Abstract: Fibrous material webs and methods of making the fibrous material webs. Binderless webs can be formed in a continuous process where fiber material, such as glass is melted and formed into fibers. The fibers are formed into a web of binderless glass fibers or a web with a dry binder. The binderless web or the web with dry binder can be layered and/or the fibers that make up the web can be mechanically entangled, for example, by needling.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved insulation fiber material on the basis of mineral wool, as well as to a method for producing said improved insulation material.

Abstract: A roll coater for placing binder on the fibers prior to being wound around a rotating drawing drum. The drawing drum draws fibers out of orifices in the bottom of a slowly reciprocating furnace. The fibers form a mat on the drawing drum that is later removed and expanded. The roll coater includes a graphite or other material coating drum that rotates in a bath of liquid binder and/or wetting agents, and reciprocates with the furnace. The fibers scrape over the surface of the coating drum after being formed but before winding around the drawing drum. The binder and/or wetting agent picked up on the surface of the coating drum coats the fibers with binder and/or wetting agent. Liquid binder and/or wetting agent is replenished in the bath in which the coating drum is partially submerged by a float, sensor, pump and large container of binder/wetting agent.

Abstract: A roll coater for placing binder on the fibers prior to being wound around a rotating drawing drum. The drawing drum draws fibers out of orifices in the bottom of a slowly reciprocating furnace. The fibers form a mat on the drawing drum that is later removed and expanded. The roll coater includes a graphite or other material coating drum that rotates in a bath of liquid binder and/or wetting agents, and reciprocates with the furnace. The fibers scrape over the surface of the coating drum after being formed but before winding around the drawing drum. The binder and/or wetting agent picked up on the surface of the coating drum coats the fibers with binder and/or wetting agent. Liquid binder and/or wetting agent is replenished in the bath in which the coating drum is partially submerged by a float, sensor, pump and large container of binder/wetting agent.

Abstract: A roll coater for placing binder on the fibers prior to being wound around a rotating drawing drum. The drawing drum draws fibers out of orifices in the bottom of a slowly reciprocating furnace. The fibers form a mat on the drawing drum that is later removed and expanded. The roll coater includes a graphite or other material coating drum that rotates in a bath of liquid binder and/or wetting agents, and reciprocates with the furnace. The fibers scrape over the surface of the coating drum after being formed but before winding around the drawing drum. The binder and/or wetting agent picked up on the surface of the coating drum coats the fibers with binder and/or wetting agent. Liquid binder and/or wetting agent is replenished in the bath in which the coating drum is partially submerged by a float, sensor, pump and large container of binder/wetting agent.

Abstract: The device and process allow for continuous processing of metal wire sheathed in glass (10) of considerable length.

Abstract: A process for producing sized glass yarns, which entails: a) drawing streams of molten glass from orifices located at a bottom of one or more dies, in a form of one or more fans of continuous filaments, b) assembling the filaments into one or more moving supports, wherein a first stable composition having a viscosity of between 0.5 and 250 cP is deposited onto the surface of the continuous filaments, and a second stable composition, supplied separately from the first and having a viscosity of between 0.5 and 300 cP, is deposited onto the surface of the filaments of the yarns, at the earliest during deposition of the first composition and at the latest during collection of the years, the difference in viscosity between the two compositions deposited being less than 150 cP, the mixture of the deposited compositions functioning as a sizing composition and being polymerizable at room temperature.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for forming fiber strands comprising a fiber forming device, a gathering shoe device and a winder device, the improvement comprising a gathering shoe device which includes at least one gathering shoe having an annular groove for receiving the fibers from the fiber forming device, the gathering shoe having a generally circular cross section at the annular groove and a diameter at the annular groove ranging from about 2.54 to about 6.35 mm. Another aspect of the present invention is a gathering shoe comprising a rod member having a longitudinal axis; and a groove extending circumferentially about the rod member, wherein the rod member has a diameter at the groove in the range of about 2.54 to about 6.35 mm.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing continuous a glass fiber strand. The process consists in depositing on the glass filaments which are in the process of being drawn a sizing composition consisting of a solution of which the solvent content is less than 5 wt %, the solution comprising a mixture of constituents which can be polymerized and/or crosslinked by heat treatment, at least 60 wt % of the constituents being constituents of which the molecular weight (Mw) is less than 750, less than 10 weight % being film-forming agents and 0 to 25 weight % being coupling agents, lubricants, stabilizers and initiators and/or catalysts, it being possible if necessary for the agent to be polymerized and/or crosslinked by heat treatment, in winding the strand or strands, formed by collection of the filaments, on a rotating support so as to form a wound package consisting of turns of strand coated with a non-polymerized sizing composition.

