Abstract: Dry adhesives are embedded within needle-punched fiber mats used for manufacturing wood-like building materials. During a cross-lapping operation that lays large ribbons of combed fibers (such as nylon fibers from shredded carpets) on top of a large moving conveyor, one or more layers of granular, pellet, fibrous, film, or other dry adhesive are embedded within the loose mass of fibers. For example, dimpled rollers, shaker trays, or similar devices loaded with granular or pelleted adhesives can be positioned above the conveyor, between cross-lapper machines. The fiber mass with embedded adhesive is then needle-punched into a stable, compact, flexible form that can be stored and shipped. When desired, the mats are run through a heated press that melts the adhesive, converting it into a binder that turns the mats into stiff sheets of material comparable to plywood.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for batting practice, by baseball players in batting practice; it can also be adapted for use by golfers, tennis players, etc., for practice and exercise in swinging other types of clubs, racquets, etc. It comprises a horizontal base, a vertical neck assembly that allows height adjustment, and a “head” component that encloses a set of “flaps” made of a stiff-but-yielding material, such as rubberized materials commonly used to make conveyor belts. Roughly a dozen to twenty rectangular segments of resistive material are mounted within the head in a generally vertical direction, from the top and bottom surfaces in the head, spaced apart from each other a suitable distance. As the end of a bat is swung through the head assembly, it encounters substantial resistance from the flaps, which generate a level of resistive force that provides good exercise.

Abstract: Synthetic nylon fiber composite materials having embossed or molded surfaces that emulate shingles or roofing tiles are disclosed, for providing waterproof, high-strength, durable substitute for shingles or roofing tiles. In one embodiment, these materials can be relatively thin, and designed to rest on supporting sheets of plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), or nylon fiber composite board that have been nailed to rafters. In an alternate embodiment, these materials can be manufactured in sheets with sufficient thickness, stiffness, and strength to allow them to be nailed directly to rafters, thereby eliminating the need for a supporting layer of plywood or OSB. In a third embodiment, these materials can be molded or embossed to emulate Spanish tiles, or to provide enhanced drainage or other useful traits.

Abstract: Exceptionally hard and durable synthetic wood substitutes are disclosed, for uses such as waterproof substitutes for hardwoods. These hardened composites can be made by using heat and pressure to treat synthetic fiber composites made from fiber mats. Pieces are then cut from a large sheet of plywood-like material, and a suitable time-temperature-pressure combination is used to compress the pieces to a higher level of hardness, which can match or surpass hardwoods and approach ceramic levels. This two-step method is economical, and avoids any need to sustain exceptionally high pressures in a press that is large enough to generate entire sheets. In an alternate embodiment, sheets or pieces can be embossed with non-planar surfaces if desired, by passing them through a suitable type of press, such as a rolling cylinder press.

Abstract: Synthetic fiber composites (preferably containing nylon fibers obtained from recycled carpets) are made in laminated forms that can substitute for wooden boards, and even for structural beams (including studs, rafters, joists, etc.) in a framed house or other building. These laminates can be made from needle-punched fiber mats, which provide more extensive fiber intertwining than air-laid, bat-formed, or other fiber mats. In a preferred method of manufacture, sheets or wide strips are glued together, under pressure and using a non-foaming adhesive, to form oversized laminates having any desired thickness and desired length. The laminated sheets or strips are then sawed (such as by gang-ripping) into desired widths, to form edges that will not need additional trimming to remove excess adhesive. If suitable adhesives are used to form the adhesive layers, lamination can provide increased stiffness, compared to single-layer sheets having the same thickness.