Abstract: A machine and method of forming fiberglass mats. Chopped glass fibers are mixed with water in a slurry and a movable screen is passed, generally upwardly, through a slurry. As the screen is moved, its surface is uniformly coated with the glass fibers in a uniformly increasing depth, dependent upon the length of travel of the screen through the slurry. Longitudinally oriented and randomly oriented continuous strands are projected onto the fibers captured on the screen at different locations in order to provide the resultant mat with tear strength in all directions. The screen passes over a vacuum for removal of most of the water from the workpiece; subsequently, a binder is added to the workpiece and the continuous mat is passed through an oven for curing of the binder. The mat is then wound upon a spool for later transport to a location in which the mat can be processed into a final product.

Abstract: A fiberglass shingle produced from a mat having high tear resistance which comprises a base or sheet made of chopped glass fibers, bonded together by a bonding agent. Randomly oriented, substantially continuous fiberglass strands may be embedded and bonded in the base, the strands being separated by layers of base material. The mat may also have one or more separate layers of longitudinal, substantially continuous, fiberglass strands, which may generally either be straight or sinusoidal, bonded into the base material. If the mat is being produced to form a shingle, it may be provided with a relatively dense plurality of strengthening strands at predetermined intervals across the width of the mat. Such intervals may be determined by the ultimate shingle width desired so that the strengthening strands are located adjacent the inner ends of the slots on the shingles finally formed.

Abstract: A fiberglass mat having high tear resistance which comprises a base or sheet made of chopped glass fibers, bonded together by a bonding agent. Randomly oriented, substantially continuous fiberglass strands may be embedded and bonded in the base, the strands being separated by layers of base material. The mat may also have one or more separate layers of longitudinal substantially continuous fiberglass strands, which may generally either be straight or sinusoidal, bonded into the base material.