Abstract: A method for high velocity coating optical fibers includes passing a fiber with diameter l at velocity V through a coating container to which liquid coating material with viscosity .mu. is supplied under pressure p. Unwanted bubble formation in the coating is prevented by adjusting one or more of the parameters V, l, .mu., and p using the relationship:S=pl/.mu.Vwhere S is a constant characteristic of the coating container/die structure.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of using the apparatus to automate a labor intensive portion of the process of making continuous fiber products, like chopped glass fiber. In this process many fiberizers are used, each fiberizer forming as many as several thousand fibers. Fibers break frequently requiring the fiberizers to be restarted and this has always been a labor intensive part of the process. Apparatus for getting the fiberizers ready to restart quickly and for forming a fiber strand, apparatus for gripping the strand, breaking it and transporting it to strand pulling and processing equipment and apparatus for moving a newly started strand into a desired position on an optional strand separating and guiding means, and methods of using the apparatus are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for producing uniformly sized glass fibers. A heated bushing supplies streams of molten glass to be drawn into continuous fibers, and a drawing device attenuates the streams into fibers. A sizing applicator has a coating element engaging the drawn fibers, which applies a coating of sizing composition to the fibers. A shoe spaced from the applicator engages the fibers and causes the fibers to sweep back and forth across the element.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming pre-impregnated fibers suitable for making a composite article. A plurality of fibers (14) are pre-impregnated with about 50% by weight of an aqueous-based chemical treatment containing a curable resin, and then contacted with a drying device (41) which effects drying of the chemical treatment without effecting full curing of the resin. The pre-impregnated fibers may then be formed into a composite article in a subsequent forming operation, for example, by filament winding, pultrusion, weaving, knitting, or extrusion coating.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for the in-line production of composite strand material and the conversion of at least a portion of the strand material into a composite product. The apparatus (10) includes a combining station (48) where glass fibers (14) with a second polymeric material (66) are combined to form composite strand material (16), and at least one mold (54) for receiving a portion of the composite strand material and forming the portion into a composite product. The apparatus also includes transfer equipment for moving the composite strand material from the combining station to the mold, which may include a computer-controlled robotic arm (52). In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a collecting device (18) for accumulating the composite strand material (16) in looped form and equipment for delivering the accumulated portion from the collecting device to the mold (54).

Abstract: Energy efficient apparatus for forming migration free glass fiber packages composed of fibers bearing substantially uniform coatings of size composition. Heated air from around the fiber forming bushing is drawn into a chamber through which the glass fibers pass to cause the water or solvent in the applied size to be evaporated. The flow of heated air through the chamber is regulated so as to obtain substantially uniform size application to the fibers.

Abstract: A thread is formed of one or a plurality of fans of continuous filaments on which a sizing composition is deposited. The moisture content on the thread is controlled by subjecting the fans of filaments to a current of air transversely to the direction of movement of the filaments between the zone in which the size is deposited and the zone in which the filaments are gathered together.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for producing a glass fiber package. The apparatus includes a heated bushing for supplying streams of molten glass to be drawn into continuous fibers, a rotatable member adapted to draw the streams into fibers and to wind the fibers into a package, an applicator for applying a size to the fibers, and a drying device including a heated element maintained at a temperature of between about 1000.degree. F. and 1500.degree. F. for contacting and transferring energy in the form of heat to the sized fibers to dry the fibers before they are wound into the package. The heating member is stationary while contacting the sized fibers.

