Abstract: A nodulizing machine for use in an apparatus for making loose fill insulation from mineral fibers comprises an input portal, a conduit containing a plurality of blades and an output portal. Apparatus for making loose fill insulation from mineral fibers comprises a duct extending from a source of the mineral fibers to the nodulizing machine of the present invention. The apparatus includes flow rate control means to control the flow rate of air and mineral fibers in the apparatus. A process for making loose fill insulation from mineral fibers in association with the apparatus of the invention is also discussed.

Abstract: A nodulizing machine for use in an apparatus for making loose fill insulation from mineral fibers comprises an input portal, a conduit containing a plurality of blades and an output portal. Apparatus for making loose fill insulation from mineral fibers comprises a duct extending from a source of the mineral fibers to the nodulizing machine of the present invention. The apparatus includes flow rate control means to control the flow rate of air and mineral fibers in the apparatus. A process for making loose fill insulation from mineral fibers in association with the apparatus of the invention is also disclosed.

Abstract: A degassification elbow comprises a flow conduit which has an inner wall, an outer wall, and a plurality of openings. Two of the openings are formed by the walls of the flow conduit and at least one of the openings is in the inner wall of the flow conduit and is disposed between two of the openings. A process for use in association with the degassification elbow is also disclosed.

Abstract: For applying a covering to glass fibre insulation batts, the batts are deposited in succession into a vertically elongate batt stacking space to form a stack of the batts, and upper and lower compression plates each having a concave compression surface the shape of which compression surfaces correspond at least substantially to the shapes of convex upper and lower surfaces of the package, are displaced vertically by an amount sufficient to compress the stack between the upper and lower compression surfaces with a compression ratio of 6:1 to 11:1. A covering of flexible sheet material is then provided around the compressed stack to maintain the stack in a compressed state. The concave compression surfaces make possible a higher compression of the batts than was possible with the flat compression plates used in the prior art, without damaging the batts and therefore while allowing satisfactory recovery of the batts when released from their compressed state.

Abstract: Laminar insulating foam roofing material (e.g. phenolic resin foam) having improved dimensional stability and which resists warpage when hot asphalt is applied to one surface thereof during installation, is disclosed. A flexible web material such as Kraft paper is bonded to opposing surfaces of the foam material by means of a uniform asphalt coating applied to one surface of the web material, the asphalt being a "sandwich" layer between the insulating foam material and said web material.

Abstract: The invention relates to the preparation of closed cell phenolic resin foams produced from compositions of phenol-aldehyde resole resins, and the foam products thus prepared. More particularly the present invention relates to the preparation of phenolic resin foams by a method employing a novel modified phenolic foam catalyst. The invention also relates to these modified phenolic foam catalysts which include an aromatic sulphonic acid and resorcinol.

Abstract: This invention relates to the manufacture of closed cell phenolic foams from low viscosity phenol-formaldehyde resole resin. This method of manufacture provides a foam which exhibits many of the advantageous characteristics of phenolic foams manufactured from high viscosity resole resin, including good thermal retention. There is provided a method of making a phenolic foam comprising the steps of mixing(a) a phenol-formaldehyde resole resin having a water content of approximately 7.5% and a viscosity of approximately 2,800 cps at 40.degree. C.;(b) a high molecular weight gel forming ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymer surfactant, such as Pluronic F-127 (trade mark);(c) a catalyst;(d) a blowing agent;and curing the resulting foam.

Abstract: A fluid flow control valve for use, in particular, in a heating and cooling system for a building, enables change-over of interconnections between ducts connected to rooms of the building and to the exterior and ducts connected to a heat recovery module for adapting the system to summer or winter operation. The control valve has a member rotatable about a predetermined axis of rotation between first and second positions, stationary first ducts distributed around the axis, flexible second ducts for communication with respective ones of the first ducts, the second ducts each having an end secured to the rotary member for movement therewith from one to another of the first ducts, and seals for sealing the second ducts to the first ducts.

Abstract: Quaternary ammonium borohydrides of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may be same or different and each is selected from alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl groups and R.sup.4 is selected from alkyl and alkenyl groups having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, with the proviso that R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are not all alkyl or that R.sup.1, R.sup.2 or R.sup.3 is not benzyl when the remainder of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are all methyl or ethyl. The new borohydrides are prepared by either mixing a borohydride salt and a quaternary ammonium salt in alkaline aqueous solution and extracting the resulting quaternary amine borohydride with an organic solvent or by reacting finely divided borohydride salt with an organic solution of quaternary ammonium salt. The new compounds are used for foaming polyester resins.

