Abstract: A laminated shingle has a rendered shadow design when placed with other similar shingles on a roof deck. The laminated shingle includes an overlay member and an underlay member fixedly attached to each other. The overlay member includes an upper or headlamp portion and a lower or exposed butt portion with one or more tabs separated by cutouts. The overlay member is also coated with a layer of relatively dark granules to form horizontally-oriented overlay shading areas on the upper and lower edges of the tabs. The underlay member is coated with a layer of relatively dark granules to form vertically and horizontally-oriented underlay shading areas. In one embodiment, one or both vertical edges of each tab are generally parallel to the vertically-oriented longitudinal axis of the vertically-oriented shading area to expose a portion of the shading area.

Abstract: A cooling apparatus includes a manifold defining a fluid channel, and also includes a plurality of cooling fins connected to the manifold, wherein at least a portion of a surface of the fins includes porous material.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing simulated stone products is provided. The apparatus includes a mold having mold cavities. The mold cavities have a first section and a second section that intersect to form a cavity angle. A hopper is configured to introduce castable material into the mold. The hopper and the mold are moveable with respect to each other, enabling them to be selectively engaged with each other. The hopper includes a first funnel wall configured to contact the top of the first mold cavity and to introduce castable material into the top opening of the first section. The hopper has a second funnel wall configured to contact the second section and act as a barrier to close the top opening of the second section of the mold cavity.

Abstract: A polymer composite multiend roving material used to make structural composite parts includes a bundle of fibers held together by a high integrity sizing composition and surrounded by a powder coating polymer material. The powder coating material is approximately 10-80% of the dry weight of the multiend composite roving weight. The multiend composite roving material may then be easily processed further to form a molded composite part having good mechanical properties and high fiber content.

Abstract: The present invention relates to fiberglass loose-fill insulation that is insensitive to the content of boron in the composition of the glass. It has been discovered that the level of boron in the glass used for the manufacture of loose-fill glass wool can be substantially reduced without degrading thermal performance. The lowered amount of boron provides for a lower cost batch composition and increased furnace life. The glass composition of the present invention includes a substantially reduced content of boron and preferably an increased amount of sodium dioxide. The primary phase of these glass compositions is typically devitrite (Na2Ca3Si6O16). The glass of the present invention provides a glass fiber blowing wool that does not require an increase in pack density to compensate for the reduced boron content while achieving the similar thermal conductivity. The glass of the present invention is also suitable for use in acoustic insulation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making shingles includes discharging blend drop granules onto first sections of a moving sheet, and discharging background granules onto second sections of the sheet where the second sections are different from the first sections.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for collecting texturized strand are disclosed. The apparatus for collecting texturized strand includes a texturizer for expanding a continuous strand of glass fibers into a wool-like product, a container for collecting the texturized strand, and a device establishing a pressure differential between an interior region of the container and a region external of the container. The texturizer includes a nozzle to which a supply of compressed air and a continuous strand are fed. The compressed air advances the strand of glass fibers through the nozzle and expands the strand so that the filaments are spread apart, thereby giving the strand a wool-type appearance. The pressure differential creating device includes a vacuum apparatus for drawing air and a screen through which the air flows. A container is placed on the screen. In the preferred embodiment, the container is a corrugated box that has upper and lower closures or flaps.

Abstract: A tool is provided for calculating the length and number of filler design elements to be used to eliminate an irregular gap in a wall being covered with cast veneer wall panels having a series of repeating design elements. The tool includes a ruler having gap measurement, length of cut and number of filler design element scales. The tool also includes a medial slide carried on the ruler. Two measuring points are also provided. The first is carried on the ruler. The second is carried on the medial slide.

Abstract: An aqueous glass fiber sizing composition that includes a polymeric film forming component, at least one silane coupling agent, and one or more lubricants is provided. The polymeric film forming component of the sizing composition includes a silanated polyvinyl acetate, an epoxidized polyvinyl acetate, and a modified epoxy emulsion. In preferred embodiments, the film formers are present in the sizing composition in ratios of 70:25:5, 50:25:25, or 63:18:18 of silanated polyvinyl acetate, epoxidized polyvinyl acetate, and modified epoxy emulsion respectively. Fibers sized with the sizing composition in a sheet molding compound process have improved wet-out characteristics.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for bundling shingles includes a sorting mechanism for separating and stacking shingles into multiple bundles of sorted shingles such that each bundle has a different repeating sequence of shingles.

Abstract: A method for preparing glass strand pellets by stirring chopped glass strands in the presence of 10 to 25% of water, the strands being sized with a size containing an organosilane. The method performs stirring for long enough for an increase in density to be at least 67%, the stirring being performed using a single stirring equipment that at each instant imparts to the strands or forming pellets it contains the same stirring frequency, the pellets finally formed containing, after drying, at least 95 wt % glass. A film-forming agent is in contact with the glass strands during the stirring at the latest.

Abstract: This invention relates to foam insulating products, particularly extruded polystyrene foam, containing multi-layered nano-graphite as a process additive for improving the physical properties of foam products.

Abstract: A rotary valve including a housing having an inner surface. A rotary assembly is positioned for rotation within the housing. The rotary assembly includes a plurality of radially outwardly extending vanes. The vanes extend toward the inner housing surface and are configured to transport material along the inner housing surface. Seal members are mounted upon the vanes. Spring members are secured to the vanes urging the seal members into contact with the inner housing surface.

Abstract: A recyclable tufted carpet meeting EPA recyclable content standards and having improved dimensional stability that reduces skew, bow, and wrinkles during manufacture and installation is formed by combining prior art primary and secondary backings into a single, fiber-reinforced primary backing layer. Consolidating either a glass fiber fabric layer, a glass veil, or a glass mat with a fiber-reinforced extruded film forms the fiber-reinforced primary backing layer. An additional glass fabric fiber layer can also be introduced to the primary backing to provide additional dimensional stability.

Abstract: A fiber-size composition contains a modified polyolefin, a hydrophilic coupling agent, and an enhancer with at least one of the following: a fluorine-containing compound, a hydrophobic coupling agent, a cyclic fatty acid, or at least two saturated fatty acids with at least one of said fatty acids having at least two acid groups. When reinforcing fiber materials sized with the composition are used to form composite articles, the articles show improved properties such as strength and color.

Abstract: An asphalt-based roofing material includes a coating having a top portion containing a mixture of asphalt and igneous and/or metamorphic rock particles, while the mat portion of the coating contains a mixture of asphalt and a filler which contains less than 10% igneous and/or metamorphic rock particles. In other embodiments, the top portion but not the bottom portion of the coating meets or exceeds a pliability standard, passes a weathering performance test, or has a high solar reflectance. In another embodiment relating to a laminated roofing material, the top portion but not the bottom portion has viscoelastic properties effective to prevent the coating from sticking to an adjacent shingle in a bundle. The invention also relates to a continuous process of applying first and second coatings to a mat for manufacturing a roofing material.

Abstract: A machine for distributing blowing wool from a bag of compressed blowing wool includes a chute having an inlet end and an outlet end, the chute being configured to receive the bag of compressed blowing wool. A ram assembly has a ram member configured to drive the compressed blowing wool from the bag toward the outlet end of the chute while maintaining the bag in a relatively fixed position with respect to the chute. A shredder is mounted at the outlet end of the chute and configured to pick apart the compressed blowing wool. A rotary valve distributes the blowing wool into an airstream.