US 7,320,767 B2
Method of increasing dimensional stability of a mat
Barry Nelson Edge, Cowpens, S.C. (US); and David Hershel Pullen, Simpsonville, S.C. (US)
Assigned to Johns Manville, Denver, Colo. (US)
Filed on Jan. 10, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/32,357.
Application 11/032357 is a division of application No. 10/114742, filed on Apr. 02, 2002, abandoned.
Prior Publication US 2005/0123730 A1, Jun. 09, 2005
Int. Cl. B29C 53/18 (2006.01); B29B 15/10 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 264—137  [264/175; 264/257; 264/293] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of increasing dimensional stability of a mat, comprising:
providing a mat; the mat having a length, a width and a thickness; the mat having first and second major surfaces defined by the length and the width of the mat;
saturating the mat with a binder;
passing and compressing the mat between first and second cylindrical squeeze rolls having opposed cylindrical surfaces spaced from each other a distance less than the thickness of the mat, with the cylindrical surface of the first cylindrical squeeze roll having annular grooves therein that are spaced from each other along the length of the first cylindrical squeeze roll and across the width of the mat, to remove binder from the mat and form in the mat a first series of longitudinally extending bands having a first average binder concentration and a second series of longitudinally extending bands having a second average binder concentration wherein the bands of the first series of longitudinally extending bands alternate with bands of the second series of longitudinally extending bands and the average binder concentration of the second series of longitudinally extending bands is greater than the average binder concentration of the first series of longitudinally extending bands; the second series of longitudinally extending bands being formed in the mat where the mat passes between the cylindrical squeeze rolls at the annular grooves in the cylindrical surface of the first cylindrical squeeze roil; and
curing the binder to form a dimensionally more stable mat.