Abstract: An automatic strand winding apparatus is provided for use in a strand winding machine having a rotatable winding collet and a strand traversing mechanism for forming a package on the winding collet. The apparatus comprises a first strand engagement member mounted on a free end of the winding collet for rotation therewith into engagement with the strand and having fingers for catching the strand on rotation of the winding collet and thereby causing a first portion of the strand to become wound on the first strand engagement means, and a second strand engagement member for frictional engagement with the strand supported in an operational position adjacent and in alignment with the winding collet to cause a second portion of the strand to wind around and in frictionally engaged contact with the second strand engagement member, until breakage of the strand occurs in response to tension in the strand between the first and second strand engagement members.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying a strand to a winding collet of a strand winding machine has a pair of pull rolls movable between a standby position, in which the pull rolls are spaced from the winding collet to facilitate insertion of the strand between the pull rolls, and a wind-on position, in which the pull rolls guide the strand close to the winding collet to enable automatic initiation of the strand winding.

Abstract: Polyester laminating compositions useful in the production of polyester laminates with improved interlaminar adhesion and a method of preparing same are described. The polyester laminating compositions include as adhesion promoters a polyvinyl acetate component or a polyvinyl acetate component in combination with at least one salt of a long chain polyaminoamide and a high molecular weight ester.

Abstract: This invention relates to the manufacture of foam from phenolic resins and to the foam so produced. In order to overcome some of the limitations of the prior art closed cell phenolic foams, we have developed a method of preparing closed cell foams from modified, low cost phenol formaldehyde resoles, which exhibit high closed cell contents, low friability and low thermal conductivity. This specification provides a foam competitive with urethane foams, which have an aged thermal conductivity of about 0.16K. or less, but which will not generate fumes as toxic as those of urethane. There is, provided a method of making a phenolic foam material comprising the steps of(1) preparing a base catalyzed phenol-formaldehyde resole having a mole ratio of phenol to formaldehyde of between 1:3 and 1:4.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a fibrous material product by advancing a mat of glass fibers arranged in laminations extending at least substantially parallel to opposite major surfaces of the mat along a gap extending between successive driven conveyors which engage the opposite major surfaces of the mat to control the advance of the mat along the gap, and driving the conveyors at progressively slower speeds along the gap so that the laminations are deformed in at least two separate stages into a reorientation in which at least a major portion of the laminations extend across the thickness of the mat. The resulting product has an improved compression strength.

Abstract: A method of making a foamed, polyester resin comprises mixing a liquid unsaturated polyester composition, with a liquid borohydride blowing agent which is a liquid borohydride complex, a borohydride complex in organic liquid medium or a borohydride salt dispersed in an organic liquid medium, which medium is at least substantially non-reactive with the borohydride salt. The resulting mixture is permitted to foam and gel under the initial influence of the blowing agent. In one embodiment the liquid unsaturated polyester includes a peroxide as a curing agent and a promoter is additionally admixed therewith. In this case a foamed, gelled and cured resin results. The borohydride complexes are usefully quaternary amine borohydrides.

Abstract: A bale of elongated flexible bags of generally rectangular section each contains one or more batts of fibrous heat insulating material, the bags being aligned in a row with larger faces in mutual contact. A sleeve of flexible relatively non-extensible material having a width which is a substantial proportion of the length of the batts extends around the row of bags and retains the fibrous heat insulating material in a compressed state in which the uncompressed volume of the heat insulating material is reduced but which results in substantially full recovery to the uncompressed volume when the heat insulating material is removed from the bags after the wrapping sleeve has been removed.

Abstract: A glass fiber board product exhibits substantially improved compressive strength and is formed from a laminar mat of glass fiber containing a bonding substance. The mat is processed to rearrange the laminations of the mat so that at least a major portion extends across the thickness of the mat and the mat is then heat-cured and cut perpendicular to the major surfaces of the mat to form strips having opposite longitudinal cut faces. The strips are adhered together in side-by-side relationship to form boards with the cut faces forming opposite major surfaces of the boards. A backing sheet may be adhered to one or both sides of the board. Alternatively, boards cut from the cured mat are adhered together in stacks, which are then cut perpendicular to the boards.

Abstract: Quaternary ammonium borohydrides of the formula ##STR1##wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may be the same or different and each is selected from alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl groups and R.sup.4 is selected from alkyl and alkenyl groups having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, with the proviso that R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are not all alkyl or that R.sup.1, R.sup.2 or R.sup.3 is not benzyl when the remainder of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are all methyl or ethyl. The new borohydrides are prepared by either mixing a borohydride salt and a quaternary ammonium salt in alkaline aqueous solution and extracting the resulting quaternary amine borohydride with an organic solvent or by reacting finely divided borohydride salt with an organic solution of quaternary ammonium salt. The new compounds are used for foaming polyester resins.

Abstract: This invention relates to the manufacture of foam from phenolic resins and to the foam so produced. In order to overcome some the the limitations of the prior art closed cell phenolic foams, we have developed a method of preparing closed cell foams from modified, low cost phenol formaldehyde resoles, which exhibit high closed cell contents, low friability and low thermal conductivity. This specification provides a foam competitive with urethane foams, which have an aged thermal conductivity of about 0.16K. or less, but which will not generate fumes as toxic as those of urethane. There is, provided a method of making a phenolic foam material comprising the steps of(1) preparing a base catalyzed phenol-formaldehyde resole having a mole ratio of phenol to formaldehyde of between 1:3 and 1:4.