The invention relates to structural panels of a synthetic type, particularly those which may be used to replace or supplement standard plasterboard, plywood, or other similar primary construction components.
Further reference is made to application Ser. No. 09/156,257 filed by the present inventor as a provisional application on Sep. 18, 1997, and made formal on Sep. 18, 1998. Such application was made subject to a restriction requirement and Applicant elected one of three species. Such application, as restricted, has been allowed and the issue fee has been paid, but such application has not yet been issued and is still pending. The present application incorporates the amendments to the specification and the drawings for the purpose of correction and clarity and does nor add new matter to the original application. The present application includes only the apparatus species of claims from the original application. The inventor claims priority from the earlier filing described above.
The interior portions of building construction are initially concerned with providing walls between building compartments and, in some cases, walls which may be required to withstand certain extraordinary pressures and conditions. For many years plywood and plasterboard were the primary materials involved in the production of panels which were standardized and used to provide these internal walls or barriers. Typically, such would come in sizes of 4xc3x978 and would be disposed vertically. Additionally, interior building construction concerns flooring and ceilings.
Of particular interest in these structural panels are their qualities of strength; resistance to the passage of sound through the panel (its acoustic properties); resistance to fire and smoke; weight; resistance to being damaged by exposure to water or moisture; the ability to provide a flat surface; and the ability to be manipulated or positioned and fastened by nails, screws, or other building fasteners. Additionally, such structural panel should offer resistance to and protection from the elements of weather, insects, and provide good thermal insulation properties.
The Inventor previously obtained U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,039 in which vermiculite was used in a structural panel to provide strong and reliable wallboard with good acoustic, fire-retardant, and strength properties. Earlier efforts in providing synthetic wallboard were U.S. Pat. No. 1,439,954, issued to Emerson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,284,980, issued to Dinkel; U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,909, issued to Galer; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,700, issued to Kiveech, et al. There is also some discussion of this topic in the text of Concrete Technology, Neville and Broke, Lemgmen Group, Ltd.; UK, 1987.
Since such structural panels are intended to be standardized and since a great number of structural panels are necessary to build even a simple structure (such as a residential dwelling), a primary consideration in the development of any such wallboard will be the ease and cost of its manufacture. Accordingly, inherent in the considerations of devising and creating such a wallboard would be a full consideration of the means and method of its manufacture.
One significant cost is that of transportation. Structural panel is used in mass quantities for many applications and the cost of shipping is great. There is also waste inherent in breakage and over stacking or over ordering. Raw materials are cheaper and easier to transport. it would be helpful to have the ability to manufacture the structural panel at the work site. In this way breakage during shipping and over ordering would be avoided. Additionally, it would be easier to customize the structural panel composition in order to fit unique circumstances and situations.
In the Inventor""s earlier invention, U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,039, a means for manufacturing the original vermiculite board was disclosed. Such used a fibrous scrim as its surface and used Portland Cement and other traditional building cement ingredients mixed in with a vermiculite which were homogenously mixed between the two layers of scrim. This provided a unique wallboard which had good weight, strength, fire-retardant- and moisture-resistant properties. One quality of such wallboard which was not always desirable was its surface tension. The original material, while very desirable in many respects, was brittle and required some improved capabilities to resist bending and to withstand lateral forces placed upon it. This made it difficult to adapt for use as a floor material.
Accordingly, what is needed but not otherwise provided in the prior art of synthetic structural panel is a reliable, strong, synthetic structural panel with good construction properties which also has a high level of surface cohesion and tension and may be manufactured efficiently and quickly. It would also be helpful to have a means and apparatus for accomplishing such quick and efficient manufacture.
What is not provided in the prior art is a synthetic structural panel which has superior qualities to resistance to lateral forces. Also not provided in the prior art is an efficient method and apparatus for manufacturing such a board. Also not provided in the prior art is such a manufacturing method and apparatus which can be moved to a construction site.
The Inventor has overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by improving his basic vermiculite wallboard method and apparatus with a new structure which incorporates the use of certain adhesives aid fibers in order to improve surface tension and cohesion and boost the structural panel""s ability to withstand lateral pressures. The Inventor has also developed a method and apparatus of manufacturing such a board which is efficient and reliable. Both the structure of the board and its method of construction are the subject of this disclosure.
The apparatus and structural panel can be described as follows. Traditional building cement materials are housed in vats and are primarily mixed as desired to achieve certain weight and strength goals. As these materials are primarily mixed together they are then passed to an area where they encounter further mixing teeth both the synthetic ingredients and the binding liquid, such as water. These ingredients are thoroughly mixed and may be passed along by means of a mixing conveyor assembly. In the mixing conveyor assembly further mixing occurs as these ingredients are passed along and begin to experience some preliminary hardening.
At this stage, these ingredients may then be passed into a final mixing area wherein fibers may be added to the mixture and in which the surfaces of the mixture may be sprayed and cured with surface hardening materials such as acrylics and epoxies.
The fibers within the mixture serve to give the structural panel more lateral strength and the addition of the exterior adhesives and/or epoxies assist in providing a stronger surface cohesion and tension. The board may then be exposed to outer levels of foil. The foil may be used to provide thermal transfer properties, resistance to water or fire.
Following the provision of these finishing touches in a final mixing area, the wallboard may be then placed in storage trays for final hardening and curing. Normally a period of time of twelve to twenty-four hours is required for full curing. During this time, the material could be exposed to heat to speed or otherwise enhance the process.
Additionally, the Inventor has developed apparatus and methods for transporting the manufacturing apparatus so that structural panel may be built at the site. This would permit the use of as many acceptable local materials as possible and permit custom mixing of the structural panel blend.
It is, then, an object of the present invention to provide an improved structural panel with improved lateral and surface strength qualities.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means and apparatus for manufacturing wallboard with improved lateral and surface strength qualities.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a wallboard which may be further augmented with a smoother surface or foil surface for improved esoteric or strength, water or fire resistance, or other qualities.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means and apparatus for providing such a improved structural panel with a foil or other smooth surface for desired thermal, fire or water resistant other properties.
It is a further object of the present invention to describe means and methods of manufacturing such boards which further depict the specific apparatus assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to describe a means and method of providing such a structural panel with attention given to the steps involved in the process, including mixing, assembly, and curing.
It is a further object of the present invention to describe means and apparatus for on-site manufacture of such fibrous structural panel.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description in which the preferred embodiments have been set forth in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.