundred degrees Fahrenheit and five hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein: the second heated zone is between two hundred seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit and five hundred degrees Fahrenheit, and the second heated zone is at least twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit lower than the first heated zone.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein setting the height of the upper conveyer comprises raising or lowering the upper conveyer in twenty seconds or less.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein setting the height of the upper conveyer comprises raising or lowering the upper conveyer in less than three seconds.

32. The method of claim 25, comprising setting the height of the upper conveyer between inch and 5 inches from the lower conveyor.

33. The method of claim 25, comprising synchronizing a speed of the upper conveyor with a speed of the lower conveyor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] A complete understanding of the present disclosure may be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, when considered in conjunction with the subsequent, detailed description, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a transport system for the first zone of a heating apparatus and depicts an upper compression conveyor belt 10, an upper compression conveyor belt drive sprocket 18, and rollers 14 supporting lower conveyor chain 16;

[0017] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a tension control for a first zone of a heating apparatus and depicts an upper compression conveyor belt tensioner 20 and a lower conveyor chain tensioner 22;

[0018] FIG. 3 shows a side view of an airflow control for a first zone of a heating apparatus and depicts a firebox and blower 30, hot air distribution duct 32, return air plenum 34, return air recycling direction of air flow 36, fume hood 38, return air plenum and fume hood exhaust stack 40, and make up air intake 42;

[0019] FIG. 4 shows an end view of an airflow control for a first zone of a heating apparatus and depicts a burner and firebox assembly 50, down draft ducts 52 with direction of airflow indicated away from the burner, direction of airflow updraft through fiberglass media 54, and direction of airflow from return air plenum to recycling 56;

[0020] FIG. 5 shows a top view of a first zone of a heating apparatus and depicts upper compression conveyor belt lifting jacks 60 for loft control;

[0021] FIG. 6 shows a side view of a second zone of a heating apparatus and depicts a firebox and blower 70, hot air supply distribution duct 72, return air plenum 74, return air exhaust stack 76, make up air intake 78, and the direction of travel 79 of the fiberglass media, with a vertical dashed line indicating the boundary with the first zone and;

[0022] FIG. 7 shows a top view of an upper compression conveyor belt roller chain 80 and 3 inch by 3 inch support track 82;

[0023] FIG. 8 shows an end view of upper compression conveyor belt lateral support devices 90; and

[0024] FIG. 9 shows a front view of outboard bearings 100 and insulation board 110.

[0025] For purposes of clarity and brevity, like elements and components will bear the same designations and numbering throughout the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Disclosed is a heating apparatus for curing fiberglass having an extended length dual curing heating system with at least a fifteen foot first heated zone and at least a fifteen foot second heated zone. Neither the first heated zone nor the second heated zone has a maximum length of more than one hundred feet each. The first heated zone operates at a temperature range of three hundred degrees Fahrenheit (300 F.) to five hundred degrees Fahrenheit (500 F.) with the second heated zone operating at a temperature of two hundred and seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit (275 F.) to five hundred degrees Fahrenheit (500 F.). The second heated zone operates on the low temperature range end at least twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit (25 F.) cooler than the first heated zone.

[0027] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, integrated tensioner mechanisms (upper compression conveyor belt tensioner 20, lower conveyor chain tensioner 22, and upper compression conveyor belt drive sprocket 18) control tension on the lower conveyor chain 16 and the upper compression conveyor belt 10 with rollers 14 supporting the lower conveyor chain 16. The first heated zone has an upper tensioned compression system having an upper compression conveyor belt tensioner 20 and a lower conveyor chain tensioner 22 for the fiberglass media 12. The first heated zone receives conveyed fiberglass media over a first conveyor belt. An upper compression conveyor belt 10 is mounted to lateral support devices 90 (shown in FIG. 8), which are mounted perpendicular to the direction of travel of fiberglass media 12, thereby preventing downward deflection of the belt across the width of the fiberglass media 12. Lateral support devices 90 are attached at each end to an upper compression conveyor belt roller chain 80 (shown in FIG. 7) with rollers 14 riding in a support track 82 (shown in FIG. 7).

[0028] The upper conveyor compression belt 10 is composed of a wire mesh which allows air to flow through the belt. The upper compression conveyor belt 10 mounts in a support track 82 which can be raised and lowered by synchronized lifting jacks 60 (shown in FIG. 5). Temperature sensors near the surface of the fiberglass media in each of the first heated zone and the second heated zone are used to automatically control gas valves in each burner and firebox assembly 50 (shown in FIG. 4) to maintain a constant temperature. FIG. 3 depicts the position 44 of a temperature sensor. An alternating current (AC) inverter in a closed-loop system synchronizes the speeds of the upper compression conveyor belt 10, the post oven accumulator and the post oven wind-up assembly along with the speed of the lower conveyor chain 16, which precludes abrading of the surface of the fiberglass media 12 while further controlling tension on the fiberglass media 12.

[0029] Each heated zone has a fire box. There is a blower 30 for the first heated zone (shown in FIG. 3) and a blower 70 for the second heated zone (shown in FIG. 6), along with a separate exhaust stack at the top most section of each heated zone. The first heated zone also comprises air plenum and fume hood exhaust stack 40, and the second heated zone comprises return air exhaust stack 76.

