Abstract: Ducts are formed from rigid or semi-rigid insulation boards by forming a plurality of longitudinally extending, spaced apart, parallel kerfs in a first major surface of each of the insulation boards which is adapted to be the interior surface of the duct. When the insulation board is formed into a duct of the preselected dimensions, the shoulders of the kerfs adjoining the interior surface of the duct abut and, preferably, the insulation material in the shoulders of the kerfs is compressed. The flexibility of the insulation boards, in the direction of the widths of the insulation boards, is controlled by increasing the depths and/or the widths of the kerts and/or decreasing the spacing between the kerfs to make the insulation board more flexible and by decreasing the depths and/or the widths of the kerfs and/or increasing the spacing between the kerfs to make the insulation board less flexible.

Abstract: An on-line method of forming a multilayered coating on a sheet of fibrous or foam insulation, includes: applying a first coating layer of a first coating composition directly to a first major surface of the insulation sheet; heating an exposed major surface of the first coating layer to stabilize the coating composition at the exposed major surface of the first coating layer so that the first coating layer remains an essentially discrete layer when a second coating layer is applied to the exposed major surface of the first coating layer and to only partially cure the coating composition at the exposed major surface of the coating composition so that a second coating layer applied to the exposed major surface of the first coating layer will readily bond to the first coating layer; applying a second coating layer of a second coating composition directly to the exposed major surface of the first coating layer subsequent to heating the exposed major surface of the first coating layer; and heating the insulation s

Abstract: An on-line method of forming a multilayered coating on a sheet of fibrous or foam insulation, includes: applying a first coating layer of a first coating composition directly to a first major surface of the insulation sheet; heating an exposed major surface of the first coating layer to stabilize the coating composition at the exposed major surface of the first coating layer so that the first coating layer remains an essentially discrete layer when a second coating layer is applied to the exposed major surface of the first coating layer and to only partially cure the coating composition at the exposed major surface of the coating composition so that a second coating layer applied to the exposed major surface of the first coating layer will readily bond to the first coating layer; applying a second coating layer of a second coating composition directly to the exposed major surface of the first coating layer subsequent to heating the exposed major surface of the first coating layer; and heating the insulation s

Abstract: An on-line method of forming a multilayered coating on a sheet of fibrous or foam insulation, includes: applying a first coating layer of a first coating composition directly to a first major surface of the insulation sheet; heating an exposed major surface of the first coating layer to stabilize the coating composition at the exposed major surface of the first coating layer so that the first coating layer remains an essentially discrete layer when a second coating layer is applied to the exposed major surface of the first coating layer and to only partially cure the coating composition at the exposed major surface of the coating composition so that a second coating layer applied to the exposed major surface of the first coating layer will readily bond to the first coating layer; applying a second coating layer of a second coating composition directly to the exposed major surface of the first coating layer subsequent to heating the exposed major surface of the first coating layer; and heating the insulation s

Abstract: Ducts are formed from rigid or semi-rigid insulation boards by forming a plurality of longitudinally extending, spaced apart, parallel kerfs in a first major surface of each of the insulation boards which is adapted to be the interior surface of the duct. When the insulation board is formed into a duct of the preselected dimensions, the shoulders of the kerfs adjoining the interior surface of the duct abut and, preferably, the insulation material in the shoulders of the kerfs is compressed. The flexibility of the insulation boards, in the direction of the widths of the insulation boards, is controlled by increasing the depths and/or the widths of the kerfs and/or decreasing the spacing between the kerfs to make the insulation board more flexible and by decreasing the depths and/or the widths of the kerfs and/or increasing the spacing between the kerfs to make the insulation board less flexible.

Abstract: Ducts are formed from rigid or semi-rigid insulation boards by forming a plurality of longitudinally extending, spaced apart, parallel kerfs in a first major surface of each of the insulation boards which is adapted to be the interior surface of the duct. When the insulation board is formed into a duct of the preselected dimensions, the shoulders of the kerfs adjoining the interior surface of the duct abut and, preferably, the insulation material in the shoulders of the kerfs is compressed. The flexibility of the insulation boards, in the direction of the widths of the insulation boards, is controlled by increasing the depths and/or the widths of the kerfs and/or decreasing the spacing between the kerfs to make the insulation board more flexible and by decreasing the depths and/or the widths of the kerfs and/or increasing the spacing between the kerfs to make the insulation board less flexible.

