Abstract: A cooker assembly for use in heat forming a discontinuous cross-section of mold extruded granular material. The cooker assembly has two frames pivotally connected at one end. A pair of hydraulic cylinders are interconnected between the frames for moving the two frames between opened and closed positions. The upper frame has a planar surface for engaging the upper surface of the material as it leaves the mold and is provided with longitudinal heaters for heating the materials as it passes through the cooker assembly. The lower frame has an uneven contoured surface closely approximating the lower surface of the material as it is extruded and heaters extending longitudinally therethrough for heating the material as it passes through the cooker assembly.

Abstract: A mold assembly for use in heat forming granular material into a discontinuous cross-sectional board. The mold assembly has an upper and lower frame and two mold halves forming a mold cavity therebetween. The mold halves are coupled to the frame by means of spacer bars. The spacer bars are designed to minimize conduction of heat from the mold to the frame and are positioned over peripheral heaters in the mold to minimize heat gradients within the mold. In addition, the spacer bars minimize heat distortion of the frame members. The interior of the mold is provided with a first array of heaters extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mold near the surfaces of the mold halves remote from the mold cavity. A second array of heaters extend through the mold halves parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mold adjacent the surfaces of the mold cavity. The heaters in the first and second array are independently controlled to maintain a constant temperature through the cross-section of the mold.