[0030] The heated air is then collected above the media 12 through adjustable holes in plenum 34 at the topmost part of the first heated zone. There, return air in the plenum 34 can be returned to the firebox and blower 30 or exhausted out the first heated zone return air plenum and fume hood exhaust stack 40 in a way that recirculating air percentages can be controlled through make up air intake 42.

[0031] With reference to FIG. 5, the loft of the product is controlled through lifting jacks 60 which adjust and move the upper compression conveyor belt 10 either up or down automatically. The movement of the upper compression belt to change loft is typically 3 seconds, but could be almost instantaneously or up to a maximum of 20 seconds when changes are made from inch loft to 5 inch loft all at once, which is quickly enough such that no media 12 is ruined.

[0032] Also disclosed herein is an apparatus with a plurality of heated zones with a minimum of at least two heating zones. A first zone is heated to a temperature range of at least three hundred degrees Fahrenheit (300 F.) to no more than five hundred degrees Fahrenheit (500 F.). The first heated zone has a firebox and blower 30 disposed at the topmost section of the first zone, with an air intake 42 and a return air plenum 34, with the return air recycling direction of air flow 36 (as indicated in FIG. 3). Additionally, the topmost section of the first heated zone has a return air plenum exhaust coupled with a fume hood exhaust stack 40 and a fume hood 38 situated exterior to the heating apparatus) disposed just above upper compression conveyor belt tensioner 20 which is disposed above lower conveyor chain tensioner 22.

[0033] In FIG. 4, the air flow and position of the ductwork are indicated relative to the firebox assembly 50 with direction of hot air travel in downdraft duct 52. The air is delivered at the bottom most area of the oven with direction of updraft of the hot air through the media 54 and flow of air from return air plenum to recycling 56. The ductwork is connected thereto with ducting conducting heated air from a blower and firebox through ducting disposed along the exterior wall of a first zone to a bottom most portion of the first zone. The heated air exits the ductwork through a series of rectangular slots under lower conveyor chain 16 presenting heated air with an upward flow through lower conveyor chain 16. The heated air then flows upward through a first surface of a fiberglass media through the fiberglass media to a second surface of a fiberglass media, then upward through upper compression conveyor belt 10.

[0034] A first upper compression conveyor belt 10 with a specified travel distance through the oven of at least fifteen feet and no more than one hundred feet in a first zone provides continuous contact of fiberglass media with heated air, which air is heated above three hundred degrees Fahrenheit (300 F.) to no more than five hundred degrees Fahrenheit (500 F.). Temperature is held for a specified period of time necessary to allow loft to begin to form with a second heated zone being 25 degrees cooler at the lower end for final curing of the fiberglass media. The heating apparatus functions as both a loft control system and a curing apparatus for fiberglass and has been designed with two extended length zones, a first heated zone and a second heated zone. This apparatus allows the use of urea formaldehyde or acrylic binders with a minimal amount of additives (e.g. catalysts or buffers), minimizing variables and simplifying the process of producing quality fiberglass media with better defined and more rigid skins. The addition of DEG (diethylene glycol) as an additive regulates moisture; however, it may only be added in a small percentage by weight. Additionally, this process allows successful curing of unexpanded fiberglass mats with a wider range of moisture levels. Ducting distributes heated air from a heated air distribution ducting below the bottom conveyor chain. This keeps the bottom conveyor chain cleaner and precludes most particulates from entering the exhaust stream, which keeps all the exhaust ducts cleaner. The heating apparatus further saves energy by recirculating eighty percent of the heated air in a first heated zone and ninety-five percent of the heated air in a second heated zone to maximize energy efficiency.

[0035] Synchronization of an upper compression conveyor belt 10 and a lower conveyor chain 16 can be accomplished with separate direct drives controlled by an encoder. Encoders are utilized to maintain synchronization even as belts stretch and components wear over time. Synchronization may further be maintained with an accumulator and a windup mechanism which are downstream of the heated apparatus. Both the accumulator and the windup mechanism maintain proper tension on the media throughout the process. The upper compression conveyor belt 10 is encased in a framework attached to lifting jacks 60 so that loft of the fiberglass media can be changed very quickly while media is still being processed. The lifting jacks 60 respond very quickly and adjust to preset set points.

[0036] To provide for better maintenance and longer service life, apparatus roller outboard bearings 100 (shown in FIG. 9) on the ends of the rollers 14 supporting the lower conveyor chain 16 have been relocated to the exterior of the apparatus, away from the high heat load, so that bearings can be lubricated while the heating and curing apparatus is processing fiberglass. The outboard bearings 100 are encased within an insulation board 110, an enclosure that maintains the temperature of the heating apparatus while lubrication occurs.

[0037] The reduced heat exposure improves the life of the outboard bearings 100 and extends the interval between required lubrications. A lubrication system for the drive chains on the upper compression conveyor belt 10 lubricates the length of both drive chains, and having one on each side of the conveyor belt minimizes downtime for chain lubrication. Further access panels are added to key locations all along the length of the first heated and second heated zones to facilitate maintenance of components and monitoring of processes.

[0038] Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the disclosed subject matter is not considered limited to the examples chosen for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this subject matter.