Abstract: This invention is a strand of silicate glass fibers with a carbon skin or sheath around each glass fiber of the strand. The invention uses hydrocarbon pyrolysis with silicate fiber glass manufacturing to produce fibers using conventional melt-bushing technology. The formation of a carbon skin or sheath on the silicate glass fibers offers numerous advantages. For example, pyrolyzing hydrocarbons is endothermic. Heat is removed in the process and fibers are cooled faster. This helps to achieve higher throughput.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing continuous a glass fiber strand.The process consists in depositing on the glass filaments which are in the process of being drawn a sizing composition of which the solvent content is less than 5 wt % of solvent selected from organic solvent and water, the solution comprising at least 70 wt % of a mixture of constituents which can be polymerized and/or crosslinked by heat treatment, at least 60 wt % of the constituents being constituents of which the molecular weight (Mw) is less than 750, less than 10 weight % being film-forming agents and 0 to 25 weight % being coupling agents, lubricants, stabilizers and initiators and/or catalysts, and in winding the strand or strands, formed by collection of the filaments, on a rotating support so as to form a wound package consisting of turns of strand coated with a non-polymerized sizing composition.The strands are intended to reinforce thermoplastic or thermosetting organic substrates or substances of mineral origin.

Abstract: Glass fiber non-woven fabric for base material of a laminate comprising binder binding glass fibers to each other, said binder including a reactant product formed by reacting a solution of tri-functional epoxy resin, bi-functional epoxy resin and tri-ethylene tetramine and having an acetic solution and phenyl amino-silane coupling agent added thereto. The thus obtained glass fiber non-woven fabric is impregnated with an predetermined amount of epoxy resin and dried to produce prepregs, which are superposed one upon another and formed under heat and pressure of 20 kgf/cm.sup.2 to produce the laminate.

Abstract: A process and apparatus are provided for coating a sizing composition onto glass fibers. The apparatus includes an applicator for applying a liquid sizing composition to the glass fibers and a treatment station for treating the sized fibers to increase the viscosity of the sizing composition, thereby improving the adherence of the sizing composition to the fibers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for producing composite strands. The apparatus comprises a heated bushing for supplying streams of molten glass to be drawn into continuous first fibers; a drawing device adapted to draw the streams into the first fibers; supply equipment for supplying one or more second fibers of a second material; one or more applicators for applying a size to the first and second fibers; and a device for gathering the first and second fibers into one or more composite strands. The composite stands are made by drawing glass fibers from the bushing; applying sizing to the glass fibers and the second fibers; contacting the fibers with a heated contact plate to dry the fibers; and then commingling the fibers to form one or more composite strands.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing glass strands, the method comprising coating glass strands with a heat-polymerizable composition constituted by a solution with a solvent content of less than 5% by weight and a viscosity of less than 400 cP, the solution comprising a basic structure which can be polymerized or cross-linked thermally, the structure comprising at least 60% by weight of one or more components with molecular weights of less than 750, having at least one acrylic and/or methacrylic and/or vinyl other and/or N-vinylamide and/or N-vinyllactam function, the proportion of polyfunctional components within these components being at least 45% by weight of these components, so as to produce glass strands coated with a non-polymerized, heat-polymerizable composition.

Abstract: In the manufacture of a continuous thread coated with a mixture which reacts to ultraviolet radiation, a large number of continuous filaments are formed by mechanically drawing a large number of molten thermoplastic material streams flowing from openings in at least one device. A mixture in the liquid state which can react under the effect of ultraviolet radiation is deposited onto the surface of at least some of the filaments before they are combined to form at least one thread. The thread is wound into the form of a winding on a rotating support, and exposed to ultraviolet radiation during the winding operation.