Abstract: A spreading unit which may be used for the spreading of particles for the production of thin pressed board or as a cover layer or face layer for a multilayer pressed board in conjunction with other spreading units along a belt upon which a mat of the mixture of particles and glue is to be formed. The spreading unit has a bunker and a discharge system for discharging a raw material stream in free-fall which is intercepted by an air classifier spreading the particles onto the belt in parabolic paths. In a region directly below the raw-material discharge and over a portion of the parabolic paths, a ball-collecting unit, for example a disk grate, is provided to intercept the balls while allowing the particles to pass without altering their classification. Fine particles of the parabolic paths beyond the ball catcher pass directly onto the belt.

Abstract: The loading apparatus for a platen press with at least one press stage used in making particleboard, especially chipboard and/or fiberboard, from a mat comprises a loading frame which has at least one loading stage and a belt tray insertable into the panel press in the loading stage and removable therefrom. The belt tray comprises a drive drum shaft with a drive drum mounted rigidly thereon, a delivery lip and a belt guided endlessly over the drive drum and the delivery lip. The conveyor when the belt tray returns from the press for delivery of the mat is driven by a rack fixed to the frame and an associated pinion on the drive drum shaft. The pinion is mounted losely on the drive drum shaft and is nonrotatably connected with one half of a clutch whose other half is nonrotatably connected with the drive drum shaft.

Abstract: A mat-forming installation for the production of pressedboard comprises a grate conveyor whose bars are carried by chains on opposite sides of the conveyor and define gaps at spaced-apart locations into which the headpiece (entraining beam) of a press underlay can fit. The headpiece is connected by a two-joint piano hinge structure to the underlay onto which the fibrous or particulate material is deposited to form the mat, the layer or mat being entrained into the piece on the underlay.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding mats to a press, e.g. for the production of particleboard or the like, comprises a feed conveyor with a discharge nose which lies in a plane tangent to the plane of a receiving conveyor entraining the mat into the press. Between the pick-up side of the receiving conveyor and the discharge end of the feed conveyor, this plane is tangent to a drum whereby press underlays are positioned beneath each mat with a head bar disposed ahead of the leading edge of the mat. According to the invention, the surface of the conveyor is provided with recesses to receive each bar so that the latter lies at least in part inwardly of the circumference or periphery of the drum while an underlay sheet lies along a drum surface which progressively merges with the circumference from this recess, i.e. is progressively asymptotic. When the recess is fixed, it can have a flank ahead of the bar against which the bar is positioned.

Abstract: A pressed-board plant having a multi-level press for the pressing of mats of comminuted or fiber material, with or without added binder, to form pressed board, for the lamination of finishing layers to substrates and wherever multi-level presses are applicable, has a multi-level emptying rack adapted to receive the pressed articles on respective press underlays (press trays or sheets). According to the invention, a storage rack for the press underlays is provided with the levels of the storage rack spaced at levels substantially corresponding to those of the press platens in the open condition of the press and from which the underlays are introduced into the press. The storage levels are interspaced with the levels of the emptying rack.

Abstract: A platen press has a pair of platens having respective confronting and parallel pressing surfaces and each having a pair of longitudinal edges. Respective spacer bars are fixed to the longitudinal edges of one of the platens and have respective spacer surfaces parallel to and between the platen surfaces. Respective adjustments bars are secured to the longitudinal edges of the other of the platens and each have an adjustment surface parallel to and confronting the respective spacer surface. Each of these adjustment bars is formed of an outer wedge having a pair of nonparallel faces one of which is the respective bar surface and of an inner wedge having an outer face flatly engaging the other face of the respective outer wedge. The inner and outer wedges can be relatively longitudinally displaced so as to displace the respective abutment face perpendicular to the respective platen surface.

Abstract: A platen press, and a method of operating same, for the planar and parallel pressing of particle board and like materials comprises a press bed and a press plate, one of which is movable and is provided with a hydraulic system for developing the pressing force. A pair of spacer bars are provided on the press bed to flank the particle board and a set of bearing cylinders urges the movable press member to clamp the movable member against the spacers, thereby imparting a bend or distortion to the movable press member. According to the invention, this distortion is measured and the measured value is used to operate the main press cylinders to eliminate the distortion and ensure parallel compression of the particle-board mass.

Abstract: A platen press, for the planar and parallel pressing of particle board and like materials comprises a press bed and a press plate, one of which is movable and is provided with a hydraulic system for developing the pressing force. A pair of spacer bars are provided on the press bed to flank the particle board and a set of bearing cylinders urges the movable press member to clamp the movable member against the spacers, thereby imparting a bend or distortion to the movable press member. According to the invention, this distortion is measured and the measured value is used to operate the main press cylinders to eliminate the distortion and ensure parallel compression of the particle-board mass.