Abstract: Coating apparatus wherein a pretreated sheet metal ribbon passes from a supply coil successively through entry rolls, coating rolls, a curing oven, cooling apparatus, and tension rolls to a recoiler. The ribbon extends through the coating rolls and the curing oven as a long-span catenary. No looping facility is required. The apparatus incorporates novel leading end gripper means and trailing end gripper means for establishing and terminating the catenary in a manner which minimizes the unusable length of ribbon, that is, the uncoated leading end and uncoated trailing end of the processed ribbon. A method of initiating, maintaining, and terminating the catenary is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming shaped articles from glass fiber reinforced gypsum. An aqueous slurry of gypsum hemi-hydrate, water and glass fibers contains between 22 and 45 parts by weight water, 100 parts by weight gypsum hemi-hydrate and 3 to 10 parts by weight glass fiber. The slurry is deposited as a continuous ribbon on a moving, water-impermeable formable sheet which is pre-shaped and thereafter the slurry ribbon is pressed into a desired profile. The formable sheet and slurry ribbon are maintained in the desired profile until the slurry sets. Thereafter the product ribbon is cut transversely into lengths as desired. The formable sheet may be removed before cutting, or may be retained in engagement with the product ribbon during and after cutting to serve as a protective cover for the surface of the article. The process and apparatus are especially adapted to produce liner sheets for building construction panels.

Abstract: Coating apparatus wherein a pretreated sheet metal ribbon passes from a supply coil successively through entry rolls, coating rolls, a curing oven, cooling apparatus, and tension rolls to a recoiler. The ribbon extends through the coating rolls and the curing oven as a long-span catenary. No looping facility is required. The apparatus incorporates novel leading end gripper means and trailing end gripper means for establishing and terminating the catenary in a manner which minimizes the unusable length of ribbon, that is, the uncoated leading end and uncoated trailing end of the processed ribbon. A method of initiating, maintaining, and terminating the catenary is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of tacking a honeycomb core to a base sheet, the core member having coatings of adhesive, one provided on the ends of the cells of each face of the core. The core is engaged with the base sheet so that one coating of adhesive contacts the base sheet while moving the core and the base sheet as a unit along a rectilinear path of travel. While engaging the core with the base sheet, the base sheet is (a) heated to temperatures within a wetting temperature of the adhesive but below the curing temperature of the adhesive, (b) maintained at temperatures within said wetting temperature range for a time sufficient to allow the one coating of adhesive to be heated, to flow and to form a fillet between the base sheet and the core but insufficient to allow undue heating of the other coating of adhesive, and (c) the base sheet, the adhesive, and the core are rapidly cooled to a discharge temperature which is below the wetting temperature range of the adhesive, thereby to tack the core to the base sheet.

Abstract: Conveyor apparatus of the non-endless type useful in combination with a press having a stationary lower bed or platen and an upper platen supported above the lower platen by means disposed along the opposite longitudinal sides of the platens. The conveyor apparatus includes feed and take-up rolls, one at each end of the bed, and belt means extending between the rolls and over the bed. Distinct cradle means support each of the rolls for rotation about horizontal axes. The arrangement is such that when the belt means is worn or broken the feed roll and/or the take-up roll may be vertically disengaged from the cradle means thereby to facilitate rapid replacement of the belt means.The conveyor apparatus also is provided with first and second drive means, connectd respectively to the take-up roll and the feed roll, which are individually operable to rotate the rolls about their respective axes to move the belt in a forward direction and in a reverse direction.