Multiple funnel flake aligner for making a loosely felted mat of aligned wood flakes

Inventors

Bruce A. Haataja
Tauno B. Kilpela
Gordon P. Krueger
Roy D. Adams

Files

Abstract

Apparatus for forming a loosely felted mat of thin elongated wood flakes with said flakes being aligned in mutually parallel relation. The apparatus includes a mat supporting surface, a hopper for holding a quantity of wood flakes, and a funnel assembly for receiving wood flakes from the hopper and for causing the flakes to be aligned in substantially parallel side-by-side relation as they are deposited on the supporting surface. The funnel assembly includes a plurality of funnels positioned in adjacent side-by-side relation, the funnels each including inclined walls having lower edges defining an elongated narrow opening adjacent the supporting surface and upper edges defining an opening wider than said narrow opening and for receiving wood flakes from the hopper. The narrow openings of the funnels are parallel and distribute the flakes uniformly across the supporting surface.

Patent Number

4,469,216

Assignee

Board of Control of Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Mich.

Application Number

365,500

Certificate of Correction

No

Issue Date

9-4-1984

Disciplines

Engineering | Mechanical Engineering

Comments

For the most up-to-date information about this patent, including the availability of Certificates of Correction, be sure to check the United States Patent and Trademark Office's free, publicly accessible database: Patent Public Search https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/static/pages/landing.html

Recommended Citation

Haataja, Bruce A.; Kilpela, Tauno B.; Krueger, Gordon P.; and Adams, Roy D., "Multiple funnel flake aligner for making a loosely felted mat of aligned wood flakes" (1984). Michigan Tech Patents. 21.
https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/patents/21