Abstract: A duct for gas flow applications is provided with a replaceable insulating duct liner that can be axially inserted into and removed from a tubular shell of the duct. Preferably, the replaceable insulating duct liners comprise fibrous and/or cellular insulation materials. Duct systems using duct sections with replaceable insulating duct liners can be maintained by removing duct sections from the system; removing the replaceable insulating duct liners from the duct sections; inserting new replaceable insulating duct liners into the duct sections; and replacing the duct sections into the duct system.

Abstract: A glass fiber duct board has longitudinally extending, spaced-apart grooves in a major surface that facilitate the folding of the duct board into an air duct. The major surface, including the grooves, is coated with a polymeric latex coating to encapsulate glass fibers and dust within the surface of the duct board. The polymeric latex coating is applied to the surfaces of the grooves as a foam by application nozzles located downstream of groove cutting tools. The polymeric latex coating applied by the nozzles is distributed over the surfaces of the grooves and set to a predetermined thickness by wiper blades, located downstream of the nozzles, which have edge configurations complementary to the transverse configurations of the grooves being coated.

Abstract: Molded fibrous workpieces of various cross sectional configurations are coated with a polymeric latex foam coating material to encapsulate fibers and dust within the exterior surfaces of the workpieces. The foam coating is applied by passing the workpieces through a coating chamber filled with the polymeric foam so that the workpieces are totally immersed in the foam coating as the workpieces pass through the chamber. Openings for introducing the workpieces into and discharging the workpieces from the chamber have a configuration complementary to the transverse configuration of the workpieces. The foam coating is introduced into the chamber both above and below the path of the workpieces through the coating chamber to assure that the coating chamber remains fully charged with the foam coating. Brushes or wiper blades spread the foam coating over the exterior surfaces of the workpieces.

Abstract: Molded fibrous workpieces of various cross sectional configurations are coated with a polymeric latex foam coating material to encapsulate fibers and dust within the exterior surfaces of the workpieces. The foam coating is applied by passing the workpieces through a coating chamber filled with the polymeric foam so that the workpieces are totally immersed in the foam coating as the workpieces pass through the chamber. Openings for introducing the workpieces into and discharging the workpieces from the chamber have a configuration complementary to the transverse configuration of the workpieces. The foam coating is introduced into the chamber both above and below the path of the workpieces through the coating chamber to assure that the coating chamber remains fully charged with the foam coating. Brushes or wiper blades spread the foam coating over the exterior surfaces of the workpieces.

Abstract: An air/liquid polymeric latex foam coating generator includes a static splash plate mixer for forming a coarse foam coating and a conventional static refining mixer which further refines and homogenizes the coarse foam produced by the static splash plate mixer before delivering a refined foam to application heads or nozzles for application to a workpiece. The static splash plate mixer comprises a housing which is divided into two chambers by a splash plate. A stream of pressurized air and a stream of pressurized polymeric latex coating material are introduced into the upstream chamber where the streams intersect each other, impinge upon the splash plate and are mixed into a coarse foam in the upstream chamber. The foam passes through openings in the splash plate to the downstream chamber where the foam is further refine before being discharged from the static splash plate mixer.

Abstract: A rigid, glass fiber airduct for conveying an airstream has an interior surface, adapted to be in contact with the airstream, which is coated with a polymeric coating comprising an organic or inorganic biocide. The polymeric coating has a dry solids content between 10 and 20 grams per square foot of duct board surface and retains its abrasion strength and puncture resistance whereby the interior surface of the airduct can be cleaned by conventional industrial or commercial cleaning procedures while in service without exposing glass fibers to the airstream.

Abstract: A rigid fiber glass air duct for conveying an airstream has an interior surface, adapted to be in contact with the airstream, which is coated with a polymeric coating with an organic biocide. The polymeric coating has a dry solids content of between 10 and 20 grams per square foot of duct board surface and retains its abrasion strength and puncture resistance whereby the interior surface of the duct can be cleaned by conventional industrial or commercial cleaning methods while in service without exposing glass fibers to the airstream.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method is shown for continuously, in an on-line production, applying a layer of coating material to the horizontal upper surface of a fiber glass blanket and the opposed vertical edge surfaces in a generally even layer and curing the applied material to form surface and edge coated fiber glass duct liner material.